Apologetics Thursday: The Person and Deity of Jesus Christ (John 10:22-39)

From our ongoing Wednesday night midweek study: Always Be Ready

Jesus claims messiahship (24-25a)
Cp. his word to John the Baptist’s followers in Matthew 11
He would make this explicitly clear when riding into Jerusalem, in direct, deliberate fulfillment of Zech. 9:9

Jesus claims divine prerogative (28-29)
I give my sheep eternal life
They will never perish because no one can snatch them out of My hand

Jesus claims equality with God (30)
I and the Father are one
“The” Father; Whom they would (and did) clearly understand to be referring to God

Pharisees understand His claims to divinity (31-33)
A helpful evidence to verify this claim is His opponent’s reaction
It’s as though Jesus asked them just to make it clear that they understood His claim! 
Ultimately the charge of blasphemy would be the reason for Jesus’ crucifixion (from their perspective)

Jesus further emphasizes His claim to Divinity (34-38)
Jesus is at least able to use the term that is used of Israel’s judges (Psalm 82:6)
He points to His words, and His works to demonstrate that He also transcends that meaning, and that as judges themselves, they should be able to judge this as being true