Throughout the three-year ministry of Jesus, the Jewish leaders increasingly took issue with him. They criticized him for healing on the Sabbath and bristled at how he characterized their outward show of religious practices.
More than anything, they became irate with his claims about himself.
“To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ They answered him, ‘We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?’” John 8:31-33.
To another of their questions, “Jesus replied, ‘If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it and was glad.’ ‘You are not yet 50 years old,’ they said to him, ‘and you have seen Abraham!’ ‘Very truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘before Abraham was born, I am!’ At this, they picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself, slipping away from the temple grounds.” John 8:54-59.
There was no doubt in the minds of that audience exactly what Jesus was claiming. They immediately wanted to stone him because of their familiarity with a certain exchange.
“Moses said to God, ‘Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I Am Who I Am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I Am has sent me to you.’ God also said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites, ‘The lord, the God of your fathers — the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob — has sent me to you.’ ‘This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.’” Exodus 3:13-15.
We read in the Gospel of John of more interrogation of Jesus. “The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, ‘How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ Jesus answered, ‘I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.’ Again, his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ ‘We are not stoning you for any good work,’ they replied, ‘but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.’” John 10:24-33.
Jesus self-identifying as God was intolerable for the religious leaders and so they had him crucified. This will not be the end of the story.
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