John 10: 31-42 Gospel Reflection: Signs of the Kingdom of God.

 John 10: 31-42 Gospel Reflection

The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of these do you stone me?” The Jews answered him, “We stone you for no good work but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came (and Scripture cannot be nullified), do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God? If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” Again, they tried to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.  He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John at first baptized, and there he remained. And many came to him, and they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” And many believed in him there.

This is the Gospel Reflection for John 10: 31-42, we are reflecting on the signs of the kingdom. In today’s Gospel, we hear Jesus saying, “If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” The signs Jesus worked attest that the Father has sent him. Those works are the invitation to the kingdom of God. The works of Jesus, the wonders and signs he performed were the signs of the kingdom. Those were the manifestations of the kingdom of God and attest that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But often Jews were not satisfied with those signs but the miracles or signs of Jesus were not to satisfy the curiosity of the people.

When the second person of the Trinity incarnated in the world to share the love of God with the people, many could not accept that incarnation. God becomes a man is an impossibility for many. Judging God with a small human brain will end up in such rejection. Human pride never allows us to be submissive to the will of God. In those moments the cross is the only answer to them. It was the greatest sign of the kingdom of God. Being sinless Jesus willfully took up the cross to redeem humanity from every sin. To save the world is a divine work, Jesus being divine does it willfully by dying on the cross. But even that great sacrifice on the cross cannot accept by many. So, St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians 1: 18 says, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

There are several signs Jesus performed as the signs of the kingdom. His words, the miracles, and ultimately his passion, death, and resurrection. But believing in him and accepting his invitation to be the children of God is our duty. “To those who did accept him, he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God” (John 1: 12-13).