It was the time of the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus walked into the temple and stood on Solomon’s porch.
The Jews came around Him and said to Him,
“How much longer will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered them,
“I told you and you did not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name, they testify to who I am. But you don’t believe because you are not my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish, and no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.”
Hearing this, the Jews began to pick up stones intending to kill Jesus.
Jesus said to them,
“Many good works I have shown you from the Father. And for which of these good works are you going to stone me?”
The Jews answered by saying,
“We will not stone you for one of your good works, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself out to be God.”
Jesus answered them,
“If he called them gods, the ones to whom the word of God came, are you going to say to the one the Father sanctified and sent into the world, You are blaspheming, because I said,
I am the Son of God?
If I do not do the works of my Father, don’t believe me. But if I do the works of my Father, even if you do not believe my testimony, believe me because of my works.
Then you will know and understand the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
The Jews listened to Jesus and put down their stones and decided instead to arrest Jesus. But Jesus left without them being able to put a hand on Him.
Jesus went to the area where John the Baptist had started baptizing.
While he was there many came to Jesus and said,
“John the Baptist did no miracles, but everything he spoke about Jesus is true.”
Many more came to believe on Jesus.
