Scripture to Read: John 10:22–24
Our Lord Jesus Christ was constantly ridiculed and persecuted by the religious leaders of His day. Those religious leaders continually sought to find some way to get Jesus to call Himself the king of the Jews. If He did, they could accuse Him before the Roman governor and hopefully get Him sentenced to death. For a bit of history, as we read John 10:22, we read that it was the time of the Feast of the Dedication, known nowadays as Hanukkah. This feast celebrated the cleansing of the temple after three years of desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, which occurred around 164 or 165 B.C. The rise of the Maccabees ended Antiochus’s reign over Jerusalem, and the Jews celebrated this Feast yearly. So, we read in John 10:22–24, At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” The religious leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple. They asked Him to make it clear if He was the Messiah. We must examine what Christ had already declared to understand how ridiculous their question was. Read through John 3:13, John 3:15, John 5:19–23, John 5:39, John 6:38, 48, John 7:28–29, John 8:12, 29, 42, 46, 58, John 9:37, and John 10:9, 11, 17–18. Jesus had made it clear who He was.
Challenge & Application
• What was the goal of the religious leaders and why was this their goal?
• What had Jesus already declared about Himself, and how do these declarations about Himself encourage you?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!