4/11/2025 (Friday) Today’s Gospel reading: John 10:31-42

31 The Jews picked up rocks to stone Jesus.
32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these are you trying to stone me?”
33 The Jews answered him, “We are not stoning you for a good work but for blasphemy. You, a man, are making yourself God.”
34 Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, ‘You are gods”‘?
35 If it calls them gods to whom the word of God came, and Scripture cannot be set aside,
36 can you say that the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world blasphemes because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?
37 If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me;
38 but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”
39 Then they tried again to arrest him; but he escaped from their power.
40 He went back across the Jordan to the place where John first baptized, and there he remained.
41 Many came to him and said, “John performed no sign, but everything John said about this man was true.”
42 And many there began to believe in him.

4/11/2025 (Friday) Today’s Gospel reflection / homily / sermon: John 10:31-42

We continue to witness a tense moment between Jesus and the Jewish leaders. They pick up stones to kill Him, not for a crime, not for a wrong deed, but because of what He claimed: that He is one with the Father. To them, this was blasphemy. Yet in the face of aggression, rejection, and unbelief, Jesus doesn’t retaliate. Instead, He reasons with them, not appealing to His words alone, but to His works.

“Even if you don’t believe Me,” He says in verse 38, “believe the works.” This is such a powerful moment of divine humility and grace. Jesus, who holds all authority in heaven and on earth, stoops to appeal to human hearts, not with force, but with love and truth.

1. God’s Work Speaks When Words Fail
Jesus knew that some people would struggle to believe His claims. But He also knew that His life including His miracles, His compassion, His healing touch, and His unrelenting love, would be undeniable proof of who He is. In the same way, when people doubt our faith or question God, it’s often our actions that speak louder than our words.

How we treat others, how we serve, how we persevere in hard times, these are the “works” that reflect Christ in us. Our lives can be living testimonies of God’s goodness. When people don’t yet believe in the message, they might begin to believe in the fruit they see in us.

2. Faith That Grows from Experience
Jesus was urging the crowd to let His works lead them to faith. He wasn’t demanding blind belief. He was inviting thoughtful reflection. “Look at what I’ve done,” He essentially said. “Let that lead you to the truth.”

God often works the same way in our lives. Sometimes, we’re in a season where belief is hard. Doubts creep in. Pain clouds our vision. But if we look back and remember what God has done such as the prayers He’s answered, the peace He’s given, the doors He’s opened, our faith can find solid ground again.

Faith doesn’t always start with understanding. Sometimes it starts with recognizing the hand of God in our story and letting that draw us closer to Him.

3. The Power of Quiet Assurance
After the confrontation, Jesus leaves the hostile crowd and goes across the Jordan, where John the Baptist had once ministered. And there, many people come to Him and believe. Notice the contrast: in Jerusalem, there was opposition; in the quiet place, there was faith.

Sometimes, God will lead us away from places of conflict into places of peace, not because He is giving up, but because He knows where faith is ready to bloom. If you’re in a season where your efforts to serve or share your faith are being met with resistance, don’t lose heart. Like Jesus, keep doing good. Keep walking in truth. And when needed, trust God to guide you to where your light will be received.

4. Our Confidence Is in Who We Belong To
Jesus stood firm because He knew who He was. “The Father is in Me, and I in Him.” That kind of confidence comes from deep communion with God. And the beautiful truth is: because of Jesus, we too can walk with that same confidence. If you belong to Christ, then the Father is with you. His Spirit lives in you. You are never alone, even when misunderstood or rejected.

So today, if you’re facing opposition or if you’re wondering whether your faith makes a difference, remember Jesus in this passage. He stood firm in love. He let His works speak. He trusted the Father’s timing. And He drew people not by force, but by the undeniable beauty of a life that radiates God’s truth.

Let your life speak. Let your works shine. And may your quiet faith draw others to believe in the One who lives in you.

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