1. “You are gods…” John 10 (John 10:22-39) READ
In the last year of his life, Jesus was in Jerusalem during the Feast of Dedication
This feast was an 8 day feast held in December, and is today known as Hanukkah
The feast was started in the intertestamental period, celebrating the cleansing of the temple by Judas Maccabeus after its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes in 170 B.C.
This narrative can be found in the apocryphal book of 1 Maccabees (1 Macc 4:56, 59)
Here, unbelieving Jews confronted him:
(John 10:23-24), “And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”
Part of Jesus’ answer to them enraged the Jews, and led them to take up stones against him, to stone him, “for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make yourself God” (33).
Jesus’ response contains a peculiar phrase, that needs explanation
(John 10:34-36), “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, “I said, ‘You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”
The phrase “You are Gods” comes from Psalm 82:6. What does it mean? And, what was Jesus’ point in quoting the passage to them?
We want to answer these questions as we examine the text.
Note: Sermon adapted from an article by Joe Price that appeared in the May 1998 issue of Watchman Magazine

2. The Context
Jesus was surrounded by unbelievers. The would not believe, regardless of His words and works. (John 5:36; 10:25)
A further demonstration of His power would make no difference (cf. Matthew 7:6)
Their minds were made up, and they were seeking a reason to kill Him.
(John 10:24-26), “Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.”
The Context
Jesus was surrounded by unbelievers.
They had seen his miraculous works and their results (Two examples in John’s gospel)
The healing of the paralyzed man, ill for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:2-18)
(John 5:16-18), “For this reason the Jews persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath. 17 But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”
The sight restored to the man born blind (John 9:1-34)
(John 9:28-29) [The Jews talking with the healed blind man, about Jesus], “Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
The purpose of those works are revealed by Jesus in John 5:36
(John 5:36), “But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.”
(John 20:30-31), [His works do the same for us, as they are recorded history], “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
A further demonstration of his power would no doubt be casting pearls before swine
(Matthew 7:6), “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.”
They had made up their minds. They were looking for a reason to put Jesus to death.

3. “My Sheep”
Their failure to believe made clear they were not his sheep/disciples.
The sheep hear the voice of Christ/He knows them (John 10:14)
They follow the words of Christ/He gives them eternal life (John 10:10)
Because of their faithfulness, they would never perish! (John 10:29)
(John 10:26-29), “But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.”
His Sheep
Their failure to believe in Christ made it clear that they were not his sheep (John 10:26). They were not his disciples.
His sheep hear the voice of Christ, consequently, he knows them,
(John 10:14), “I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.”
They follow the words of Christ, consequently, he gives them eternal life,
(John 10:10), “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy [the sheep]. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
As a result, they shall never perish (no one shall snatch them out of the hand of Christ).
Jesus taught that human salvation rests upon the pillars of man’s faith and God’s grace
Jesus rejected the Calvinistic doctrines of unconditional election and the perseverance of the saints.
If the conditions of verse 27 are not obeyed, the blessings of verses will not follow.
As one hears and obeys the voice of Christ (the gospel) he receives the security of his soul that the Son and the Father provide.
The Jewish rulers did not hear his voice nor did they follow him. Therefore, they did not have any true hope of salvation.

4. “I and My Father are one”
Jesus claimed the same power as the Father (vs )
The Jews wanted a plain statement? This was it!
Jesus plainly claimed for himself equality (sameness) with God (John 5:17-18)
Jesus’ works showed His claim to be true! (John 10:25,32,37-38; 5:36; cf. John 1:1-3,14)
(John 10:30), “I and My Father are one.”
Note: This is the basis of the Jews’ objection. And, they are right to note that these words are a claim to Deity. They were wrong in that they rejected the evidence that He was who He claimed to be!
“I And The Father Are One”
Jesus claimed to possess the same power as the Father when he claimed power to give eternal life and to protect his sheep from danger.
(John 10:28-29), “And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father's hand.”
So, what his enemies were pressing him for they now receive. Jesus uttered a clear and decisive statement of his divine nature by affirming, “I and the Father are one.” 
To claim the same power as the Father was to claim oneness with Him
The Jews immediately saw such a claim as blasphemous. They did not misunderstand what Jesus said. They simply did not believe him. They knew Jesus was “making himself God” (John 10:33).
Jesus declared for himself equality (sameness) with God
(John 5:17-18), “But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” 18 Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath, but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.”
The very works Jesus did showed his declaration to be true
(John 10:25,32,37-38; 5:36). (25), “Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.” – (32), “Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” – (37-38), “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
(5:36), “But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me”
Jesus is more than just a man. He is also God
(John 1:1-3, 14), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”
(14), “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

5. “You are gods”
In quoting Psalm 82:6, Jesus exposed their inconsistency
They accepted as true the statement that the judges of the people were “gods.”
If unjust judges could be referred to (representatively) as “gods” without blasphemy, how could Jesus, who proved through His works to be from God, be so accused?
(John 10:34-38), “Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, “I said, ‘You are gods” ’? 35 If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”
“You are gods”
Jesus continued his defense by exposing their inconsistency through this appeal to the authority of Scripture. 
(Psalm 82:1-2), “God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods. 2 How long will you judge unjustly, And show partiality to the wicked?”
(Psalm 82:6), “I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.”
The Jews accepted the statement from their own law that described God’s appointed judges among his people as “gods”
Jesus reminds his opponents of this, something that they conceded to be true, as it was written in the Law. As such, firmly established as true. “and the Scripture cannot be broken” (35).
Jesus affirmed the authoritative force of Scripture by saying, “The scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
Inspired scripture cannot be deprived of its binding authority by the whims of men.
All individuals are obligated to harmonize their beliefs and practices to the authority of God’s writings (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
In Psalms 82:6, the judges of Israel were called “gods” because of their representative position of authority and responsibility among the people.
These judges were God’s representatives, charged with executing fair and impartial judgments in Israel
To go before the judges was to go before God, for they were charged with rendering God’s judgments.
(Deuteronomy 1:16-17), [Moses’ charge to the judges of Israel], “Then I commanded your judges at that time, saying, ‘Hear the cases between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother or the stranger who is with him. 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid in any man's presence, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’”
The Jews had never considered the statement from Psalms 82:6 as blasphemous, even though it depicts unrighteous men as “god.”
Yet they were charging Jesus whose words and works showed that he was approved by God) with blasphemy because he said, “I am the Son of God” (10:36).
The Jews were not being consistent in their reasoning!
Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater here.
The Father had set him apart and sent him into the world with a far greater work than the judges of Israel received.
Jesus’ works proved he was from the Father. He was righteous in every way. Truly, he is the Son of God.

6. Do you believe it? Are you his sheep?
Conclusion
“I and the Father are one” is the same thing as “I am the Son of God.” (John 10:30,36)
Jesus clearly identified Himself as divine.
Men can be called “gods” only in a representative sense.
However, One has lived among us who is more than just a man. Jesus was God in the flesh.
His words and works confirm it!
Conclusion
“I and the Father are one “ is equivalent to saying “I am the Son of God” (v 30, 36).
This was a clear declaration of deity by Jesus and the Jews took it as such, though they rejected the idea.
(John 10:33), “The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”
Only in a representative sense have men ever been called “gods.”
However, one has lived among us who was more than just man. Jesus was God in the flesh!
(Matthew 1:23), “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
(Colossians 2:9), “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily”
His works confirm it. His words attest to it. He has power to save and to protect your soul.
Do you believe it? Are you his sheep?