Jesus is Rejected by the Jews

²² Now^[a] Hanukkah^[b] was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter, ²³ and Jesus was walking around in the Temple inside the open porch of Solomon. ²⁴ So the Jewish leaders^[c] surrounded him and quizzed him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you’re the Messiah,^[d] tell us so plainly.”

²⁵ Jesus answered them, “I have told you, but you don’t believe it. The actions that I do in my Father’s name testify on my behalf, ²⁶ but you don’t believe, because you don’t belong to my sheep.^{[e] 27} My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, they’ll never be lost, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ What my Father has given me^[f] is more important than anything,^[g] and no one can snatch it from the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.”

³¹ Again the Jewish leaders^[h] picked up stones to stone him to death.

³² Jesus replied to them, “I’ve shown you many good actions from my^[i] Father. For which of them are you going to stone me?”

³³ The Jewish leaders^[j] answered him, “We are not going to stone you for a good action, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, are making yourself God!”

³⁴ Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your^[k] Law, ‘I said, “You are gods”’?^{[l] 35} If he called those to whom a message from God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be disregarded), ³⁶ how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You’re blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I’m the Son of God’? ³⁷ If I’m not doing my Father’s actions, don’t believe me. ³⁸ But if I’m doing them, even though you don’t believe me, believe the actions, so that you may know and understand^[m] that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

³⁹ Again they tried to seize him, but he slipped away from them.^[n]