Jesus Asserts His Deity

²² At that time the ^[a]Feast of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem; ²³ it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple area, in the portico of ^(A)Solomon. ^24 (B)The Jews then surrounded Him and began saying to Him, “How long ^[b]will You keep us in suspense? If You are the ^[c]Christ, tell us ^(C)plainly.” ²⁵ Jesus answered them, “^(D)I told you, and you do not believe; ^(E)the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. ²⁶ But you do not believe, because ^(F)you are not of My sheep. ²⁷ My sheep ^(G)listen to My voice, and ^(H)I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them ^(I)eternal life, and they will never perish; and ^(J)no one will snatch them out of My hand. ^29 [d]My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ^30 (K)I and the Father are ^[e]one.”

³¹ The Jews ^(L)picked up stones again to stone Him. ³² Jesus replied to them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” ³³ The Jews answered Him, “We are not stoning You for a good work, but for ^(M)blasphemy; and because You, being a man, ^(N)make Yourself out to be God.” ³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in ^(O)your ^(P)Law: ‘^(Q)I said, you are gods’? ³⁵ If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be nullified), ³⁶ are you saying of Him whom the Father ^(R)sanctified and ^(S)sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘^(T)I am the Son of God’? ^37 (U)If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; ³⁸ but if I do them, even though you do not believe Me, believe ^(V)the works, so that you may ^[f]know and understand that ^(W)the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” ³⁹ Therefore ^(X)they were seeking again to arrest Him, and ^(Y)He eluded their grasp.