“I and my Father are one”

John 10:30

Unity of Being, not just Purpose

The verb ‘are’ is the first person plural of the root verb ‘to be’ – it’s all about being.

If Jesus had only meant that he was unified with the Father in purpose, he should have added the word ‘at’ – ‘we are at one’ – but he didn’t. He and the Father are one in being, essence and nature!

Unity of Being in the Context

Safety in the One Hand of God

In the discussion just before Jesus Christ has been speaking as the true Shepherd of Israel – another claim to deity * –   and as the divine Shepherd, He speaks of the total security of His sheep because they are in the one hand of God.

“They shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand … and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. I and my Father are one.” (v28,29)

Unity of Being confirmed in the Response

‘Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him’

John 10:31

And when the Lord Jesus asks why they want to stone him, the Jewish leaders answer: “because You, being a man, make yourself God.” (v33)

It is clear from this statement that the Jewish leaders fully understood Jesus Christ’s claim to be God. And while Jesus would also set forth the evidence of His miraculous works (v37,38), the leaders, blinded by their arrogance, could and would only see Jesus as a man making blasphemous claims.

Unity of Being central to our Salvation

Sadly, they missed God’s salvation, provided in God our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross.

This was not God punishing someone else for your sins and mine. The unity of being means that while the Son died (not the Father) this was indeed God Himself who ‘was manifest in flesh … to take away our sins’ (1Tim3:16, 1John3:5)

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* Prophecy of Ezekial 34:11

‘For thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out as a Shepherd seeks out His flock in the day that He is among His sheep.’