John 10:22-25

22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 

23 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.”

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.

“If You Are the Christ, Tell Us Plainly”

The Feast of Dedication was actually Hanukkah. It was not a commanded feast. It was a feast to commemorate the rededication of the Second Temple after it was defiled by the Seleucid ruler Antiochus Epiphanes IV, who ruled Judea. Evidently, he defiled the temple by slaughtering pigs inside it. This was around 167 BC, about 250 years after the books of Malachi and Nehemiah. Three years later, during the Maccabean revolt, they fought back against the Seleucids, cleansed the temple, and rededicated it to God. The revolt must have lasted eight days, because the oil in the lampstand didn’t burn out for the entire eight days, even though there was only enough oil in it for one day. This is why it is also referred to as the Feast of Lights. The feast, now known as Hanukkah, is still celebrated by Jewish people today. John also writes that the season is winter. Hanukkah, as we know, is always in the winter. This might be why Jesus is walking in Solomon’s porch, as it was a covered part of the temple that would keep Him somewhat out of the weather. 

In verse 24, it seems as though Jesus was suddenly surrounded by the Jews. They said, “How long do you keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Wow. Jesus had already told them multiple times in roundabout ways who He was, plus He had done miracles in front of them. Yet they were still as blind as ever. Their hearts were as cold as winter. They had no intention of believing in Jesus. They only wanted a reason to kill Him. “Tell us plainly”? Really? How much plainer could Jesus have been? In verse 25, Jesus said, paraphrasing, “I have told you, but you don’t believe. I have done miracles in My Father’s name that show you who I am.” What more did these people want? The point is, they didn’t want anything. They don’t want to believe. They didn’t want this man Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. In their eyes, He was a nobody from a town of no reputation… from a family of no reputation. Remember what Nathanael first said about Him when Philip told Him where Jesus was from? “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). But the difference between Nathanael and these people is that Nathanael’s eyes and heart were opened immediately, as soon as Jesus told Him that he was standing under the fig tree earlier in the day. (John 1:48) That was all it took for Nathanael to believe and follow Jesus. But these Jews… they had seen Jesus do so much more than Nathanael had seen, yet they still didn’t believe. They had blind eyes and cold hearts. Nothing Jesus said or did would change their hearts. They were set on destroying the Son of God. 

The Jews said, “If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus said, “I have told you plainly, but you refuse to believe.” This makes me think of the controversy among people all over the world on how to be saved from our sins… on how to get to heaven… and let’s face it, we all want to go to heaven. Jesus told us plainly how to be saved, just like he told the Jews plainly that He was the Messiah, the Son of God. Then, after Jesus died, rose from the dead, and ascended back to heaven, His apostles, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, told us plainly how to be saved and go to heaven. We need only to believe what Jesus and later His apostles plainly said and then follow through on that belief. God’s simple, beautiful plan for humankind to be saved is below. If you haven’t done what you need to do to be saved, or you aren’t sure if you have or not, take some time to look up the verses below… read them… ponder them, and then ask yourself if you are saved according to what the Bible says. If you are a Christian according to God’s plan, ask yourself if you are being faithful in your Christian walk. Jesus loves you so much. He wants you to be with Him. I love you, and I also want you to be with Jesus. I wouldn’t put anything out here for anyone to read unless it came straight from God’s Word. I wouldn’t write it if I didn’t 100 percent believe it with all my heart. The truth isn’t popular in our world today. So, when I write about how to be saved, I realize that it isn’t the popular viewpoint of most people. But, ask yourself, why would I write about something unpopular if it wasn’t the truth? Trust me, until a little over three years ago, I wouldn’t have done this for a million dollars because I was too afraid of upsetting those who didn’t believe the same as I did. I also didn’t think anyone would want to hear from the likes of me because of my past behavior. I was a hypocrite of the highest order. I tried to live a double life. I was a pretender. But not anymore. Now, I just care about souls being saved. I just love other people’s souls, and I want them to have the opportunity to know the pure truth of God’s Word as I have been taught my whole life. Sadly, I took what I had been taught for granted for a really long time, and it’s really hard to let go of the shame that I have felt because of that. But with Jesus, all shame is gone. If I feel shame or fear, which at times I still do, I know that shame is just Satan trying to discourage me from doing what God wants me to do. Just remember, no matter what your past looks like, you can have freedom from that past. Whatever sin you are involved in now, you can have freedom from it. Jesus = Freedom. If you are reading this, I love your soul, and I want you to be saved. I’m not perfect, and I don’t pretend to be. I’m just trying to help others know Jesus and know how to be with Him for eternity. Please think about it…

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)

Then, we must remain faithful until death or until Jesus returns, whichever comes first. (Rev. 2:10)

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!