The Dawn Treader

John 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” 34 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 Scripture cannot be broken— 36 do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Again they sought to arrest him, but he escaped from their hands.

Jesus stops the stone throwers in their tracks with a Columbo question.

Note that he doesn't ask, "why are you going to kill me?"  Instead, our Savior asks,

“I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?”

His Columbo question does two things.  One, it exposes their hearts and the injustice of their intended action.  Two, it leads somewhere.  Just like a good Columbo question should.  It sets up the opportunity for Christ to proclaim his divinity.

Notice that the rock hurlers don't dispute either the miracles or the fact that Jesus' wonder working was clearly "good" in nature.

The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

Jesus has an unusual response to this comment.  One would expect him to point to his miracles and say, "Hey fellas, how do you explain those miracles?"  He doesn't start there.  He starts with God's word.

Jesus taps into what these listeners knew well … the Law … and alludes to Psalms 82.6. “You are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you" (Psalm 82:6)

“Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken— do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

This is a brilliant tactic for several reasons.  One, Jesus makes his appeal in terms of the Law.  His listeners knew the Law (though they clearly failed to follow it).  Still, the Law had authority.  Two, Christ shows the supremacy and authority of scripture.  Though he is not using scripture as a proof text in this example, per se, Christ models that Scripture is and should be our rule for faith and life.  He adds an exclamation to that point by affirming that "Scripture cannot be broken".

What Christ is doing in this example is known as arguing from lesser to greater (a minori ad majus).  In essence, he is saying if scripture calls 'gods' (little 'g') those to whom God's word was given (a reference to those mentioned in Psalms 82), then how much more is the term "Son of God" appropriate to the one whom God has sent into the world.  This lesser to greater form of argumentation was ostensibly common in the ancient world, especially with rabbis.

Jesus now shifts his appeal to their experience.  He talks about the works.

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 38 but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father

The works speak for themselves.  Not only are the powerful, they are good.  The works are keeping in God's own character and they manifest his gracious love.  The question is, how does one explain Jesus's works?

This argument is an enthymeme.  An enthymeme is a syllogism that is missing one of its parts.

Someone who performs supernatural good works is divine. (major premise omitted)
This man Jesus has performed supernatural good works. (minor premise stated)
This man Jesus is divine ("he is in the Father and the Father is in him"). (conclusion stated).

An enthymeme is particularly effective because the listener must supply the missing piece.  This engages the hearer.

Christ offers a compelling example of how to engage a hostile audience.  He also presents a cogent argument for today's truth seeker.  If Jesus was not divine, how do you explain someone who can make the deaf hear, the blind see, the lame walk, and the demon-possessed free?  You may try to deny that Jesus is divine ... but how do you explain his miracles?