John 10:22-26
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.
26 But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.
Between verses 21 and 22, two and a half months pass. Tabernacles was in October, Dedication (Hanukkah — 1 Maccabees 4:36-59; 2 Maccabees 1:9; 10:1-8) was in late December. At the end of this chapter, Jesus leaves Jerusalem and doesn’t return until Passover in the spring, where He dies.
The feast of dedication is mentioned only in this passage; nowhere else do we read of it. It is not a feast appointed by Jehovah, but a feast of commemoration of the cleansing of the temple after the defilement by Antiochus Epiphanes, and was first appointed by Judas Maccabaeus in the second century before Christ. It is known today as the feast of Chanukah, a feast of joy and gladness. — Gaebelein, page 186
Winter (v. 22) — Jesus’ public ministry is drawing to a close. After John 10, He ministers privately to His disciples preparing for His death and resurrection — as the sacrificial lamb was separated from the flock (Exodus 12:3-6).
Solomon’s porch (v. 23) — a colonnade where teachers and rabbis met to debate theology.
Jesus had demonstrated that He was the Messiah by His words and His miracles (v. 25). He had told the Samaritan woman, the disciples, and the blind beggar He was the Messiah, but not the Jews in Jerusalem. Perhaps because many thought the Messiah would be a military leader.
not My sheep (v. 26) — as shown by their unbelief. They weren’t looking for the truth but were trying to trap Him so they could accuse Him of blasphemy.
The Lord had told them that He was “the Son of Man,” and that as such the Father had “given Him authority to execute judgment” (5:27). He had told them that He was the One of whom Moses wrote (5:46). He had told them that He was the “living bread” which had come down from heaven (6:51). He had told them that Abraham had rejoiced to see His day (8:56). All of these were statements which intimated plainly that He was the promised One of the Old Testament Scriptures.
In addition to what He had taught concerning His own person, His “works” bore conclusive witness to His Messianic office. His works were an essential part of His credentials, as is clear from Luke 7:19-23: And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” hen the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?’” … Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.” These were the precise verifications as to what was to take place when the Messiah appeared — compare Isaiah 35-5-6. — Pink, page 140-141.
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