Jesus doesn't just say you can disbelieve him if his works don't match his claims; he commands it! He challenges them to reject him outright if they can't see the undeniable evidence of his Father's power in his actions, implying that if they can see it, they have no excuse not to believe.
If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 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.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is responding to the Jews who are accusing him of blasphemy for claiming to be God's Son. He challenges them to look at the divine works he performs, arguing that these miracles are undeniable proof of his unique relationship with the Father. If his actions don't align with the Father's, then they are free to disbelieve him, but if they do, then his claims must be true.
When Jesus claimed to be divine, the crowds didn't just have to take His word for it. He pointed to something undeniable.
Jesus challenged his accusers to evaluate His claims based on the "works of the Father." These weren't just any good deeds; they were acts of power and mercy that only God could perform.
Jesus understood the skepticism of his audience. He offered them a way to believe even if they struggled to trust Him directly.
Jesus makes a crucial distinction: even if they couldn't yet believe Him, they could believe the works He was doing. This isn't about believing in His person initially, but in the divine evidence He was presenting.
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Understand the original words
ergon · Greek Noun
Refers to the miracles and divine activities performed by Jesus. In the Gospel of John, these are not just wonders, but 'signs' intended to reveal His divine identity and mission from the Father.
pisteuō · Greek Verb
A firm conviction or trust in someone or something. In the New Testament, it involves not just intellectual assent but a personal commitment and reliance upon Jesus Christ for salvation.
The immediate context for Jesus' statement is his confrontation with the Pharisees after healing a man born blind on the Sabbath. Their escalating anger and attempt to stone him prompt Jesus to appeal to his miraculous works as undeniable evidence of his divine identity and mission from the Father.
c. AD 26-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus begins his public ministry in Galilee and Judea, performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God.
c. AD 30— this verse
Healing of the Blind Man
Jesus heals a man born blind on the Sabbath, leading to a confrontation with the Pharisees. This event immediately precedes Jesus' discourse in John 10.
c. AD 30
Jesus Driven from the Temple
Following the confrontation over the healing of the blind man, the religious leaders, enraged by Jesus' claims, attempt to stone him and drive him out of the temple precincts.
c. AD 30
Jesus Withdraws to Perea
Jesus retreats across the Jordan River to a region known as Perea, continuing his ministry away from immediate opposition in Jerusalem.
c. AD 30
John the Baptist's Ministry
John the Baptist had previously testified about Jesus, preparing the way for him, though John himself performed no miracles, distinguishing him from Jesus.
Jesus directly points to his works as a testament to his divine mission, stating that the Father sent him and bore witness to him through these very deeds, reinforcing the idea that his actions validate his claims.
Isaiah 42:8This Old Testament prophecy declares God's unwillingness to share His glory with another, highlighting the unique divine nature of the works Jesus performed, which were intended to reveal His identity as God's Son.
John 14:10-11Jesus reiterates that his words are not his own but come from the Father dwelling within him, and his works are evidence of this indwelling, mirroring the argument in John 10 that his deeds prove his divine connection.
Acts 2:22Peter explicitly states that Jesus was a man accredited by God through miracles, wonders, and signs, which God performed through him, directly supporting Jesus' appeal to his works as proof of his divine authority.
barnesJohn 10:37: "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not."
The works of my Father - The very works that my Father does. See John 5:17 ; "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work." See the note on that place. The works of his Father are those which God only can do. As Jesus did them, it shows that the name "Son of God," implying equality with God, was properly applied to him. This shows conclusively that he meant to be understood as claiming to be equal with God. So the Jews naturally under…
calvinJohn 10:37-42: "If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not."
- If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38. But if I do, [301] though you believe not me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39. Therefore they sought again to seize him, but he escaped [302] out of their hands. 40. And again he went away beyond Jordan, to the place where John first baptized, and abode there. 41. And many came to him, and said, John indeed d…
Jesus doesn't just say you can disbelieve him if his works don't match his claims; he commands it! He challenges them to reject him outright if they can't see the undeniable evidence of his Father's power in his actions, implying that if they can see it, they have no excuse not to believe.
Jesus is responding to the Jews who are accusing him of blasphemy for claiming to be God's Son. He challenges them to look at the divine works he performs, arguing that these miracles are undeniable proof of his unique relationship with the Father. If his actions don't align with the Father's, then they are free to disbelieve him, but if they do, then his claims must be true.
Jesus is responding to the Jews who are accusing him of blasphemy for claiming to be God's Son. He challenges them to look at the divine works he performs, arguing that these miracles are undeniable proof of his unique relationship with the Father. If his actions don't align with the Father's, then they are free to disbelieve him, but if they do, then his claims must be true.
"If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; 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.”" — Jesus doesn't just say you can disbelieve him if his works don't match his claims; he commands it! He challenges them to reject him outright if they can't see the undeniable evidence of his Fathe…
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Last reviewed October 2026
