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 essentially saying, "Even if you don't trust me, at least trust the undeniable evidence of my actions." He’s pointing to the works, the miracles, as objective proof, appealing to their sight and reason because their ears are closed to his words.
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 confronting the religious leaders who are hostile to him and have just tried to stone him. He's urging them to look at the undeniable evidence of his divine power—his miraculous works—as proof of his unique relationship with the Father. He appeals to their logic: if his works are clearly from God, then he must be truly sent by God and intimately connected to Him, even if they refuse to believe his words.
Jesus faced fierce opposition, even accusations of blasphemy. When words weren't enough, He pointed to something undeniable: His actions.
Jesus doesn't just ask people to take His word for it. He presents His miracles – His "works" – as irrefutable evidence. He tells the hostile crowd, 'if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works.' This isn't a suggestion; it's a challenge to their reason and their sight.
These aren't just any good deeds. Jesus calls them the 'works of my Father.' This means they carried the divine signature. They were so infused with God's power and purpose that they could only originate from Him. To ignore these works was to ignore God's own testimony to His Son.
Jesus wants more than just passive observation of His miracles. He desires a profound understanding that flows from them.
The ultimate goal Jesus has for us is not simply to be amazed by miracles, but to know and understand a deeper reality. He says, 'that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.'
This isn't just about Jesus's divinity; it's about the intimate, inseparable relationship between the Father and the Son. The works serve as the tangible proof of this divine unity. When people truly examined His actions, they were meant to grasp this truth: 'the Father is in me, and I am in the Father.' This is a call to move beyond mere intellectual assent to a deep, experiential knowledge of God's presence and purpose in Jesus.
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This verse captures a pivotal moment where Jesus, facing intense opposition and accusations of blasphemy in Jerusalem, appeals to the evidence of his divine works as proof of his unique relationship with the Father. His subsequent withdrawal to the region beyond the Jordan highlights the escalating conflict and his strategic move to continue his ministry away from immediate persecution.
c. AD 28-30
Jesus' Public Ministry
Jesus conducted his public ministry throughout Galilee and Judea, performing numerous miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus' Confrontation in the Temple
During a visit to the Temple in Jerusalem, Jesus engages in intense debates with Jewish leaders, culminating in accusations of blasphemy.
c. AD 30-33
Attempted Stoning
Following Jesus' claims of unity with the Father, the Jewish leaders, enraged by what they perceive as blasphemy, attempt to stone him.
c. AD 30-33
Jesus Withdraws Beyond the Jordan
Jesus eludes his pursuers by withdrawing to a region east of the Jordan River, where John the Baptist had previously ministered.
c. AD 30-33
Belief in the Jordan Region
Many people in this region come to Jesus, recognizing the truth of John the Baptist's testimony and impressed by Jesus' own powerful works.
Jesus points to the miracles He performs as evidence that the Father sent Him, echoing the argument in John 10:38 that 'the works' bear witness to His divine identity.
Acts 2:22Peter calls on the crowd to recognize Jesus as a man approved by God through 'miracles and wonders and signs' that God did through Him, aligning with Jesus' appeal to His works in John 10:38.
Hebrews 2:4This passage speaks of God bearing witness to the message of salvation through signs, wonders, and various miracles, reinforcing the idea that extraordinary deeds serve as divine confirmation, as Jesus highlights in John 10:38.
Matthew 11:4-5Jesus tells John the Baptist's disciples to report the miracles they see – the blind seeing, the lame walking – as evidence of His messiahship, demonstrating His consistent reliance on His works to prove His identity, just as He does in John 10:38.
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…
henryJohn 10:31-38: "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him."
10:31-38 Christ's works of power and mercy proclaim him to be over all, God blessed for evermore, that all may know and believe He is in the Father, and the Father in Him. Whom the Father sends, he sanctifies. The holy God will reward, and therefore will employ, none but such as he makes holy. The Father was in the Son, so that by Divine power he wrought his miracles; the Son was so in the Father, that he knew the whole of His mi…
Jesus is essentially saying, "Even if you don't trust me, at least trust the undeniable evidence of my actions." He’s pointing to the works, the miracles, as objective proof, appealing to their sight and reason because their ears are closed to his words.
Jesus is confronting the religious leaders who are hostile to him and have just tried to stone him. He's urging them to look at the undeniable evidence of his divine power—his miraculous works—as proof of his unique relationship with the Father. He appeals to their logic: if his works are clearly from God, then he must be truly sent by God and intimately connected to Him, even if they refuse to believe his words.
Jesus is confronting the religious leaders who are hostile to him and have just tried to stone him. He's urging them to look at the undeniable evidence of his divine power—his miraculous works—as proof of his unique relationship with the Father. He appeals to their logic: if his works are clearly from God, then he must be truly sent by God and intimately connected to Him, even if they refuse to believe his words.
"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 is essentially saying, "Even if you don't trust me, at least trust the undeniable evidence of my actions." He’s pointing to the works, the miracles, as objective proof, appealing to their sig…
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Last reviewed October 2026