What does John 10:32 mean?
Jesus has just made a statement which was obviously going to rile His religious critics. In fact, these men had already cornered Him in an awkward location, carrying stones, and daring Him to speak (John 10:22–31). Jesus responded by reiterating His prior remarks, then going further by specifically saying that He and God were unified as One (John 10:30).The comment Jesus makes here seems, in a sense, to stop these men in their tracks. Clearly, He knows why these men are prepared to kill Him. His question here is meant for effect: Jesus has already pointed out that His miracles ought to convince onlookers that He has divine approval (John 5:36; 10:25). Despite this, these men still object, since the signs didn't agree with their preferred theology (John 10:33).
Though the men claim Jesus is blaspheming, and is a liar, Jesus challenges them to explain the miracles that He's done. As the next verses show, the mob will ignore the real point of the question and simply state the obvious: a charge of blasphemy. Jesus' response, shown in this verse, is to challenge whether they ought to be interpreting His words as blasphemy in the first place. What comes next is Jesus using ancient debate techniques—turning the tables on these masters of Old Testament law.
