y Father are one" was His solemn declaration.[1014] In
their rage they scrambled for stones wherewith to crush Him. Owing to
the unfinished state of the temple buildings, there were probably many
blocks and broken fragments of rock at hand; and this was the second
murderous attempt upon our Lord's life within the purlieus of His
Father's House.[1015]

Fearless, and with the compelling calmness of more than human majesty,
Jesus said: "Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which
of those works do ye stone me?" They angrily retorted: "For a good work
we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a
man, makest thyself God."[1016] Plainly they had found no ambiguity in
His words. He then cited to them the scriptures, wherein even judges
empowered by divine authority are called gods,[1017] and asked: "Is it
not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods,
unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken: say
ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world,
Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?" Then, reverting
to the first avouchment that His own commission was of the Father who is
greater than all, He added: "If I do not the works of my Father, believe
me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him."[1018]
Again the Jews sought to take Him, but were foiled by means not stated;
He passed from their reach and departed from the temple.

OUR LORD'S RETIREMENT IN PEREA.[1019]

The violent hostility of the Jews in Jerusalem, the headquarters of the
theocracy, was such that Jesus withdrew from the city and its
neighborhood. The day for His sacrifice had not yet come, and while His
enemies could not kill Him until He allowed Himself to be taken into
their hands, His work would be retarded by further hostile disturbances.
He retired to the place at which John the Baptist had begun his public
ministry, which is probably also the place of our Lord's baptism. The
exact location is not specified; it was certainly beyond Jordan and
therefore in Perea. We read that Jesus abode there, and from this we
gather that He remained in one general locality instead of traveling
from town to town as had been His custom. People resorted to Him even
there, however, and many believed on Him. The place was endeared to
those who had gone to hear John an