The reason is in John 8:40-44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof. If their father is the father of lies, is their accusation truthful? Do we believe their accusations instead of Jesus unequivocal "the Father is greater than I" statement?
John 8:40-44 ASV
40But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I heard from God: this did not Abraham. 41Ye do the works of your father. They said unto him, We were not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.
42Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I came forth and am come from God; for neither have I come of myself, but he sent me. 43Why do ye not understand my speech? Even because ye cannot hear my word. 44Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof
Jesus’ statements in John 5:19 show that he had been sent by God. He is not God and that he admitted that he could do nothing on his own, but only what the Father willed:
John 5:19 ASV Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner.
Does John 5:19 make sense if Jesus is the Almighty God and as God he did only what he was directed to do? Consider Psalm 135:6 ASV Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps; and Isaiah 46:9-10 ASV Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me 10 declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done; saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure; God says he does what he pleases while Jesus said he "can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father doing: for what things soever he doeth, these the Son also doeth in like manner."
Further reading of John chapter 5 reveals that Jesus did not claim to be God. Jesus claimed to have been sent by God which the Jews refused to accept, John 5:37-38,43.
John 5:37-38 ASV And the Father that sent me, he hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he sent, him ye believe not.
John 5:43 ASV I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Blasphemy: referring to Before Abraham was, I am (8:58)
The Jews have already sought to kill him before this, John 7:1 John 7:25
John 7:1 ASV And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him.
John 7:25 ASV And the men from Jerusalem were saying, “Is This not he whom they seek to kill?"
Young's Analytical Concordance to the Holy Bible in explaining John 8:58 tells us that Jesus was proclaiming himself by these words (ego eimi) to be "the promised Messiah." - Young's Concise Critical Bible Commentary, p. 61, 1977 ed., Baker Book House.
Are the words "I am" God's name? What sense would John 8:58 make if it is. Consider Jesus saying, "Most assuredly I say to you, before Abraham was YHWH?
Others say that IAM is YHWH. Let's see. Is the angel Gabriel YHWH too? Luke 1:19. Did Peter said YHWH is prepared to to to prison with Jesus? Luke 22:33 Is YHWH a man under authority, Matthew 8:9.
Luke 1:19 ASV And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and I was sent to speak unto thee, and to bring thee these good tidings
Luke 22:33 ASV And he said unto him, Lord, with thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death
Make yourself God: referring to both My Father is working until now, and I am working. (5:17) and I and the Father are one (10:30)
The equality topic shown in the context was that Jesus was claiming the same right as his Father (my Father is working) to heal/ do good on the Sabbath. John 7:22-23 shows that the forefathers of the Jews circumcised on the Sabbath. Matthew 12:9-14 also show that it is lawful to do good on a sabbath.
Examining the context of John 10, we find that those that put faith in Jesus did not believe the accusation that Jesus was making himself equal to God. John 10:40-42 "everything John said about this man Jesus, (not God) was true. John 10:40-42
John 10:40-42 ASV And he went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing; and there he abode. And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true. And many believed on him there
Jesus enemies used this as an excuse, for they had long been seeking an excuse to kill him. (Matthew 12:14; Mark 3:6; 11:18, John 5:18; 7:19,20; 8:37) as was already pointed out in John 7:1 Jesus enemies were seeking to kill him. They have proven themselves liars in (John 7:19,20) when they were confronted by Jesus. In Luke 6:7 we find the Jewish leaders were watching him that they might find an accusation against him. In Luke 11:54, we see that they were lying in wait for him, and seeking to catch him in something he might say, that they might accuse him.
Matthew 12:14 ASV But the Pharisees went out, and took counsel against him, how they might destroy him.
Mark 3:6 ASV And the Pharisees went out, and straightway with the Herodians took counsel against him, how they might destroy him
Mark 11:18 ASV And the chief priests and the scribes heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, for all the multitude was astonished at his teaching.
Luke 6:7 ASV And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath; that they might find how to accuse him.
Luke 11:54 ASV laying wait for him, to catch something out of his mouth.
John 7:19-29 ASV Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you doeth the law? Why seek ye to kill me? The multitude answered, Thou hast a demon: who seeketh to kill thee?
In John 10:33, Jesus accusers denied that they were seeking to stone him because of his good work. Does this make their accusation and denial true? Yhey had denied that they were even seeking to kill Jesus earlier (John 7:19,20). To accept as true this accusation would be calling Jesus a liar. Jesus pointed out the real reasons why they wished to kill him.