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| Chapter 10 |
| Bible Text | Notes and Thoughts |
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1 ¶ "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out. 4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers." 6 This parable Jesus spoke unto them, but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them. 7 Then said Jesus unto them again, "Verily, verily I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep. 12 But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep and am known by Mine. 15 As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd. 17 Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again. 18 No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father." 19 ¶ There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20 And many of them said, "He hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him?" 21 Others said, "These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?" 22 ¶ And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s Porch. 24 Then came the Jews round about Him and said unto Him, "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and ye believed not. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. 26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me. 28 And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father’s hand. 30 I and My Father are one." 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I shown you from My Father. For which of those works do ye stone Me?" 33 The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God." 34 Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, ‘I said "Ye are gods"’? 35 If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do ye say of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, ‘Thou blasphemest,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not. 38 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." 39 ¶ Therefore they sought again to take Him, but He escaped out of their hand, 40 and went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John had first baptized; and there He abode. 41 And many resorted unto Him and said that John did no miracle, but all things that John spoke of this Man were true. 42 And many believed in Him there. |
This chapter is focusing on sheep, sheepfolds and the shepherds. This was a common image to the people of New Testament times, but it is also common in today’s world. The image is developed to show the church, the church leaders and the members. Acts 20:28ff. The image of a shepherd and sheep is found throughout the Bible. This image helps man to understand his relationship with God. This chapter contains the 3rd, 4th & 5th "I AM" statements. John 6:35; John 8:12; John 10:9; John 10:11; John 10:36. In this chapter Jesus describes Himself in three ways. 1) v1-10 I Am The Door. This chapter is a continuation of chapter 9 where we read of Jesus healing the beggar and then the beggar being ‘excommunicated’ (thrown out of the synagogue). The Jews looked upon their leaders and prophets as ‘shepherds’ with Israel being the ‘sheep.’ Jesus starts with what was a familiar arrangement to the Jew, the sheepfold was usually an enclosure made of rocks, an area surrounded by a wall of rocks and stones with an opening for the door. The shepherd would lay across the door to stop the sheep leaving and protecting the sheep from the danger of wild animals or thieves entering. A thief could only enter by climbing over the walls but the sheep would not recognize a thief as they only recognize the shepherd and only respond to his voice, they do not recognize the voices of a false shepherd or thieves. Sometimes the sheepfold may be protecting a number of flocks but each flock would recognize their own shepherd and follow him out to the place to feed when he called. v6 The leaders did not understand what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was saying that they were the thieves or false shepherds (hirelings) and did not care for the sheep, instead they mistreated them like the beggar in chapter 9 (note v8 ‘are thieves and robbers’ makes it clear that he was talking about the present religious leaders not the previous prophets). 2) v11-21 I Am The Good Shepherd. Jesus now changes the picture to show how He fits, "I am the door of the sheepfold. I am the true shepherd." This door allows those who seek the Messiah to hear His voice and recognize it as their shepherd, then follow and leave this sheepfold of Judaism for the pastures and food of the True Shepherd. This Shepherd not only leads them out of the old sheepfold but becomes the ‘Door’ into a new flock and sheepfold. Jesus is the Door of Salvation, He did this by laying down His life for His sheep, v11,17,18. v10 ‘the thief’ may be referring to Satan, ‘the thief’ wants to steal and destroy, the True Shepherd wants to give life. The Good Shepherd dies for His sheep John 10:11-13. Previously the sheep had died as sacrifices for the people now the Shepherd dies as a substitute (in place of) for the ‘sheep.’ The Good Shepherd knows His sheep John 10:14-15, by name, fears and needs, v10. The Good Shepherd brings other sheep into the His flock and fold John 10:16. The ‘fold’ is those who are seeking the Messiah in the Jews. The Gentiles are the other ‘sheep’ Jesus is talking about, outside the covenants of Israel Eph 2:11ff. At first He looked for the lost of Israel, at Pentecost the people who turned to believe were Jewish Acts 2:5ff, but Peter took the Gospel to the Gentiles at God’s instruction. Acts 10-11. Later Paul took the message to the Roman world. The Good Shepherd takes His life again John 10:17-18. On the cross He was able to cry "It is Finished" His death followed by the resurrection, the work was completed. "To take His life again" was saying "I am God," the power was given by God v18, this caused a split v19. v20,21 Again "He does it through the Devil" was one side, " The Devil cannot heal" the other. 3) v22-42 I am the Son of God. About 2 months has passed since the previous verses 1-21. The Feast of the Dedication, or ‘the feast of lights’ takes place in December, it is a reminder of the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabaeus in 164 B.C. after it had been desecrated (violate, to break into the sacred place or object) by the Romans. The Jewish leaders had surrounded Jesus and were challenging Him to say who He was. "Are you the Messiah?" v10-38 Jesus response was to remind them of what he had said, done and taught. But He went further by telling them why they did not believe Him before or now. They were not His ‘sheep.’ v27 The ‘sheep’ of Jesus recognize Him and who He is, He gives them eternal life because of their faith and protection for eternity v28. A promise made by God v29 A person who hears the message of salvation does not know about ‘divine election.’ From a human point of view we become His sheep because we believe, from God’s point of view we believe because we are His sheep, a difficult fact to understand. Eph 1:4ff. v30 Jesus gives them the plain answer that the leaders asked for, "I and My Father are one." This does not show that the Father and Son are identical persons, just that they are one in essence (The important features are the same.) To say "I am God" was blasphemy to the Jews, the penalty was death by stoning. v32,33 "Which good deed do you stone me for?" Jesus asks, "None but for blasphemy." the leaders replied. They had asked for His identity proof and he had given it, but they did not believe. Jesus uses Psalms 82:6 to stop their actions. In this Psalm we see a picture of a court, God has brought together the judges of the earth, He warns them that one day they will be judged. The word used for ‘judge’ Elohim can be translated as ‘god’ or ‘judge.’ If God called human judges ‘gods’ then they cannot stone Him for applying that title to Himself. v37-38 Jesus invites them to believe in Him just because of His miracles, by believing the miracles they would be able to find the Father. They would not accept the truth. They tried to arrest Him again but He escapes again and goes to Bethabara John 1:28 on the other side of the Jordan. The people still came to Him at this place "and many believed" because of what John the Baptist had said about Jesus. |
Easy English Translation
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