John 10

1 "I can guarantee this truth: The person who doesn't enter the sheep pen through the gate but climbs in somewhere else is a thief or a robber.

2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd.

3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls his sheep by name and leads them out of the pen.

4 After he has brought out all his sheep, he walks ahead of them. The sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.

5 They won't follow a stranger. Instead, they will run away from a stranger because they don't recognize his voice."

6 Jesus used this illustration as he talked to the people, but they didn't understand what he meant.

7 Jesus emphasized, "I can guarantee this truth: I am the gate for the sheep.

8 All who came before I did were thieves or robbers. However, the sheep didn't respond to them.

9 I am the gate. Those who enter the sheep pen through me will be saved. They will go in and out of the sheep pen and find food.

10 A thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. But I came so that my sheep will have life and so that they will have everything they need.

11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep.

12 A hired hand isn't a shepherd and doesn't own the sheep. When he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and quickly runs away. So the wolf drags the sheep away and scatters the flock.

13 The hired hand is concerned about what he's going to get paid and not about the sheep.

14 "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep as the Father knows me. My sheep know me as I know the Father.

15 So I give my life for my sheep.

16 I also have other sheep that are not from this pen. I must lead them. They, too, will respond to my voice. So they will be one flock with one shepherd.

17 The Father loves me because I give my life in order to take it back again.

18 No one takes my life from me. I give my life of my own free will. I have the authority to give my life, and I have the authority to take my life back again. This is what my Father ordered me to do."

19 The Jews were divided because of what Jesus said.

20 Many of them said, "He's possessed by a demon! He's crazy! Why do you listen to him?"

21 Others said, "No one talks like this if he's possessed by a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?"

22 The Festival of the Dedication of the Temple took place in Jerusalem during the winter.

23 Jesus was walking on Solomon's porch in the temple courtyard.

24 The Jews surrounded him. They asked him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly."

25 Jesus answered them, "I've told you, but you don't believe me. The things that I do in my Father's name testify on my behalf.

26 However, you don't believe because you're not my sheep.

27 My sheep respond to my voice, and I know who they are. They follow me,

28 and I give them eternal life. They will never be lost, and no one will tear them away from me.

29 My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than everyone else, and no one can tear them away from my Father.

30 The Father and I are one."

31 The Jews had again brought some rocks to stone Jesus to death.

32 Jesus replied to them, "I've shown you many good things that come from the Father. For which of these good things do you want to stone me to death?"

33 The Jews answered Jesus, "We're going to stone you to death, not for any good things you've done, but for dishonoring God. You claim to be God, although you're only a man."

34 Jesus said to them, "Don't your Scriptures say, 'I said, "You are gods"'?

35 The Scriptures cannot be discredited. So if God calls people gods (and they are the people to whom he gave the Scriptures),

36 why do you say that I'm dishonoring God because I said, 'I'm the Son of God'? God set me apart for this holy purpose and has sent me into the world.

37 If I'm not doing the things my Father does, don't believe me.

38 But if I'm doing those things and you refuse to believe me, then at least believe the things that I'm doing. Then you will know and recognize that the Father is in me and that I am in the Father."

39 The Jews tried to arrest Jesus again, but he got away from them.

40 He went back across the Jordan River and stayed in the place where John first baptized people.

41 Many people went to Jesus. They said, "John didn't perform any miracles, but everything John said about this man is true."

42 Many people there believed in Jesus.

John 10 Commentary

Chapter 10

The parable of the good shepherd. (1-5) Christ the Door. (6-9) Christ the good Shepherd. (10-18) The Jews' opinion concerning Jesus. (19-21) His discourse at the feast of dedication. (22-30) The Jews attempt to stone Jesus. (31-38) He departs from Jerusalem. (39-42)

Verses 1-5 Here is a parable or similitude, taken from the customs of the East, in the management of sheep. Men, as creatures depending on their Creator, are called the sheep of his pasture. The church of God in the world is as a sheep-fold, exposed to deceivers and persecutors. The great Shepherd of the sheep knows all that are his, guards them by his providence, guides them by his Spirit and word, and goes before them, as the Eastern shepherds went before their sheep, to set them in the way of his steps. Ministers must serve the sheep in their spiritual concerns. The Spirit of Christ will set before them an open door. The sheep of Christ will observe their Shepherd, and be cautious and shy of strangers, who would draw them from faith in him to fancies about him.

Verses 6-9 Many who hear the word of Christ, do not understand it, because they will not. But we shall find one scripture expounding another, and the blessed Spirit making known the blessed Jesus. Christ is the Door. And what greater security has the church of God than that the Lord Jesus is between it and all its enemies? He is a door open for passage and communication. Here are plain directions how to come into the fold; we must come in by Jesus Christ as the Door. By faith in him as the great Mediator between God and man. Also, we have precious promises to those that observe this direction. Christ has all that care of his church, and every believer, which a good shepherd has of his flock; and he expects the church, and every believer, to wait on him, and to keep in his pasture.

Verses 10-18 Christ is a good Shepherd; many who were not thieves, yet were careless in their duty, and by their neglect the flock was much hurt. Bad principles are the root of bad practices. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand his life of him, he laid it down of himself for our redemption. He offered himself to be the Saviour; Lo, I come. And the necessity of our case calling for it, he offered himself for the Sacrifice. He was both the offerer and the offering, so that his laying down his life was his offering up himself. From hence it is plain, that he died in the place and stead of men; to obtain their being set free from the punishment of sin, to obtain the pardon of their sin; and that his death should obtain that pardon. Our Lord laid not his life down for his doctrine, but for his sheep.

Verses 19-21 Satan ruins many, by putting them out of conceit with the word and ordinances. Men would not be laughed out of their necessary food, yet suffer themselves thus to be laughed out of what is far more necessary. If our zeal and earnestness in the cause of Christ, especially in the blessed work of bringing his sheep into his fold, bring upon us evil names, let us not heed it, but remember our Master was thus reproached before us.

Verses 22-30 All who have any thing to say to Christ, may find him in the temple. Christ would make us to believe; we make ourselves doubt. The Jews understood his meaning, but could not form his words into a full charge against him. He described the gracious disposition and happy state of his sheep; they heard and believed his word, followed him as his faithful disciples, and none of them should perish; for the Son and the Father were one. Thus he was able to defend his sheep against all their enemies, which proves that he claimed Divine power and perfection equally with the Father.

Verses 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 mind. This we cannot by searching find out to perfection, but we may know and believe these declarations of Christ.

Verses 39-42 No weapon formed against our Lord Jesus shall prosper. He escaped, not because he was afraid to suffer, but because his hour was not come. And He who knew how to deliver himself, knows how to deliver the godly our of their temptations, and to make a way for them to escape. Persecutors may drive Christ and his gospel our of their own city or country, but they cannot drive him or it out of the world. When we know Christ by faith in our hearts, we find all that the Scripture saith of him is true.