John 10

1 Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the person who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.

2 The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

4 When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

5 But they will never follow a stranger. They will run away from him because they don't know his voice."

6 Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.

7 So Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the door for the sheep.

8 All the people who came before me were thieves and robbers. The sheep did not listen to them.

9 I am the door, and the person who enters through me will be saved and will be able to come in and go out and find pasture.

10 A thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, but I came to give life -- life in all its fullness.

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

12 The worker who is paid to keep the sheep is different from the shepherd who owns them. When the worker sees a wolf coming, he runs away and leaves the sheep alone. Then the wolf attacks the sheep and scatters them.

13 The man runs away because he is only a paid worker and does not really care about the sheep.

14

15 "I am the good shepherd. I know my sheep, as the Father knows me. And my sheep know me, as I know the Father. I give my life for the sheep.

16 I have other sheep that are not in this flock, and I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

17 The Father loves me because I give my life so that I can take it back again.

18 No one takes it away from me; I give my own life freely. I have the right to give my life, and I have the right to take it back. This is what my Father commanded me to do."

19 Again the Jews did not agree with each other because of these words of Jesus.

20 Many of them said, "A demon has come into him and made him crazy. Why listen to him?"

21 But others said, "A man who is crazy with a demon does not say things like this. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

22 The time came for the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,

23 and Jesus was walking in the Temple in Solomon's Porch.

24 The Jews gathered around him and said, "How long will you make us wonder about you? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."

25 Jesus answered, "I told you already, but you did not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name show who I am.

26 But you don't believe, because you are not my sheep.

27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.

28 I give them eternal life, and they will never die, and no one can steal them out of my hand.

29 My Father gave my sheep to me. He is greater than all, and no person can steal my sheep out of my Father's hand.

30 The Father and I are one."

31 Again the Jews picked up stones to kill Jesus.

32 But he said to them, "I have done many good works from the Father. Which of these good works are you killing me for?"

33 The Jews answered, "We are not killing you because of any good work you did, but because you speak against God. You are only a human, but you say you are the same as God!"

34 Jesus answered, "It is written in your law that God said, 'I said, you are gods.'

35 This Scripture called those people gods who received God's message, and Scripture is always true.

36 So why do you say that I speak against God because I said, 'I am God's Son'? I am the one God chose and sent into the world.

37 If I don't do what my Father does, then don't believe me.

38 But if I do what my Father does, even though you don't believe in me, believe what I do. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

39 They tried to take Jesus again, but he escaped from them.

40 Then he went back across the Jordan River to the place where John had first baptized. Jesus stayed there,

41 and many people came to him and said, "John never did a miracle, but everything John said about this man is true."

42 And in that place many 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.