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John Chapter 10

Introduction to Chapter 10

As you begin to read this chapter it does not seem, at first, to be a logical continuation of the events in chapter nine concerning the healing of the man born blind.

However, it begins to be apparent very quickly that this metaphor or allegory relates to the events of chapter 9 very closely. Christ is presented as the Good Shepherd while the Pharisees fit the role of hirelings. They have no real concern for the sheep as represented by the blind man and those associated with him in chapter nine.

New Bible Commentary says ….. The illustration of the shepherd in this section is in the form of an allegory in which various aspects are applied in a spiritual manner. It is akin to the synoptic parables but in a more developed form. It is important not to press the details.

Old Testament prophecies were full of example s of false shepherds who arose to the injury of God's flock. For example:

Ezek. 34:1-6 ….. 1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord GOD: Ho, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fatlings; but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the crippled you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and they became food for all the wild beasts. 6 My sheep were scattered, they wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill; my sheep were scattered over all the face of the earth, with none to search or seek for them. RSV

Again, we see the Pharisees fitting this role of the false shepherds at this time.

The picture of the “Good Shepherd” is strengthened as we see the Messiah presented as the shepherd king of Israel. The Pharisees made claim to the position of leaders or guides to the Jewish people.

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But at the end of chapter 9 Jesus called them blind. They were not qualified for the task. They cast the man born blind out (out of the synagogue) but Jesus welcomed him in as he proclaimed to the man who He truly was (the Son of Man or the Messiah v.37.)

The Messiah was predicted in the Old Testament under the image of a shepherd (Ezek. 34:23-24 …. 23 And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. 24 And I, the LORD, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken. RSV.)

As a result of all this, at the end of this discourse they ask him in verse 24 to tell them plainly if He was the Christ.

1“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5“Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

- Verse 1 here in the NKJV starts off with the words …”Most assuredly.” Some translations say “Truly, truly “ (ESV, ISV) while others use the more familiar sounding words “Verily, verily” (ASV, KJV).

- Concerning this expression …….. most commentators make some comment about it. For example:

o Coffman …… The expression, "Verily, verily," is one which is not used at the commencement of a discourse"; and Robertson said, "The words do not ever introduce a fresh topic." Further evidence for the unity of the two chapters (John 9-10) is in Jesus' presentation of himself as the divine Messiah under the metaphor of the "Good Shepherd," contrasting with the evil shepherds who had cast out the blind man.

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- Jesus then goes on to say …… he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

o First …. what exactly is a sheepfold?

§ The sheepfold was normally a non-covered open enclosure surrounded by a wall of loose stones, hedges and the like. They were made in fields where the sheep were gathered together at night to defend them from thieves, robbers, wolves and wild animals. Eastern sheepfolds had only one door, which was guarded by the shepherd lying across the opening when only his flock was there or by a gatekeeper when several flocks were housed together. The gatekeeper or porter recognized each shepherd so thieves and robbers could never enter through the door but instead had to climb over the wall or find some other deceptive way to enter the sheepfold. The next morning the shepherds would return to the sheepfold and call their sheep by name and thus assemble their own flocks together again. Each sheep recognized the voice of his master and only to him would he willing go.

o Secondly ….. how do we determine the intended meaning of the different things mentioned in this allegory?

§ Certain symbols are explained by Jesus Himself.

§ Some are clearly implied.

§ Others must be applied to the historical situation in which they occur.

§ No attempt should be made to explain every minute detail because that leads to loosing sight of the main point being taught and misinterpretation.

o Jesus says in this first verse ……. that the “thief and the robber” is the one who came in an improper way and did not come in the appointed way ordained of God.

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§ In other words …… not through the one door which is Christ (v.7).

2“But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

o The one who guarded the door ……… is the one who knows the shepherd and allows him in to call his sheep.

§ Those who get in otherwise ……. are robbers who seek to prey upon the sheep.

§ McGarvey says ….. “A thief steals by cunning in one's absence; a robber takes by violence from one's person. The Pharisees were both. They stole the sheep in Messiah's absence, and they slew Messiah when he came. They did not come in the ways ordained of God.”

o Coffman comments in more detail concerning verse 2 when he says …… (By the door ...) “Everything Jesus did was in perfect harmony with the Father's will, contrasting sharply with the evil devices employed by the usurpers for maintaining control over the people. It had all started back there when they rejected God and chose a king of their own (1 Sam. 8:7); and throughout the ages afterward, the combined forces of a reprobate priesthood and an evil monarchy overshadowed the true Israel, i.e., the spiritual seed. The collapse of the political government left a hardened and bitter priesthood in control of practically all the affairs of their state, except matters wherein they were vassals of Rome. That evil hierarchy desired nothing in heaven or upon earth so much as the restoration of their earthly sovereignty through a king of their own choice; and their hatred of a spiritual kingdom like that of Jesus knew no boundaries or limitation.”

§ In reality ……. I believe they had very little concept of a spiritual kingdom at all.

§ They were totally consumed with the thought of a political victory over Rome ……. led by the Messiah who was yet to come.

• Jesus did not fit their Messiah mold. 4“And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5“Yet they will by no means

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follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

o This continues the picture of the shepherd ……. who appears at the door, the porter or gatekeeper recognizes him, and he is allowed to enter through the door and he then begins to call forth his sheep.

§ They follow him ….. because they know his voice.

§ They will not ……. follow a stranger.

§ He then leads them from the fold …… to find pastures for them .

• Wycliffe says ……. Leadeth them out — in contrast to the act of the Pharisees in expelling the man born blind.

• McGarvey says …… “The mingled flocks are separated by the calling voices of the several shepherds. The control of the Pharisees was not of this order. The authority of the synagogues had passed into their hands, and their rule was about the same as when thieves and robbers gained possession of the sheepfold.”

• The Bible exposition commentary says ……. “The false shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away.”

§ Psalms 23:1 ….. 1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want RSV

o Hendriksen relates this story concerning the nature of trained sheep …… “A normal sheep does not follow a stranger even though the latter may put on the shepherd’s garb, and may try to imitate the shepherd’s call. It has been tried again and again. So also (and much more so) the true disciple of the Lord “does not know (refuses to acknowledge) the voice of strangers (cf. II John 10), who come to him with strange philosophy, strange theology, and strange ethics; therefore, he does not follow them. He is resolutely determined to follow only the one true shepherd, Jesus, as he speaks in his Word. All others he shuns; in fact, he runs away from them in horror.”

§ Heb. 1:1 relate this same type of loyalty to Lord’s message …... 1 Therefore we must pay the closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. 2 For if

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the message declared by angels was valid and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, 3 how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was attested to us by those who heard him, 4 while God also bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will. RSV

- And then John says …… .” 6Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

o In today’s language …… they didn’t get it.

§ The Pharisees , to whom Jesus was speaking didn’t understand ….. what He was teaching.

§ Concerning the Pharisees …….. Jesus had just said in chapter 9:39 …… 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” RSV

§ He first exposed their blindness ….. and then goes on to explain in more detail His teaching in this allegory.

7Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the

door of the sheep.

- Jesus alluded to Himself as the door earlier …… but here He plainly and unconditionally calls Himself the door of the sheep.

o As The Bible knowledge commentary says ……. “The spiritual meaning is that Jesus is the only Gate by which people can enter into God’s provision for them.”

§ Acts 4:12 ….. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” RSV

8“All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep

did not hear them.

- He refers here to “all” …. in the limited sense of “all” those who put themselves forward either as false Messiah’s or as leaders who cared not for the spiritual good of the people.

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o Wood’s makes this comment ….. “All are embraced who had attempted to turn the people away from the promise of the Father and who substituted national life and materialistic hopes for the personal Messiah predicted by the prophets. This the Pharisees had done, and thus they were certainly included in the Lord’s statement. A few people, comparatively, identified in the text as “the sheep” who did not respond to them, maintained the true faith and the steady expectation of the Coming One. These recognized in Jesus the fulfillment of messianic prophecy. The Pharisees are called “thieves and robbers” because their chief purpose was to fleece the flock not to feed it. These men laid many heavy burdens on the people and are said to have “devoured widows houses.” (Matthew 23:14; 7:15, 23; Luke 11:39-52)

9“I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in

and out and find pasture.

- The Bible exposition commentary …… “Those who trust Him enter into the Lord’s flock and fold, and they have the wonderful privilege of going “in and out” and finding pasture. When you keep in mind that the shepherd actually was the “door” of the fold, this image becomes very real.”

o From a purely spiritual standpoint ….. Jesus is the only door by which people enter into God’s salvation and provision for them.

10“The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I

have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

- The contrast is very clear ….. the thief destroys life while Jesus comes to give life ….. to the full or abundantly.

o New Bible commentary …… The contrast between the false and the true is here particularly striking. Jesus brings life; the false shepherds bring death. The abundance of the life which Jesus gives is a characteristic theme of John.

11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the

sheep.

- All of these people knew the life, work and sacrifice of shepherds ….. but this statement by Jesus goes well beyond even the scope of this allegory.

o Jesus was willing to die for mankind!

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12“But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13“The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

- By hireling …… it is meant one who has only selfish motives and cares in mind concerning the sheep as opposed to the good shepherd who loves the sheep and cares for them .

o The wolf ..... was Jesus' usual designation of false teachers (Matt. 7:15ff); and the modus operandi of such is always that of scattering the flock. (Coffman)

o First and foremost ….. I believe Jesus is talking about the Jewish leaders of the day who had know interest in mind but their own.

14“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My

own. 15“As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

- The care and relationship of the good shepherd to his sheep …… is again pointed out and amplified as it is compared to the relationship of Jesus to the Father which is beyond our comprehension.

16“And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

- Spiritual Israel …….. would be comprised of both believing Jews and Gentiles alike and this would constitute the one flock or church of God.

o Eph. 2:11-18 ….. 11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called the uncircumcision by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near in the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who has made us both one, and has broken down the dividing wall

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of hostility, 15 by abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby bringing the hostility to an end. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; 18 for through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. RSV

17“Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.

- Coffman ……. I lay down ... that I may take ... “Jesus here expressed his absolute freedom and authority both to die and to rise from the dead. There are three differences between Jesus' laying down his life for the sheep and tha t of the shepherds' doing so in the metaphor. These are: (1) Jesus' death is altogether voluntary, but not like the shepherd's involuntary death while fighting against a robber. The shepherd might indeed die, but not willingly. (2) Christ's death actually saves the sheep eternally, whereas the death of a shepherd would only hasten the death and destruction of the sheep. (3) Christ will lay down his life, but with a purpose of taking it up again, something no earthly shepherd could do.”

o Isa. 53:6-7 …… 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. RSV

o Phil. 2:5-11 …… 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. RSV

o Heb. 2:9 …… 9 But we see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for every one. RSV

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18“No one takes 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 command I have received from My Father.”

- Barnes ….. “No man taketh it from me. That is, no one could take it by force, or unless I was willing to yield myself into his hands. He had power to preserve his life, as he showed by so often escaping from the Pharisees; he voluntarily went up to Jerusalem, knowing that he would die; he knew the approach of Judas to betray him; and he expressly told Pilate at his bar that he could have no power at all against him except it were given him by his Father, Jn. 19:11. Jesus had a right to lay down his life for the good of men. The patriot dies for his country on the field of battle; the merchant exposes his life for gain; and the Son of God had a right to put himself in the way of danger and of death, when a dying world needed such an atoning sacrifice. This shows the peculiar love of Jesus. His death was voluntary. His coming was voluntary-the fruit of love. His death was the fruit of love. He was permitted to choose the time and mode of his death. He did. He chose the most painful, lingering, ignominious manner of death then known to man, and THUS showed his love.

I have power. This word often means authority. It includes all necessary power in the case, and the commission or authority of his Father to do it.

Power to take it again. This shows that he was divine. A dead man has no power to raise himself from the grave. And as Jesus had this power after he was deceased, it proves that there was some other nature than that which had expired, to which the term "I" might be still applied. None but God can raise the dead; and as Jesus had this power over his own body it proves that he was divine.

This commandment. My Father has appointed this, and commissioned me to do it.”

19Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of

these sayings. 20And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

- Matthew 10:34-38 ….. 34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace

on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. 35 For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter- in- law against her mother- in- law; 36 and a man’s foes will be those of his own household. 37 He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; 38 and he who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of

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me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. RSV

- Coffman …… (The understanding presented here is key to realizing their real life situation) “One can feel a certain sympathy with the oppressed Jewish people who ardently hoped for some powerful leader, who they naturally supposed would be their long-awaited Messiah, who would throw off the galling yoke of the Roman conquerors and restore their state. Their rage and rejection against Jesus sprang from his being nothing like what they had imagined a Messiah would be. Instead of leading an all-powerful army against the enemy, here he was talking about dying and taking up his life again! They were simply not tuned in on any such wavelength. Some bluntly accused him of being mad or being possessed by a demon; and the voice of the minority who knew otherwise was not strong enough to break the personal barrier of hatred and antagonism which sinful and arrogant men had built up in themselves against Jesus.”

o Remember John 9:39-41 ….. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I

came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains. RSV

§ The Bible Knowledge Commentary makes this observation …… Some of the Pharisees . . . asked, literally, “We also are not blind, are we?” They expected a negative answer because they assumed that certainly they, of all men, possessed spiritual perception. Sin constantly deceives people so they live in falsehood. Jesus replied, If the Pharisees were blind to spiritual things absolutely, they might have claimed ignorance as a defense. But their claims and pretensions of spiritual insight (you claim you can see) and leadership made them culpable. They were responsible for their sins because they sinned willfully. It is dangerous to be a teacher of spiritual truths (cf. 3:10; Rom. 2:19-24; James 3:1).

• Rom. 2:19-24 ….. 19 and if you are sure that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, will you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

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24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” RSV

- Concerning the demon statement:

o New Bible Commentary ….. “It was assumed that there was a close connection between demon-possession and madness. For some the healing of the blind man in ch. 9, as well as the wisdom of Jesus’ teaching, ruled out such a theory”.

§ Demon-possessed? …. It made no logical sense!

22Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. 23And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.

- Johnson says ….. “It was . . . the feast of dedication. Two months after the last incidents, which occurred at and shortly after the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Dedication occurred in December, was not divinely appointed, but was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus in B.C. 164, to commemorate the purification of the temple after it had been defiled by the Syrians. Jesus took the occasion to teach the people that came together. There is no proof that he observed it.”

- Barnes adds the following additional detail …… “The feast of the dedication. Literally, the feast of the renewing, or of the renovation. This feast was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus, in the year 164 B.C. The temple and city were taken by Antiochus Epiphanes in the year 167 B.C. He slew forty thousand inhabitants, and sold forty thousand more as slaves. In addition to this, he sacrificed a sow on the altar of burnt-offerings, and a broth being made of this, he sprinkled it all over the temple. The city and temple were recovered three years afterward by Judas Maccabaeus, and the temple was purified with great pomp and solemnity. The ceremony of purification continued through eight days, during which Judas presented magnificent victims, and celebrated the praise of God with hymns and psalms (Josephus, Ant., b. xii. ch. 11). "They decked, also, the forefront of the temple with crowns of gold and with shields, and the gates and chambers they renewed and hanged doors upon them, " 1 Mac. iv. 52-59. On this account it was called the feast of renovation or dedication. Josephus calls it the feast of lights, because the city was illuminated, as expressive of joy. The feast began on the twenty-fifth day of Chisleu, answering to the fifteenth day of December. The festival continued for eight days, with continued demonstrations of joy.

It was winter. The feast was celebrated in the winter. The word here implies that it was cold and inclement, and it is given as a reason why he walked in Solomon's porch.”

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- Barclay has even more to say about the Feast of Dedication …….but I include here only his first paragraph because it brings us up to current times concerning this festival.

o “John begins by giving us both the date and the place of this discussion. The date was the Festival of the Dedication. This was the latest of the great Jewish festivals to be founded. It was sometimes called The Festival of lights; and its Jewish name was Hanukkah. Its date is the 25th of the Jewish Month called Chislew which corresponds with our December. This Festival therefore falls very near our Christmas time and is still universally observed by the Jews.”

24Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.

- When John uses the term “the Jews” …… we remember that it always refers to the religious leaders or hierarchy that were constantly opposing Jesus and seeking to kill him.

- It is also worth remembering …… that this question is being asked on a national feast day that involved strong feelings of patriotism.

o Anything that related to the Jewish religion …. was especially sensitive and amplified on this day.

o Secondly ….. we must remember that “the Jews” John refers to here were wanting more than information.

§ They were seeking grounds ….. that could be used to accuse Him.

§ No one could be condemned ……. for simply referring to himself as the good shepherd.

§ They wanted a direct statement …… that they could condemn Him with .

§ This becomes evident ……. by the time we get to verse 31 and they want to stone Him.

- At first glance the question seems so sincere.

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o Commenting on the phrase “How long dost thou hold us in suspense” Coffman relates the following:

§ On the surface, this almost sounds like a fair question; and there is a temptation to wonder why Jesus did not speak right up and say, "Yes, of course, I am the Christ." Jesus' repeated declarations earlier that he was "the good shepherd" certainly meant that he was the Christ, God come in the flesh; but he had not used that word, "Christ," because the Jewish conception of what that word meant was totally incorrect. And, if Jesus had used this word here, they would have made their incorrect notion of what it meant the basis of a charge of sedition before the Romans. The Pharisees by this time had figured out what Jesus meant by calling himself the Good Shepherd; and here they were only trying to trick him into using a word they could pervert into a charge of sedition. At a time of his own choice, Jesus would testify that he was "the Christ" (Mark 14:62); but his refusal to use that word here was righteous and holy.

• Mark 14:56-65 …… 56 For many bore false witness against him, and their witness did not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” 59 Yet not even so did their testimony agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst, and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he was silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am; and you will see the Son of man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments, and said, “Why do we still need witnesses? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. 65 And some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. RSV

” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.

- McGarvey makes the following statement which hones in on the problem ……. Jesus was the Christ of the Old Testament, but not the Christ of Pharisaic hopes. Had he assumed to himself in their presence the title of Christ, it would have led them to false expectations.

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He later goes on to say …… “Had they understood or received the Old Testament ideal of the Messiah, they could not have failed to understand his claims.”

o With many ….. statements, illustrations and expressions Jesus showed himself to be the Messiah to all who would hear the truth. (i.e. Son of God, Son of Man and the Good Shepherd)

§ For instance as Barclay explains ……. “I told you. It is not recorded that Jesus had told them in so many words that he was the Christ, but he had used expressions designed to convey the same truth, and which many of them understood as claiming to be the Messiah. See Jn. 5:19; 8:36; 10:1. The expression "the Son of God" they understood to be equivalent to the Messiah. This he had often used of himself in a sense not to be mistaken.”

- And then Jesus says …… The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me.

o The works, signs and miracles ……. were all part of the Messianic promise and they were so totally convincing that even the enemies of Jesus couldn’t deny them.

§ As Barnes says …… “In my Father's name. By the power and command of God. Jesus was either the Messiah or an impostor. The Pharisees charged him with being the latter (Mt. 26:60; 27:63; Jn. 4:36); but God would not give such power to an impostor. The power of working miracles is an attestation of God to what is taught. See [Mt. 4:24].”

• Matthew 4:23-25 …… 23 And he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every infirmity among the people. 24 So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan. RSV

• John 5:36 …… 36 But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. RSV

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26“But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.

- Once we understand the problems involved ….. we can understand much better why Jesus so often spoke in parables and used allegories to teach those who were his disciples or sheep as He put it here.

o The enemies of Jesus ……… believed neither His works nor His words.

§ Coffman makes this comment …… (Ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep ...) These words recalled his declaration of himself as the Good Shepherd, which by that time they fully understood in all its implications (John 10:33). Here, as always, Jesus made unbelief to be the result of immoral character. The reason those men did not believe in Jesus was lodged in their character which revealed them to be no part of the spiritual Israel. "Ye are not of my sheep."

• Paul would later write in sorrow:

o Rom. 9:1-5 ….. 1 I am speaking the truth in Christ, I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen by race. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the sonship, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises; 5 to them belong the patriarchs, and of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen. RSV

o Rom. 10:1-4 ….. 1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. 2 I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened. 3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 For Christ is the end of the law, that every one who has faith may be justified. RSV

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27“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

- This is as in the illustration of the good shepherd as earlier declared.

o John 10:4 …… 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice RSV

o John 10:5 …… 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” RSV

o John 10:14 …… 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, RSV

- To follow Him …….. means to obey Him as He obeyed the Father.

o Lenski writes ….. “Jesus even repeats the particular characteristic of his sheep which here comes into play and which the Jews utterly lack. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. Always they hear, always he knows, always they follow. Trustful hearing is meant; they know not the voice of strangers (see v. 5), Jesus says “my voice” and not “my word.” The “word” signifies the contents, the “voice,” the tone, sound, personal peculiarity. Both are inseparably bound together. In the shepherd’s word, wherever and whenever it is spoken, the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice, and it is inexpressibly sweet and attractive to them. “This lovely, delightful picture you may , if you wish, see for yourself among sheep. When a stranger calls, whistles, coaxes: Come sheep! Come sheep! It runs, as if a wolf were after it, for it knows not the strange voice; but where the shepherd makes himself heard a little, they all run to him, for they know his voice. This is how all true Christians should do, hear no voice but their shepherd’s, Christ, as he himself says.” Luther.

28“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

- To His “sheep” …… Jesus says He gives eternal life .

o They …… hear His voice, they know Him, they follow Him and they obey Him.

o He …… knows them, he gives them eternal life, and He assures them that they will never perish or be snatched out of His hand.

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§ John 3:15 ….. 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” RSV

- Jesus says …… and they shall never perish.

o Two questions must be raised at this point.

§ First …… what does it mean – they shall never perish?

§ Barnes says …… “To perish here means to be destroyed, or to be punished in hell.”

• In Matthew 10:28 Jesus says ….. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. RSV

§ Second ….... As Wood’s asked ……. Of whom is such affirmed? May the statement be understood to include all who have ever professed Christianity regardless of their conduct?

• He then answers …… “Quite the contrary; the passage clearly indicates those to whom the promise extends. These are those who (1) hear the Lord’s voice and (2) follow him; those who forsake him shall be cast off for ever. (1 Chron. 28:9.) Those who fall, do so of their own volition; it is not because of any failure of the Lord or because temptation is irresistible (1 Cor. 10:13); before all men is the choice of good or evil; some choose the latter, and fall; though the Bible often warns of such, those people disregard these warnings to their own destruction (Heb. 3:12-13).”

o 1 Chron. 28:9 …… 9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will cast you off for ever. RSV

o 1 Cor. 10:13 …… 13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation will also

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provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. RSV

o Heb. 3:12-13 …… 12 Take care, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. RSV

o McGarvey then says ……. “This passage is taken by Calvinists as asserting the doctrine of the impossibility of apostasy. It is certainly a strong assurance that the Christian may expect to succeed in fighting the good fight. It may be taken in connection with Rm. 8:38,39; but both passages must be interpreted in the light of (Heb. 6:4-8).”

§ Rom. 8:38-39 answers the question “shall any”….. 38 For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. RSV

• Coffman says …… (And no one shall snatch, etc ...) The utmost security of the saved in Christ lies in the fact that no external power shall ever be able to dislodge them from the Master's love and protection.

§ Heb. 6:4-8 must be harmonized …… 4 For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5 and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 if they then commit apostasy, since they crucify the Son of God on their own account and hold him up to contempt. 7 For land which has drunk the rain that often falls upon it, and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed; its end is to be burned. RSV

McGarvey then goes on to say …… “We can not be taken from God against our will; but our will being free, we may choose to leave him. We can not be protected against ourselves in spite of ourselves. If that were so, no one could be lost.”

29“My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. 30“I and My Father are one.”

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- This last statement ……. 30“I and My Father are one.” …… is an even stronger statement than those made previously in chapter 6 when Jesus said that He had come down from heaven or when He said that He existed before Abraham ever lived in chapter 8.

o This is as clear a statement of His deity as you will find anywhere in Scripture.

31Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered

them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?”

- Stoning ……… was the punishment of a blasphemer (Lev. 24:14-16).

- They considered him guilty of blasphemy because He made Himself equal with God …… which would have been true had He been a mere man and not who He said He was.

o What they failed and refused to see …… was the fact that His actions, signs and wonders showed that he was more than a mere man.

§ The fallacy of their charge is apparent.

- They had plotted against his life ……. beginning back in John 5:18 at the Pool of Bethesda where he healed the invalid who had been so for thirty-eight years.

- They had started to stone Him before …… after His statement concerning His existence before Abraham lived.

o That’s why John says here …… Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

§ John 8:59 …… 59 So they took up stones to throw at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple. RSV

- Concerning the Roman prohibition against the Jews killing people and the customs of the time Coffman has this to say:

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o (The Jews took up stones again to stone him.) Some "moderns," so-called, have alleged from this verse that the author of John was a stranger to the laws and customs of Judaea before 70 A.D. But as Richardson said, "Acts 7:58f records a case of mob stoning such as is said to have been impossible."

(Again ...) indicates that the Jews had repeatedly sought an opportunity to stone Jesus (John 8:49; 11:8); and Hendriksen concluded from this that the Jews carried stones.<28> According to the law, blasphemy was punishable by stoning (Lev. 24:16), but only after legal trial and sentencing. Such niceties as the legal requirements of the case, however, were no kind of deterrent to Jesus' foes. The commentators who fancy that legal prohibitions, either Jewish or Romans, cast any doubt on the truth of John's record have missed altogether the illegal and unscrupulous nature of the whole cabal against Jesus. Did such prohibitions prevent the same group of men from stoning Stephen to death? (Acts 7:58).

o The Roman authorities ……… were constantly at odds with the Jewish leaders concerning their laws and customs.

§ They tried to control them ……. but were not always successful.

§ The Jewish leadership …… was always a “thorn in the side” of local Roman authorities such as Pilate because there was always the danger of having to give answer for any uprising or disturbances to Rome and the infighting and politics of the Herod’s was also a great danger to their positions.

33The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone

You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.”

- As McGarvey says …… “Jesus urged that a divine claim was made good by a divine life, but they replied that a divine claim issuing from a human body was blasphemy.”

o There is no middle ground ….. Jesus was either who He said He was or He was a complete fraud.

§ That is as true today as it was then.

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• If Jesus is not who He claimed to be …. it is futile to assign Him to a lesser position in good standing.

• Many people today …… still deny His deity but yet they call Him a good man, a prophet, a great teacher or some other noble person but not God in the flesh.

o This simply can not be!

§ To assign Him any position less than God in the flesh is to reject Him.

• We must always remember what Jesus said in John 8:24 ….. 24 I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.” RSV

34Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are

gods” ’? 35“If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36“do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent in to the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37“If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38“but if I do, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him.”

- The International Standard Version reads …... 34 Jesus replied to them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’? 35 If he called those to whom the word of God came ‘gods’ (and the Scripture cannot be set aside), 36 how can you say to the one whom the Father has consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I am not doing my Father’s works, do not believe me. 38 But if I am doing them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.”

- This argument is taken from the OT text of Psalms 82. (verse 6 in particular)

o NLT …… 1 A psalm of Asaph. God presides over heaven’s court; he pronounces judgment on the judges: 2 “How long will you judges hand down unjust decisions? How long will

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you shower special favors on the wicked? Interlude 3 “Give fair judgment to the poor and the orphan; uphold the rights of the oppressed and the destitute. 4 Rescue the poor and helpless; deliver them from the grasp of evil people. 5 But these oppressors know nothing; they are so ignorant! And because they are in darkness, the whole world is shaken to the core. 6 I say, ‘You are gods and children of the Most High. 7 But in death you are mere men. You will fall as any prince, for all must die.’ ” 8 Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.

- Barclay sums up the major elements of this test as follows:

o “To the Jews Jesus’s statement that he and the Father were one was blasphemy. It was the invasion by a man of the place which belonged to God alone. The Jewish law laid down this penalty of stoning for blasphemy. “He who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall be put to death; all the congregation shall stone him” (Leviticus 24:16). So they made their preparations to stone Jesus. The Greek really means that they went and fetched stones to fling at him. Jesus met their hostility with three arguments.

(1) He told them that he had spent all his days doing lovely things, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and comforting the sorrowing, deeds so full of help and power and beauty that they obviously came from God. For which of these deeds did they wish to stone him? Their answer was that it was not for anything he had done that they wished to stone him, but the claim he was making.

(2) This claim was that he was the Son of God. To meet their attack Jesus used two arguments. The first is a purely Jewish argument which is difficult for us to understand. He quoted Psalms 82:6. That psalm is a warning to unjust judges to cease from unjust ways and defend the poor and the innocent. The appeal concludes: “I say, ‘you are gods, sons of the Most High, all of you.’ “ The judge is commissioned by God to be god to men. This idea comes out very clearly in certain of the regulations in Exodus. Exodus 21:1-6 tells how the Hebrew servant may go free in the seventy year. As the Authorized Version has it, verse 6 says “Then his master shall bring him unto the judges.” But in the Hebrew, the word which is translated judges is actually elohim, which means gods. The same form of expression is used in Exodus 22:9, 28. Even scripture said of men who were specially commissioned to some task by God that they were gods. So, Jesus said: “If scripture can speak like that about men, why should I not speak so about myself?”

Jesus claimed two things for himself. (a) He was consecrated by God to a special task. The word for to consecrate is hagiazein, the verb from which come the adjective hagios, holy. This word always has the idea of rendering a person or a place or a thing different from other persons and

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places and things, because it is set aside for a special purpose or task. So for instance, the Sabbath is holy (Exodus 20:11). The altar is holy (Leviticus 16:19). The priests are holy (2 Chronicles 26:18). The prophet is holy (Jeremiah 1:5). When Jesus said that God had consecrated him, made him holy, he meant that he had set him apart from other men, because he had given him a special task to do. The very fact that Jesus used this word shows how conscious he was of his special task. (b) He said that God had dispatched him into the world. The word used is the one which would be used for sending a messenger or an ambassador or an army. Jesus did not so much think of himself as coming into the world, as being sent into the world. His coming was an act of God; and he came to do the task which God had given him to do.

So Jesus said: “In the old days it was possible for scripture to speak of judges as gods, because they were commissioned by God to bring his truth and justice into the world. Now I have been set apart for a special task; I have been dispatched into the world by God; how can you then object if I call myself the Son of God? I am only doing what scripture does. This is one of those biblical arguments the force of which it is difficult for us to feel; but which to a Jewish Rabbi would have been entirely convincing.

(3) Jesus went on to invite the acid test. “I do not ask you” he said in effect, “to accept my words. But I do ask you to accept my deeds.” A word is something about which a man can argue; but a deed is something beyond argument. Jesus is the perfect teacher in that he does not base his claim on what he says, but on what he is and does. His invitation to the Jews was to base their verdict on him, not on what he said, but on what he did; and that is a test which all his followers ought to be able and willing to meet. The tragedy is that so few can meet it, still less invite it.”

39Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of

their hand.

- Just a little earlier (Jn. 10:31) …….. they were ready to stone him once again.

o The words ……. and perhaps even the demeanor of Jesus seems to have had a somewhat calming effect on those whom He addressed.

§ Obviously …… they still didn’t believe Him because they still wanted to (seize, take or arrest) Him.

o They were prepared ……. to take him to a higher court or tribunal (perhaps even the Sanhedrin) still believing they had sufficient evidence against Him to establish the charge of blasphemy.

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- Once again …….. He escapes out of their hand.

o How? We don’t know.

§ We do know …... as was said many times before …… His time had not yet come.

o Coffman has this to say …… Just how Jesus avoided capture here is not related. His will alone was more than enough to prevent it. John later recorded the incident of a whole detachment of soldiers falling to the ground in his presence, even though they had come to arrest him (John 18:6).

§ John 18:4-6 …… 4 Then Jesus, knowing all that was to befall him, came forward and said to them, “Whom do you seek?” 5 They answered him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am he.” Judas, who betrayed him, was standing with them. 6 When he said to them, “I am he,” they drew back and fell to the ground. RSV

40And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. 41Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” 42And many believed in Him there.

- Jesus returned (went again) beyond the Jordan ….. to the area that is call Perea where John the Baptist had first been so active.

o Speaking about the events of that time the apostle John says in John 1:28 …… 28 This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. RSV

o The description of “Bethany beyond Jordan” ….. was used to distinguish it from the better know Bethany where Mary, Martha and Lazarus lived.

§ The area of Perea …… was well outside the jurisdiction of the Jerusalem leaders.

§ It was ruled by …… Herod Antipas as was Galilee.

- Wood’s says …….. it is likely that this is the place where John met with the delegation of Jews from Jerusalem which came to inquire of his work in those parts. (John 1:19-28)

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o John 1:19-28 …… 19And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? 20And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. 21And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. 22Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? 23He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. 24And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose. 28These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. RSV

- The ministry of Jesus …….. was received much more favorably here than in Jerusalem .

o Part of the reason for this ……… was undoubtedly due to the preparatory work of John the Baptist.

§ This is another example ……. of how a person can influence the lives of others for many years .

• Heb. 11:4 …… 4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh. KJV

- Because of the growing hostility of the Jewish leadership in Jerusalem ……. Jesus retired to this area for a period of time.

o The Peoples Commentary …… And went away again beyond Jordan. He had been nearly three months in Jerusalem, a very stormy ministry. Twice efforts were made to mob him (Jn. 8:59; 10:31); twice, to arrest him (Jn. 7:32; 10:39). His time would not come yet for three months, till the next passover, and he retired from the storm for a season. In the other gospels there are recorded a number of the incidents of his ministry beyond the Jordan.

o The Wycliffe Bible commentary …….. The repeated assertion of oneness with the Father caused a threat of violence once more. It was time for the Lord to depart from the city. He found refuge at Bethany, beyond Jordan, where John had formerly baptized (v. 40).

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o John Gill ….. And went away again beyond Jordan .... “Where he

had been before; and whither he went; not merely for the security of his person, much less to indulge himself in ease, but to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and bring many souls to believe on him.”

- John goes on to say ……. 41Then many came to Him and said, “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” 42And many believed in Him there.

o Why do think he performed no miracles?

§ The Wycliffe Bible commentary …….. . People remembered what John had said about him, and they were able to note the difference between John’s ministry, as devoid of miracle, and that of Jesus, which was marked by signs. Clearly the greater one had come, as John had stated. Unbelief was no longer reasonable. Many put their trust in Jesus there. Their faith throws into dark relief the stubborn unbelief of the leaders at Jerusalem.

§ John Gill had this to say ….. And many resorted to him,.... From all the parts adjacent, having heard of his being there, and of the fame of him; and many of them doubtless personally knew him; these came to him, some very likely to be healed by him, others to see his person and miracles, and others to hear him preach: and said, John did no miracle; though it was now three years ago, yet the name, ministry, and baptism of John, were fresh in the memory of men in those parts; and what they say one to another, was not to lessen the character of John, but to exalt Jesus Christ, and to give a reason why they should receive and embrace him; for if John, who did no miracle, who only taught and baptized, and directed men to the Messiah, was justly reckoned a very great person, and his doctrine was received, and his baptism was submitted to, then much more should this illustrious person be attended to; who, besides his divine doctrine, did such great and amazing miracles; to which they add, though John did no miracle to confirm his mission, ministry, and baptism, but all things that John spake of this man, were true; as that he was greater than he, was the Lamb of God, yea, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, and true Messiah, who should baptize men with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

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§ The Bible knowledge commentary ……. Though John never performed a miraculous sign (V?meion), the people believed his witness about Jesus. By contrast, the hostile Jerusalem crowd had seen His signs and yet disobeyed. In Perea many trusted Jesus as Savior.

§ The Bible exposition commentary ……. The common people continued to seek Jesus, and He continued to minister to them. It is worth noting that John the Baptist’s witness was still bearing fruit long after he was dead! His witness to Jesus Christ led many to trust the Saviour. John was not a miracle worker, but he was a faithful witness who pointed to Jesus Christ. “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30).

§ McGarvey ……. They had held John to be a prophet, yet when he searched for his credentials as a prophet, they found them inextricably intertwined with the claims of Jesus. John had failed to prove himself a prophet by miracles and signs--the accustomed credentials. But he had done so by his predictions which had come true, and all of these predictions related to Jesus.

- Lastly John says ……. 42And many believed in Him there.

o The word “there” says it all ……. because it stands in contrast to Jerusalem, which rejected Him.

§ You can’t help but recall the Lord’s words in Matthew 23:37-39 ……. 37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! 38 Behold, your house is forsaken and desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” RSV

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1The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.) 1982.