Preface
This chapter is rich in allegory and metaphors, all instrumental in teaching Bible doctrine. This chapter gives great comfort to the Christian. It convincingly shows that Jesus Christ is absolutely everything when it comes to the salvation of man. It is also contains compelling revelation that once a person is granted eternal life (salvation) by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, he can NEVER lose eternal life. Also within this chapter is additional concrete proof that Jesus Christ and God the Father are One and the same. Finally, this chapter discloses that Jesus Christ was totally in control of the entire spectrum of His purpose on earth--His life, His death and His resurrection.
To appreciate the initial doctrine presented by Jesus in this chapter it would be helpful to have an understanding of the ancient “sheepfold” used during New Testament times, which is still employed in many towns of the Israeli and Palestinian lands today. It was a term (also called a “sheepcote”) that referred to various kinds of enclosures to protect the sheep at night from weather, wild animals and thieves. It could be a shed-like building with stalls, a cave with a short wall and gate at its mouth or an enclosed courtyard.
It was customary for the shepherd to sleep with his sheep, either in the open or in a small hut built within the fold. In this chapter Christ most likely had in mind an open-court fold with one shepherd (the “porter,” vs. 3) guarding several flocks through the night. In the morning each flock was led out to pasture by its own shepherd (vss. 2-4). Note also that the comparison of Israel to a flock of sheep and the Lord as their Shepherd is found in Micah 2:12, 13.
It is noteworthy that the comments by our Lord at the beginning of this chapter are but a continuation of the discourse started in the previous chapter addressed to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of Israel. This chapter’s comments amplify and elucidate, using an allegory and metaphors, the fact that the Pharisees, who were completely self-absorbed in their “religion of works” and who felt no need of Jesus and His saving grace, were indeed blind and lost. Although they claimed to be the rightful shepherds of the people of Israel, they were in fact false shepherds of this flock.
John 10:1, 2
“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. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.”
The sheepfold represents access to the sheep, the Jewish nation. Jesus is telling the Pharisees that He is the only authentic Shepherd to Israel. Why? Because He entered into the sheepfold (came to them) by way of the “door,” the only legal and authorized way--that is, He came in fulfillment of the Messianic prophecies of the Old Testament and in strict accordance with the Law. But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law (Galatians 4:4). He came by way of the “line of David” (Luke 1:32) and was born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) as a rod out of the stem of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1) to a virgin (Isaiah 7:14), all according to prophecy. He is saying to the Pharisees that He is the Messiah. No one else has His credentials. He alone came in perfect obedience to the will of His Father, God Almighty.
Many came to the Jewish people, professing to be their spiritual rulers and guides. They were self-appointed messiahs for the nation. But they did not come by the way which the OT predicted the Messiah would come. They climbed up some other way. They presented themselves to Israel in a manner of their own choosing. These men were not true shepherds, but thieves and robber. . . The Pharisees were thieves and robbers. They sought to rule over the Jews, and yet did everything in their power to hinder them from accepting the true Messiah. (Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald)
John 10:3-6
“To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.”
There is wide disagreement regarding what or whom the “doorkeeper” represents in this allegory. Some believe he represents the prophets of the Old Testament while others believe he may represent John the Baptist. It is likely, that is if the doorkeeper was meant to represent anyone, he represents the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that opens the spiritual eyes and ears of the lost so that they might see the Savior and hear His voice. On the other hand Jesus never included the doorkeeper in His interpretation of the allegory; therefore, he may be a part of the story having no corresponding spiritual meaning. But these things are for certain for those who genuinely would know the Messiah, (1) the Messiah knows each one by their own name, (2) the Messiah will call each one of them by name, (3) the Messiah’s voice will be known by each of them and (4) they will indeed respond to the Messiah’s call and follow Him. But even while Jesus was conveying this story to the Pharisees, they just could not understand its meaning. The reason being they were not true sheep. If they had been, they would have heard His voice and accepted Him as the promised Messiah.
John 10:7-10
Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by [through] Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 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.”
In this passage and following Jesus illustrates that He is everything when it comes to the salvation of the sheep, both Israel and the Gentiles (vs. 16). He first says that without question He is the (only) “door of the sheep,” which may be translated as gate or door “for” or “belonging to” the sheep. A door or gate is a passageway from somewhere to somewhere else. Here Christ is speaking of coming from a position or place without provision (food) and safety to a position or place with provision and safety. Specifically and spiritually He is speaking of coming from a “lost position” (spiritual darkness without God) to a “saved position” (spiritual light and eternal life in union with God), and there is only one passageway from the one to the other--Jesus Christ. In fact, He goes on to say, that His one purpose in coming to earth was that His sheep may possess life in superabundance, that is, eternal life in union with God.
John 10:11-13
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling [hired hand], 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. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.”
In addition to being the “door” for the sheep, Jesus declares Himself as the (only) Good Shepherd for them. As the Shepherd, His position was in direct contrast to that of the hireling or hired hand. A hireling was one who serves for money. The Pharisees were hirelings. Their interest in the Jews was prompted by their self-interest, to include the money they received in return for their “services.” Their personal care for the flock of Israel was very shallow, as indicated in the illustration of the hireling running from the wolf and thereby leaving the flock to the fate of the wolf. On the other hand the shepherd of a flock owned the flock, and his care was all encompassing. In fact, the shepherd would give his life to save his flock. This was illustrative of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd. His sole purpose for coming to earth was to give His life for His sheep, both Jews and Gentiles, in order that they may have life everlasting.
On a practical note, it is suggested that there are too many hirelings taking care of God’s flock in local churches and on the public media today. Their interest and care for God’s flock is totally superficial. Their interest is primarily in their own comfort, their own income and their own recognition. A sad and most unfortunate condition!
John 10:14-18
“I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 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. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 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.”
This passage depicts several truths. These truths follow:
Jesus Christ intimately knows His followers (sheep), as they also know Him. Paul declared in Philippians 3:10, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” Pursuit of good works is definitely encouraged. Faithful attendance at local church activities is highly recommended. Fellowship with other Christians is extremely beneficial. BUT, what is crucial and overriding is to know Jesus. To know Him is to love Him. It starts with the new birth and it matures with the study of the “mind of Christ,” which is contained in Scripture (Bible doctrine).
Jesus Christ compared His relationship with His followers (sheep) with the relationship that existed between Himself and His Father. The union, the communion and the intimacy that exists between the Father and the Son also exists between Jesus (the Shepherd) and those who believe in Him (the sheep). It must always be remembered that Christianity is not “religion;” it is a union, a relationship with a Person--Jesus Christ. When a person by faith alone accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Savior he actually becomes part of the Holy Trinity, because at that very moment he is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the “Body of Christ” and is permanently united with Jesus Christ.
The event that makes all spiritual blessings real for the believer is contained in the words of Christ in this passage, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” Here is another of several statements made by our Lord during His earthly ministry in which He looks ahead to His death on the cross as the Substitute for all sinners. This event is the focal point of history, as well as the Bible. All of the Old Testament looked forward to it. All of the New Testament looks back to it. It denotes the time within man’s history where God intervened, splitting B.C. (Before Christ) from A.D. (The Year of Our Lord), and in one final blow defeated Satan and his plans by bringing salvation to man for the taking (by faith alone in Christ alone).
Jesus Christ alone had the power to give up His life and to take it back again. Man didn’t kill Him. Satan didn’t kill Him. Neither man nor Satan could do this. Yes, He died on the cross of Calvary--first spiritually (6th hour to the 9th hour) and then physically (after suffering “spiritual death,” which was the actual taking on and becoming the sins of the world and paying the penalty-price for them for all of mankind)--but He suffered such deaths voluntarily and willingly. No one could kill Him, because He alone had the power to give up His Spirit (John 19:30) and, at His resurrection, take it back up again.
This power to give up and take back His life came by authority (“command”) from His Father. Jesus Christ never did anything by Himself. His every word and deed stemmed from the close union with His Father. In like manner, every word and deed of every believer should stem from a close (Spirit-filled) union with Jesus Christ.
John 10:19-21
Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, "He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?" Others said, "These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"
It is no different today. Man either accepts or rejects Jesus Christ. There is no in between. Jesus Christ was either a mad man and the author of the greatest lie in history--OR He was and is the Son of the Living God and alone can take away through faith in Him alone the sins of every man, woman and child who has ever held breath on this earth.
John 10:22-26
Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon's porch. Then the Jews surrounded Him and said to Him, “How long do You keep us in doubt? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus 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. But you do not believe, because you are not of My sheep, as I said to you.”
Scripture jumps ahead two months at this point to the month of December. Previously the events surrounded the Feast of Tabernacles, which takes place in October. Now the events take place at the Feast of Dedication, which is celebrated near the end of December. The Feast of Dedication celebrated the time when Judas Maccabaeus delivered the temple from Antiochus Epiphanes, the Syrian, who had polluted it. This deliverance of the temple took place in 167 B.C. and was still celebrated when our Lord walked the earth. This is the only mention in the Bible of the Feast of Dedication, or in Hebrew it is called Hanukkah. It was not one of the feasts instituted by God. It was an annual feast that was instituted by the Jewish people.
It was not only winter according to the calendar, but it was also winter spiritually. After His remarks at this celebration and from that point on in the Gospel of John it appears that Jesus makes no further public call to the nation of Israel, reserving His comments for His own followers--those who had accepted Him. “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” (Jeremiah 8:20).
Solomon’s porch (a covered area adjoining Herod’s temple) was a large area reserved for the Gentiles, those who were outside the nation Israel. It was “winter” and Jesus walked in this porch. The Jews approached Him and still expressed doubt regarding His identity. This He had made clear to them countless times, and those who had accepted Him in faith understood that He was both God and the Messiah. Note Andrew in John 1:41, Nathaniel in John 1:49, the Samaritan men in John 4:42 and the man healed of his congenital blindness in John 9:38. Yet the people still doubted, and more, they made it sound like it was Jesus’ fault for being “unclear” concerning the issue.
Jesus tells them that He has the proofs of His messiahship. His works bear witness to it. He was introduced by John the Baptist. No man taught as He taught. No man could convict Him of sin. When John the Baptist sent his disciples to find out whether Jesus was the Messiah or whether they should look for another, Jesus told them to go back and tell John the Baptist the things that He was doing. Then John the Baptist would know that He had the credentials of the Messiah. You see, His teaching demonstrated that He was the Messiah, His life demonstrated it, and His miracles demonstrated it. The problem was not in His lack of credentials. The problem was in the unbelieving heart. The fact that they did not believe demonstrated that they were not His sheep.
(Thru the Bible by J. Vernon McGee)
John 10:27-29
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. 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.”
Here is one of the most compelling passages found in all the Bible that unquestionably confirms that once a person is given eternal life by faith alone in Jesus alone he will never lose eternal life--no matter what he does after accepting Christ. This passage representing this doctrine is one of the grandest expressions of God’s mercy and grace found anywhere in Holy Writ. The doctrine of the Eternal Security of the Believer is probably one of the most hotly contested doctrines in religious and Christian circles today. Man apart from God just cannot understand a soteriology (doctrine of salvation) based on anything other than works. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14). The concept of God’s grace and mercy is totally beyond the “natural man,” at least until the Holy Spirit opens the door to his mind and explains it to him.
A proper treatment of this single doctrine regarding the Security of the Believer would be far too lengthy for this format. The writer recommends to anyone who would like a comprehensive treatment regarding this doctrine to download and print a copy of his topical study (approximately 40 pages long), entitled “Security of the Believer,” which can be found in the Topical Studies Section of his web site, www.bibleone.net. Suffice it to say here that Jesus clearly tells His listeners that anyone to whom He gives eternal life will never perish [that is, lose his eternal life], because no one, not even God Himself, can snatch him out of the hand of Christ, which is also the hand of God.
Does this mean that a person who is truly saved can still sin? Why of course. Christians sin all the time, and if a Christian says otherwise he makes God a liar and he is ignorant of Bible doctrine (1 John 1:10).
But a truly saved person will never be comfortable or at peace while “living in sin.” The doctrine of eternal security does not encourage careless living, but rather is a strong motive for holy living. But even more than this, a Christian has resident within him the Holy Spirit, which will constantly be reminding him to live a life holy unto God.
When the Christian sins, he is to confess it (specifically name and take responsibility for his sin to God--that is, admit to it) to God, who will immediately forgive him of the sin (1 John 1:9). He is not to irritate God by begging to be forgiven. God is more willing to forgive than the person desires to be forgiven. He only needs to sincerely name his sin before God, and God will immediately take care of the matter. Now for all sins that the Christian doesn’t confess during his life, these will result in a loss of joy and spiritual use in this life and a loss of rewards in the life hereafter. As previous stated, see the more comprehensive treatment entitled “Security of the Believer” on www.bibleone.net.
John 10:30-38
“I and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The 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.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, You are gods?’ If He called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), do you say of Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God?’ If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 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 Jews took up stones to murder Jesus Christ for only one reason. They were convinced that He conveyed the very specific message that He was God Almighty--that He and God the Father were One and the Same. They were not incorrect in their understanding of His message. Jesus did indeed claim over and over again that He was Deity.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also. (1 John 2:23)
Jesus is Deity because He shares the divine attributes of God.
- Eternity--Isaiah 9:6; Micah 5:2; John 1:1, 2; 8:58.
- Immutability--Malachi 3:6; Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:10-12; 13:8.
- Omnipotence--1 Corinthians 15:25; Philippians 3:21; Revelation 1:8.
- Omniscience--John 2:25; 6:34; 10:15; 21:17.
- Omnipresence--Leviticus 26:12; Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 14:23;
Ephesians 1:23.
[Other major attributes such as life (John 1:4; 5:26; 10:10; 14:6; Hebrews 7:16), truth (John 14:6; Revelation 3:7), holiness (Luke 1:35; John 6:69; Hebrews 7:26) and love (John 13:1, 34; 1 John 3:16) also belong to Jesus Christ]
Jesus is Deity because the prerogatives of Deity are ascribed to Him.
- He is Creator of all things--John 1:3, 10; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10.
- He is Preserver of all things--Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3.
- He pardons sin--Luke 5:24; Colossians 3:13.
- He will raise the dead--John 5:21, 28, 29; 11:25; 2 Corinthians 1:9.
- He apportions the rewards of saints--2 Corinthians 5:10.
- He will judge the world--John 5:22; Revelation 20:12.
- He is worthy of worship--Psalm 95:6; John 5:23; Luke 24:52; Revelation 5:8
The Jews made no mistake in thinking that Christ claimed to be God. For this reason they informed Him that they were going to stone (murder) Him.
Jesus resorts to a logical argument drawn from Scripture to show that these Jews, who claimed to be followers of the law, were actually about to go outside the law to perform their evil deed. An excellent treatment of this argument from the Believer’s Bible Commentary by William MacDonald follows.
10:34 Here the lord Jesus quoted to the Jews from Psalm 82:6. He called this a part of their law. In other words, it was taken from the OT which they acknowledged to be the inspired Word of God. . . . The Psalm was addressed to the judges of Israel. They were called “gods” not because they were actually divine, but because they represented God when they judged the people. . . . (It is clear from the rest of the Psalm that they were only men and not deities because they judged unjustly, showed respect of persons, and otherwise perverted justice.)
10:35 The Lord used this verse from the Psalms to show that God used the word gods to describe men to whom the word of God came. In other words, these men were spokesmen for God. God spoke to the nation of Israel through them. “They manifested God in His place of authority and judgment, and were the powers whom God had ordained.” “And the Scripture cannot be broken,” said the Lord, expressing His belief in the inspiration of the OT Scriptures. He speaks of them as infallible writings which must be fulfilled, and which cannot be denied. In fact, the very words of Scripture are inspired, not just its thoughts or ideas. His whole argument is based on the single word gods.
10:36 The Lord was arguing from the lesser to the greater. If unjust judges were called “gods” in the OT, how much more right did He have to say He was the Son of God. The word of God came to them; He was and is the Word of God. They were called gods; He was and is God. It could never have been said of them that the Father had sanctified them and sent them into the world. They were born into the world like all other sons of fallen Adam. But Jesus was sanctified by God the Father from all eternity to be the Savior of the world, and He was sent into the world from heaven where He had always dwelt with His Father. Thus Jesus had every right to claim equality with God. He was not blaspheming when He claimed to be the Son of God, equal with the Father. The Jews themselves used the term “gods” to apply to corrupt men who were mere spokesmen or judges for God. How much more could He claim the title because He actually was and is God.
Jesus further appealed to the Jews on the bases of the miracles He performed, which He declared were the “works of My Father,” again reinforcing that He and the Father are One.
John 10:39-42
Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand. And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was baptizing at first, and there He stayed. Then many came to Him and said, "John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true." And many believed in Him there.
No matter the logical argument that Jesus attempted to convey to these Jews, they didn’t buy it. They realized that instead of denying His previous claims, Jesus had only strengthened them. They tried again to seize Him, but as before, He miraculously walked through and away from them. He traveled back to the Jordan River where John the Baptist initially had baptized, where Jesus began His public ministry. There He stayed for awhile. His three years of miracles and teachings were drawing to a close.
Many came to Him while He was there. They knew that John’s ministry was not spectacular or sensational, but everything he had said about Jesus was absolutely true. This applies to the believer today. The Christian may not be able to perform mighty miracles, and there is reason to believe that most of these were phased out by God once the canon of Scripture was complete, but the Christian can always testify to the truth of Jesus Christ and His redeeming work on the cross of Calvary.
Because of this truth, many came to Jesus Christ in faith and accepted Him as their personal Savior, thereby becoming permanently Children of God.
|
