A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

JOHN
CHAPTER 10

The Shepherd and His Flock

1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[1] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me-- 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."
19At these words the Jews were again divided. 20Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"
21But others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?"

The Unbelief of the Jews

22Then came the Feast of Dedication[2] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. 24The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ,[3] tell us plainly."
25Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all[4] ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one."
31Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, 32but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?"
33"We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
34Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have said you are gods'[5] ? 35If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- 36what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, 'I am God's Son'? 37Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father." 39Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
40Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed 41and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." 42And in that place many believed in Jesus.

This chapter includes Jesus’ monologue after restoring the blind man’s sight and His later teaching at the Feast of Dedication. He calls Himself the gate, or the door, and the good shepherd; and He explains His authority to both lay down His life and take it back up again. And the audience is still divided and in suspense over His identity. In our tabernacle tour, we’re gazing at the golden lampstand, as Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness.

  1. V1-6 - The first half of this chapter (21 verses) has clear ties to the previous one. The Pharisees, considered shepherds of the people of Israel, did not care for the blind man but harshly “drove” him – rather than “leading” him – out of the synagogue. Jesus found and brought the man to saving faith and then addressed the Pharisees who were with Him (the disciples were presumably with Him as well). After explaining that the Pharisees were truly the blind ones, Jesus then speaks this parable to everyone in earshot. John included very few parables in his Gospel – and even this parable is different from the typical parables of the synoptic gospels. For one thing, there is not one single point of similarity that Jesus is emphasizing, but He makes use of several different images of the illustration to apply to Himself in different ways. He speaks in v1-6 of three primary features: first, the door to the sheepfold, second, the good shepherd, and third, the good shepherd’s sheep.

    The Pharisees were the thieves and robbers who were destroying the sheep by failing to enter the sheepfold through and lead the sheep (the children of God) to the gate, or the door, as other translations declare, which is Jesus Christ. The true shepherd, also Christ Himself, cares for the sheep and leads them to Himself as the only valid entrance to the sheepfold. Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Some have said that the shepherd here can also be equated with the faithful Pastor or Minister or layman who leads people to Christ. It is certainly true that we (pastors, ministers, and laymen) are to shepherd the flock, but the context here is speaking of Jesus as the Good Shepherd.

    The watchman in v3 is God the Father, who opens the door for the Good Shepherd (Jesus has earned the “open door” by His works, unlike mere men), and the sheep (God’s children by election) listen to Jesus (efficacious grace), who knows them each by name (intimate foreknowledge) and leads them (rather than drives them) on the path to righteousness. The sheep (namely the blind man healed in this context) do not follow the stranger’s voice (the Pharisees), but they follow the Good Shepherd, because the Holy Spirit, who has regenerated them, gives them discernment. The elect cannot be led astray (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22; 1 John 2:19). Though this truth does not prohibit warnings or encouragements.

    When the Pharisees – and the rest of the audience – heard this parable, they did not understand. They should have thought of Ezekiel 34. There, God berates the religious leaders of the Jews as wicked shepherds who destroy the sheep. Therefore, God Himself, in the Person of the Son of David, will come to shepherd the sheep. Jesus is basically telling the Jewish leaders that this prophecy is coming true; they are the wicked shepherds of Ezekiel 34 for failing to enter the sheepfold through the gate and lead the sheep through the only door.

    Calvin says of v1-6, “It is useless, I think, to scrutinize too closely every part of this parable. Let us rest satisfied with this general view, that, as Christ states a resemblance between the [true] Church and a sheepfold, in which God assembles all His people, so He compares Himself to a door [or a gate], because there is no other entrance into the Church but by Himself. Hence it follows that they alone are good shepherds who lead men straight to Christ; and that they are truly gathered into the fold of Christ, so as to belong to His flock, who devote themselves to Christ alone.” In v7-21, Jesus comments on those three features, explaining them in order.

  2. V7-10 – First, Jesus is the door, or the gate, of the sheepfold. If the sheepfold signifies the elect, the true Church, eternal life, security, and good pasture, then it is only through Jesus that the sheepfold may be entered. When Jesus says, “All who ever came before Me,” He is not speaking of God’s prophets, but of everyone who offers life and salvation through some other way; and He calls them thieves and robbers. When Jesus says that the one who enters through Him will “come in and go out,” that is a phrase that means, “to dwell.” Those who are in Christ dwell in Christ, abide in Christ, rest in Christ, and find pasture. A pasture is a good place for sheep to stay. Jesus says that thieves come only to steal and kill and destroy. We are to be on guard, expecting assault, just as Paul tells us in Colossians 2:8. Jesus contrasts Himself with thieves, for He has no intentions of stealing, killing, or destroying; we ought to take comfort in His rod and staff (Psalm 23:4). He is life; He is truth; He is the only way, and in Him, there is not just life, but abundant and full life – eternal (high quality) life. Calvin says, “Life is continually increased and strengthened in those who do not revolt from [Jesus]. And, indeed, the greater progress that any man makes in faith, the more nearly does he approach to fullness of life, because the Spirit, who is life, grows in him.”

  3. V11-15 – Second, Jesus is the Good Shepherd; He is so focused on the salvation of His sheep, that He does not even spare His own life. We saw that thieves, false teachers, destroy the sheep; now we are introduced to the hired hands, who are just nominal, uncaring shepherds; they may have sound doctrine and by such lead people to Christ, but their motives are impure, perhaps selfish, and not driven by and for Christ’s glory. The hired hands are not willing to sacrifice for the good of the sheep (unlike the pastor in The Mission). While they rightly take no ownership over the flock, as tenants of the owner, they ought to show care for His possessions. But they do not, and by fleeing in the face of danger reveal their hypocrisy.

    On the other hand, the Good Shepherd lays His life, as the Lamb of God, down for His sheep. The Old Testament speaks of God as shepherd (Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Psalm 23; 28:9; 78:52; 80:1; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34; Zechariah 13:7). The New Testament also speaks of Jesus this way: Matthew 26:31; Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4; Revelation 7:17. Jesus, knowing that His sheep were in mortal danger, because of their sins, voluntarily sacrificed His own life, so that they would be saved. This is an example of paternal affection, as in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus implies that knowledge proceeds from love, and is accompanied by care. And just as He loves, knows, and cares for His sheep, His sheep love, know, and care for Him. Our intimacy with Jesus is likened to Jesus’ intimacy with God the Father. To say that God knows you is to say that He is committed to your redemption. This is how we can tell if we are His sheep – not that we won’t have moments of fleeing in the face of danger – but that we are driven by love for Him and His sheep and by progressing in obedience and knowledge of His ways.

  4. V16-18 – Third, Jesus speaks of His sheep. The sheep in the fold are the people of Israel, whom the Pharisees were supposed to protect – but not all of them are Jesus’ sheep. Which sheep do belong to Jesus? Those who hear His voice and follow Him. Just as we saw in chapter six, those whom the Father has not given to Jesus will flee at the sound of His voice and refuse to believe Him. But those who are His are taught by the Father and will hear and follow Him. Jesus is going to take His true sheep, which hear His voice, out of the midst of the sheep of Israel, which belong to a different master. But that is not all: for He also has sheep who are not from the fold of Israel – and so He is going to call out His sheep from the Gentiles, just as He did from Israel, and bring them all together as His true people. There would no longer be any distinction between Jew and Gentile, but there would be one fold and one shepherd.

    Augustine said that just as there are many wolves within the fold, there are many sheep outside the fold. Here Jesus calls certain unbelievers “sheep;” in so doing, not only does He point out what they will be, but He refers this to the election of God. We are already God’s sheep, before we are aware that He is our shepherd. Romans 5:10; Galatians 4:9 And He must bring them also. His mission is round up all those whom the Father has given Him, and He’ll do it perfectly and completely (John 6:37; 17:12). We see it evidenced by so many different kinds of people from all over the world following His voice (Revelation 5:9).

    V17-18 are amazing, because Jesus actually says that He will lay His life down and take it up again. It has been said that nothing that happened on Good Friday cost Jesus His life. The thorny crown, the beatings, the weight of the cross, the nails through the hands and feet were not responsible for His death. A “normal” man undergoing that same crucifixion would have taken much longer to die than did Jesus, and the cause of death would have been asphyxiation for a “normal” man. But Jesus determined the right time for His death, and it wasn’t due to any outside cause. He laid down His life once His work was finished.

  5. V19-21 – As Jesus explains His teaching, division among the people arises once again. Some of them claim that He is a demon-possessed lunatic, to teach things so contradictory to all the religious leaders of the Jews. This is the depth of great wickedness, to call Jesus a demon-possessed lunatic. But the truth, strong enough to maintain itself, cannot be undermined, as others are convinced that no demon-possessed person could speak with such reason and authority. Furthermore, these right-minded folks remind themselves of the blind man’s restored sight. We ought to be deeply grieved that the Church is torn by divisions arising among those who profess the same religion. When schisms arise, note that one or both parties are revolting from God’s pure doctrine. Yet, the fact that wicked men will never be able to hinder the power and goodness and wisdom of God from shining in the Gospel is the only protection of our faith.

    So from this passage, let’s take six things away. (1) Jesus knows His sheep (intimately; He knows your name). (2) Jesus leads, as opposed to drives, His sheep; He goes before us down the right path. (3) Jesus feeds His sheep; remember the command to Peter at the end of this gospel; the feeding of the sheep is a great concern of the Good Shepherd. (4) Jesus saves His sheep (v7,9,11,15,17-18), by purchasing them with His life. He is the only Savior. (5) Jesus guards and protects His sheep (v12-13). (6) Jesus seeks His sheep (v16).

  6. V22-24 – Hanukkah is, as Adam Sandler sings, “The Festival of Lights.” That title, of course, fits perfectly with our tour of tabernacle through John’s Gospel, given that Jesus is fulfilling the tabernacle imagery, including here the golden lampstand. Hanukkah (The Feast of Dedication) was not an Old Testament feast day; it was added during the inter-testamental period during the Maccabean revolt, in which Judas Maccabeus led a successful uprising against King Antiochus Epiphanes, who had harshly persecuted the Jews and profaned the Temple by sacrificing a pig to Zeus at the altar in 164 BC. The Jews celebrated their deliverance by the grace of God by lighting candles throughout the city. They remembered the renovations of the Temple, as the word translated “dedication” would better be rendered “renovation” – they had to clean up the mess left by the evil tyrant Antiochus. It’s similar to the Feast of Tabernacles, in the way it is carried out; and John relates this detail, because Jesus is the fulfillment of both feast days. Some say this description by John lends creditability to the apocrypha, especially the books of 1 and 2 Maccabees, which is found in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament – the Septuagint. The apocryphal books represent, in most cases, true historical accounts. But they fall short – even self-admitting in some places – of being the inspired word of God. We should, nevertheless, familiarize ourselves with them.

    During this feast, there is still a controversy as to whether or not Jesus is the Messiah; and the people ask Him to tell them plainly. They charge His doctrine with obscurity, which, on the contrary, was abundantly plain and distinct, if the men who heard it had not been deaf. Of course, Jesus has already declared to be the Christ, at numerous times, but they have not believed Him on account of their wicked blindness.

  7. V25-30 – Jesus then cuts right to the heart of the matter, declaring that the reason they do not believe Him is that they are not His sheep. He does not conceal that He is the Christ, yet He does not teach them as if they were willing to learn from Him, but rather reproaches them with obstinate malice, because, though they had been taught by both the word and works of God, they had not yet made any progress. Accordingly, He imputes to their own fault that they do not know Him. It’s as if He said, “My doctrine is easily enough understood, but the blame lies with you, because you maliciously resist God.” They are doubly obstinate, having had a testimony of His identity in both His miracles and His doctrinal teaching; yet, they despised God. Furthermore, v27 declares that His sheep not only believe Him but also follow Him. The point is that faith without works is dead. The fruit of repentance is crucial.

    And Jesus rebukes them further, explaining a higher reason for their unbelief – they are reprobate, not elect. Only Jesus’ sheep can and do recognize His voice and follow Him. This is a hard truth, yet Jesus purposes it for His audience to get them to ask, “Am I known by God?” The question is for us as well. My daughter has asked our neighbor what we often hear, “Do you know God in your heart?” And that’s a fine question to ask, but the more important one is this: “Does God know you?” Galatians 4:9; Matthew 7:21-23 The authority of the Gospel does not depend on the belief of men. Yet the comfort for believers in understanding this truth is that we realize how all the more strongly we are bound to God. The teaching here echoes John 6:37-45. Jesus testifies that our salvation is in His hand. And if this were not enough, He says that they will be safely guarded by the power of His Father. This is a remarkable passage, by which we are taught that the salvation of all the elect is no less certain than the power of God is invincible. No one will be able to snatch them from Him or from the Father (2 Timothy 1:12). And both the Father and Jesus are holding them, because they are One, the same God.

  8. V31-33 – The Jews are not ready to hear Jesus making Himself equal to God. They had asked if He was the Christ – but at His answer, they are ready to stone Him for the second time. As true religion burns with Spirit-directed zeal to uphold the glory of God, so unbelief gives birth to rage, and the devil causes the wicked to breathe nothing but slaughter. Pretending to desire Jesus to declare Himself Messiah in order that they might follow Him, they are driven to raging and murderous madness by His statement. Yet their oppression of Jesus was given rationale, as if they were acting according to the law, by which God commands that false prophets shall be stoned (Deuteronomy 13:5).

    But Jesus, as we have seen, lays down His life of His own accord, and it was not yet time to do so. But before escaping their murderous intentions, He asks them why they desire to kill Him when His works – “from the Father” – bear witness to the truth of His claims. By doing so, He displays that they have no reason for their rash behavior and accuses them of ingratitude. The question has greater force to pierce their consciences than if He had made a direct assertion, but it’s as if He says to them, “God intended to make His Kingdom known to you by My hand. Banish Me as you please; I have done nothing that does not deserve praise and goodwill. In persecuting Me, therefore, you show your rage against the gifts of God.” The Jews have no problem with His miracles – in fact, they follow Him hoping to see more. But they are convinced that He is “a mere man” and therefore blasphemes by claiming to be God. Calvin says, “There are two kinds of blasphemy, either when God is deprived of the honor which belongs to Him, or when anything unsuitable to His nature, or contrary to His nature, is ascribed to Him. They argue therefore that Christ is a blasphemer because, being a mortal man, He lays claim to Divine honor. This would be a just definition of blasphemy, if Christ were nothing more than a man. They only err in that they do not design to contemplate His Divinity, which was conspicuous in His miracles.”

  9. V34-38 – In response to their claims against Him, Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, where the Father refers to those to whom His word came as “gods” and “sons of the Most High”. We might call those in civil power or those star athletes who can do amazing things “gods,” though we wouldn’t call a farmer or garbage man a “god.” Jesus is arguing from the lesser to the greater here: If the Scriptures, which cannot be false (according to the Jews’ standards), call those who received God’s word and were saved both His “sons,” and “gods” (although not in a fundamentally divine sense), then surely Jesus – who was clearly doing good and miraculous works, could not be blaspheming by claiming the same thing about Himself. If it can be said of the Father’s adopted children, who become His children just because of their relationship to Christ, then how much more it can be said of Christ Himself, who is God’s eternal and divine Son! The bottom line is this: Jesus is teaching them how to reason to determine His identity. If His works were not from the Father, there would be no compelling reason to believe Him. But clearly they are, so the Jews are without excuse. Jesus bases Hi identity on a phrase found in a minor psalm of Asaph, supporting the authority of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17), which “cannot be broken.”

  10. V39-42 – The attempt to seize Jesus was so that the Jews might drive Him out of the temple and immediately stone Him; for their rage was only intensified each time Jesus spoke to them. His escape could not be accomplished in any other way than by a wonderful exertion of Divine power, and this reminds us of God’s sovereignty. We are only exposed to the lawless passions of wicked men, which God restrains by His bridle, whenever He thinks fit.

    Jesus leaves the hostility and goes back to place where John the Baptist had been working. What can we learn from Jesus’ departure? Should we leave the fight and retreat to more places more open? Should we stay as long as we can before ducking out at the last possible moment? Should we avoid fights altogether? Jesus is fighting a guerilla war here. He appears and riles up the audience, and then He retreats. But notice that His retreats are no moments of isolation. Rather, His successful ministry in terms of gathering followers is during these times of retreat. His ministry is also successful, though in a different light, when is does battle with the Jewish leaders. He hardens them who dwell where the Church ought to be prospering, and He prospers the Church where desolation and poverty abound.

    The testimony of John the Baptist is still bearing fruit, for some of John’s disciples, when they see miracles of Jesus, turn to Him in faith. John did no miracles, and Jesus did many. Thus Jesus is greater than John. But miracles should not be the deciding factor in discernment; doctrine ought to be. If a person has miracles but false doctrine, watch out! If a person has true doctrine but no miracles (like John), listen to him. If a person has miracles and true doctrine, he is to be followed closely. The audience rightly concludes, then, that John was a prophet and that He testified of Jesus. And so Jesus ought to be followed closely, since He had miracles and true doctrine – as testified to by John the Baptist.

    Jesus’ teachings about Himself as the only way of salvation, and as equal with the Father, continue to outrage the people. And His teaching that they cannot believe Him because the Father has not given them to Him only increases their rage. If we have been enabled to see Jesus as the Light of the world, the true Son of God, the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, the only Door or Gateway to eternal life, then let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us His sheep through rebirth, or regeneration by the Holy Spirit!

Footnotes

  1. 10:9 Or kept safe
  2. 10:22 That is, Hanukkah
  3. 10:24 Or Messiah
  4. 10:29 Many early manuscripts What my Father has given me is greater than all
  5. 10:34 Psalm 82:6

Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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