John Chapter 10
From The Open Bible Project
10:1 "Most certainly, I tell you, one who doesn't enter by the door into the sheep fold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
- (1) Seeing that by Christ alone we have access to the Father, there are no true shepherds other than those who come to Christ themselves and bring others there also, neither is any to be thought to be in the true sheepfold but those who are gathered to Christ.
10:2 But one who enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
10:3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out.
- (a) In those days they used to have a servant always sitting at the door, and therefore he speaks after the manner of those days.
10:4 Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
10:5 They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don't know the voice of strangers."
10:6 Jesus spoke this parable to them, but they didn't understand what he was telling them.
- (b) This word "parable", which the evangelist uses here, signifies a hidden type of speech, when words are not used with their natural meaning, but are used to signify another thing to us.
10:7 Jesus therefore said to them again, "Most certainly, I tell you, I am the sheep's door.
10:8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them.
- (2) It does not matter how many false teachers there have been, neither how old they have been.
- (c) These terms must be applied to the matter he speaks of. And therefore when he calls himself the door, he calls all those thieves and robbers who take upon themselves this name of "door", which none of the prophets can do, for they showed the sheep that Christ was the door.
10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture.
- (3) Only Christ is the true Pastor, and those only are the true Church who acknowledge him to properly be their only Pastor: opposite to him are thieves who do not feed the sheep, but kill them: and hirelings also, who forsake the flock in time of danger, because they feed it only for their own profit and gains.
- (d) That is, will live safely, as the Jews used to speak (see (Deuteronomy 26:6-10)), and yet there is a special reference to the shepherd’s office.
10:10 The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
10:11 I am the good shepherd.[29] The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
10:12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who doesn't own the sheep, sees the wolf coming, leaves the sheep, and flees. The wolf snatches the sheep, and scatters them.
10:13 The hired hand flees because he is a hired hand, and doesn't care for the sheep.
10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and I'm known by my own;
10:15 even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.
- (e) Loves me, allows me.
10:16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold.[30] I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice. They will become one flock with one shepherd.
- (4) The calling of the Gentiles.
- (f) The distinguishing mark of the Christian Church throughout all the world, is that it has only one head, that is Christ, the only keeper, and only shepherd of it.
10:17 Therefore the Father loves me, because I lay down my life,[31] that I may take it again.
- (5) Christ is by the decree of the Father the only true shepherd of the true Church, for he willingly gave his life for his sheep, and by his own power rose again to life.
- (g) He uses the present tense because Christ’s whole life was as it were a perpetual death.
10:18 No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down by myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. I received this commandment from my Father."
10:19 Therefore a division arose again among the Jews because of these words.
- (6) The gospel uncovers hypocrisy, and therefore the world must necessarily rage when the gospel comes forth.
10:20 Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane! Why do you listen to him?"
10:21 Others said, "These are not the sayings of one possessed by a demon. It isn't possible for a demon to open the eyes of the blind, is it?"[32]
10:22 It was the [33] Feast of the Dedication [See John Footnotes 33] at Jerusalem.
- (h) The feast of the dedication was instituted by Judas Maccabeus and his brethren after the restoring of God’s true religion, by the casting out of Antiochus’ garrison.
10:23 It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in Solomon's porch.
- (7) The unbelievers and proud men accuse the gospel of darkness, and this very darkness is indeed within themselves.
10:24 The Jews therefore came around him and said to him, "How long will you hold us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
10:25 Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you don't believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, these testify about me.
- (8) The doctrine of the gospel is proved from heaven by two witnesses: both by the purity of the doctrine and by miracles.
10:26 But you don't believe, because you are not of my sheep, as I told you.
- (9) It is no marvel that only a few believe, seeing that all men are by nature untamed beasts: yet nonetheless God has his own, which he turns into sheep, and commits them unto his Son, and preserves them against the cruelty of all wild beasts.
- (i) He gives a reason why they do not believe, that is, because they are not his sheep.
10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.
10:28 I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
10:29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand.
10:30 I and the Father are one."
10:31 Therefore Jews took up stones again to stone him.
- (10) Christ proves his dignity by divine works.
10:32 Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of those works do you stone me?"
- (k) Through my Father’s authority and power.
10:33 The Jews answered him, "We don't stone you for a good work, but for blasphemy: because you, being a man, make yourself God."
10:34 Jesus answered them, "Isn't it written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?'[34]
10:35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture can't be broken),
- (l) Void and of no effect.
10:36 do you say of him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'You blaspheme,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?'
10:37 If I don't do the works of my Father, don't believe me.
10:38 But if I do them, though you don't believe me, believe the works; that you may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father."
10:39 They sought again to seize him, and he went out of their hand.
- (11) Christ flees danger, not because of mistrust, nor for fear of death, nor that he would be lazy, but to gather a Church in another place.
10:40 He went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was baptizing at first, and there he stayed.
10:41 Many came to him. They said, "John indeed did no sign, but everything that John said about this man is true."
10:42 Many believed in him there.
