John | Chapter 10 – Scripture Supply

10:1-12:50 New life (Third, fourth and fifth truths)

1. 10:7 Gate of life

John 10:1-10

“The living door”

I. Intro.
II. Vs. 1-6 No more stranger in the night
III. Vs. 7-10 One way, all welcome

Intro.

The 9^th chapter ended with a once blind man being kicked out of the Jewish religious system by blind religious leaders and being found and brought into a new relationship with Jesus. Here in this chapter Jesus explains what has taken place by using a familiar parable of sheep and shepherds as He has taken in that which has been cast out. In response to the Pharisees words in 9:40 “Are we blind also” Jesus first defined their blindness saying that it was based upon their arrogance not their ignorance now in chapter 10 He launches into three declarations about Himself which should leave no doubt as to whom He is as well as who they were.
1. Vs. 1-10 I am the door (verse 9) – they were thieves and robbers
2. Vs. 11-21 I am the good shepherd (verse 11) – they were hirelings
3. Vs. 22-42 I am the Son of God (verse 36) – they were blasphemers

Doesn’t Jesus taking in this once blind man remind you of David the “Shepherd king” who in 1 Samuel 22
was held up in the cave of Adullam (refuge) and all the “put out, bummed out and stressed out” came to him? Oh my friends I rather think that the “Good Shepherd” is always about gathering those who are in need of “Refuge” the misfits of life who no one wants. I’m so grateful that out Lord gathers that which this world and religion discards.

Vs. 1-6 No more stranger in the night

Vs. 1-6 In the first six verses of this chapter Jesus gives and illustration or parable and it would have been one familiar to all whom heard it. It was Homer who said, “All kings are shepherds of the people”, and his authority over the sheep is based upon his care of them. Three facts are important to realize before we get started:
First Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees
Second, that He did so using the parabolic method. Jesus never employed the parabolic method of teaching to keep folks from truth but rather to illicit a response so as such again we see Jesus trying to reach those who don’t want anything to do with Him.
Finally, in Isaiah 40:10-11
we are told, “Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.” Clearly God saw Himself as the shepherd over the flock of Israel
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It is an interesting note that Jesus words about sheep and shepherds follow on the heels of the Pharisees excommunication of the man who was blind. The point being that it is not what a person says or the titles they hold that indicate they are a true shepherd but rather their care of the sheep. Now in light of that I’m sure most sheep would be totally unaware of all the details of what went into a shepherd’s day and not everything that he would do would be understood or appreciated “as sheep will be sheep”. The responsibility of the shepherded was to care for the sheep regardless of what the sheep thought of him. I read with fresh eyes the most common of psalms the 23^rd and in between the stances are these remarkable claims from a sheep called David:
I shall not want
I will fear no evil
My cup runs over
I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever
Ah but when you fill in the blanks those amazing statements are thrown next to the sheep’s David’s experience:
HE makes to lie down in green pasture: I rather doubt that every time David was made to lie down he wanted to. Or every time he was led by still waters, by the paths of righteousness it was the direction as a sheep he wanted.
Though I walk through the valley of death: I’m certain that this was not a pleasant experience, nor was the rod and staff of correction always seen as a comfort.
Preparing a table before me in the presence of my enemies: Sheep are skittish creatures and I’m thinking eating in front of a pack of wolves or lions would not have been easy to digest (pardon the pun). The sheep David is looking back at the benefits of having the Lord as his shepherd and only then does he fully understand the Lords care of him.
Here Jesus builds his teaching around figures that are taken from the life of a shepherd and in so doing He is setting himself apart as the True Shepherd of the sheep in contrast to the false shepherds of the religious leaders. In the East, shepherds brought their flocks into one central sheepfold every evening where half-a-dozen flocks gathered together and were guarded by a porter or gatekeeper behind locked doors. In the morning the shepherds returned and each called his own sheep. Although the flocks had been mingled together, each flock knew its own shepherd’s voice, and each would follow its own shepherd and no other. This is the picture our Lord uses with regard to the encounter between the man who had been born blind and the false shepherds, the Pharisees.
First Jesus shares the marks of the True Shepherd of the sheep. The chief difference between a true shepherd and a hireling has to do according verse 15 the willingness to lay down ones life for the benefit of the sheep in his care. You see a hireling sacrifices the sheep for his life while the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Jesus came to give not take and that is always the standard one can measure them by. Jesus said in Matthew 20:28
that the “Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” But here Jesus in this parable mentions three marks of why He was a true shepherd:
Prophesied Vs. 1-2 “He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber; but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” By “the door” Jesus is referring to the normal, proper entrance to a sheepfold. There is the proper entrance to church and none of you came in here by way of the window this morning! The prophets had predicted the way the Shepherd would come to the sheep. They had foretold where he would be born of a virgin, they had said where He would be born etc. This is what Jesus means by this phrase that He came the predicted way.
Proclaimed Vs. 3a “To him the doorkeeper opens.” I believe that the “doorkeeper” is John the Baptist. He opened the door as the prophet said he would “the voice crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (John 1:23). Then as the apostle John recorded the Baptist identified Jesus by saying, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) So only to that Lamb did “the doorkeeper opened.”
Preached Vs. 3b “The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” Clearly Jesus implies that that His sheep would recognize his voice and there are four things that would cause His voice to be recognizable.
Personal Vs. 3a “He calls His own sheep by name”. Every encounter with Jesus in this gospel is on a personal basis. In each of these encounters He met the individual personally, alone. Through out all the centuries since, every believer who has come to Jesus has come alone. Jesus never takes a group in at once. It is always you and he alone.
Instructional Vs. 3b “and leads them out”. This is the same phrase that is used in Chapter 9 of the man who was born blind when the Pharisees “cast him out” of the synagogue. Jesus is saying that, He led that man out of the false teaching which they had used to keep him in spiritual blindness. Folks, when Jesus calls, us He leads us out of the blindness and darkness of the world.
Practical Vs. 4a “He goes before them”. When He leads you out He does not leave you alone; he has already gone ahead of you. In every situation you have to face He has been there first. What a beautiful picture that is! The Shepherd goes before us in the words of David in the 23rd Psalm, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me.” (Psalms 23:4).
Relational Vs. 4b “the sheep follow him, for they know his voice”. Finally, there is never with Jesus any mixed messages, no confusion or indecision as we have a relationship with Him and know His voice.
Notice that it says that He calls us leads us and then He goes before us all before the fact that we follow Him. Every good shepherd had a personal connection with his sheep, they were by and large loaners who spent a great amount of time away from people and the sheep became their companions one in which they would lay down their lives for the sheep, place themselves at the entrance becoming the door by which all must enter and exit. It was this constant care and constant presence around the sheep that caused the sheep to trust the shepherd be following his lead and knowing his voice. In Mark 6:34
we are told that “Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.” Every shepherd had a distinct call that only their sheep responded to thus there was no problem each day in separating the sheep. Notice that Jesus says that each shepherd would call his sheep and then lead them out; you see sheep could never be driven or frightened into obedience they only could be called and led. So to with Jesus as He never beats us He calls and leads us, I find that comforting don’t you? When ever a stranger would enter that sheepfold the sheep would scatter trying to escape.
Isn’t interesting that Jesus had just spoke about how His sheep know His voice and follow Him but in no means follow the voice of a stranger and then John adds his commit that the Pharisees didn’t understand the thing which Jesus had just spoke, they walked right into the very illustration Jesus had just employed and didn’t know it.

Vs. 7-10 One way, all welcome

Vs. 7-10 Notice Jesus demonstrates this principal in verse 7 as John tells us that “Jesus said to them again” He didn’t yell at them call them names; instead He just spoke to them again. Our Lord just keeps repeating Himself, saying the same thing different ways giving every opportunity to cause those who are hard hearted an opportunity to respond.
That is why John tells us in verse 6 Jesus changed the parable a little becoming the “door” of the sheep. Twice in two verses Jesus refers to Himself as “the door” and by saying this He is saying that He alone is the entrance to flock of God and that the religious leaders had no right to toss the blind man out.
This is a picture taken from the time when the shepherd would lead his flock out of the sheepfold to the hillside where they grazed through the morning hours, and then in the early afternoon he would provide a temporary shelter built of shrubs where they can rest. This is a corral-type structure within which the sheep can lay, protected from wild beasts, and it has an opening across which the shepherd himself lies so that the sheep cannot go in or out without crossing over him, to get to the sheep whoever they may be would have to go through the Shepherd.
This figure indicates a further ministry of the Lord. Having called the sheep to come to him, and having led them out, the shepherd stood guard over the sheep and was the only door thus making sure that they could be at rest. The Pharisees, to whom Jesus identifies as “thieves and robbers” had ripped off the sheep by manipulating the truth. In the case of the man born blind they had robbed him of the true meaning of the Sabbath.
In verse 9 Jesus says, you will “go in and out and find pasture” and I think there are three wonderful truths here:
To “go in” speaks of always having security and peace.
But when Jesus speaks of “going out” that suggests having liberty. Jesus himself said to his disciples, “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.” Does that not sound like life in general? There are wolves there ready to snap at us, chew us up, and spit us out. Ah but there is One who will go with you, the Good Shepherd who will never leave us and no one will be able to snatch us out of His hand (verse 28). So with Jesus as our Shepherd we have both security and liberty.
Finally Jesus says, “You will find pasture”, the promise is that which nourishes us, food for the soul, for the mind, for the heart. What kind of pasture is this? Well Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly.” Did you get that dear saint? “Abundant life”! Not just surviving, hanging in there living from day to day, but a life filled with joy and peace and love.
Those are the three great provisions, the daily elements of our inheritance in Jesus. Yes a life filled with excitement and adventure but in the container of joy, peace and love. Hey did you notice the difference between what Jesus does compared to what the Pharisees were doing and that is that they were kick the sheep out while Jesus was into leading them in? Now once they are in they have the freedom to go in and out through the door and find pasture. We know Jesus is referring to the religious leaders of His time as He say’s they “are thieves” not were thieves. Like what Ezekiel spoke of they were not true Shepherds as they were there only to “eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool; you slaughter the fatlings”. Where as Jesus was there to love the sheep not ask who was responsible for the cause but take responsibility for the cure.
Jesus didn’t say He was “A” door but “THE” door and everyone else is a thief? If you read what the other so called ways to God said about themselves you will notice that at best they claimed only to be “A” way only Jesus claimed to be “THE” way. I’ve personally found that to be true as I’ve true other door’s only to find out that they were a rip off. Notice the use of the word in verse 9 “if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved”, Jesus is exclusive “THE DOOR” the only entrance and exit but that entrance is available so that anyone can come.

2. 10:11 Guide of life

John 10:11-21

“The Good Shepherd”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 11-18 Four things that makes the shepherd good

III. Vs. 19-21The door that divides

Intro.

This is yet another of Jesus’ “I AM” statements and again He stays in the realm of sheep and shepherding. It is important to note that this is being said to Pharisees who were antagonistic towards Him and yet Jesus is still demonstrating the care of a true shepherd in contrast to what they were in as much as His care of them was not predicated upon their liking Him. He will describe the type of shepherd He is in this section saying that He is the “Good” shepherd compared to the hireling. The word “Good” in the Greek it is the word “beautiful” and literally this phrase reads “I am the shepherd, the good one”, Jesus tells these would-be shepherds that He alone is the standard by which all others who care for the flock of God must imitate. Further more by the use of the word “good” Jesus is again making reference to the fact that He is God something that will be brought out clearly in verse 31-33. Jewish shepherds did not tend the sheep in order to slaughter them, unless they were temple sheep which were used for the sacrifice. Instead these sheep were kept to give wool, milk, and lambs, that is to say that they were kept that they would be fruitful. That is our Shepherds heart towards us that we would be fruitful and He has given His life for this.

Vs. 11-18 Four things that makes the shepherd good

In these verses Jesus gives us four specific things that make His care for His sheep “Good”.

Vs. 11-13 He lays down His life for the sheep: Five times in this section Jesus speaks of His death on behalf of His sheep.
1. What makes this more remarkable is that it is the sacrifice of the greater on behalf of the lesser. And He did so not as a martyr, killed by men but as a substitute, willingly laying down His life for us. Jesus contrasted His care for the sheep with that of the hireling who only cares for the sheep because they are paid to do so. With the hireling Jesus says, “When the going gets tough, the though get going!” Jesus purchased us at the cost of His own blood, so we are precious to Him, the hireling as no real interest other than what he can get out of the sheep. The “Good Shepherd”, Jesus says loves unto death for the sheep as He is willing to lay down His life for them. That fact was something that the first disciples could never get over and I pray that it is something that we never get over His great love for us. Peter said in Peter said in 1 Peter 2:24, “He bore our sins in his own body on the tree”. What a contrast to the false shepherds whose only interest in the sheep is what they can get out of the sheep and the moment the sheep are under attack they take off.
2. The second point with regards to this is that the truth of the gospel is not based upon what Jesus will do for you my friend but rather on what He has already done for you. Consider the words of Paul in Romans 5:8 where he proclaims that “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Friends we can be certain of God’s intensions towards us in the present and the future because of what He has already demonstrated in the past before we knew God or desired to follow Him.
3. Jesus alone is the standard of what is “good” everything and everyone must be interpreted through the lens of His grace and goodness. In most cases the shepherd of the sheep was either the owner or the owner’s son but if the family was wealthy enough they would hire someone but they didn’t have the same care for the sheep. It’s kind of the way home owners treat the house way different then renters do, as they say it’s not their house. The prophet Amos in 3:12 speaks of the need for a hireling to produce a leg or two and piece of the ear if a lion attacked one of the lambs, as it was too easy for them to say that the lamb had bee taken so they needed to produce proof. Ah but when Jesus says in verse 11 “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” He is speaking of His willing death for the sheep but when He says in verse 15 “I lay down My life for the sheep” He is saying much more He is saying that He is laying down His life for their disposal, that they may share in His life fully.
Vs. 14-15 He knows His sheep: The Greek word for “know” here means more than an intellectual knowledge it speaks of relational knowledge. So when Jesus says He knows His sheep and is known by His sheep He is speaking of having a relationship with them. The shepherds in that day did not view their time with the sheep as a job or occupation but rather they saw the sheep as their family. You may recall that David in 1 Samuel 17 described his care for the sheep of his father that when a lion or bear came and took a lamb from the flock he went out and struck the lion or bear and delivered the lamb. What this indicates is that the shepherd viewed the lambs as they were his family. There are three things the “Good Shepherd” knows about each of us:
1. Personally: The Lord knows our names, and as we already noted that speaks to the fact that we are not a number to him but personally known.
2. Specifically: He also knows our natures and doesn’t assume things based upon all of mankind sense He formed each of He knows just how we are wired our distinct personalities as no two are exactly alike. What this means is that He knows best how to care for each one of us specifically as well as personally.
3. Uniquely: Finally, the Lord knows each of His sheep’s needs. Most likely we know our self’s better than anyone else but I believe that the Lord knows me even better than myself because often what I thought I needed was not what He knew I needed.

Jesus says, “I know My sheep, and am Known by My sheep.” What wonderful comforting words for His sheep. Perhaps we feel alone in our situation as a sheep, “Oh there is none of the other sheep who suffer as I!” And though that may be true when compared to other sheep it can not be said with regard to the Good Shepherd, He knows our struggles and disappointments He is acquainted with all our griefs. There is an old poem that says: “If in thy path some thorns are found, Oh, think who bore them on His brow! If grief thy sorrowing heart hath found, it reached a holier one than thou.” Because of those three truths we want to know our Shepherd better by listening to His voice and follow him where ever He goes. In Rev. 14:4 the 144,000 Jewish evangelists in the tribulation period are described as those who “follow the Lamb wherever He goes.” There is no greater definition that I know of to describe what in means to be a follower of Jesus than this. Hey did you know that the title “pastor” is the Greek word for shepherd and as such it is a calling not something that can be assumed by a degree. You see a hireling believes the flock exists for his benefit, ah but the “Good Shepherd” lives and dies for the good of the sheep. Hey folks the sheep dogs who care for the sheep ought to exhibit the same characteristics.

Vs. 16 He knows how to gather sheep: Jesus says, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold” In the 17^th chapter Jesus well pray and say in verse 20, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word”. So in Jesus’ prayer He’s praying for you and me as well. The “fold” here is Judaism and the other sheep mentioned here is that of the gentiles, you and me. During Jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus gathered mainly from the Jewish fold but after Pentecost the gathering took on a mainly gentile bent. But we shouldn’t think that there are two flocks as Jesus plainly says here that there is only one flock (the people of God) with one shepherd, Jesus. Jesus spoke of His heart towards this when He told Nicodemus in John 3:16 “For God so loved the world”, the world not just the Jews or certain people but all people that is why He gave His only begotten Son. One of the things that amaze me about these verses is to realize how much larger our Shepherd’s flock is then perhaps we may be comfortable with. Now though it is true that all that are part of His flock must hear His voice not the voice of a stranger yet with that said what if the way in which they hear what He has said concerning what He has said differs from the way we have heard Him say something to us? I’m speaking with regards to the nonessentials of the faith but oft times we feel the need to be divisive and not hang out with those who don’t see everything the way we see it. Ah with out Lord their will be unity, yeh we may disagree but let’s do so agreeably and recognize the fact that at some point all of us are going to get our theology straightened out a bit. Some folks wonder why we don’t chase after people when they leave to go to another church well the truth is if they go to another fellowship then they haven’t left the Church they are still apart of His church and He is still their Good Shepherd all I had was the privilege of being their sheepdog for awhile. The author of Hebrews wrote in 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.” The laying down of His life broke down the walls that kept the gentiles outside of the covenant relationship with God.
Vs. 17-18 He knows how to recover that which was lost: Specifically Jesus is speaking of His voluntary sacrifice for His sheep and His resurrection but practically this speaks to my heart about our Good Shepherds ability to recover that which was completely and hopelessly lost. There have been many folks who have selfishly taken their own lives and there have been some who heroically have laid down their lives to save others but never has there been anyone other than Jesus who has heroically laid down His life for others and than been able to recover His life. Perhaps there is a portion of your life lost, you have given up on ever seeing it again my friend if you belong to the Good Shepherd then you belong to the very One who has proven that He can recover that which was lost by demonstrating in His own death and resurrection. Jesus laid down His life that we might have life; the Good Shepherd became a sheep so that we might know the Shepherd. In the O.T. if you had a needed a touch from God you would bring a lamb before the priests who would carefully inspect the lamb for defect and they kill the lamb on your behalf. You see it was the innocent lamb that would be judged so that the guilty wouldn’t be. The Lord is my Shepherd because the Lord became my Lamb; He was wounded for my iniquities, my sin and failure was placed upon Him, I live because He died! That is what the N.C. is He died that I might live now I chose to die to my self centered ways that He might live through me. Notice as well that no one took Jesus life He laid it down and He raised it up, many anti-Semites have said that the Jews are Christ killers but the truth is that we all our sins were placed upon Him but He laid down His life no one took it from Him.

Vs. 19-21 The door that divides

Vs. 19-21 Finally we move to two responses to Jesus Illustration:

The first declared He had a demon and as such they blasphemed Him. These folks chose to not enter in to through the “Door” and enjoy the benefits of a life under the care of the Good Shepherd.
The other response was they weighed the Good Shepherds words with His works and said that He was not a man who spoke or acted as if He was under the influence of a demon.

Now, though they didn’t agree with the first observation neither did they come to trust in the Good shepherd. Folk’s do you realize that all a person has to do to spend eternity apart from the Living God is to do nothing? To make no decision for Jesus is making a decision. Jesus had already declared that He was the “Door” well you all know what a door does it causes a “division” between those who are on one side and those who are on the other those who are on the inside of the sheep fold and those who are on the out. Someone well said that, “Either Jesus was an ego-maniac madman, or he was the Son of God.” By what we know of Jesus, is if fair to say that He was a madman?” His words and deeds would not be consistent with an ego-maniac. I saw a documentary the other day and it was one the use of hate crimes legislation to stifle freedom of religion and it is aimed at Christianity primarily by the homosexual groups. Why do they do so? Because Jesus message of love is divisive as He says certain sin separates us but His laying down of His life demonstrates His love for all.

3. 11:25 Giver of life

John 10:22-42

“Will the real Jesus please stand up”

I. Intro.

II. Vs. 22-30 The plain truth

III. Vs. 31-42 I am who I say I am

Intro.

There was a T.V. game show that ran for 17 years from 1950-1967 called “What’s My Line”. The just of the game was that the announcer would tell the story of the featured guest and then several folks would come on the stage and only one was the real person the others just pretended to be. The celebrity panel would then ask question of the quests that would try to ascertain who the real person was at the end of the show the host would then say, “Will the real_____ please stand up”. It appears to me that this game show is much like what the religious leaders are doing with Jesus in this section. The Jews quite literally hemmed Him in that He would not escape their inquiry. Their question is also an indictment that He had not been forthright with regards to His calling, they were saying to Him that He had been vague concerning whether or not He was the long awaited Messiah. The truth was He had been plain as to being the Messiah but that His interpretation of that office didn’t match theirs. Even John the Baptist had struggled with this in Matthew 11:3 when he asked “Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” One can only imagine what this was like for our Lord Jesus when people’s perceptions of who the Messiah would be were not biblical and because of this they wouldn’t recognize Him not because of the works but because the words He spoke concerning the office didn’t match theirs.

There are very few instances where Jesus came right out and declared who He was, there was the women at the well who spoke of when the Messiah would come and Jesus replied “I who speak to you am He!” Then there was that time in Matthew 16:16 where Jesus was questioning His disciples as to His identity and Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” What is interesting about Peter’s statement is that it appears to have been a cumulative response by that I mean there is never a recorded time in the scriptures where Jesus came right out and told them who He was thus making Peter’s statement one that came by way of observation over time. My point in taking you to this? Only that Jesus demonstrates His identity far more than He merely states it. The psalmist makes just such and invitation to all in Psalm 34:8 when he says, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him!”

Vs. 22-30 The plain truth

Vs. 21-24 The Feast of Dedication could be observed anywhere and so John mentions that Jesus observed in Jerusalem. The feast was not one that was instituted by the Word of God but rather by events. The “Feast of Dedication” is better known today as the “Feast of lights” or “Hanukkah” and it commemorates the rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C. after it had been desecrated by the Syrian King Antiochus Epiphanes predecessor of Alexander the Great. It is into this holiday that Jesus speaks again to the religious leaders that He had been dedicated (verse 36) by the Father and sent into the world and yet they were desecrating Him by blaspheming Him. Based upon Luke 10:1-13:21 Jesus had spent the three months between these two feasts in Judea and now He again walks into the temple into the area of Solomon’s porch and is surround by the religious Jews. There are two very interesting points with regards to the timing of this event:

Folks There was considerable time (three months) that has passed between verse 21 and verse 22 from late September just after the Feast of Tabernacles (7:2) to early December (this year starting on December 4th) and the Feast of Dedication (10:22). Which means that when John wrote this some 70 years later he placed them together based upon the Jesus’ use of the illustration and not because they happened right after each other. The point of bringing this up is that upon 70 years of reflection John sees Jesus words and works linked together transcending events and time as our Lord stitched together that which only upon reflection of the whole became clear.
Further more based upon this elapsed time it indicates that these religious leaders are still stung by Jesus’ words concerning Him being the shepherd, the good one and they being the hireling. Literally in the Greek they ask Jesus, “How long do you hold our soul up?” “If you are the Christ, the Messiah just tell us”. The request seems reasonable enough except when we realize that three months earlier when asked in 8:25 “Who are you” Jesus said, “Just what I’ve been saying to you from the beginning”. The request was more in line with, “Tell us what we want to hear or we will kill you!” When finally at His trial Jesus will tell them plainly they will convict Him of blasphemy and turn Him over to the Romans to be crucified.

Vs. 25-26 Jesus makes it clear that there were three reasons for their persistent unbelief:

Vs. 25a “I told you, and you don not believe”: The first thing Jesus tells them is that the reason for their unbelief is not because of lack of information! They asked Him, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” To which He replied, “I told you.” What He had not done in so many words He had done in so many works, “The works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness to me.” Isaiah had said that when the Messiah came those who were deaf would hear, the eyes of the blind would be opened, the lame would walk (Isaiah 35). Now I realize that it’s a difficult thing it is to convince people when you do not look like what they expect! That is the problem Jesus had they had presuppositions as to what they thought the Messiah would be like and Jesus didn’t fit their mold.
Vs. 25b “The works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me”: Next Jesus pointed out that they had rejected the evidence he gave. He was referring to the wonderful works of healing which he had done to fulfill the word of the prophet Isaiah. Why did they not believe him? Because, as they read the Scriptures, they selected the evidence they wanted to believe and left the rest. Friends there are many today who are a lot like this as they chose to select the evidence to their liking and are not open to all the evidence.
Vs. 26 “You do not believe, because you are not of My sheep”: Finally Jesus came to the real reason they didn’t believe, “You have never come to me. You have never got close. You have never really found out who I am. You have never asked me to do anything in your life. You have no personal testimony of what I can do. You have not been part of my sheep.” This is the reason why many people never find God.

In Proverbs 26:4-5 there is a seeming contradiction as Solomon wrote, “Do not answer a fool according to his folly, Lest you also be like him. Answer a fool according to his folly, Lest he be wise in his own eyes.” There are those who don’t want an answer they have already made up their minds and they are only looking for an argument and to those folks you do not answer them according to their folly. Then there are those whose folly is based upon ignorance not arrogance and to those folks you do answer them according to their folly. So Jesus just refers these folks back to what He has already made clear by both His words and His works.

Jesus has the explanation of why they neither hear His words nor believe His works in verse 26 “You are not My sheep!” From our perspective we become His sheep by believing but from God’s perspective we believe because we are His sheep. As we reflect upon our Lord’s words “you are not of My sheep” there was a time when this was true of all of us, yet now as I read these words and am humbled by the fact that now I am and of His patience with me as He continued to call my name. Their souls were in suspense but not those who had responded to His voice. Is that not amazing to realize that our souls need never again to be in suspense again?

Vs. 27 Jesus suggests three things that indicate that we are one of His sheep in verse 27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”

“My sheep Hear My voice”: First Jesus sheep are drawn to His word, they hear what He says and want to hear more, they hunger for insight into Jesus and what He has to say to them.
“And I know them”: His word cause them to realize that they are wanted and secure no matter what His word may say to them. They realize that His word is personal and they are a part of His family.
“And they follow Me”: Finally they desire to obey to follow His words for their life. That’s not to say that we will do so instantly, without a struggle or a complaint No, it may take us a while but eventually those who have heard His voice and are apart of His sheep will chose to follow Him.

Vs. 28-30 Then in the 28^th verse Jesus speaks to these religious leaders who refused to recognize who He was by sharing three benefits of being apart of His flock. These three things are absolute necessary for us to be secure in His love and the lack of our recognizing these will always effect how we behave as His sheep.

1. “And I give them eternal life”: Inexhaustible His love for His sheep is inexhaustible, it transcends time as His love towards will never have an ending. “I keep giving them eternal life” Jesus said you see it is not something that He will give us if we do our part and pass the test. It is what ought to draw us to Jesus every day as we have found nothing and no one who loves us like He does.

2. “They shall never perish”: Indestructible His love for His sheep is indestructible, there is noting that can destroy His love towards us, His love won’t ware out, rust out or dissolve. It will never ever end folks, His love for us has no end, and part of its security is tied to its safety. His love has no destruction in it, can not perish. It is the thought of things coming to an end that causes much of anxiety in our lives. What will end as we know it will only increase never decrease.

3. “Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand”: Irretrievable finally He says that His love for His sheep is irretrievable, no one can snatch us out of His hand oh to God the reverse of this would be true for us that nothing or no one would be able to snatch Him from our hands. It is protected notice by both the Father and the Son (verse 28-29) has secured us and we are safer than all the gold in Fort Knock. We are more precious to the Son and the Father. No one, not even we ourselves, can take us out of the Father’s hand. We may struggle, we may hurt, we may go through times of dark, deep depression and times of doubt and despair, but we shall never perish if we have come to him and are part of his flock.

They shall never ever perish” in the Greek. He did not say to His sheep “I give you temporary life, you shall not perish for a time and most won’t be able to snatch you from my hand.” No one is able to snatch them out of My hand, “Ah but can you jump out of His hand?” Well I don’t know about you but I am an “anyone” of verse 28, so I don’t believe I can outrun the span of His hand which covers the heavens.

What do these three things have in common? Well they are all security related aren’t they? When we view Jesus’ own words concerning Him being the Good Shepherd you see that He has three relationships with His sheep:

Loving: Because He died for His sheep that makes His relationship towards them as loving.
Living: Because He continually care for His sheep that makes His relationship towards us as a living one.
Lasting: Because He keeps His sheep and not one will be lost His relationship is a lasting one.

Jesus chose His friends to be His family! He reaches out His hands to any and all and to those who so chose He brings them into His family and in this family no one is able to take us out of His family. The same hand that holds the heavens has a hold on you how wonderful to realize this truth. So is Jesus speaking of eternal security, you know once saved always saved? Well I suppose it depends upon if we are talking about “pigs or prodigals”. What? Well the difference between a pig and a prodigal is what they return to, the pig returns to the muck for that is where he is most at home. Ah but the prodigal leaves the muck to return to the Father.

Vs. 30 Jesus makes a statement that answers the one that they asked to begin with “If you are the Christ tell us plainly” so Jesus said “I and My Father are one”. The use of the word one does not mean Identical persons but rather one in essence, The Father is God and the Son is God but the Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Father. Jesus is not saying that He and the Father are one person in the Greek He is saying that they are one nature. There are those who try to claim that Jesus “oneness” with the Father was only purpose and mission and not nature but that is not what the Greek says. Then there are those who try to say that what Jesus is saying is that they are one in the same person but that is not what the Greek says. What Jesus is saying is that they are one in nature but two distinct persons and it is here where we understand the teaching with regards to the trinity One God existing in three distinct persons. If Jesus was merely saying that I and the Father are one in purpose and mission this would not constitute blaspheme. Thus the Jews clearly understood what Jesus was saying even if the J.W’s don not “You being a man make Yourself God”.

Vs. 31-42 I am who I say I am

Vs. 31-33 It is clear that the Jewish religious leaders knew what He was saying that He was of the same nature as the Father as verse 33 will clarify their view. There are those who like to claim that Jesus never made such claims as to His deity but even the enemies of Jesus affirm that He proclaimed to be God, yet there are those today who claim that He never said He was. No notice that what blew their minds was that Jesus being a man made Himself out to be God but you know what blows my mind is that Jesus being God made Himself to be man.

The first thing Jesus says is to get them to clarify the reason for their response, was it because His works didn’t match His words? And they say it’s not your works, it’s that you being a man make yourself out to be God. In John 14:11 Jesus will say, “Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.” In other words His works proved His words as who else could cause a man born blind to see? They deny that it was the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath that caused them to seek to kill which is a lie because in fact that was the reason they sought to kill Him. The only way this was blasphemy is if it wasn’t true that He why Jesus referred to His works which proved His words.

Vs. 34-38 Now Jesus is going to meet these religious leaders on their own play field by using psalm 82:6. to refute their reaction “I said, “You are gods, And all of you are children of the Most High.” Interesting way this is put by Jesus, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, “You are gods” ‘?” It is your law but I’m the One who said it. Now this verse needs to put into the context that it was written to gain what Jesus is saying. You see psalm 82 is a psalm where God is judging the judges those who were suppose to represent God and His people but were instead abusing them ironically just like these very religious leaders. In verse 2 of that psalm the psalmist writes “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Then the verse that Jesus quotes in verse 6 “I said, “You are gods, (judges appointed by God, His representatives) and all of you are children of the Most High.” Jesus’ argument is that if plan ordinary men who have the power as Judges over life and death can be called gods without blaspheme how much more the Son of God who has proven His claims by His works.

In the 36^th verse Jesus He affirms His deity twice first by saying that the Father sanctified (set Him apart) and sent Him into the world which identifies that He was with the Father before the world began and secondly by saying plainly that He is the Son of God. Jesus claims to be preexistent, now one day I may take my little Hannah by the places we lived before she was born and she may ask me where she was at that time and I’d have to tell her that I don’t know but Jesus could say where He was because He has always been.

And to support this duel claim Jesus says again “If I don’t do the works of My Father then don’t believe but if I do believe the works.” What a great invitation by Jesus to examine the evidence honestly and then being willing to accept the findings.

Vs. 39-42 And again they try to arrest Him but by he escapes from them until He will present Himself before them as their King on Palm Sunday. So for the next few months Jesus went beyond the Jordan to a place where John had been baptizing earlier, where many believed on Him there based upon His works. If Jesus were to walk down the church isles where He is preached would what we have said about Him match who He is?

Hey did you notice that it says that “John performed no sign, but all the things that John spoke about this Man were true.” Folks that is what we are to be we may perform no signs but do all the things that we speak about Jesus true? Jesus returned back to the very place His public ministry had started three years earlier the very place where John had declared “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. Here was a group of religious leaders who surrounded Him and demand an answer and Jesus tells them “I’m the One you say you are looking for but you don’t recognize me because I’m not who you think I am.” It was not Jesus who was hemmed in it all who by their own tradition and arrogance have encircled their own hearts.