Soar Like Eagles (Part 28)
Jesus: The Good Shepherd - John 10:1-21

"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. {2} The
man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. {3} The watchman
opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his
own sheep by name and leads them out. {4} When he has brought out all his
own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know
his voice. {5} But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will
run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."
{6} Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what
he was telling them. {7} Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the
truth, I am the gate for the sheep. {8} All who ever came before me were
thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. {9} I am the
gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go
out, and find pasture. {10} The 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. {12} The 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. {13} The 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-- {15} just as
the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the
sheep.
{16} I 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. {17} The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down
my life--only to take it up again. {18} No 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."
{19} At these words the Jews were again divided. {20} Many of them
said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?" {21} But
others said, "These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon.
Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?""

As we approach this important chapter, it's vital that we be fair to
the context of these verses. We need to realize that there is likely no
break between chapters 9 and 10; this section of scripture dealing witht
he good shepherd is a self-sustaining unit which must have been a part of
Jesus’ teaching to the Jews.
It is one of the few parabolic teaching approaches used by John and it
might also be called an allegory, which places meaning to many of its
things, people, and places. John gives us some information in the first
five verses and then spends verses 7-18 explaining and expanding it.
The words/actions are based upon the normal daily procedure of the
orierltal shepherd, who in the morning enters the field where his sheep
are kept, calls to them, and leads them out to pasture for the day.
In case of danger, he protects them with his own life against the
wolves and other perils of the wilderness, and keeps them securely until
he brings them back to the old in the evening.
Because shepherding was a common occupation in
Palestine, they knew his teachings well. The main part of Judea is a
central plateau which stretches from Bethel to Hebron for a distance of
about 35 miles. It varies from 14 to 17 miles across.
The ground, for the most part, is rough and stony. Judea was,
thereforere, naturally much more a pastoral than an agricultural country.
It was inevitable that the familiar figure ofthe area was a shepherd.
The Old Testament often depicts God as the shepherd of His people
(Psalm 23, 77:20, 79:13). The New Testament uses the same image for Jesus
(Matthew 9:36; 18:12; 26:31).
The Lord's purpose in delivering this parable was to put in contrast
true and false shepherds (teachers) and to show that some simply served
themselves by using the flock; while others served the flock (people)
unselfishly and fiˇeely.
Jesus first hints that those claiming to be shepherds of Israel are
not entering by the Door and are thus not true shepherds but strangers,
thieves, and robbers. Then He plainly states that He is the Door and
those entering through Him shall be secure and find substance.
Jesus is defending His authority as the shepherd of the nation, and
the sheep represented the chosen spiritual remnant. The Gentiles were the
"other sheep" of verse 16.
Without doubt, being out of fellowship with the Pharisees (9:35) does
not mean you are out of fellowship with God.
————————————————————
Perhaps the most cherished mental picture of God most of us carry
around in our minds is that of God as our Shepherd. It is an image that
speaks of protection, care, tenderness, and sacrifice.
Something is especially appropriate about the comparison of God with a
shepherd and ourselves with sheep. For example, sheep have poor eyesight
and little sense of direction. They are virtually defenseless when
attacked by enemies. When terrified, they simply sit down with their legs
tucked underneath themselves.
Sheep often appear silly in the way they behave. When sheep are in a
field, if one sheep jumps over an imaginary obstacle, every other sheep
will jump over the same nonexistent log or fence. Many times, shepherds
even have to go into the sheep paddock and drive the sheep to the
watering troughs to keep them from dying of thirst. Sheep need help, and
so do we!
"Shepherd," though, is not always a positive idea. In some cultures,
shepherds are notorious as lazy drunks and irresponsible farmhands. Just
as the word "father" can mean the best of virtue or the worst of vice, so
"shepherd" can be either noble or shameful.
For instance, Psalm 23 presents the beautiful picture of God as the
caring Shepherd. In contrast to that are the following descriptions of
wicked shepherds by two Old Testament prophets:

"All you beasts of the field, All you beasts in the forest, Come to
eat.His watchmen are blind, All of them know nothing.
"All of them are dumb dogs unable to bark, Dreamers lying down, who
love to slumber; And the dogs are greedy, they are not satisfied.
"And they are shepherds who have no understanding; They have all
turned to their own way, Each one to his unjust gain, to the last one.
"Come," they say, "let us get wine, and let us drink heavily of strong
drink; And tomorrow will be like today, only more so" (Isaiah 56:9-12).

"Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of
My pasture!" declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord Cod of
Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: "You have
scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them;
behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds," declares
the Lord. "Then I Myself shall gather the remnant of My flock out of all
the countries where I have driven them and shall bring them back to their
pasture; and they will be fruitful and multiply.
I shall also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and
they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be
missing," declares the Lord." (Jeremiah 23:1-4).

John's account of Jesus then continues with Jesus' last public
speech recorded in this Gospel. The focus of the discussion shifts from
blindness to sheep, but the message is much the same: Jesus is truly the
Son of God, and those with honest and tender hearts will come to accept
that.

Seven Classes of People Are Described Here
1.SHEPHERD
This is a tremendously important set of verses as they describe both
the role of Jesus as the Great Shepherd and the role of elders in the
Lord's church. Note the 18 things said of the shepherd:
- He enters through the door
- He receives the cooperation of the porter
- He receives the obedience of the sheep
- He calls his own sheep by name
- He leads them out
- He precedes them
- He is followed by his sheep
- He is the door of the sheep
- He is the only true shepherd
- He is the avenue to safety and sustenance
- He brings life for the sheep
- He sacrifices his life for the sheep
- He knows the sheep
- He has several folds
- He is under necessity of bringing other sheep
- He sacrifices himselfvoluntarily
- He possesses power over his own life
- He provides security for the sheep

At least four important deductions may be drawn from these
statements:
1. Jesus is the one key to Jewish history and the only one authorized
to command the allegiance of the spiritual nucleus of Judaism. To Him the
gateway of prophecy, Scripture, and history had been opened.
2. Jesus claimed that He was destined to lead His sheep out into new
pastures, which implied ability to impart deepening spiritual revelation.
Pasture, according to Psalm 23, meant sustenance and refreshment of the
soul of man. "He restoreth my soul" (23:3).
3. Jesus interpreted His coming death as a voluntary, vicarious
offering for the sheep, and He predicted that His purpose to give them
abundant life would be confined by His own resurrection.
4. Jesus declared that the Jewish sheep were not the only ones He
had, but that there were other flocks. The unity of the flock is
determined by a common following of the one shepherd, not by the erection
of a single outward organization.

Two final thoughts:
1.Religion is not politics, or of being a "power broker." It is meeting
needs of poor, defenseless sheep
2. Entrance is not by vote or creeds of men but by Jesus, the "gate"

2.SHEEP
In Palestine sheep were kept primarily for their wool rather than
food, though they were also used for sacrifices. Thus sheep were usually
with a shepherd for many years and were often known by descriptive names
like "brown-leg" or "black-ear.
They were totally dependent on the shepherd for all things and all
protection and care.
Notice their responses:
- they recognize the voice of the shepherd
- they follow the shepherd
- they refuse to follow strangers
- their safety and sustenance is in the shepherd
- they are not all of one fold

3. THE DOORKEEPER OR PORTER
The porter was in charge of the sheep at night and opened the door in
the morning for the shepherd. The door is an emblem of admitting the
right people, and shutting out enemies and danger. It involves protection
and hospitality.
Jesus said: "I am the Door." These words grew out of our Lord's
confrontation with the Jewish leaders, following the excommunication of
the beggar from chapter 9. He opened the door... they closed the door!

4. THE THIEVES AND ROBBERS
This would be those who claimed to be the Messiah, or teachers who
opposed Christ's teachings.
It is clear in the gospel record that the religious rulers of Israel
were interested only in providing for themselves and protecting
themselves:
- they were coveteous (Luke 16:14)
- they took advantage of poor widows (Mark 12:40)
- they turned God's temple into a den of thieves (Matt. 21:13)
- they plotted to kill Jesus (John 1 1:49-_53)

5. THE STRANGERS
This is one belonging to another. Perhaps a shepherd of another flock.

6. THE SHEEP WHO HEARD THIS VOICE
Some of the greatest people in the Bible were shepherds by occupation:
Abel, the patriarchs, Moses, and David, to name a few. Jesus said here
that "I am the Good Shepherd."
Dr. Thomas, in his book, The Land and the Book wrote: "They are so
tame and so trained that they follow their keeper with the utmost
docility. He leads them forth from the fold, or from their houses in the
villages just where he pleases. As there are many flocks in such places
as this, each one takes a different path, and it is his business to find
pasture for them.
"It is necessary, therefore, that they should be taught to follow,
and not to stray into the unfenced fields of corn which lie so temptingly
on either side. Any one that thus wanders is sure to get into trouble.
The shepherd calls sharply from time to time to remind them of his
presence. They know his voice and follow on; but ifa stranger calls, they
stop short, lift up their heads in alarm and, if it is repeated, they
turn and flee, because they know not the voice of a stranger.
"If anything happened to a sheep, the shepherd had to produce some
kind of proof that it was not his fault. Amos speaks about the shepherd
rescuing two legs or a piece of an ear out of a lion's mouth (Amos 3:12:
"This is what the LORD says: "As a shepherd saves from the lion's mouth
only two leg bones or a piece of an ear, so will the Israelites be saved,
those who sit in Samaria on the edge of their beds and in Damascus on
their couches.")
The law laid it down: "if it is torn by beasts, let him bring it as
evidence."
Sheep follow those they know! We need to do a better job of teaching
our sheep so they won't run after strange voices or doctrines!

7. THE HIRELING
The hireling had four characteristics:
- He lacks the spontaneous responsibility of the shepherd for the sheep
- He is cowardly, and flees in the face of danger
- He has no particular concern for the sheep
- His sole interest is in the reward; he served only for the pay, without
love for the work or care for the employer.

Don't miss the point of this important verse 16: the reference is to
the Gentiles, who would in time be brought into His fold. They would
"hear His voice" and be won by the gospel (Acts 15:7). There would be one
flock and the oneness is because ofthe shepherd, not of ourselves.
The good shepherd takes up His life again "The reason my Father loves
me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again.(18) No one takes
it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay
it down arri authority to take it up again. This command I receivedfrom
my Father. ""
His voluntary death was followed by His vicarious resurrection. From
the human point of view, it appeared that Jesus was executed; but from
the divine point ofview, He laid down His life willingly.
How did the listeners respond to this message?
"At these words the Jews were again divided. (20) "Many of them said, "He
is demon possessed and raving mad. Why listen to Him? (21) But others
sad, "These are not the sayings ofa man possessed by a demon. Can a demon
open the eyes of the blind?'
People will do almost anything to avoid facing the truth! The old
accusation that Jesus was a demoniac was hurled at Him again.
Since Jesus is "the Door," we would expect a division, because a door
shuts some people in and others out. He is the Good Shepherd, and the
shepherd must separate the sheep from the goats.
It is impossible to be neutral about Jesus: for what we believe about
Him is a matter of life and death (8:24).
—————————————————
We should also spend a few moments and devote our attention to two
more "I am" claims made by Jesus.

"I AM THE DOOR" (10:1-10)
The sermon begins with an allegory about sheep and their shepherds,
with Jesus using the familiar image of a sheep fold (10:1-5). Sometimes
at night sheep would be brought together into a pen made from rocks or
thorns. Keeping the sheep together in this manner made it easier to
protect them from wild animals and thieves.
Jesus reminded His listeners of how the true shepherds would enter
through the gate to get their sheep. They would call their sheep by name,
and their sheep would willingly follow them. The thief, on the other
hand, would always sneak in through the wall in order to carry the sheep
away.
Jesus was saying that He had not come to deceive or trick God's
people. Rather, He had come through the gate by speaking plainly in
public and not by sneaking around to gather His following. However, at
that time His listeners did not understand (10:6).
Jesus spoke out again and said, "I am the door of the sheep" (10:7).
Others may have claimed to be God's shepherds, but they were merely
thieves and robbers.
The true sheep of God did not answer to the voices
of the false shepherds, and Jesus maintained that He was the only true
door to God. This sounds similar to His later statement "I am the way,
and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me"
(John 14:6).
"I am the door" was a claim to be the one and only way to the Father.
Those who tried to come some other way were only thieves and robbers.
I once knew a teenager who worked in a barber shop, shining shoes and
sweeping the floor. After a time, he noticed how much money was being
spent in the soft drink machine in the shop, and he began to make plans
for how he could steal the money. One night he returned to the barber
shop after midnight and tried to break in by climbing through a vent in
the roof. The only problem was that he got stuck in the vent. When the
police found him, he was begging for help and trying to explain that he
was doing nothing wrong! However, no one believed his story! Honest
people with nothing to hide do not climb through the roof; they walk in
through the door. This is exactly what Jesus was saying about false
teachers.
One of religion's "dirty little secrets" is that some religious
leaders are not truly interested in the things of God. Some are involved
in church related matters only to satisfy their lust for money, position,
or power. Every time a new scandal is reported, we are stunned that a
church leader would act that way.
I do not believe that Jesus was ever surprised when thieves and
robbers tried to carry off the flock. He knew He was not the only one who
wanted the flock, but He knew that He was the only true Shepherd and the
only one who was concerned about the best interest of the flock. "I
came," He said, "that they might have life, and might have it abundantly"
(10:10b).
Throughout the Gospel of John, Jesus is shown entering by the gate.
His ministry included no manipulation, no trickery, no deception, and no
self-interest. Although His words caused a great deal of controversy and
eventually cost Him His life, Jesus insisted on walking through "the
door." He knew that those whose hearts were turned to God would hear His
voice and respond, regardless of what the rest of the world did.
During World War I, a group of hungry Turkish soldiers stationed in
Israel came upon a flock of sheep. They began driving the sheep: toward
their camp, thinking this would be a wonderful feast. The poor shepherd
who was watching the sheep had no weapon with which to fight the
soldiers, so he ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction, across
a deep ravine and up on the top of a nearby hill. Then he turned, cupped
his hands over his mouth, and gave the call he had so often given to his
sheep. Immediately the animals stopped going away with the soldiers and
began running in the direction of their shepherd. The soldiers were so
surprised that they could do nothing to stop their "feast" from
disappearing into the darkness.
This is the relationship Jesus has with His sheep today! His sheep
still hear His voice. True seekers of God will recognize His call and
find Him. To them He will give abundant life.
"Life" is a focal point in the Gospel of John (20:31). It is not "the
good life" or "the easy life" that we often pursue; it is the "abundant
life" that Jesus gives to those who hear His voice.

"I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD"
Related to, but somewhat different from Jesus' claim to be the door
was Jesus' declaration "I am the good shepherd" (10:lla).
As was mentioned earlier, "shepherd" can have different meanings. On
this occasion, it held one particular meaning in Jesus' mind: "The good
shepherd lays down His life for the sheep" (10:llb). Although His death
on the cross is not recorded for nine more chapters in the Gospel of
John, Jesus was already telling His disciples what the cross would mean.
As the Good Shepherd, He was willing and ready to lay down His life for
the sheep.
Five times in this brief section He emphasized that His death would
not be something beyond His control. When He died, it would be because He
chose to lay down His life!

"... the good shepherd lays down His life forthe sheep" (10:11).

"... and I lay down My life for the sheep"

". .. I lay down My life that I may take it again"

"No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own
initiative" (10:18a).

"I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up
again" (10:18b).

Laying down one's life is the ultimate demonstration of the good
shepherd. Hirelings do not show this loyalty and sacrifice. When trouble
comes, they hide, forgetting the sheep.
David (who later became the king of Israel) was a shepherd in his
youth. In that position he learned much about life, leadership, and God.
He especially learned what it meant to be a good shepherd. When he was
offering to fight the Philistine giant Goliath, David said to Saul,
"Your servant was tending his father's sheep. When a lion or a bear
came and took a lamb from the flock, I went out after him and attacked
him, and rescued it from his mouth; and when he rose up against me, I
seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him. Your servant has
killed both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will
be likeone of them..."
(1 Samuel 17:3436).

The future king of Israel had proven himself a faithful and good
shepherd with sheep; he would later be proven a faithful shepherd over
God's people.
Jesus, often called "Son of David" in the Gospels, was and is the Good
Shepherd. He was so committed to the care and welfare of the sheep
entrusted into His care (you and me) that He laid down His life for us as
David did for his flocks.
Speaking as the Good Shepherd, Jesus made it clear that He would go to
the cross on His "own initiative" (10:18). Judas, the chief priests,
Pilate, and the crowds would all have a part in Jesus' crucifixion, but
they did not realize that such an atrocity could happen only because
Jesus was willingly laying down His life for His sheep. He is the Good
Shepherd!
Later in the Gospel of John, two statements remind us of what Jesus
said in His Good Shepherd discourse.
During Jesus' trial, the Roman Governor Pilate asked Jesus a question.
When He refused to answer, Pilate asked, "You do not speak to me? Do You
not know that I have authority to releaseˇYou, and I have authority to
crucify You?" (19:10). Jesus, the Good Shepherd, answered, "You would
have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above..."
(19:11).
Although no one understood at the time, Pilate could never have had
Jesus crucified if Jesus had not allowed him to do so. The crucifixion
was actually the loving sacrifice of the Good Shepherd!
At the end, when Jesus was hanging on the cross, "He bowed His head,
and gave up His spirit" (19:30). John's wording there was no accident. No
one snatched Jesus' life from Him. No one murdered Him. No one tricked
Him and trapped Him on the cross. He gave up His spirit Himself.
------------------------------------------

Lesson Twenty-Four: "I Am the Son of God!" John 10:22-42

During his short but spectacular life, Alexander the Great conquered
most of the known world. When he died in 323 B.C. at the age of
thirty-three, he left his empire in the hands of his trusted generals.
One of them, Seleucus I, became the ruler of Syria and founded the
Seleucid dynasty. Many years later, one of his descendants, Antiochus
Epiphanes, came to power and began to expand his domain by invading
Egypt. Following his successful domination of Egypt, he marched against
Jerusalem in 169 B.C. Upon his arrival there, he entered the sanctuary
and took everything of value.
Plundering the temple of the Jews, however, did not satisfy Antiochus
Epiphanes. He proceeded to insist that all the people in his empire put
away their distinctive customs and religions and become a united people
who spoke the Greek language, observed Greek customs, and practiced Greek
religion.
To accomplish this, he ordered the Jews to stop sacrificing to their
God, circumcising their sons, and observing the Sabbath. The altar in the
temple was defiled by sacrificing swine (unclean animals Jews would never
sacrifice to God) on it, and the books of the Law that were discovered
were burned. It was surely one of the darkest hours in the history of
Israel:
According to the decree, they put to death the women who had their
children circumcised, and their families and those who circumcised them;
and they hung the infants from their mothers' necks. But many in Israel
stood firm and were resolved in their hearts not to eat unclean food.
They chose to die rather than to be defiled by food or to profane the
holy covenant; and they did die. And very great wrath came upon Israel.

Among the Jews who "stood firm" was a priest named Mattathias. He and
his five sons opposed the orders of Antiochus Epiphanes and were forced
to flee to the hills.
Soon, people from all over the country came to join them and to
prepare for a fight with the Syrians. When Mattathias died in 167 B.C.,
his son Judas Maccabeus became the leader of the revolt. The Jews, under
his leadership, overcame some initial setbacks and routed the Syrians,
reclaiming their land and their temple.
When they eventually succeeded in driving the Syrians from Jerusalem,
their first order of business was to cleanse the temple that had been
desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes. "Then said Judas and his
brothers,'Behold, our enemies are crushed; let us go up to cleanse the
sanctuary and dedcate it.'''
When the cleansing and rededication of the temple were complete, Judas
and his brothers decided that each year the people should hold a
celebration of the dedication of the temple for a period of eight days.
This Feast of Dedication became a time for Israel to celebrate their
deliverance and to commemorate the rededication of the temple and the
altar to God. Today this celebration is known to Jewish people as
Hanukkah.
Almost two hundred years after the first Feast of Dedication, Jesus
came to the temple in Jerusalem to join in this celebration.
On that occasion He spoke boldly about who He was and why He had come.
As was true in the first part of John 10, the more Jesus talked, the more
tense the situation became.
He continued to force His listeners to make a decision about Him. Some
believed in Him, while others-primarily the Jewish leaders--did not
believe, but grew angrier and angrier with every word He spoke.
"Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter
(23) andJesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade."
The events of this section occurred about two and a half months after
those described in verses 1-21. John put them together because in both
messages, Jesus used the imagery of the shepherd and the sheep.
The feast of dedication (Hanukkah, "the feast of lights") takes place
in December. Three months have elapsed between verse 21 and verse 22.
''l'he Jews gathered around him, saying "How long will vou keep us in
suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly."
The leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple so that He had to stop and
listen to them. Apparently they had decided that it was time for a
"showdown" and they did not want Him to evade the issue any longer.
Perhaps a better translation at this point would be "the Jews surrounded
Him."
The Greek word used here for "gathered around" appears only four times
in the New Testament (Luke 21:20; John 10:24; Acts 14:20; Hebrews 11:30).
On two of those occasions it is used to describe an invading army in the
process of surrounding and laying siege to a walled city.
Jesus' Jewish opponents were surrounding Him like vultures that were
planning to pick the flesh from His bones. This was not a pleasant
gathering of friends; it was a frightening assembly of His worst enemies!

The tension would continue to grow between Jesus and those who wanted
to destroy Him.
The previous teaching had been plain to those who
were spiritually alert, but the half-veiled references to the prophecy
and the parabolic message did not satisfy the people: they wanted an open
declaration.
And, honestly, he had never plainly declared this to them before,
though in two instances He'd said it to individuals (4:26 and 9:37).
"Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The
miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, {26} but you do not
believe because you are not my sheep. {27} My sheep listen to my voice; I
know them, and they follow me. {28} I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. {29} My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch
them out of my Father's hand. {30} I and the Father are one.""
At first glance it may seem that their question was one Jesus should
have answered di rectly. However, some questions cannot be answered with
a simple "Yes" or "No." Their question was much like asking someone,
"Have you stopped lying?" If you answer "Yes," you are admitting that you
were lying before. If you answer "No," it appears that you are continuing
to lie! Such a question must be answered with a fuller explanation than a
simple "Yes" or "No."
In Jesus' day, people had different understandings of what "the
Christ" would be. If Jesus said, "Yes, I am the Christ," He would be
terribly misunderstood by the people who expected "the Christ" to be a
powerful, earthly king like David or Solomon.
If He said, "No," then He would be denying the truth about Himself.
Presented with such a dilemma, Jesus answered with a statement that
sincere God--seekers would understand without giving His opponents
anything to use against Him. Using the figure of a shepherd and his
sheep, as He had earlier in John 10, Jesus said, "My sheep hear My voice,
and I know them, and they follow Me." (10:27).
Jesus responded with an explanation that only reminded them of what
He had already taught them.
He emphasized the witness of His words and His works. But He went
much deeper in His explanation this at time: He revealed to the Jewish
leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance
of His works...they were not His sheep.
Elsewhere, Jesus said that if people truly "ask, seek, and knock," they
will "receive, find, and the door shall be opened" to faith (Matthew 7:7,
8). Faith involves the intellect, but it involves much more than the
intellect. An open heart and willing obedience are crucial to the
development of faith.
He also described the nature of the true believers:
- Sensitivity. They hear my voice (vs. 27)
- Fellowship. I know them (vs. 27)
- Obedience. They follow me (vs. 27)
- Life. I gave them eternal life (vs. 28)
- Assurance. They shall never perish (vs. 28)
- Security. No one shall snatch them out of my hand (vs. 28)

Do these verses teach eternal secunty, with no possibility of
"falling from grace?" The verses clearly indicate that this promise is to
those who hear the voice and follow the voice.
Those who fall do so on their own volition; it is not because of any
failure of the Lord nor because temptation is irresistible (1 Cor. 10:
13). Before all men is the choice of good and evil; some choose good and
some choose evil.
Our Lord made a statement that He knew would startle His enemies and
give them more reason to oppose Him. It was the plain answer thev had
asked for. "I and My Father are one" is as clear a statement of His deity
as you will find anywhere in scripture! This was even stronger than His
statement that He had come down from heaven (John 6) or that He existed
before Abraham ever lived (8:58).
The Jewish leaders understood clearly what He was saying: "Again the
Jews picked up stones to stone him, {32} but 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.""
To speak this way, of course was blasphemy (unless it was true!)
According to Jewish belief, blasphemy had to be punished by being put to
death:
Leviticus 24:16: ""...anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must
be put to death. The entire assembly must stone him. Whether an alien or
native-born, when he blasphemes the Name, he must be put to death."
Our Lord used Psalm 82:6 to refute their accusation and halt their
actions: "Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your Law, 'I have
said you are gods'? {35} If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of
God came--and the Scripture cannot be broken-- {36} what 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'? {37}
Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. {38} But 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.""
The picture in Psalm 82 is that of a court, wher God has assembled the
judges of the earth, to warn them that they too will one day be judged.
These Jewish leaders certainly knew their own language and they knew that
Jesus was speaking the truth.
If God called human judges ‘gods,’ then why should they stone Him for
applying the same title to Himself?
If the scripture uses the word ‘god’ in application to dignitaries and
others in high office, it was not blasphemy for the term to be applied to
Him.
Verse 36 is critical because it gives a double affirmation of the
deity of Christ:
- the Father sanctified (set apart) the Son and sent Him into the
world
- Jesus states boldly that He was the Son of God (5:25)

He had given them the ‘plain answer’ they asked for, but they would
not believe it! Could they have believed? Jesus invited them, urged them,
to believe, if only on the basis of His miracles! If they would believe
the miracles, then they would know the Father, and that would open the
way for them to know the Son and believe on Him.
What was their response? "Again they tried to seize him, but he
escaped their grasp. {40} Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the
place where John had been baptizing in the early days. Here he stayed
{41} and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed
a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true." {42} And
in that place many believed in Jesus."
This was apparently a place which would provide a safe retreat; the
Jewish leaders were not likely to follow Him there. Also it was a good
place to prepare for His final week of public ministry when He would lay
down His life for the sheep.

After the confrontation in the temple, Jesus crossed over the Jordan
River to the area where John the Baptist had earlier conducted His
powerfulpreaching ministry. At this point, most of Jesus' public ministry
in Jerusalem was finished. His claims had been set forth, and the battle
lines were drawn. People were deeply divided about Jesus. To some He was
the Son of God, and to others He seemed to be a devil from hell.
At the Jordan many people came to Him. This was an act of faith on
their part. They said, "While John performed no sign, yet everything John
said about this man was true" (10:41).
Their words implied that John had not performed any signs, in contrast
to Jesus, who had performed many signs. Significantly, the special word
John used for "sign" appears in verse 41 for the first time in chapter
10.
Earlier in the chapter, Jesus' miracles were called only "works, "9
because they had not produced faith in the hearts of those who had seen
them. However, where faith in Jesus is described in verse 41, the word
"sign" reappears.
The conclusion of all the events in chapter 10 is that "many believed
in Him there" (10:42).
Just as a couple who have been married for fifty years can look back
over their time together and remember the different meanings that the
words "I love you" have had in their lives, the reader of the Gospel of
John realizes that "many believed" can have different meanings as the
story of Jesus unfolds.
By this point in the Gospel of John, those who believed in Jesus had
come to understand that the content of true belief is that Jesus is the
Christ, the Son of God.
They had also come to understand that the cost of this belief could be
conflict, division, and even the threat of death. After all, we see them
at the end of the chapter with a band of outcasts in the wilderness,
following the One in whom they had come to believe.
Even though John presented a tough message about how costly faith can
be, his message is, at the same time, one of encouragement. He wanted us
to understand that we will be opposed as believers in Christ.
However, should not surprise us or crush our spirits. Furthermore, the
example of Jesus is to stand firm on the truth we believe—even when we
are persecuted. His consistent response to violent opposition was to
speak truth, and we should do the same.
Jesus is the Door: Have I ‘entered’ in by faith so I can be saved?
Jesus is the Good Shepherd: Have I heard His voice and trusted Him?
Jesus is the Son of God: Do I believe this and is He first in my life?
———————————————————
Before leaving this important chapter, let’s look briefly at some
claims which Jesus made for Himself, which proved His Deity (teachers,
don’t feel like you have to read all the verses given in class, but do
spend the final few minutes of this session discussing from the list):

- Jesus claimed to possess all authority in heaven and on earth.
(Matt. 28:18) "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in
heaven and on earth has been given to me."

- Jesus asserted authority for Himself above the authority of the
Scriptures (Matt. 5:27-28) ""You have heard that it was said, 'Do not
commit adultery.' {28} But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman
lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

- Jesus claimed identity with God (John 10:30) and to be a
manifestation of God (John 14:9)
(John 10:30) "I and the Father are one.""
(John 14:9) "Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after
I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen
the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?"

- Jesus professed that no one has access to God except through Him
(John 14:6) "Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me."

- Jesus claimed to have been existent with the Father from all
eternity (John 17:5) "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with
the glory I had with you before the world began."

- Jesus claimed that His words were the means of obtainaing
everlasting life (John 5:24) ""I tell you the truth, whoever hears my
word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be
condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."

- Jesus contended that His word would be the basis of judgment of the
world (John 12:48) "There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does
not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the
last day."

Last modified: April 18, 2006