John10

Jesus presents himself as both the door of the sheepfold and the good shepherd, contrasting his life-giving purpose with the destructive intent of thieves and hirelings. He declares his mission to give abundant and eternal life to his sheep, for whom he willingly lays down his life. These profound claims, particularly his assertion of oneness with the Father, provoke a strong division among the Jews, leading to accusations of blasphemy.

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The Parable of the Sheepfold

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

Jesus: The Door and the Good Shepherd

Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd layeth down his life for the sheep.

He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, and scattereth them:

he fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; and I know mine own, and mine own know me,

even as the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.

And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and they shall become one flock, one shepherd.

Therefore doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again.

No one taketh it away from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment received I from my Father.

Division Among the Jews

There arose a division again among the Jews because of these words.

And many of them said, He hath a demon, and is mad; why hear ye him?

Others said, These are not the sayings of one possessed with a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?

Confrontation at the Feast of Dedication

And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem:

it was winter; and Jesus was walking in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

The Jews therefore came round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou hold us in suspense? If thou art the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believe not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, these bear witness of me.

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep.

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.

My Father, who hath given them unto me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.

I and the Father are one.

The Jews took up stones again to stone him.

Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from the Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

The Jews answered him, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be broken),

say ye of him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

But if I do them, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.

They sought again to take him: and he went forth out of their hand.

Retreat to Perea and Growing Belief

And he went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was at the first baptizing; and there he abode.

And many came unto him; and they said, John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John spake of this man were true.

And many believed on him there.

Study Notes for John 10

Verse 1

This parable contrasts the true shepherd with false leaders (thieves and robbers), likely referring to the Pharisees who had just expelled the man born blind (Ch. 9).

Verse 3

The 'porter' (gatekeeper) recognizes the legitimate shepherd. The shepherd's action of calling the sheep 'by name' emphasizes the personal, intimate knowledge Christ has of his followers.

Verse 6

The audience, which included hostile Jews, did not grasp the spiritual significance of the metaphor, prompting Jesus to explain his identity explicitly.

Verse 7

This is the first of two 'I Am' statements in this passage. As the Door, Jesus is the sole means of access to salvation, protection, and fellowship with God.

Verse 8

The 'thieves and robbers' are not the prophets of the Old Testament, but unauthorized religious figures or false messiahs who sought followers for selfish gain.

Verse 10

The contrast is stark: the thief brings destruction, while Christ offers 'life... more abundantly' (Gk. *zōē perissos*), signifying life in its fullest, spiritual, and eternal dimension.

Verse 11

The second 'I Am' statement, echoing Old Testament imagery (e.g., Psalm 23; Ezekiel 34). 'Good' (Gk. *kalos*) suggests the ideal, noble, or perfect shepherd.

Verse 12

The 'hireling' works only for wages and lacks true commitment or ownership. This contrasts those religious leaders who prioritize self-preservation over the welfare of the flock.

Verse 15

Jesus’ sacrifice is rooted in the deep mutual knowledge between the Father and the Son. Laying down his life is the ultimate act of substitutionary love for the sheep.

Verse 16

The 'other sheep' refers prophetically to the Gentiles. Jesus anticipates the unified, universal church, where Jew and Gentile will be joined under 'one shepherd' (Eph. 2:14-16).

Verse 18

This verse asserts Christ’s divine sovereignty over his death and resurrection. His death was voluntary and purposeful, not a forced event; he possesses the authority to raise himself back to life.

Verse 19

Jesus’ radical claims about his identity and authority consistently caused deep division among the Jewish populace, leading some to accuse him of madness or demon possession.

Verse 21

The argument here is based on empirical evidence: a demon-possessed person would not perform miraculous acts of healing (referencing the blind man in Ch. 9).

Verse 22

The Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) was held in December, commemorating the purification of the Temple in 164 BC. Solomon’s Porch was a covered walkway on the east side of the Temple courts.

Verse 24

The Jews demand a definitive declaration of his Messiahship, but their question is disingenuous; they seek grounds for accusation rather than belief.

Verse 26

Jesus reveals that their unbelief is not due to a lack of evidence, but because they have spiritually rejected his call and do not belong to his flock.

Verse 28

This is a key passage affirming the eternal security of the believer. Salvation is held securely by Christ's power, guaranteeing that true followers will never perish.

Verse 30

This climactic statement asserts the unity of essence, power, and purpose between Jesus and the Father. The Jews immediately understood this as a claim to full deity.

Verse 33

The Jews correctly interpret Jesus' statement (v. 30) as blasphemy under Mosaic Law (Lev. 24:16), confirming that Jesus’ claims were unequivocally divine.

Verse 34

Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6, where 'gods' (elohim) refers to human judges or rulers. He argues that if Scripture applies this term to mere humans with delegated authority, how much more legitimate is the claim of the one sent by God.

Verse 36

Jesus uses the title 'Son of God,' emphasizing that he was uniquely 'sanctified' (set apart) and sent into the world by the Father, thus making his divine claim entirely justified.

Verse 38

Jesus appeals to his miraculous 'works' as irrefutable evidence. Even if his opponents reject his words, the power displayed confirms his unity with the Father (the indwelling relationship).

Verse 40

Jesus withdraws to the region of Perea (east of the Jordan) for safety after the attempt to stone him. This was the location of John the Baptist's initial ministry.

Verse 41

The people recognized that while John performed no miracles, his prophetic words about Jesus were true, validating Christ’s identity through both prophecy and power.

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John10

The Parable of the Sheepfold

Jesus: The Door and the Good Shepherd

Division Among the Jews

Confrontation at the Feast of Dedication

Retreat to Perea and Growing Belief

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