Jesus Is The Better Shepherd (John 10:1-21) Series

Let's start today by simply reading John 10:1:

(1) Truly, truly, I say to you, the one not entering through the gate/door into the inner courtyard of the sheep,

but going up from some other place-- that one, a thief, he is, and a robber.

When we read this, we should notice something, immediately. Other than the shiny new number "10," and the white space in our Bibles, and the heading that tells us what the chapter is about, there is nothing here to make us think we are starting a new section in John. AJ doesn't give us any transitional piece-- there's no "after these things," "on the next day." We don't even get a "Now,".

Now, let's skip down to verse 19-21:

(19) A division/schism again happened among the Judeans because of these words.

(20) Now, many of them were saying,

"A demon, he has,"

and he is out of his mind.

Why, him, do you hear/listen to?

(21) Others were saying,

These words are not from a demonized man.

A demon isn't able, the eyes of the blind, to open, right?"

When we read verse 21, it's clear that we are still working in the same story as last week. So chapter 10, at least through verse 21, builds on chapter 9. We are still talking about Jesus being the light of the world, and giving light to people, and healing the man born blind. We are still seeing what it looks like, when people refuse to come to Jesus, and follow him, and walk in his light. And we are still seeing how Jesus' words lead to divisions among the people. "Many" reject Jesus, and conclude that he has a demon. Some, though-- a minority-- focus on what Jesus does, and know that this can't possibly be right. Because demons can't give people sight.

So let's do this. Let's turn back to John 9, starting in verse 24. We'll just read through, and then just keep reading, when we get to chapter 10:

(24) Then, they called the man a second time-- who was blind --

and they said to him,

"Give glory to God.

We know

that this man, a sinner, he is."

(25) Then, he answered--that man--

"If a sinner, he is, I don't know.

One thing I know:

that blind, being, now I see.

(26) Then, they said to him,

"What did he do to you?

How did he open your eyes?"

(27) He answered them,

"I told you already,

and you didn't hear.

Why again do you want to hear?

You don't also want, his disciples, to become, right?"

(28) They reviled/abused him,

and they said,

"You, a disciple, you are of that one.

Now, we, of Moses, we are disciples.

(29) We know

that to Moses He has spoken-- God.

Now, this one, we don't know from where he is."

(30) The man answered,

and he said to them,

"This is remarkable/amazing:

that you don't know from where he is,

and he opened my eyes.

(31) We know that, sinners, God doesn't hear,

but if someone/anyone, God-fearing/devout, he is, and His will he does, this one He hears.

(32) From time immemorial it hasn't been heard

that someone opened the eyes of one born blind.

(33) Unless this man was from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything."

(34) They answered,

and they said to him,

"In sin you were born completely,

and you teach us?,"

and they threw/expelled him outside.

(35) He heard-- Jesus--

that they had thrown him outside,

and finding him, he said,

"Do you give allegiance to the Son of Man?"

(36) That one answered,

and he said,

"And who is it, Lord/master/sir,

that I may give allegiance to him?"

(37) He said to him-- Jesus--

And/also you have seen him,

and the one speaking with you, that one, he is.

(38) Now, he said,

"I believe/give allegiance, Lord/Master/Sir,"

and he worshipped him,

(39) and he said-- Jesus--

"For judgment I into this world have come,

in order that the ones not seeing would see,

and the ones seeing, blind, would become."

(40) Some from the Pharisees heard these things-- the ones with him being--

and they said to him,

"Not also we, blind, we are, right?"

(41) He said to them-- Jesus--

"If blind, you were, you wouldn't have sin.

Now, [because] you say now that 'we see,' your sin abides."

So that's the kind of ugly note we left off on, last week. The Pharisees are blind. They've hardened their hearts against the truth. And with that blindness, also comes cruelty. They falsely accuse the man, and his parents, of being sinners. They expel the man born blind from the synagogue. They reject him, and Jesus. But Jesus, out of kindness, goes and finds the man born blind, and guides him to himself, and to the truth.