John 10: 1 – 21
All Together Right Now.
1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it 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 command I have received from My Father.” 19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
The words of God given here continue the theme in chapter 9. Here our Lord Jesus speaks of the whole of Israel as being like a sheepfold, with the Israelites like sheep, some properly shepherded and some led astray, while the false teachers who oppose Him, the blind who lead the blind, are seen as like false shepherds who climb into the sheepfold and lead the sheep astray, finally destroying them. Jesus in contrast has come as a good Shepherd to enable those of them who will respond to Him, to walk with God and enjoy eternal life.
The picture is undoubtedly Messianic. In the Old Testament God was the shepherd of the sheep and He would raise up a new David to be shepherd over them. ‘I will set up one shepherd over them, and He will feed them, even My servant David. He will feed them, and He will be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them’ (Ezekiel 34.23-24). ‘And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd’ (Ezekiel 37.24).
So the sheepfold is the whole house of Israel, and is under God’s general oversight being full of sheep awaiting the Messianic shepherd to lead them out into pasture. But within it there are different flocks, and these are affected by and respond to different shepherds. God has sought to protect the sheep and has provided a way in and out by which they may be kept safe and know the truth, but sadly many of them disobey Him. They respond to false shepherds who refuse to use God’s way in. These are false shepherds who, instead of taking the sheep in and out to pasture through the correct entrance, which is under God’s approval, are like shepherds who climb over the wall and decimate and harm the sheep.
The direct contrast then is between the religious people and Himself. These Jews are those Sadducees and Pharisees who were continually expressing opposition, and indeed were planning to kill Him, and who rejected the God-approved doorway, and pointed to other than Himself. He Himself is in fact that doorway. Thus those sheep who follow Him and see in Him the Way to God will use Him as the way in and out day by day, and walk under the smile of God’s approval, as they walk in God’s ways under the good Shepherd. They will be saved, for they have entered through the true doorway, through Jesus Christ Himself.
Sadly all the other sheep, who are shepherd less, and are snatched by the false shepherds who claim to offer the sheep life, in fact face death, deprivation and destruction at their hands. For while claiming to offer the true way to God these false shepherds reject God’s approved way to Himself, and try to climb in some other way and avoid facing up to what and Who Jesus Is. These phony shepherds seek to construct a way in to eternal life of their own by not coming to God through His Precious Son. So in effect they try to come in over the wall. Our Lord points out that this type of effort is only something done by thieves and robbers.
The One who uses the doorway is the true shepherd of the sheep. And Jesus points to Himself also as that doorway. He leads them in and out through Himself. Now that He has come He is the only way in to God’s approval. He is the true Shepherd of the sheep and also the true Doorway of the sheepfold.
The imagery would be well known to all His listeners. A sheepfold was often constructed of thickets and hedges, but this one would appear to be a larger and more permanent one with walls built to keep out intruders, presided over by a gatekeeper. There was no real door in a sheepfold. The shepherd would place himself in this open slot so any predicator had to come through him to get into the pen.
The way that the parable opens emphasizes the fact that the parable is as much about the false shepherds as it is about the true. It is a studied warning against looking to false teachers and false leaders, although having said that it at the same time contrasts and highlights the true Shepherd.
1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
So picture someone who wants to get into the pen where the sheep are. There is only one entrance and that doorway is blocked by the true shepherd who is sitting down in this gap. Our verse says this evil person climbs over the wall to get in. Why would someone do that? The only reasonable answer is that this detestable person wants to do harm.
The true entrance [Our Holy Lord Jesus] Is God’s way in and out which has been provided by Him in the coming of Jesus living among men. But many reject Him as the doorway and will try to win adherents by many methods rather than by submitting to God’s method and they therefore will not have the door opened to them but must enter another way and make their own doorways in.
The Pharisees rejected our Lord Jesus and had to find another way in and out, a false way. It was a way of rules and regulations, a way of hardship and difficulty. It was a way that required climbing over the wall. It was a way that barred the route to many. It was a way that was even impossible for them. They did not use the proper entrance, God’s word rightly interpreted. They tried another way.
2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
The Good Shepherd Is Jesus Himself. It is He Who points men to God through faith in Himself. It is He by Whom men can enter into the good pleasure of God. It is He by Whom those who are His own will live their lives, under His guidance, care and protection. He not only enters by the doorway, but is the doorway.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
So, if our Master and King Jesus is both The Good Shepherd and the doorway. So, then Who now is the doorkeeper? Our Holy Adoni Yahweh, Father God Is the doorkeeper. He Is The One Who opens the door for this Holy and Good Shepherd, for Jehovah God Is happy with Him and His work.
4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
Before our Holy Lord Jesus came to earth, God spoke to His people through priests and prophets. But when our King and Master Lord Jesus came to earth and died for us, He broke the barrier that stood between unholy people and a holy God. Now we have the ability to speak and hear directly from God. While God still does speak to us through others, it no longer has to be the only way to communicate with God. I’ve often wondered why He would want to speak to us. Why would He want to speak to the people who sin against Him? The answer is because our God is a God of love and forgiveness. He not only wants us to tremble before Him in awe of who He is, but to look at Him as our closest friend. Psalm 62:8 says, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” Our closest friends are the ones we tell our troubles and secrets to. God wants to be that friend in your life. He wants us to tell Him everything. He wants us to pour out our hearts to Him.
God listens to our every prayer (Jeremiah 29:12), but do we always listen to God? Sometimes we are too busy speaking to listen to what God is trying to speak to us. Now, don’t get me wrong. God does want us to speak to Him, but He also wants us to listen. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” In this verse, to be still means to be silent. To be able to hear God speak to us, we must listen for His voice. If you’re not listening for it, then you won’t hear it.
A shepherd has a certain call that is known and recognized by all his sheep. When the shepherd calls for the sheep, they come because they know the shepherd’s voice. We should be the same way with God. We must learn to tune out the noises of the world that distract us from God’s voice. When we learn to do this, we will be able to hear His voice more clearly. We will depend on His voice, rather than the voices of others, to lead us. So let’s not only pour out our hearts to God, but also learn to listen.
5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
This verse points out a unique gift from our Precious Holy Spirit. Have you ever wondered if you really are a believer? You ever have any doubts as to the fact that you are actually saved. One way our Holy and Gracious God comforts us is the fact that He has given us discernment. For all of us who follow Jesus as our Great Shepherd we have within us a spirit of discernment so that we can discern the false from the true. We know, seemingly instinctively, but it is through The Holy Spirit, the right and the wrong way to go. Having this gift occur in your life should convince you that you are indeed one of His sheep. Stop and think about this when you have a little time and I am sure you will come across different occasions when you knew something was wrong to decide or do. This Was our Holy God directing our ways.
6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them
Here is a great point. To me it is amazing how our Great God continues to speak and teach mankind of His Existence and Majesty. Those who lived at this time did not have a library to go to and research writings about our Holy Supreme God. So it is understandable that the people did not have centuries of understanding behind them, and so they were puzzled. They did not know what He meant. The total uniqueness of Jesus had not yet dawned on them. They still thought in terms of the Law as expounded by the religious teachers.
7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
He has made it plain that there is only one way in and out on the pathway of true life, the way that God-provides. Now He expands on that way in and out, having His death in mind (verse 15-18). Here we have the third of His great ‘I am’ sayings. ‘I am the doorway.’
He is the only way to the Father, the only true doorway. No man can come to the Father except by Him (14.6). There is no other name under Heaven given among men by which they can be saved (Acts 4.12).
This statement is lent added poignancy by the fact that often the shepherd did act as the actual door of the fold. At night he would lay across the entrance in order to prevent any encroachment by unwelcome visitors, whether animal or human, and often that door was torn and ripped by beasts or men as you know our Holy Lord Jesus would be.
8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
There have been false Messiahs and false teachers before and as you know afterwards using whatever deceit they could in order to gain acceptance. The ‘all’ refers to those who in one way or another had taken advantage of the people’s expectations. They all in one way or another sought to replace our Lord Jesus Christ as Savior by propounding other ways of salvation.
They included the Pharisees who pointed to another way of salvation through commitment to the covenant in a way which meant keeping the Law in accord with the dictates of the Rabbis; false Messiahs who periodically appeared, false prophets who pointed elsewhere to other than the true way; false priests who emphasized the ceremonies more than their meaning; or other religious figures of any kind who offered salvation apart from Christ The Holy One Anointed by Adoni Yahweh.
They all entered the fold by a way other than the doorway, and they sought to lead out the sheep by another way than the doorway. And many sheep were deceived but not His true sheep. His true sheep did not follow the false shepherds.
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
The Lord Jesus Is both the Good Shepherd and The Doorway. All who would come to the Father must do so through the doorway. And those who do come through Him will be saved.
10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
The thief is now contrasted with the shepherd. The thief is pictured in terms of a thieving rustler or wild beast who breaks into the fold to ravage the sheep. The thief ‘comes only to steal, kill and destroy’. But, says The Son of God, Jesus Christ, ‘I have come that you might have life, and that you might have it more abundantly’.
Abundantly! This word sounds really nice. Some of you might be thinking to yourselves then where have I been shortchanged? My life stinks. Where is my abundant life? Oh, yeah, I will have to wait until I get to Heaven to find out about this life.
No, not really, I like to say that no matter what our circumstances we can experience this new life. A life that is exceptionally, manifestly, extraordinarily, intensely, markedly, exceedingly, excessively, inordinately, plentifully, greatly, amply, richly, liberally, fully, thoroughly, substantially, lavishly, extensively, generously, profusely, exuberantly, luxuriantly, bountifully, and not least abundantly. You have to be all in with the Lord Jesus not just one foot in the doorway. Use these 5 words to trigger how Great and Worthy our Holy Lord Is. They are [1] believe, [2] hope, [3] obey, [4] trust, and [5] thankful.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
He Is a good shepherd, efficient and trustworthy, in contrast to the bad shepherds. He does His job thoroughly. He is always alert to protect His own by never sleeping. He watches over His sheep constantly. He has deep affection for them and in the end is ready to give His life for them.
12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
We see here actually another group who are hirelings. A hireling is careless as to their welfare and flees when danger comes. This is because the latter does not have any affection for the sheep. Theirs is the way of self-seeking. Hirelings do not seek to enter the fold. That is for the false shepherds. These are under-shepherds, supposedly to Jesus, who prove like Judas to put wealth and safety before loyalty. Sadly, I have seen too many of these enter the church and weave their way into church leadership and wind up causing serious trouble for the flock of God.
It is not for us to try to decide who is a hireling and who is a thieving wild beast. The pictures cover all who profess to speak in God’s name but fail to fulfill a true ministry, some because they reject the Way In, others because their hearts are self-seeking, really fixed on something else. There have been many such through history, and alas, there are many such today, often even revered as they tear the hearts out of the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
We are on chapter 10. In our Lord Jesus’ prayer to Father God in chapter 17 is beautiful in that He asks Adoni Yahweh to initiate what He says here in verse 14. If we follow the chapter sequence that our Lord Jesus made this statement to the religious leaders then when He has some time alone to fellowship with His Father He Is the Good Shepherd and will be forever the Good Shepherd to all future believers. Look with me at His prayer request that we all may be one - 6 “I have manifested Your name to the men whom You have given Me out of the world. They were Yours, You gave them to Me, and they have kept Your word. 7 Now they have known that all things which You have given Me are from You. 8 For I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came forth from You; and they have believed that You sent Me. 9 “I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for those whom You have given Me, for they are Yours. 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled. 13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. “
The relationship between the Lord Jesus and His own is likened to His relationship with the Father, and nothing could be closer than that. What an incredible privilege that is. The idea is of an intimate, personal two-way relationship which cannot be broken. He knows them. They know Him. It is like the relationship between the Father and the Son, the deepest relationship of which it is possible to conceive.
16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
In our Lord same prayer He first prays for those who are currently walking with Him then He prays for all of us. – “15 I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me. 24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. 25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.
Can you see how David’s life pleased the Lord? Here was a young man who was out in the field caring for sheep. He humbly and honestly remarked that when a lion and a bear came and grabbed a sheep from the flock David when after these killer animals and rescued the sheep even at the peril of his own life. How Great Is Jesus Who Is The Good Shepherd Who willingly gave His life for all of us His sheep.
18 No one takes it 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 command I have received from My Father.”
Here is an important fact to get clear in your minds – The Lord Jesus makes clear that what was to happen be not finally in men’s hands but was in His own hands. ‘No one takes it from me, but I lay it down by my own decision and choice.’ And this was possible because He had the power and authority to do it.
19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
His suggestion that He had total control over His own destiny caused division between the people and the religious leaders. The fact is often overlooked that they were not all against Jesus. Some were clearly almost convinced that He was from God. They were impressed both by His teaching and His actions, especially the opening of the eyes of the man blind from birth.
