John
© copyright 2008 Darroll Evans, all
rights reserved
Chapter 10
John 10:1-38
1 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth
not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up
some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
2 But he that entereth
in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth
them out.
4 And when he putteth
forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the
sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not
follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto
them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 All that ever came before me are
thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out,
and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to
steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and
that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: the good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
12 But he that is an hireling, and
not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth
the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth
them, and scattereth the sheep.
13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an
hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, and know
my sheep, and am known of mine.
15 As the Father knoweth me, even so
know I 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 shall hear my voice; and
there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
17 Therefore doth my Father love me,
because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
18 No man taketh
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 commandment have I received of my Father.
19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for
these sayings.
20 And many of them said, He hath a
devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
21 Others said, These are not the
words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and
it was winter.
23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ,
tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you,
and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness
of me.
26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto
you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know
them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life;
and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand.
29 My Father, which gave them
me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of
my Father's hand.
30 I and my Father are one.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
32 Jesus answered them, Many good
works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of
those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For
a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being
a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in
your law, I said, Ye are gods?
35 If he called them gods, unto whom the
word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father
hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest;
because I said, I am the Son of God?
37 If I do not the works of my
Father, believe me not.
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that
ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
Then, Jesus taught extensively, Truthfully
I tell you that he does not come in through the Door, but comes in some other
way, is a thief and a robber.
But, he that comes in through the
Door is the Shepherd of the sheep.
Many come saying they are of Christ, but only a few, the remnant are
actually of Christ.
Christ Jesus continued, To Him the
porter opens, and the sheep hear His voice: and He calls His sheep by name, and
leads them out.
Those who are called by the Holy Spirit to follow Christ hear that calling and
follow His leading!
We are not self-called and appointed! We are called and appointed by God to follow
His Son! The Holy Spirit is the One who
is appointed to administer that calling!
The Jesus told them, And, when He
puts (sends) forth His own sheep, He goes before
them, and the sheep follow Him, because they know His voice.
They will not follow a stranger!
Instead, they will flee from him, because they do not know the strangers
voice.
Jesus told His disciples that parable, but they did not
understand it.
Then, He bluntly told them, Truthfully,
I tell you, I am the door of the sheep.
All those that came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear
them.
I am the door! If anyone comes in
by Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and
find pasture!
Coming in by Christ, the Door to Gods blessings is the only
entrance! There is only One Way, and
that is Christ Jesus!
Jesus continued His teaching, The
thief does not come for any other reasons except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy! I have come that they (the called and chosen of God) may have (true) life, and
that they may have it is super
abundance!
I am The Good Shepherd! The Good
Shepherd gives His life for the sheep!
But those who are hirelings, and
not the Shepherd, who own not sheep, upon seeing the wolf, leave the sheep, and
run away! Then, the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep!
The hireling runs away, because he
is a hireling, and does not care for the sheep!
I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep,
and am known by those who are Mine!
As the Father knows Me, I know Him,
and I lay down My life for the sheep.
I have other sheep which are not of
this fold! I must also bring them in!
They too shall hear My voice! And so, there shall be
one fold, and One Shepherd!
For this reason, My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, in order to take it up
again!
Many, including Peter, believe that the Jews killed
Christ! That is a false assumption!
Acts
3:14-15
14 But ye denied the Holy One and
the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the
dead; whereof we are witnesses.
But Christ Jesus said, None may take My life from Me! I lay
it down, because I have the power to lay it down! I also have the power to take
it again! I have received this commandment from My Father!
At that, there was a commotion among
the Jews, because of what Jesus said.
And, many of the Jewish leaders said, He has a devil, and
is mad! why listen to him?
Others said, These are not the words of one who is demonic!
Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
That exchange happened in Jerusalem during the winter at the
time of the feast of the dedication, Hanukkah.
Jesus was walking in the temple area on Solomon's porch when
the Jewish leaders came to Him and asked, How long will You
keep us in the dark? If You are the Christ, make it
clear to us!
So, Jesus explained, I told you,
and you did not believe!
The works that I do in My Father's
name are a witness!
But you did not believe, because
you are not My sheep!
Jesus told the Jewish leadership that they were no His!
I wonder how many supposed Church leaders are not really
His!
Then Jesus told them, My sheep hear
my voice! I know them, and they follow me!
I give them eternal life, and they
shall never perish! Neither shall anyone pluck them out of my hand!
In Christ, we have a security that many Christians do not
understand!
He told them, My Father, which gave
them me is greater than all! None is able (Gr.
δύναμαι-dunamai/has the power) to pluck them out of My Father's hand!
The, Jesus said something that most do not understand! He said, I and My Father are one!
That takes us back to the Shema!
Deut 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:
The greatest confession in all Judaism is the confession
that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One!
Because the Jews of that day understood, they tried to
stone him!
But, Jesus responded with words, His greatest weapon against
their ignorance, I have shown you many good from My
Father!
For which of those works do you
stone me?
In their anger they responded the only way their ignorance
allowed!
They said, We do not try to stone You because of good
works, but for blasphemy, and because You seek to make
Yourself equal with God.
Jesus was not equal
with God! He is God the Son!
Then Jesus asked, Isnt it written
in Jewish law that you are gods?
Psalms
82:6 I have said, Ye
are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.
That is perhaps the greatest
misinterpretation in all Scripture!
The Hebrew does indeed use the word,
אֱלֹהִים-elōhξm, but in this
case it refers to judges!
In
the world to come when Israel becomes a Christian nation, they will act as
judges in the earth!
Jesus asked, If God
called them gods, unto whom the word of God came (and the scripture cannot be
annulled), what do you say about Him whom the Father
has sanctified and sent into the world? Do you accuse me of blasphemy, because
I said, I am the Son of God?
If I dont do My Fathers works,
dont believe Me!
But, if I do them, though you dont
believe Me, believe the works!
So that you may know and believe
that the Father is in me, and I
in him!
Do you believe?
Churches are filled with
attendees! That is not bad! Where else will those who have not heard the
gospel hear it?
The word must be heard to be
effective!
John 10:39-42
39 Therefore
they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where
John at first baptized; and there he abode.
41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle:
but all things that John spake of this man were true.
42 And many believed on him there.
Consequently, they sought again to take Him by
force, but He left, and went to the area of the Jordan River where John had
baptized. Jesus stayed there for a while and many came to Him!
Why did Jesus leave His accusers?
It was not time for His crucifixion!
When they came to Christ, they said,
John did no miracles, but everything John said concerning Jesus is true!
Many believed on Christ Jesus there!