John 10

CHAPTER 10THEME: Jesus is the Good Shepherd (seventh word); humanityChrist in form of servant; deityChrist equal with God

John 10:1

HUMANITYCHRIST IN FORM OF SERVANTThe ancient sheepfold of that day still exists in many towns in that land. It was a public sheepfold. In the evening all the shepherds who lived in that town would bring their sheep to the sheepfold and turn them in for the night. They would entrust them to the porter who kept the sheep; then they would go to their homes for the night. The next morning the shepherds would identify themselves to the porter, and he would let them in the door to get their sheep.

1. “Door into the sheepfold” The sheepfold represents the nation Israel. Jesus is telling them that He came in by the door. He goes on to say that anyone who doesn’t come by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. This is a tremendous claim that He is making here. He came in by the door. He came in legally.

That is, He came in fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament. He came in under the Law. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law” (Gal_4:4). He came in the line of David according to prophecy (see Luk_1:32). He was born in Bethlehem according to prophecy (see Mic_5:2). Not only was He in the line of David, but He was born of a virgin according to prophecy (see Isa_7:14). At the time that He was born, He was a rod out of the stem of Jesse (see Isa_11:1).

Now this is interesting. By the time Jesus came, the royal line of David had dropped back to the level of the peasant. There was no royalty anymore. Jesse had been a farmer down in Bethlehem. In fact, he raised sheep. His son, David, had the anointing oil poured on him, and that line became the kingly line.

But when the Lord Jesus was born, He was just a branch out of the stem of Jesse, the peasant. Jesus was simply a carpenter and wore a carpenter’s robe. How accurately the prophecies were fulfilled! He is the Messiah, and He came in through the door. No one else could have had the credentials that He had. Anyone else would have been a thief and a robber. They would not have had the credentials of the Messiah and would have had to climb over the fence. You see, in the preceding chapter, the man healed of his blindness had been excommunicated, put out of the temple. The religious rulers are rejecting the Lord Jesus, and now they are challenging Him. Remember they said, “Are we blind also?” Our Lord made it very clear that they were blind. Now He presents His credentials. This is a tremendous claim He is making in this chapter: Israel is the sheepfold; Jesus is the Good Shepherd.

John 10:3

Whom does the porter represent? The porter is the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God came upon Jesus, and everything that He did, He did by the power of the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit was opening the ears of His sheep to hear His voice. His sheep have responded. This ties in with the preceding chapter. Those religious rulers were blind spiritually and, what is more, they were deaf. They didn’t even hear His voice. But He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. The blind man heard Him call. Simon heard His call, and Jesus changed his name to Peter, which means a stone. He called James and John, Nathanael and Philip. He stopped under a tree in Jericho and called Zacchaeus. He calls His sheep by name. Let me digress for a moment to say that when the Lord Jesus calls His own out of the world at the time of the Rapture, I believe that His call will have every believer’s name in it. I think I’ll hear Him say personally, “Vernon McGee.” That will be wonderful! He knows my name, you see, and He’ll call it at that time. And He’ll call you if you are one of His sheep. You will hear your name in His shout! He leads His sheep out of the sheepfold, out of Judaism. You see, the religious rulers had excommunicated the man whose sight Jesus had restored. Jesus is going to lead this sheep out of Judaism.

John 10:4

When I was near Bethlehem, I spent some time looking over a sheepfold that was still in use. A sheepfold is an enclosure where shepherds put their sheep for the night. The porter has charge of it. Then the shepherd spends the night in his own bed. When he comes to the sheepfold in the morning, his sheep are all mixed up with somebody else’s sheepthere is no brand or marking on the sheep. How does he get the sheep that are his? He calls them by name. The sheep don’t have to be identified; they know their shepherd’s voice. When he starts out over the hill, his own sheep come out of the fold and follow him. They know him. Our Lord says, “The sheep will follow him because they know his voice.” It is the most wonderful thing in the world to know that, when we give out the Word of God, Jesus is calling His sheep. The Spirit of God is the Porter who does the opening, and the sheep will hear. Our Lord will lead His sheep out of a legal system, perhaps even out of a church where they’re not being fed. They will follow Him. You cannot permanently fool God’s sheep. It is true that the sheep may get into a cult or an “ism” for a while, but the sheep will recognize the voice of the Shepherd. Unfortunately, many preachers are afraid to stand up for the truth; however, when a man preaches the Word of God, the sheep will hear it. We can depend on that because our Lord said, “My sheep hear my voice” (v. Joh_10:27).

John 10:5

I believe that you can fool some of God’s people some of the time, but I don’t think you can fool God’s people all the time. For a time, God’s sheep may think they hear Him but eventually discover that it is not His voice. Then they will turn to the teaching of the Word of God because they know their Shepherd. It is amazing. I have been teaching the Word of God for about forty years and have learned again and again that when His sheep hear His voice, they will follow Him. For a long time I worried about those who will not listen to the message. I have reached the point that I don’t worry about them. The reason they don’t hear His voice is that they are not His sheep. Wherever we find people who are eager for the Word of God, we know they are His sheep.

John 10:6

The word parable is really not an accurate translation. The Greek word for parable is parabole and the word in this verse is paroimia, which really means “an allegory.” The Gospel of John does not record any of the parables of our Lord. It records the metaphors and allegories such as “I am the light of the world” (Joh_8:12) and “I am the bread of life” (Joh_6:35). These are not parables but are figures of speech to let us know something about God. They are intended to give us light on the subject so that we can see. So it should actually read, “This allegory spake Jesus unto them.” They didn’t understand what He was saying because, as He had said, they were blind. Our Lord also said, “Who hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mat_13:9). It is possible to have ears and yet not hear. They hear it all right, but they don’t hear it as the Word of God. That is the important thing. Beloved, how do you hear it? It is this important difference in hearing to which our Lord referred when He quoted Isaiah, “…By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive” (Mat_13:14). 2. “Door of the sheep”

John 10:7

Here He gives another allegory. He has spoken about the door of the sheepfold, but now He moves one more step and says that He is the Door of the sheep. The Lord Jesus is the Door for those coming out of Israel. They had just cast the blind man out of the synagogue, out of the sheepfold. Immediately the Lord Jesus had come to this man and revealed Himself to him. When the Lord revealed Himself to the man, He became the Door for this man. The man had been brought out of the sheepfold and to the Lord Jesus Christ to follow Him. This is the second great truth which our Lord is stating in this chapter. Our Lord will state this same principle in John 15 when He says, “I am the true vine …ye are the branches” (Joh_15:1, Joh_15:5). The vine in the Old Testament is a picture of the nation Israel. Jesus is saying that it is no longer the connection with the nation Israel but the relationship with Him which is the joining of the branches with the Vine. They must come out from Judaism, come out from ritualism, and come to Him. He is saying that He is the Door. Remember, He is talking to the religious rulers. By the way, some of them did come to Him after His resurrection. 3. “The Door”

John 10:9

Jesus Christ is the Way. He is the only Way. He is the Way out for you and He is the Way in for you. He has come to bring us an abundant life. The thief comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy. I think this is a test you can apply to a church, a religious organization, a radio or television program. Is it a religious racket? Is somebody getting rich out of it? Compare it to the Good Shepherd who came to save sinners and to give us life, abundant life. Here is a brief review of this passage:

1. “Door into the sheepfold” (v. Joh_10:1). The sheepfold is the nation Israel. Jesus will lead His sheep out of Judaism, out from under a legalistic system.
2. “Door of the sheep” (v. Joh_10:7). Jesus is the Door for those coming out of Judaism (e.g., the excommunicated man who had been blind); He has called them out. “…Save yourselves from this untoward generation” (Act_2:40).
3. “The Door” (v. Joh_10:9). Jesus Christ is the Door for both Jew and Gentile. He is the Door of salvation. Freedom to go in and out and find pasture is the liberty of the sons of God in Christ Jesus.
4. “The Good Shepherd”

John 10:11

How can Jesus be the Door and the Shepherd at the same time? Actually, there was no door that swung on hinges and had a padlock to secure the sheepfold. The man who was guarding it slept across the doorway so that he himself was the door. Jesus is not only the Door, but He is also the Good Shepherd, the One who stays in the doorway. He is the Door which opens to eternal life; He is the One who protects His own; He is also the Good Shepherd. Jesus is also called the Lamb of God. How can He be the Lamb of God and at the same time be the Good Shepherd? This may sound like mixed metaphors, but it is one of the most glorious truths in Scripture. He is the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (Joh_1:29). He came down and identified Himself with us who are the sheepbut He is the Shepherd also. The fact that He became a Lamb emphasizes the humanity of Jesus Christ. The fact that He is the Good Shepherd emphasizes the deity of Christ. He alone was worthy and able to save us. No other human being could do this; He had to be God. The Lord Jesus Christ has a threefold relationship to this flock which is known as His church. First of all He is the Good Shepherd, and He defines the Good Shepherd in verse Joh_10:11: “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Then He is the Great Shepherd, for we read in the magnificent benediction given in Heb_13:20: “Now the God of peace, who brought again from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep with the blood of an eternal covenant, even our Lord Jesus, make you perfect in every good thing to do his will …” (ASV). So today He is the Great Shepherd of the sheep, as seen in Psalms 23. But wait, that does not give the total picture. He is also the Chief Shepherd. This speaks of the future. Peter says in his first epistle, “And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1Pe_5:4). The hireling does not care for the sheep. Founders of some of the world religions did very little for their followers. Modern cult leaders actually get rich off the people. In contrast to this, the Good Shepherd gives His life for the sheep, and He protects His own.

John 10:14

Here is a wonderful relationship. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him. Paul wrote, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection …” (Php_3:10). To know Him is to love Him. In this connection one should read what God says about shepherds in His message through Ezekiel, chapter 34. Notice that this is the third time that He says His sheep know Him. To know Jesus Christ is all-important, and everything else becomes secondary. That is one reason I have given up arguing about nonessentials. Let’s stop arguing about religion and about details. The important issue is to know Jesus Christ. Do you hear His voice; do you know the Shepherd? There is no shepherd like this One. David risked his life to save his sheep from a bear and from a lion. The Son of David gave His life for His sheep.

John 10:16

There are other sheep which are not of this foldthe fold is Israelbut others will also hear His voice, and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd. It is really “flock” (poimne), not “fold” (aule), in this second phrase. You see, there is to be one flock and one Shepherd. There is to be the one flock containing Jew and Gentile, rich and poor, bond and free, male and female, black and white, people from every nation and out of every tongue and tribe.

John 10:17

He says that all of this is the will of the Father. The Father loves Him because He died for us. We also ought to love Him because He died for us. He made His soul an offering for sin. On the cross during those three hours of darkness, God the Father put upon Him the sin of the world, and He went through hell for you and me. The Good Shepherd gave His life for the sheep. He makes it very clear that He gave His life willingly. He was in full control at His trial. Also He set the time of His death. The Jews said it shouldn’t be on a feast day lest there be an uproar, a riot of the people, but He was crucified on the feast day. He was never more kingly than when He went to the Cross. If one reads the Gospels carefully, one is aware that actually the Roman government was on trial, the nation Israel was on trial, you and I were on trial. Although He didn’t have to die, He did it willingly for the sins of the world. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame …” (Heb_12:2). No man could take His life from Him. He claimed power to lay down His life and to take it again.

John 10:19

This refers to the fact that He opened the eyes of the man who was born blind. The crowd there that day said, “Well, a demon could never have done what He did!” There is a division. Why? Because some are sheep and some are not. Sheep will hear and the others will not hear. The issue is still the same today as it was then. Either the Lord Jesus Christ was a madman or He is the Savior of the world. Either He has a demon or He is the Son of God. There has always been that division. When Paul preached at Athens, some believed and some did not. When I preach, some believe and some do not. We cannot expect it to be any different. The so-called liberal theologians are the most inconsistent and illogical people. Jesus Christ cannot be only a good teacher and a great example. He is either a fraud or He is the Son of God. Jesus Christ puts you on the horns of a dilemma, my friend. He is a madman or He is your God and your Savior.

John 10:22

DEITYCHRIST EQUAL WITH GODThe Feast of Tabernacles was in the last part of October; the Feast of Dedication was in the last part of Decemberso there was a two-month interval. This feast celebrated the time when Judas Maccabaeus delivered the temple from Antiochus Ephiphanes, the Syrian, who had polluted it. This took place in 167 B.C. and was still celebrated in our Lord’s day. “And it was winter.” Jesus is through with the nation. From here on, in the Gospel of John, He talks to His own. He will not make another public call. It is now too late for the harvest. The Lamb of God is being shut up in preparation to go to the Cross and die for the sins of the world. Friend, may I remind you that you can play at this thing too long. Winter is coming for you. There will come a day when you won’t be able to witness. If you are going to do anything for Him, you had better do it now. If you have never sincerely accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, may I remind you that winter can come for that, too. There does come a time when it is too late, my beloved, too late to be saved. You can persist in rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ so long that finally you will be unable to accept Him. The prophet spoke of this eventuality: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved” (Jer_8:20).

John 10:23

There was a big porch out there which was for the Gentiles, for those who were outside the nation Israel. Our Lord was no longer coming into the temple. It was winter, and He walked in Solomon’s porch. Jesus had made His identity very clear, and those who accepted Him understood that He was the Messiah, the Christ. Remember that Andrew had told his brother, “We have found the Messiah (see Joh_1:41). Nathanael recognized Him, “Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel” (Joh_1:49). The Samaritan woman understood who He was; and the Samaritan men said, “Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world” (Joh_4:42). Also the man healed of his blindness believed and worshiped Him. Now these religious leaders with their subtle questions are actually casting the blame on Him!

They make it sound as if it is Jesus’ fault for not giving enough information, whereas it is their lack of will to believe what God had revealed to them. Well, Jesus has revealed His messiahship to those who will hear, and now He declares it to these religious rulers.

John 10:25

Jesus tells them that He has the proofs of His messiahship. His works bear witness to it. He was born in the line of David, according to prophecy. He was introduced by John the Baptist. No man taught as He taught. No man could convict Him of sin.

When John the Baptist sent his disciples to find out whether Jesus was the Messiah or whether they should look for another, Jesus told them to go back and tell John the Baptist the things that He was doing. Then John the Baptist would know the He had the credentials of the Messiah. You see, His teaching demonstrated that He was the Messiah, His life demonstrated it, and His miracles demonstrated it. The problem was not in His lack of credentials. The problem was in the unbelieving heart. The fact that they did not believe demonstrated that they were not His sheep.

That’s the negative side. Now He states the positive side.

John 10:27

His sheep hear His voice. And they follow Him. The brand of ownership on the sheep is obedience. Do you want to know whether a person is saved or not? Then see if he is obeying Christ. Our ears must be open to His voice. “The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them” (Pro_20:12). “I know them.” I’m glad somebody knows me, aren’t you? I am sometimes misunderstood, and I have to explain myself to people. However, I never need to explain anything to Him. He knows when I’m putting up an excuse; He knows when I am evading an issue; He understands me. He knows. “And they follow me.” I believe in the eternal security of the believer and in the insecurity of the make-believer. “They follow me"it’s just that simple. If the shepherd called his sheep one morning and started up the hill, and out of five hundred sheep in the sheepfold, one hundred came out and followed him, then I would conclude that those one hundred were his sheep. And I would also conclude that the other four hundred were not his sheep. “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” Friend, when He gives to them eternal life, that means they don’t earn it and they don’t work for it. He gives it to them. Note that it is eternal life. It is forever. If it plays out in a week or in a year or until they sin, then it is not eternal life after all. They are not really His sheep if the life does not last forever. The sheep may be in danger, but the Shepherd will protect them. They may be scattered, but He will gather them up again. They shall never perish. May they backslide? Yes. Will they perish? No. The sheep may get into a pigpen, but there has never yet been a sheep in a pigpen that stayed in a pigpen. Sheep and pigs do not live together.

The sheep is always a sheep. No man can pluck that sheep out of the Savior’s hand. No enemy, no man, no created being can pluck them out of His hand. This is wonderful! One time a fellow gave me the argument that one can jump out of His hand because we are free moral agents. Listen to the passage.

It actually says “no created thing shall pluck them out of my hand.” He is the Shepherd. He is God. If you think you can jump out, the Father puts His hand right down on you, and you can’t do any jumping. Brother, He’s got you and you can’t get loose. Both hands are the hands of Deity. No created thing can take the sheep out of His hand. Years ago a Texas rancher told me about sheep. He said he had two thousand sheep, and someone had to be watching them all the time. If two little sheep go over the hill and get half a mile from the flock, they are lost. They cannot find their way back by themselves. The only way in the world they can be safe is for the shepherd to be there. If a wolf would come up and eat one of the little sheep, you’d think the other one would be smart enough to say, “He ate my little brother, so I’ll go back over the hill and join the flock.” No, he doesn’t know where to go.

All he does is go, “Baa,” and run around and wait to be dessert for the wolf. A sheep is stupid. Neither has a sheep any way to defend himself. A sheep can’t even outrun his enemy. If a sheep is safe, it is not because the sheep is clever or smart. It is because he has a good shepherd. When I say to you that He gives me eternal life and I shall never perish, you may accuse me of bragging. No, my friend, I am not bragging on myself; I’m bragging about my Shepherd. I have a wonderful Shepherd. He won’t lose any of His sheep. If He starts with one hundred, He will not end with ninety-nine. If one gets lost, He will go out and find it. None will be lost. Then He says that He and the Father are one. He claims to be God.

John 10:31

There is one thing that is sure: in that day, those who heard Him understood that He made Himself God. He produced His credentials. There was no way they could deny His miracles. He healed people by the thousands, and there was no denying the evidence. They accused Him of blasphemy. They accused Him of calling Himself God. And do you know, that is exactly what He was doing!

John 10:34

Their accusation was that He as a man makes Himself God. He quotes to them Psa_82:6, “I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.” Men are called to be the children of God, but Jesus is unique because He is the Man “whom the Father hath sanctified.” He is the One who has been set apart. He is different from any other man in the world. He has been sent on a mission to the world. He is in the Father and the Father is in Him.

John 10:39

John the Baptist did no miracles, but he bore a true testimony to the Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ. He is the One who was to come. What think ye of Christ? This is the way to test your position. You can’t be right in any of the rest unless you are first right in your thinking about Him. What think ye of Christ? If you are His sheep, you will hear His voice. If you are not, you will not hear Him. His voice will be drowned out in the babble of voices speaking to you. His sheep are able to hear the Son of God.