Introductory remarks:
"Christ addressed a word to the multitude that witnessed the miracle of the healing of the blind man. He spoke concerning the false shepherds who ruled over the nation at the time. It had been said previously that 'He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd' (Mark 6:34). The Pharisees and Sadducees usurped the authority of shepherds over the nation and demanded that the people follow them. But in our Lord's judgment the Pharisees were false shepherds who led the people astray. They were convinced that Jesus was a false Messiah, and they were seeking to persuade the people to reject Him. Thus they were diverting the nation from the One who could lead them in paths of righteousness that would bring them into the long-waited kingdom. In this discourse the Lord demonstrated that He was the true Shepherd promised by God in the Prophets. He was One for whom Israel had been waiting. Jesus revealed that their leaders, who claimed to be shepherds, were in truth false shepherds" (The Words and Works of Jesus Christ - J. Dwight Pentecost).
"The 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 [gate-keeper] who kept the sheep; then they would go to their homes for the night. The next morning the shepherd would identify themselves to the porter, and he would let them in the door to get their sheep" (T.T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
The Parable of the Sheepfold
Verse 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."
LGT "Verily, verily, I say to you, the one not entering through the door into the fold of the sheep but climbs up [over the wall] another way, that one is a thief and a robber."
"Verily, verily, I say unto you,"
Whenever the Lord uses this 'verily, verily' (indeed and in truth) beginning He is not introducing a new subject. The narrative goes from a dialogue in chapter nine to a monologue in chapter ten. "This discourse grows out of the assumption of the Pharisees to be the only authoritative guides of the people (10:24, 29). They have already been described as blind and sinful" (Vincent).
"He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way,"
Here in this allegory the Lord is revealing how the Pharisees who were supposed to be the shepherds of the sheep are in actuality trying to turn the sheep against the Good Shepherd. When Christ revealed Himself as the Messiah the Scribes and Pharisees say the He is from the devil and that he is a false prophet. In these first few verses Christ reveals that he is the Good Shepherd and that He entered in through the door as prophesied by the OT prophets.
"The same is a thief and a robber."
There is a clear distinction between a thief and a robber. A thief gets what he wants through deception, whereas a robber gets what he wants by violence (Vincent).
"Who are the shepherds of God's flock? The religious leaders in Israel would no doubt have claimed the title. But it was they who were the most determined opponents of Jesus and His message. The man cured of his blindness looked in vain for the care that shepherds should give; in fact, they expelled him from the flock for which they were responsible. But having been expelled by them, he found a true Shepherd in Jesus. In this context, it is difficult to avoid identifying them with the thieves and robbers, the false shepherds, who sought by some unauthorized means to creep and intrude and climb into the fold" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 2, "But he that entereth in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep."
LGT "But the one who enters through the door is a Shepherd to the sheep."
The Greek word for 'shepherd' is poimen meaning to protect. A shepherd is one who protects the sheep. Jesus is contrasting Himself with the Pharisees who were false shepherds, and did not protect the sheep, but only advanced their own causes. Jesus stresses the character of the shepherd and not the person.
"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 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 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" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 3, "To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out."
LGT "To him the door-keeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice and his own sheep he calls by name and they hear him."
"To him the porter openeth;"
The Greek word for 'porter' is thuroros, which means doorkeeper. The porter is the one who lets the sheep in at night where they are brought for safekeeping as the shepherds go home for the night. The Good Shepherd is welcomed through the door to get His own sheep.
"These details were familiar to many of Jesus' hearers; even today they are aptly illustrated by the way of a shepherd with his sheep in the Holy Land. The fold would be a stone enclosure, roughly square in shape, with an entrance on one side. This entrance was guarded by a doorkeeper or watchman whose business it was to admit authorized persons and keep out intruders. If any one were seen climbing into the fold on one of the other sides, it was safe to assume that he was an intruder, up to no good. To discourage such persons the top of the wall might be protected by Briars" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
"And the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name, and he leadeth them out."
It is common in the East for shepherds to name their sheep. I read that these sheep respond to their names, as do dogs. The shepherds during the Bible times did not have the benefit of sheep dogs. In these compounds there were kept more than one flock, and the shepherds of these sheep would be recognized and let through the door to take their flocks out during the day. Then the shepherd would call his own sheep and they would follow him, as he would lead them to a safe place to graze. The sheep follow their shepherd because they trust him.
Verse 4, "And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice."
LGT "When he leads out all his own, he goes before them, and his sheep follow, because they know his voice."
"And when he putteth forth his own sheep,"
The phrase 'putteth forth' is lit. ekbalei meaning to lead out; the phrase should read, 'he leads out all his own sheep.' As has been mentioned before there were more than one man's flock of sheep in the sheepfold. The shepherd would come in the morning and call his sheep by name and then lead them out.
"He goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his voice."
The shepherd with staff in hand leads the sheep; the sheep follow him because they know his voice. The Greek word 'voice' is phonei, which means a personal address; the sheep recognize the distinctive voice of the shepherds.
Verse 5, "And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of a stranger."
LGT "But a stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of the stranger."
Well-trained sheep will not follow a stranger. Once the voice of the Great Shepherd is heard, all other voices will be avoided. The only way to be safe that we will not be led away by false teaching is to study, study, study some more, the Word of God.
McGee says:
"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" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
I will agree with McGee to a point, however, I think there are people who are out of fellowship that are not positive toward Bible Doctrine, and therefore, will appear as if they are not God's children. God's Children do not always act like God's children. I personally have strayed quite far from God's fellowship, and believe me it isn't pretty. I know I have felt the Lord's strap, and what hurts the most, is to look back at the indignity of His chastisement; but thank God He did the chastising.
"It is necessary that they should be taught to follow, and not stray into the unfenced fields of wheat which lie so temptingly on either side. The shepherd calls from time to time to remind them of his presence. They know his voice and follow on; but if a stranger call, they stop, lift up their heads in alarm, and if the call is repeated, they turn and flee from him; for they know not the voice of strangers. This is not the fanciful costume of a parable; it is simple fact. I have made the experiment often" (Thompson - quoted by Vincent).
Verse 6, "This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which He spake unto them."
LGT "These allegories Jesus spoke to them, but they knew not what it was which He had been speaking to them."
"This parable spake Jesus unto them:"
Notice in my LGT I have translated 'parable' an allegory. John does not record the parables in his writings, however he does use metaphors (descriptions) and allegories (symbols) to explain the character of God. The Greek word for 'parable' is parabolos, whereas here in this verse the word is paroimian, which is translated 'allegory'. An allegory is a figure of speech to explain something about God, whereas, a parable is 'an earthly story with a heavenly meaning'.
"But they understood not what things they were which He spake to them."
The Pharisees did not understand because they did not believe on Christ. In reading the different commentaries on this passage there is a wide range of interpretation involved in spiritualizing this allegory. I am not prone to draw more out of the Scriptures than the writer, in this case, John, intends. The one commentator I believe handles this portion of Scripture very closely is Edersheim which I will quote in full:
"How different He, Who comes in and leads us through God's door of covenant-mercy and Gospel-promise - the door by which God had brought, and ever brings, His flock into His fold! This was the true Shepherd. The allegory must, of course, not be too closely pressed; but, as we remember how in the East the flocks are at night driven into a large fold, and charge of them is given to an under shepherd, we can understand how, when the shepherd comes in the morning, 'the doorkeeper' [this is the proper reading: he who locked the door from within and guarded it] or 'guardian' opens to him. In interpreting the allegory, stress must be laid not so much on any single phrase, be it the 'porter,' the 'door,' or the 'opening,' as on their combination. If the shepherd comes to the door, the porter hastens to open it to him from within, that he may obtain access to the flock; and when a true spiritual Shepherd comes to the true spiritual door, it is opened to him by the guardian from within, that is, he finds ready and immediate access. Equally pictorial is the progress of the allegory. Having thus gained access to His flock, it has not been to steal or rob, but the Shepherd knows and calls them, each by his name, and leads them out. We mark that in the expression: 'when He has put forth all His own,' - the word is a strong one. For they have to go each singly, and perhaps they are not willing to go out each by himself, or even to leave the fold, and so he 'puts' or thrusts them forth, and He does so to 'all His own.' Then the Eastern shepherd places himself at the head of his flock, and goes before them, guiding them, making sure of their following simply by his voice, which they know. So would His flock follow Christ, for they know His Voice, and in vain would strangers seek to lead them away, as the Pharisees had tried. It was not the known Voice of their Shepherd, and they would only flee from it." (The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah - Alfred Edersheim).
Jesus the Good Shepherd
Verse 7, "Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep."
LGT "Therefore Jesus said again to them, Verily, verily, I say to you that I Am the Door for the sheep."
In this verse, Jesus repeats the allegory with the use of some metaphors [descriptions] that only His true sheep will be able to understand. The first allegory (verses, 1-5) speaks more of the earthly company of believers, whereas the present allegory is referring to eternal life. "The thought is connected with the Life, and not simply the organization" (Vincent). Jesus is saying that the only way to heaven and eternal life is through Him.
Verse 8, "All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them."
LGT "All whoever came [before me] are thieves and liars, but the sheep did not hear them."
"All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers."
Of course the Lord is referring back to the first verse describing the false prophets and teachers, such as the Scribes and Pharisees. In Paul's time it would be the legalists that crept in, and in John's time it is the Gnostics. Most of the ancient false cults had their beginning with the Scribes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. We know, of course, that Jesus is not speaking of the Prophets of the OT.
"But the sheep did not hear them."
Fortunate are the sheep that did not listen to these false thieves and robbers. Jesus is saying in this verse that it is no longer their connection with the nation Israel that is important, but their connection with Him, the Good Shepherd. The only ones of Israel who become sheep are the ones who go through the Door, the Lord Jesus Christ. Even to this day, no one can come to the Father except through this Door, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved."
Verse 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."
LGT "I am the Door: through Me if any one shall enter in he [they] will be saved and will go in and go out and will find pasture."
The pasture Jesus is referring to the Psalmist David spoke of in the twenty third Psalm: "The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake." Jesus offers Himself to 'any one' to enter and enjoy everlasting life. Salvation is not offered through any other door.
Verse 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."
LGT "The thief does not come except that he might steal and kill and destroy: I came in order that they might [keep on] having life and they might [keep on] having [it] abundantly."
McGee has a beautiful outline for these verses:
"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.
"Door into the sheepfold" (v.1). The sheepfold is the nation Israel. Jesus will lead His sheep out of Judaism, out from under a legalistic system.
"Door of the sheep" (v. 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" (Acts 2:40).
"The Door" (v. 9). Jesus Christ 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.
"The Good Shepherd" -
Verse 11, "I am the Good Shepherd: the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep."
LGT "I Am the Shepherd the Good One. The Shepherd the Good One His life lays down on behalf of the sheep:"
In this verse Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd. He uses the Greek word kalos for good, which means 'intrinsically beautiful', referring to His overall character, instead of agathos meaning beneficent or generous. Another grammatical point in this verse is that the article is repeated so it is, as you will note in my LGT, lit. 'The Shepherd, The Good One.' The Good Shepherd lays down His life on behalf of the sheep. This phrase I am sure is referring to His going to the Cross and giving His life for the sins of the world.
Verse 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."
LGT "The hired servant and not the shepherd, Whose the sheep are not his own, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees - and the wolf snatches them and scatters them "
"But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd,"
The hireling is paid to watch the sheep, however, he is doing it for the money and not because the sheep are his own. He is not the thief or the robber, but possibly a pastor who takes his position for the money alone (Robertson).
"Whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees:"
The Good Shepherd is willing to lay down His Life for His sheep, and this He did on the Cross. The hireling leaves the sheep because he feels that he was hired to tend the flock, not risk his life.
"And the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
The Lord uses the same word for 'catches' harpadsei' meaning to 'snatch', lit. The wolf snatches them. He uses the same word in 10:29: "neither shall any man 'snatch' them out of My hand" (Robertson).
Verse 13, "The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
LGT "Because he is a hired servant and it is no care to him about the sheep."
To the hired servant it was just another job to him, and he was not literally concerned for the sheep.
"The hireling is not malicious, as the thief or robber is, but he has not the personal care for the sheep that the True Shepherd has. He looks after them for the wages he is paid; he does his duty well enough in normal times, but when danger draws near he is more concerned for his own safety than for the theirs. He will not risk his life to defend them against the marauding wolf, as the True Shepherd will. It cannot be said certainly if the hireling or the wolf correspond to figures in the contemporary situation: perhaps the hearers drew their own conclusions about this. But there is no doubt about who is meant by the True Shepherd" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F.F. Bruce).
Verse 14, "I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep, and am known of mine."
LGT "I Am the Shepherd the Good One and I know those that are mine and those that are mine know Me."
Jesus identifies himself in this allegory as the 'Good Shepherd.' He identified Himself in chapter one as 'The Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world.' You might wonder how can He be a shepherd and a Lamb at the same time. The answer is because each speaks of a different part of His ministry. As a shepherd He took care of the physical needs of the sheep speaking of His humanity, which was made very clear by His miracles. The 'Lamb' metaphor speaks of His sacrificial offering Himself on the Cross for the spiritual Salvation of the whole world. The fact that He called Himself 'The Door' is reference to the way to enter that is only through the Lord Jesus Christ and no other way, to be saved.
The reciprocal knowledge of the sheep and the Shepherd speaks of love and loyalty. Jesus knows the ones who are His; it is a tragedy when His own children aren't sure they belong to Him. John wrote that the reason He wrote His epistles is that we might 'know that we have eternal life.' I do not believe it is possible to love the Lord with all our hearts if we are insecure about our salvation. In his first epistle 1:4, John wrote "That these things I write to you, that your joy might be complete." There is only one way and one way only to be secure in Christ, that is, to study the Word of God, and believe every Word.
Verse 15, "As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down My life for the sheep."
LGT "Just as the Father is knowing Me I also know the Father, and My life I lay down on behalf of the sheep."
"As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father:"
Jesus is the only One who is able to present the Father and He knows the Father, and He says the Father also knows Him. This is also seen in our fellowship that is with the Son; it is also with the Father. The Son abides (remains) with us, even as the Father and Holy Sprit remain with us. This is one of the mysterious privileges of being a child of God. Christ abides with us even as we abide with Him. When Jesus says, 'Mine own hear Me', He is saying that we are by adoption entered into this Father Son relationship, and we become heirs to this reciprocal relationship, and the Father now loves us as joint-heirs with His Son, and we become brothers and sisters with Jesus Christ, and God loves us all equally. This abiding relationship is a wonderful spiritual phenomenon. The best way that I know how to explain this relationship is that 'He will never leave us nor forsake us,' and that we have the opportunity to fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, every time we study The Word of God.
"And I lay down My life for the sheep."
Jesus was not only willing to lay down His life for the sheep; He did exactly that, making all the above possible. McGee notes in his commentary on John: "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."
Verse 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."
LGT "And other sheep I have which are not out of this fold: those also it is necessary for Me to be leading and My voice they will hear, and they will become one flock, one shepherd."
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold:"
Sheep, not goats, which were not of the Jewish fold. Jesus is saying that there will be Gentile believers that will come to Him to be lead. The Jewish fold was surrounded by many rules and restrictions: there were many shepherds and many sheep, but there is only One Good Shepherd, and He knows His sheep, and He leads His sheep.
"Them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice;"
Jesus died for the whole world, not just the Jews. When the Word of God is taught, the sheep (all believers) will respond. The Greek word is 'agagien' a second aorist infinitive meaning to lead. It reads lit. 'It is necessary for Me to be leading them." The Gentiles will listen to His voice, even when the Jews turn away (Robertson).
"And there will be one fold and one Shepherd."
All (Jews and Gentiles alike) will form one body or flock. "For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away [the Gentiles], and peace to those were near [the Jews]; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:14-18). Here we have Christ's prediction and fulfillment. (See also Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11)
Verse 17, "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again."
LGT "For this reason My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, in order that again I may take it."
"Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life,"
The Son could do nothing else but the perfect will of His Father, and by His obedience He draws out God's love. God loves the Son for dying for our sins, and on the cross God poured out all the sins that have ever been committed by man, past, present, and future. We love Him because He first loved us. During the three hours of darkness Jesus paid the price for our sins, and we will praise Him for all eternity for doing so. The Father had to turn His back on the Son because He was immersed with all our sins and the Father cannot look at sin; "He was bruised for our iniquities, and He was wounded for our transgressions" (Isaiah. 53:5).
"That I might take it again."
Robertson notes:
"The purpose of the Passion was not merely to exhibit His unselfish love; it was in order that He might resume His life, now enriched with quickening power as never before (Bernard). The Father raised Jesus from the dead, 'This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses' (Acts 2:32). There is spontaneity in the surrender to death and in the taking life back again" (Dods).
Verse 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."
LGT "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it again: this the commandment I received from My Father."
"No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself:"
Jesus speaks of His sacrificial death on the cross as having already occurred; this is for emphasis as to the reality of a most important fact that in eternity past He offered Himself to the Father as our sin sacrifice. His substitutionary death on Calvary was just as true in eternity past as it is in eternity future. It is a very important point Jesus is making in the fact that He gave His life as a ransom for our sin, not as a martyr whom they murdered. It is true that the Jews did in fact kill Jesus, but only because He allowed this group of Jews to do it. Jesus did not die a Martyrs death, as it would have been if He had no choice in the matter. Remember how many times the Jews tried to take Him and they couldn't; He would simply walk through the crowds untouched and unharmed. If the Jews took Jesus and murdered Him without His consent His death would have been no different than any other martyr throughout history. Jesus' death was sacrificial, that is, He offered Himself to the Father for the sins of the whole world; Jesus died for you and He died for me.
"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 Gospel carefully, one is aware that actually the Roman government was on trial, the nation Israel was on trial, and you and I were on trial. Although He didn't have to die, He did it willingly for the sins of the whole 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" (T. T. Bible - J. Vernon McGee).
"I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again."
The word 'power' in Greek is exousia meaning power, right, or authority; I have chosen to use 'authority' in my LGT for the simple reason that Jesus states in the last phrase of this verse, 'I received this from My Father.' Vincent translates 'power' as 'right,' which has the same meaning as 'authority.' God commanding the Son and the Son obeying the Father is a unique mystery about the relationship of the Father and the Son. Another unique mystery is that the moment you and I accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, we were placed by the power of the Holy Spirit in union with Father and the Son as adopted sons and daughters with all the divine authority and rights as the Son. We see this as positional truth, but only through a glass dimly, however, when the time comes, after we depart this veil of tears, we will see Him 'face to face' just as He is, and 'we will know, even as we are known.' Praise God!
Verse 19, "There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings."
LGT "Again a division arose among the Jews because of these discourses."
What? Another division. The reason for the division is that among the Jews, some are sheep and some are goats. Jesus had said earlier that His sheep hear his voice, but the goats do not recognize Him. That is exactly the way it is today; believers hear the truth and unbelievers remain in darkness. Listen, if Jesus couldn't convince these 'goats' how do you or I expect to convince the modern day goats. We should just be faithful in our studies and let the Lord work through us if He so chooses, without trying to keep track of our witnessing successes.
Verse 20, "And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye Him?
LGT "But said many of them, He is having a demon and is mad: why Him do you hear?"
The first group is the Pharisees and scribes who are intent on killing Jesus. The best they can come with is 'Why are you listening to a demon possessed man?' Every time the Jewish leaders become frustrated at Christ, they say that He is demon possessed (7:20; 8:48, with the addition of Samaritan). The sheep easily refutes this charge.
Verse 21, "Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?"
LGT "Others said, These words are not of one demon possessed: a demon is not able of [the] blind to be opening [the] eyes?"
The ones who believed (the sheep), hear His voice and they argue in His favor, 'Can a demon open the eyes of a blind man?' "They had heard demoniacs talk, but not like this man. Their question expected a negative answer. Demons would be more likely to put out eyes, not open them. It was an unanswerable question" (Robertson). The division is still raging today, either Jesus Christ is the Son of God, as He claims, or He is a mad man, possessed of a devil. Christians believe He is the Son of God, unbelievers that He is a fraud. You either believe Him, or you do not believe Him.
Jesus Rejected by the Jews
Verse 22, "And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of Dedication, and it was winter."
LGT "Then took place the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem, it was winter."
This event took place about two months after the Feast of Tabernacles. The Feast of Dedication was a recent addition to Jewish worship added by Judas Maccabeus about B.C. 165. The Feast took place around the middle of December.
"It was a joyous festival in commemoration of the restoration of the altar and purification of the Temple by Judas Maccabeus, six and a half years after its defilement by Antiochus Epiphanes. During the eight days of the Feast, the Hallel [Psalms 113-118] was chanted, both in the Temple in Jerusalem and in the private homes in all parts of the land. In the rededication of the Temple in 164 B.C., only one unpolluted flagon [pitcher] of oil was found, just sufficient for the illumination of one day; but it was miraculously replenished for eight days, according to the Jewish tradition, and, for this reason, the feast lasted eight days. This feast, like that of the Tabernacles, commemorated a Divine victory, when the land was restored to Israel. It was a time which brought anew the aspiration of the Messianic hope"(The Christ - Shepherd p. 400 - quoted by Pentecost in The Words and Works of Christ).
Verse 23, "And Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomon's porch."
LGT "And Jesus was walking around in the Temple in the porch of Solomon."
"Solomon's colonnade was the name given to the portico which ran along the east side of the outer court of Herod's temple. It is mentioned in Acts as the place where Peter addressed the crowd that congregated to see the man who had been cured of his lifelong lameness at the Beautiful Gate, and again as the place where the Jerusalem believers regularly gathered for their public witness to Jesus as the Christ" [Acts 3:11; 5:12] (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 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."
LGT "Therefore the Jews encircled Him and said to Him, Until when do you lift up our soul [in context - keep us in suspense - Robertson]? If you are the Christ, tell us openly."
"Then came the Jews round about Him, and said unto Him,"
Jesus came to observe their Feast and the Jewish authorities surround Him and begin their opposition to Him.
"How long dost Thou make us doubt?"
It is strange that it is only these Jewish leaders that are in doubt; to everyone else it is quite clear that He is claiming to be the Son of God.
"Jesus had not so far said outright in Jerusalem that He was the Messiah. His description of Himself as the Good Shepherd was as near to such a claim as made little difference, but He had not used the actual designation 'Messiah'. It was one thing for Him to tell the woman at the well of Sychar who He was (John 4:26); to her the term 'Messiah' (or its equivalent) had purely religious connotations. But among the Jews it had political and military implications, which Jesus was careful to avoid. In this Gospel indeed He never makes an explicit Messianic claim before the Jewish authorities - not even at His trial (as He does in the Synoptic record, Mark 14:62 and parallels)" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
If Thou be the Christ, tell us plainly."
As I have said before, to those who do not want to believe, it is not clear who He is. The reason people do not believe that Jesus is the Christ is that they do not want to believe. To me, this is a mystery. I can explain very plainly why I believe in Christ, but I will never be able to explain why someone rejects Christ; I guess this is a mystery of the Grace of God, 'He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear.'
"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' (John 1:41). Nathanael recognized Him, 'Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel' (John 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 Savior of the world' (John 4:42). Also the man healed of his blindness believed and worshipped 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 Messiah ship to those who will hear, and now He declares it to these religious rulers" (T. T. B. J. Vernon McGee).
Verse 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."
LGT "Jesus answered them, I told you and you believe not: the works which I am doing in the name of My Father these things testify concerning Me."
This verse is a continuation of the last verse; Jesus is confirming the fact that it is not a deficiency in the amount of truth that they disbelieve; it is their own willingness to disbelieve. Jesus states in this verse that all the works that His Father had Him do was still not enough to convince an unbeliever of their folly. Jesus said I have already told you all that I am the Son of God, but you will not believe Me. Jesus deliberately refuses to use the term 'Messiah' because of the legal religious overtones. "My doctrine is easily enough understood, but the blame lies with you, because you maliciously resist God" (Calvin). Here in this verse Jesus is saying, "I told you who I am" and "I do the works of My Father" proving I come from Him and you still reject; that can only mean one thing, you stubbornly and obstinately refuse to believe in Me. These Jewish leaders wanted Him to declare again that He was the Son of God so they could have Him arrested for blasphemy. I believe one of the fundamental faults with our religious institutions today is that they believe they can explain the Word of God better than the Word explains itself. A good exegete will direct whomever he is instructing in the Word without a lot of external testimonies and examples. I have come to be very cautious of human examples and testimonies. Our Lord always directed His deity back to the source, His heavenly Father, 'I do the works of My Father.' I believe the teacher who uses a lot of human-interest stories and illustrations actually clouds the divine issues.
Verse 26, "But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you."
LGT "But you believe not, because you are not out of My sheep."
"This had been the point in the allegory of the Good Shepherd. In fact, they were children of the devil in spirit and conduct (John 8:43), pious ecclesiastics though they seemed, veritable wolves in sheep's clothing" (Matt. 7:15) (Robertson).
Verse 27, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
LGT "The sheep those that are mine hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me."
"My sheep hear My voice,"
Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have no difficulty in understanding the Words of the Lord. The sheep hear the voice of their Shepherd as they follow Him. If we want to know the Truth, and be set free, the Lord will make sure through His Word that we will understand.
"And I know them."
The Lord knows us who believe. This is not something we should hide from, but we should rest assured and be happy He knows us as He does. When we sin, we should confess (name) our sin honestly before Him in private, because we cannot hide anything from Him. We may be able to put up our facade before others in this life and fool them into thinking we are really quite nice, while before the Lord, we are stripped to the core, for He knows our every motive and devious thoughts.
"And they follow Me."
"I believe in the eternal security of the believer and in the insecurity of the make-believer" (McGee). The believer will follow Me. In Israel there were many sheep, nationally, but only the ones who followed Jesus were His own, because they heard His voice and they followed Him, and He knows His own. My sheep know Me, and the reason I know they hear Me is that they follow Me. My sheep follow Me in order to hear more. The literal translation is "The sheep, those that are mine" is a characteristic form of expression familiar to John (Vincent).
Verse 28, "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."
LGT "And I give to them life eternal and in no wise will they perish for ever and not anyone will snatch away them out of My hand."
"And I give unto them eternal life;"
"I give" not 'I will give. The gift is present and continuous" (Vincent). Eternal life begins the moment we believe. The most precious benefit of knowing the Lord is that by knowing Him we inherit eternal life, the great gift of His Love and Grace. I love this verse, not just because of the inheritance that He promises here, but that it is a gift, that is, eternal life is free, I did nothing to receive His most precious gift of life; it is mine because I believe in Him. If we had to do some good work to receive this eternal life it would be a reward and not a gift.
"And they shall never perish,"
The word 'never' in the Greek here is an emphatic double negative 'ou me' meaning 'in no way' or 'May it never be.' This double negative is the strongest negation in the Greek language to express our English equivalent 'never.' What the Lord is saying is that the life He gives us the moment we believe on Him is forever, and we don't have to worry about it, because it is His gift to us and that whatever He gives is perfect, and that if He gives us this life He alone will keep us in it. "The sheep may get into the pigpen, but there has never been a sheep in a pigpen that stayed in the pigpen. Sheep and pigs do not live together, the sheep is always a sheep" (McGee)
"Neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand."
This is the security of the believer. No one can say that if Jesus says we are safe in Him, that we are not safe. I believe I will rest in the Word of the one who died for me and made My eternal life possible. If Christ says that He will keep me safe in His hand, I am sure I am safe. The Armenian's will argue that this verse is true as far as someone else snatching us out of Christ's hand, but they say that because of our free will we are able to jump out. This is pure speculation [guesswork] on their part, because they want to feel as though they had some part in their own salvation. Paul knocks the props out from under their speculation in Colossians 3:3, "For you have died and your life is hid with Christ in God." This is a position even the believer could not remove himself even if he was prone to. "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" (McGee).
Verse 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."
LGT "My Father who has given [them] to me is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch [seize] out of the hand of the Father."
The believer is double secure; here in this verse we see that Christ is saying not only are you safe in My hand, you are also safe in the Hands of His Father, as we noted above in Paul's letter to the Colossian Church, 'We are hid in Christ in God' (Col. 3:3). Jesus repeats the statement 'No one can snatch them out of My Fathers hand' for emphasis. It must be important for the Lord to repeat first that it is impossible for anyone 'to snatch them out of the Son's hand' and now 'the Father's hand.' He gives the reason for this great phenomenon in the next verse.
Verse 30, "I and My Father are one."
LGT "I and the Father are one."
Jesus is claiming unequivocally (undeniably) His deity. Jesus uses the neuter hen (one) not masculine heis, so He is not saying He is the same person as the Father, only the same essence (fundamental nature). "The Pharisees had accused Jesus of making Himself equal with God as His own special Father (John 5:18). Jesus then admitted and proved this claim (5:19-30). Now He states it tersely in this great saying repeated after (17:11, 21). This crisp statement is the climax of Christ's claims concerning the relation between the Father and Himself (the Son). They stir the Pharisees to uncontrollable anger" (Robertson).
"As the Son and the Father are one, so the believer becomes one with the Father and the Son, and the believer's life is as eternal as that of the Father and the Son. In asserting that the believer's oneness with Him is the same as His oneness with the Father, Jesus was claiming to be Deity" (The Words and Works Jesus Christ - J. Dwight Pentecost).
"In guarding His people, He is obedient to the Father's will; what wonder, then, if they are simultaneously guarded by the Father Himself?" (Bruce).
Renewed Conflict
Verse 31, "Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him."
LGT "The Jews again took up stones in order to stone Him."
There is one sure thing about Jesus Christ, He did not hide who He was; He knew how outrageous the Jews became at His claiming Deity, but that could never stop Him. Throughout this Gospel record, every time the Pharisees heard Jesus' claim to be of the same essence as the Father, they became outraged and wanted to kill Him. The word 'again' is referring to John 8:59. Vincent believes the Pharisees brought the stones with them to stone Jesus, because there would be none at Solomon's Porch where Jesus was speaking.
"They found Jesus' words even more provocative (offensive) than His works. It was bad enough that He should make a cripple carry his pallet or smear clay on a blind man's eyes on the Sabbath Day, thus committing or abetting a technical breach of the Sabbath Law, but the arguments by which He justified these actions were, they thought, much worse. The attempt to take His life after the incident at the pool of Bethesda (presumably then also by stoning, though this is not said in so many words) was prompted by the fact that 'He not only broke the Sabbath, but also called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God' (John 5:18)" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 32, "Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from My Father; for which of those works do ye stone Me?"
LGT "Jesus answered them, Many good works I showed you sourced out from the Father: because of what kind of work do you stone Me?"
"Many good works Have I showed you from My Father."
The Greek word for 'good' is kala meaning intrinsically (fundamentally) beautiful. The phrase 'from My Father' is ek tou patros meaning 'sourced out from My Father.' To paraphrase this sentence it would be: 'Many beautiful works sourced out from My Father I have showed you.'
"For which of these works do ye stone Me?'
Jesus is asking of what character of My works are you about to stone Me. Jesus' works were very consistent with His Words. "Jesus does not mean, as the A. V. and Rev. imply, 'for which one of these works,' but 'what is the character of that particular work among all these for which you stone Me?' The Me, closing the sentence is emphatic" (Vincent).
Verse 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."
LGT "The Jews answered Him, concerning a good [intrinsically beautiful] deed we do not stone you but concerning blasphemy, and because You a man which makes Yourself God."
"For a good work we stone Thee not;"
"This statement of the Jews was a flat denial that the healing of the blind man on the Sabbath had led them to this attempt (8:59) in spite of the facts" (Robertson). The word for 'good' in Greek is kalous meaning 'intrinsically (fundamentally) beautiful.' There was no way on earth that these Jews did not recognize God at work in Christ's miracles. They were so intent on getting rid of Christ, that they blinded themselves to His deity.
"But for blasphemy; and because that Thou being a man, makest Thyself God."
The Greek word for 'blasphemy' is blasphemias to speak of God or divine things in terms of impious irreverence, that is in mockery and contempt. These Jews were accusing Christ of 'blaspheming their God. "In 5:18 they stated the charge more accurately: 'He called God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.' That is, He made Himself the Son of God. This He did beyond a doubt. But was it blasphemy? Only if He was not the Son of God. The penalty for blasphemy was death by stoning (Lev. 24:16)" (Robertson). "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" (McGee).
Verse 34, "Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"
LGT "Jesus answered them, Does it not stand written in your law that I said, you are gods?"
Robertson says that 'written' is a periphrastic perfect passive indicative gegrammenon' meaning 'does it not stand written?' "Ye are gods is another direct quotation. The Judges of Israel abused their office and God is represented in Psalms 82:6 as calling them 'gods' because they were God's representatives, "I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." Jesus meets the rabbis on their own ground in a thoroughly Jewish way." The word 'law' is nomos and here it is reference to the entire Old Testament.
Verse 35, "If He called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;"
LGT "If them He called gods to whom the word of God came, and the scripture is not able to be broken, that is, made null and void."
"If He called them gods, unto whom the word of God came,"
In other words, if God called the judges referred to in Psalms 82:6, by whom He proclaimed His word gods, where is their argument with Him?
"If God Himself calls them 'gods' (and 'sons of the Most High' at that), why should it be counted a capital offence in the Sent one of the Father if He calls Himself the Son of God? The argument is conducted thus far on the level of Jesus' opponents: His question would have made an interesting issue for rabbinical debate. The fact that the beings addressed in the Psalm were called 'gods', they might have said, did not prove that He was right in speaking of Himself as the Son of God; it simply proved that some created beings were properly called 'gods'" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
"And the scripture cannot be broken;"
The Greek word for 'broken' is luthenai and it means 'to loose or destroy' that is, 'to make null and void.' These men knew that what Christ was quoting was absolutely true, and nothing they could say could change that without declaring the scriptures 'null and void.'
Verse 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?"
LGT "Whom the Father consecrated [set apart] and sent into the world do you say He is blaspheming, because I said, I am [the] Son of God?"
"Say ye of Him, the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world,"
The Greek word 'sanctified' In this verse is hagiasen meaning to 'consecrate' and 'to set apart' unto deity. So Jesus is saying I was not created but I was sent to you from the Father from My eternal position with Him, as I was set apart for this mission, for I am the Son of God. "Accordingly, these two things are joined, that He was sanctified and sent into the world. But we must also understand for what reason and on what condition He was sent. It was to bring salvation from God, to prove and exhibit Himself, in every possible way, to be the Son of God" (Calvin).
"Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?"
Do you call me a blasphemer because I say that I am the Son of God? There is no way that these Jews could possibly understand the deity of Christ until they accept Him as the Redeemer. They remain 'natural men' in their unregenerate state, and the natural man is unable to comprehend Deity. The phrase 'I am the Son of God' does not have the article 'the' so it is not speaking of Christ's person as the 'Son of God', but His character that is, His deity.
Verse 37, "If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not."
LGT "If I do not the works of My Father, do not believe Me."
"The phrase 'believe Me not' is a prohibition with the negative 'me' with the present active imperative meaning 'do not have the habit of believing Me, or cease believing Me.' Jesus rest His case on His doing the works of His Father, repeating His claims to Son ship and Deity" (Robertson). Vincent notes that the way Jesus formed this prohibition is that they were rejecting His words and not His person. However, if a person rejects Christ's Words He will also reject Christ's works and person as the Son of God.
Verse 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."
LGT "But if I do, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works, in order that you may know and understand that in Me is the Father and I am in the Father."
"But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works:"
Condition of the first class, same as verse 37, assumed to be true (Robertson). Jesus is saying, and now that I am doing the works of My Father in opposition to verse 37, even though you don't believe in Me personally, at least recognize that I am doing My Father's works. "Though I allow you to doubt of My doctrine, you cannot deny, at least, that the miracles which I have performed are from God. You therefore openly reject God, and not a man" (Calvin).
"That ye may know, and believe,"
This phrase presents two different tenses for the verb to know 'ginosko.' The first 'gnote' is a second aorist active subjunctive, 'that you may come to know; the second, 'ginoskete' is a present active subjunctive, 'that you may keep on knowing,' so it should read, 'that you may know and understand' (Robertson). The verb believe 'pistuete' is implied in the verb 'understand' in the KJV.
"That the Father is in Me, and I in Him."
Here Jesus repeats verse 30, "I and My Father are one." This doctrine was the 'hopeless wish' as Robertson puts it, of the Lord; His desire is that all who believe would share in this unique relationship He possessed with His heavenly Father. The Greek text reads, "That the Father is in Me, and I in the Father." "I do nothing but by the command of God, so that there is a mutual connection between Me and My Father" (Calvin). God sent Jesus for this purpose, to bring all to the Father.
Verse 39, "Therefore they sought again to take Him: but He escaped out of their hand,"
LGT "[Therefore] they sought again to seize Him, and He went out from their hand."
"Therefore they sought again to take Him."
"The word 'sought' is an imperfect active verb and would read, 'they kept on seeking to seize Him, as they had tried repeatedly (7:1, 30, 44; 8:20), but in vain" (Robertson). Here the Jews were ready to throw the stones at Jesus because of His claim to be the Son of God.
"Such teaching was meat and drink to those who listened to it in the upper room, but it was anathema [an abomination] to those who heard it on the present occasion. Their conviction that Jesus was a blasphemer was strengthened, and again they tried to arrest Him, as they had done at the Feast of Tabernacles (7:30), but again they failed. That 'His hour had not yet come' is not given as the explicit [clear] reason for their failure here, as it is there, but it is no doubt implied" (The Gospel and Epistles of John - F. F. Bruce).
Verse 40, "And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there He abode."
LGT "And He departed again beyond the Jordan into the place where John was first baptizing and was remaining there."
The region is called Perea. (See map) Jesus left Jerusalem not to return until Palm Sunday.
Verse 41, "And many resorted unto Him, and said, John did no miracles: but all things that John spake of this man were true."
LGT "And many came to Him and said that John indeed did no sign: but all things whatsoever John said concerning this man was true."
Here Jesus would be safe. John the Baptist had not performed any miracles here, but He was well known for his ministry of preparing the way for the Lord Jesus Christ, and the people, half Gentiles, attested that whatever John said about Jesus was true. "Here was prepared soil for Christ" (Robertson).
Verse 42, "And many believed on Him there."
LGT "And many believed on Him there."
The references to John the Baptist in this Gospel record diminish much to John's own design, "I must decrease, in order that He (Christ) must increase" (John 3:30).
"Jesus now found it necessary to leave Jerusalem and Judea for a time. The campaign in Judea had profoundly stirred the people. But the antagonism of His enemies had also grown more bitter, culminating in a renewed attempt to stone Him in the Feast of the Dedication, when He so adroitly [skillfully] parried [sidestepped] their assault, making skillful use of one of their own Rabbinical methods. All doors to His ministry were now closed in Judea. For some time Galilee also had rejected His ministry. There was only one place left to His choice for the work of the remaining brief months before He should face the last issue in Jerusalem - the half-heathen province of Perea across the Jordan. Thither He repaired with His disciples, choosing as the center from which He would work out His evangelistic activities, Bethany, where John passed the first times of his ministry of some months. There Jesus was remaining in the place where He had been baptized by John in the Jordan - place of hallowed memories - where He had met and won His first disciples in the surrounding parts of this province, largely Gentile. He had success here, away from the prejudiced atmosphere of Jerusalem. Many poured in from the surrounding places to attend His ministry. Jesus ministered to them: preaching, teaching and healing. The report of those who came was the same everywhere. They 'were saying' in comparing the ministry of Jesus with that of John, as people will do, that 'John did no sign' or miracles, but all the things he had said concerning this new preacher, Jesus, were true. John's testimony had prepared the soil for this last fruitful campaign of Jesus in which 'many believed in Him'" (The Life of Christ - Farrar).
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