Frameworks:
John's Gospel, chapter 10
v.1-21
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
v.22-42
Further Conflict Over Jesus' Claims
v.1-21
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
v.1
(Jesus continues to challenge the Pharisees)
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees,
anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs
in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
v.2
(he teaches on keeping sheep, the shepherd enters
the sheepfold) The one who enters
by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
v.3
(the sheep know the voice of the shepherd)
The gatekeeper opens the gate for
him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep
by name and leads them out.
v.4
(he goes ahead of his sheep and they follow him)
When he has brought out all his own,
he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they
know his voice.
v.5
(sheep will run from a stranger) But
they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away
from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.”
v.6
(Jesus uses this analogy to help the Pharisees)
Jesus used this figure of speech,
but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
v.7
(claim 1 – to be the entry gate) Therefore
Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I
am the gate for the sheep.
v.8
(previous leaders failed to have the sheep listen
to them) All who have come before
me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to
them.
v.9
(claim 2 again – entry through him = salvation)
I am the gate;
whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and
go out, and find pasture.
v.10
(thieves come to steal and kill, he comes to bring
life) The thief comes only to
steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,
and have it to the full.
v.11
(claim 2- to be the shepherd who lays down his life)
“I
am the good shepherd. The
good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
v.12,13
(‘hired hands' aren't the shepherds and abandon
the sheep to wolves) The hired
hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he
sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then
the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away
because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
v.14,15
(claim 2 again – his sheep know him and he lays down
his life for them) “I
am the good shepherd; I know
my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and
I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
v.16 (he
has other sheep as well) I have
other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them
also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one
flock and one shepherd.
v.17
(the Father's love is revealed through his death
and resurrection) The reason
my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it
up again.
v.18
(he lays down his life willingly) No
one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have
authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This
command I received from my Father.”
v.19
(this causes disagreement in the listeners)
The Jews who heard these words were
again divided.
v.20
(some deride him) Many
of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen
to him?”
v.21
(others face the fact of the healing) But
others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by
a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
v.22-42
Further Conflict Over Jesus' Claims
v.22,23
(next it is the Feast of Dedication) Then
came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and
Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon's Colonnade.
v.24
(the Jews demand he reveal who he is) The
Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will
you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
v.25,26
(Jesus replies, I told you but you didn't believe
me) Jesus answered, “I did tell
you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father's name
testify about me, but you do not believe because you are not my
sheep.
v.27
(remember, I said my sheep listen to my voice)
My sheep listen to my voice; I know
them, and they follow me.
v.28
(I give them eternal life) I
give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will
snatch them out of my hand.
v.29
(my Father protects them) My
Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one
can snatch them out of my Father's hand.
v.30
(He and me are one ) I
and the Father are one.”
v.31,32
(they go again to stone him for blasphemy but he
queries why) Again his Jewish
opponents picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them,
“I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of
these do you stone me?”
v.33
(it's blasphemy to claim to be God) “We
are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for
blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
v.34
(what about the psalms?) Jesus
answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you
are “gods”' [Psa 82:6]?
v.35,36
(doesn't it mean the one who has come is God's son?)
If he called them ‘gods,' to whom
the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside— what about
the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into
the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said,
‘I am God's Son'?
v.37
(believe me if I do my Father's works) Do
not believe me unless I do the works of my Father.
v.38
(but even then I know you won't believe) But
if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works,
that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and
I in the Father.”
v.39
(he evaded their clutches) Again
they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.
v.40,41
(he left there and crossed to the east of the Jordan
where many people came) Then
Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had
been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, and many people
came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all
that John said about this man was true.”
v.42
(there, away from Jerusalem, many believed in him)
And in that place many believed in
Jesus.
Continue
to Chapter 11