1 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd. 17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. 18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.” 19 Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Commentary
The Lord Jesus Christ having just made it clear to the Pharisees that unless one sees their own need for Him, they will not have salvation from Him. And so now He begins an analogy of Himself and His true disciples with a Shepherd and His sheep. Now the sheepfold was a livestock enclosure where the sheep were housed and kept safe from predators and such when they were not grazing. These enclosures were usually made of stone walls (the most readily available material) with a large gate where a gatekeeper would keep watch of the sheep during the night hours. And so, in the morning the shepherd would arrive and the gatekeeper would open the gate for him so he could lead his sheep out to graze for the day, before he would return with them again around nightfall. That is the backdrop of what Jesus is using as an analogy of Himself and His leading His people in and out here. And so, Jesus begins by saying, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” Vs. 1 Now in saying as much Jesus will begin to draw a picture of Himself as the legitimate Shepherd of the sheep as opposed to those who claim to be God’s leaders but are not. And so here Jesus is describing Himself as the legitimate Shepherd of the sheep who enters the sheepfold by the door where the doorkeeper keeps watch of the sheep. However, Jesus goes on to warn us that there are also those who will seek to enter the sheep pen by some other way, here described as climbing over the wall, and thus by stealth, and so Jesus says of them that they are only thieves and robbers. Now later Jesus will describe Himself as the door by which all people must enter God’s sheepfold (i.e. Kingdom, John 10:9). But here He is emphasizing His Rightful Place and Position as the True Shepherd of God’s sheep. Thus, no Biblical Apostle has ever claimed this Status or Position over Gods people, for that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ alone!
Vs. 2-3 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
And so, it is Jesus says that he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep (vs. 2), and so unlike the false shepherds who enter in by stealth and deceit, and are only thieves and robbers, (who neither know the sheep, nor care about them, but only seek to profit from them) the True Shepherd enters by the door, and it is to Him that the doorkeeper opens the door, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls them by name and He leads them out (Vs. 3). Thus, here we have the Lord Jesus Christ who knows His own individually, and whom His own also recognize Him, and so He calls each one of us who believe in Him out by name before leading us into His discipleship, witness, and service.
Vs. 4-5 4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”
Jesus Christ then is the True Shepherd and when He brings out His sheep, He goes before us, for that is what genuine leadership does, it leads in righteousness and truth! And so, we as His sheep follow Him, for we know His voice (vs. 4). And we will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from them, for we do not know the voice of strangers (vs. 5). And thus, there is given us by God an ear to only hear the voice of His Son! For truly we will by no means follow false teachers, prophets, or leaders, and the false and misleading doctrines that they propagate, and or seek to exploit or mislead the sheep by to make disciples after themselves.
Vs. 6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.
Now when Jesus used this illustration (i.e. parable) they (the Pharisees) do not belong to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore they did not understand the things which He spoke to them, and so now He will clarify it for them, and for all (vs. 6).
Vs. 7-8 7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
The Lord Jesus once again uses the metaphor of the door (vs. 2) but this time to describe Himself as the entry way into the Kingdom of heaven! Having stated as much, the Lord Jesus now says that, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” Vs. 8 For no One else has, or ever had the Words of Everlasting life until the Lord Jesus Christ Himself arrived! Thus all who ever came before Him claiming to be something (when they are nothing) are only thieves and robbers! Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ also says that the sheep, His sheep, did not hear them, because as He said previously, we will not hear the voice of strangers, of would be Messiahs and leaders, because our souls satisfaction only comes from the Words of the Lord Jesus Christ not from someone (or something) less than Him!
Vs. 9 “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.”
The Lord Jesus Christ now clearly says that He is the Door! The Door that you and I must pass through to have eternal redemption! Therefore Jesus Promises that if anyone enters by Him, not by their own works and ways, and not by following someone or something else, but by Him, by faith in His Person Crucified and Risen from the dead, they will be saved, saved from eternal condemnation, and they will go in and out and find pasture! And so more than just saving us the Lord Jesus Christ (unlike cult leaders and religious gurus) also gives us the freedom to come in and go out and thus enjoy and experience life in all its fulness!
Vs. 10 “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
In contrast then to then liberty and life that the Lord Jesus Christ brings to His sheep, here we are warned that the thief, (that is those who seek to bear rule over the sheep but have no business doing so), only come to steal, kill and destroy! And so just like the devil their father, so they likewise do! Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ states once again that He comes that we may have life, everlasting life, yes! But also, life more abundantly! which is not found by being bound to the doctrines and commandments of stoic and staunch and legalistic religious men, but only found in believing and obeying the Lord Jesus Christ by His Spirits guidance and empowering, who also enables and empowers us to enjoy our lives! For a life set free from sin and death and judgment and now filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit is most definitely worth living and enjoying and sharing to the fullest with all! There is then no greater witness to the world than a Christian who exemplifies by God’s Holy Spirit dwelling in and working through them the liberty and life that Christ brings to one and to all who believe in Him!
Vs. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
The Lord Jesus Christ now calls Himself the Good Shepherd of the Sheep. For that is what He is, the Good Shepherd, the One who knows and cares for each one of us individually! And because He cares for us all He gives His life for the sheep!
Vs. 12-13 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.
In contrast then to the Lord Jesus Christ who loves and cares for us all, who is the Shepherd of us all who believe in Him is the hireling, that is the hired man, who does not own the sheep, and so his interest and concern for the sheep goes only so far as he is paid to do his basic functions and duties. For as Jesus says when the hireling sees the wolf coming, he doesn’t stand his ground to defend or protect the sheep, instead he only flees and leaves the sheep to fend for themselves! And that is how you will now a real Pastor called by God from someone just seeking to make a comfortable living, for when the troubles come, does he stick around or run!
Vs. 14-15 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
Once again Jesus declares Himself as the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep and is known by His sheep, which is the intimate relationship that with have with Him, and He with us, which itself reflects the Father and Son relationship. Finally, in testifying as the Good Shepherd, whose love and greatest concern for us all is that we are saved from eternal condemnation, Jesus once again foretells His willingness to suffer and die on the Cross as the Substitute and Sacrifice for us all who believe in Him!
Vs. 16 “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.”
When Jesus was speaking, He was speaking to the Jews, but here if this is not understood already, His Words were never directed just towards them, but to us all who will believe in Him! And so, what was once the exclusive fold of Judaism under the Law (i.e. Old Covenant) has now become the New Covenant Flock of believers made up of Jews and Gentiles of Christianity! For truly under the Headship of the Lord Jesus Christ there is only one flock of Believers (or one Body) now made up of Jews and Gentiles, and thus we are all now in a relationship with God the Father through the New Covenant and not the Old, of which Jesus Christ alone is the Eternal High Priest!
Vs. 17 “Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.”
Jesus now reveals that God the Father loves Him because of His willingness to lay down His life so that He may take it again (vs. 17), which means Jesus’ willingness to suffer Crucifixion death and then be buried three days before Rising by His own Power again from the dead! For it is these necessary things that must take place so that the Word of God is fulfilled, and thus we may have eternal Redemption, with the Lord’s Ascension back to God the Father in heaven and then the Holy Spirits outpouring, and thus His sealing and regeneration of everyone who now believes in Him!
Vs. 18 “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.”
Here the Lord Jesus Christ declares that His Crucifixion death will only be done as He Himself Wills it. For no one takes His life from Him, for He Himself has already decided in accord with the Scripture when and where and how this will all take place. And so, the Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that He alone has power to lay down His life, just as He alone has power to take it up again. No one then does these things to Him until He alone Wills this to be done. And in this He will first suffer Crucifixion death at the hands of evil and sinful men and then Rise from the death by His own Power just as He seeks to obey the command that He has received from His Father.
Vs. 19 “Therefore there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings.”
The Lord Jesus Christs Words caused a division among the Jews because some were being Spiritually awakened by His Words, while others being hardened of heart only spoke evil of Him. And so, in those Jews inability to understand we see the Spiritual blindness and hardness of heart that has come upon the Jews until the fulness of the Gentiles comes in! (Rom. 11:25).
Vs. 20 And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Now the worst of them fearlessly and openly blasphemed the Lord Jesus Christ saying He has a demon and is mad! Something which they and all like them will be quickly back peddling from when He in flaming fire takes vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Thess. 1:8). Others though were a little fairer minded and began to realize that what Jesus was doing and saying were not the deeds and Words of an ordinary man!
Scripture Quotations
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
No comments:
Post a Comment