Bible Commentaries
John 10

Verse 1

1 The first five verses constitute a certain sheepfold, the flock of which consisted of the Jews whom John baptized for Christ the "Good Shepherd," and I shall comment on the verses from that standpoint. Some people apply this verse to the church, which is incorrect for more than one reason. No one can steal into the church, for even if he does act the hypocrite in his confession, and get the local congregation to accept him into the fellowship, that will not make him actually a member of the church. Act 2:47 says the Lord adds to the church those that are being saved, and that can be accomplished only by sincere obedience, hence no person can get into the church as a robber. But in our case, certain ones actually get in though unlawfully. So the necessary conclusion is that it refers to men who succeeded in deceiving the people and actually gained entrance into the confidence and fellowship of the Lord's people. The cases in Act 5:36-37 will serve as illustrations of this kind of deception.

Verse 2

2 The person entering the door into the sheepfold would thus be denoted as the true shepherd for two reasons. First, none but the true shepherd would attempt to gain entrance at that place. Second, even if anyone should try to get through it who was not entitled to enter, he would not be permitted to do so. (See next verse.)

Verse 3

3 When a flock was taken from the pasture in the evening, it was led through the gate into the fold. A gatekeeper was employed to guard the entrance until the shepherd was again ready to lead his sheep out for pasture. When he appeared at the gate, the keeper or porter as he is called here, would recognize him and open the entrance to the fold. But if a stranger should appear, claiming to be the shepherd, the porter would know he was a fraud and would not admit him, which was referred to in the preceding verse. A sheep is naturally adapted to affectionate relationship with his master, and it is stated in history, that shepherds in the east had the practice of naming each individual animal, very much as a child will name his pets.

Verse 4

4 The sheep recognized the voice of their master because he was the one who called them by name. It is characteristic of pets to notice when their name is mentioned. One may see an advertisement in the press for a lost animal, and probably the ad will state, "he recognizes the name," and then follows the name of the animal.

Verse 5

5 On the basis of the foregoing, if a stranger should come near a flock of sheep, they will flee from him instead of following. His voice will be strange to them which would make them fearful, hence they would flee in their fright.

Verse 6

6 Parable is not from the same Greek word that is generally used for the English term, but its practical purpose is the same. It means an illustration that is expressed in figurative language, where the comparison is to be discovered in the facts and truths that pertain to the subject. Since the Jews were not informed in all those facts, it is stated that they understood not what Jesus spake. With the record of the case as we have it in the work of John and Jesus, we should be able to see the comparison implied in this group of verses. The fold is the ones John prepared for Jesus as explained at verse 1. John is the porter, and he opened the door into the confidence of his disciples when he introduced Jesus as the "Lamb of God" in chapter 1:29. The door does not apply to that through which the sheep were to pass, but it was the shepherd who was to enter it. That door is the prophecies that had described him, and as soon as John learned the truths about Jesus he knew He was the one predicted, and then he opened the door to his disciples by the statement in chapter 1:29.

Verse 7

7 Up to this point the speech of Jesus pertained exclusively to his relation with the disciples of John who constituted the "sheepfold," and to John who acted as the "porter" for that group of his disciples. From here through verse 18 Jesus enlarges the subject, and will make remarks that pertain to the church as another fold. For this reason we shall see many changes in the implied comparisons, which can be understood only by considering what the New Testament teaches about the church, and what Jesus means to those who desire salvation through the great institution. However, he will continue to use many of the same terms since they are as true in many respects in the second case as in the first. There will be one distinct reference to the first fold which will be pointed out and commented upon when we reach that. verse. The word again is what introduces the second line of thought just mentioned a few lines above. In the second fold Jesus is the door as well as the shepherd. That is because no one can enter a saved condition now except through Christ (chapter 14:6), and after entering thereat he must still be subject to him as his great Shepherd.

Verse 8

8 This verse was true from a general standpoint. It would include the cases mentioned in Act 5:36-37, and also the false prophets and false Christs who rose up from time to time and claimed to be the fulfillers of the law and the prophets. To the extent of their success in misleading people, they were robbers. But others were well enough acquainted with the Old Testament that they were not deceived, and they "turned a deaf ear" to the impostors.

Verse 9

9 The terms or expressions used in an illustration, are generally drawn from the characteristics of the subject, concerning which the comparison is made, and the application cannot always be made literally. One such expression is go in and out. Jesus had already selected a shepherd and his work for his illustration, and that made such a phrase appropriate. A shepherd will lead his flock into the fold in the evening for the night, then lead them out the next morning for pasture. In its application it simply means that if a man accepts Jesus as his Shepherd, he will be saved from the wolves of sin, and also will be abundantly supplied with spiritual pasture or food.

Verse 10

0 A thief attempting to get possession of a flock not belonging to him, could have no good motive for his action. He would count on slaughtering the animals, either for food or material for clothing or for both. The true shepherd would love the flock and would be interested in its growth in numbers and increase in weight.

Verse 11

1 Good shepherd giveth 'his life. Smith's Bible Dictionary says the following which will explain why a shepherd would run the risk of losing his life in defending the sheep: "The office of the eastern shepherd, as described in the Bible, was attended with much hardship, and even danger. He was exposed to the extremes of heat and cold, Gen 31:40. . . . He had to encounter the attacks of wild beasts, occasionally of the larger species, such as lions, wolves, panthers, and bears, 1Sa 17:34; Isa 31:4; Jer 5:6; Amo 3:12; nor was he free from the risk of robbers or predatory [destructive] hordes."

Verse 12

2 A man who is hired to care for a flock of sheep would have no personal or affectionate interest in them. Such a person would not be expected to risk his life in defence of the flock, for he is acting only because of his financial interests. This would illustrate a man in the religious world who pretends to be laboring in behalf of the people of God, but who is in the business only because of personal interest in the form of money or popularity. Neither should he be expected to endure persecution or other disadvantages on account of the profession he is making. Catcheth them and scattereth the sheep. That is, the wolf gets hold of some of the sheep which he mangles, while the others will flee in terror, the shepherd having already deserted them.

Verse 13

3 See the comments on the preceding verse about hirelings.

Verse 14

4 This mutual recognition is due to the affectionate relation between a shepherd and his flock, in which each sheep has its own name. See the comments on this point at verses 3 and 4.

Verse 15

5 The Father and Son are interested in the same flock, hence their mutual knowledge of each other is manifested in their common care for the flock. If the shepherd is called upon to give his life in defence of the sheep, the Father will give that life back to Him.

Verse 16

6 This is the verse that was referred to in the comments on verse 7. This fold means the one described in verses 1-5, consisting of the Jews whom John baptized in preparation for Christ. There was a special need for that group to be ready for Jesus, because the Jews as a nation had become so corrupt that none of them would have been good enough for the personal use of Him. But that was not because they alone were to be given a chance to save their souls. In the course of time the people of every race and nation were to be invited to come into the one fold which is the church. These are the other sheep of this verse. The term I have is in the present tense as to grammatical form, but it was spoken prospectively because Jesus knew that the Gentiles would hear his voice and come into the church. It was on the same principle that the Lord told Paul, "I have much people in this city" (Act 18:10). He knew that many of the Corinthians still in sin would accept the truth when they heard it, and by divine inspiration he could say, "I have." Jesus used the term other sheep I have in this verse in the same inspired prediction. One fold and one shepherd means there was to be one church, and that all of the Lord's sheep whether Jews or Gentiles would be in it.

Verse 17

7 Had the death of Christ been involuntary, his Father would not have raised him to life again. This willingness on his part caused God to love his Son.

Verse 18

8 Yes, man was the instrument through which Jesus died. But had it not been the will of the Son to die, no man would have been able to slay him. (See Mat 26:53.) Because of his willingness to carry out this part of his Father's will, he was given the power (EXOUSIA, authority) to lay his life down and then take it up again. This commandment refers to the will of God that his Son should come into the world and die as a sacrifice for sin. When Jesus came it was for the purpose of doing that very thing. Paul wrote about this in Heb 10:5-7 in connection with the new covenant.

Verse 19

1 These verses are explained at chapter 7:20 and 9:16.

Verse 22

2 This dedication was not any part of the law of Moses. A wicked king of Syria named Antiochus Ephiphanes, drove the priests from the altar of sacrifices at Jerusalem and burned the flesh of swine on it. After some years of struggle, a zealous Jew by the name of Judas Maccabaeus got possession of the altar. He cleansed it and dedicated it anew to the lawful service. In honor of that event the Jews established a feast that was celebrated annually. John refers to it only as a matter of date, indicating the occasion on which the things took place of which he was writing. This sacrilege by the wicked king is predicted and commented upon at Dan 8:9-12, in volume 4 of the Old Testament Commentary.

Verse 23

3 Solomon's porch. Thayer explains this as follows: "A porch or portico built by Solomon in the eastern part of the temple (which in the temple's destruction by the Babylonians was left uninjured, and remained down to the times of King Agrippa, to whom the care of the temple was intrusted by the emperor Claudius, and who on account of its antiquity did not dare to demolish and build it anew)." It is elsewhere described as a covered walk where people would be protected from the weather and sun. All of this explains why we read of various gatherings of the people at this place.

Verse 24

4 These Jews were not really wanting information, for Jesus had already furnished an abundance of evidence that he was the Christ. They hoped that by repeated demands they would catch Jesus unawares, and that he would say something on which they could base some accusation of disloyalty to Moses or to Caesar.

Verse 25

5 Jesus made a very brief reply to their demand. He referred to what had previously been said and done concerning his works in the Father's name.

Verse 26

6 All who accepted the teaching of John became sheep for the fold that was being prepared for Christ. If they refused to accept that work of the forerunner, they naturally would not believe the teaching of the shepherd when he came. That is why Jesus told these Jews the reason they did not believe his word was because they were not of my sheep.

Verse 27

7 Jesus made more believers through his personal teaching and that of his apostles. These became sheep also and came under the same rules that regulate a flock with its shepherd, whose voice the sheep had learned.

Verse 28

8 They shall never perish is on the condition that the sheep hear the voice of the shepherd. He will give them eternal life, whereas a temporal shepherd leads his flock into temporal pasture. This verse does not teach the false doctrine known as "once in grace always in grace." But if a man is faithful to the law of Christ, then it is true that no other person can pluck him out of the hand of the Shepherd.

Verse 29

9 The Father will not hold a sheep regardless of whether it is faithful and satisfied with the spiritual pasturage which He provides for him. But if the sheep is thus true to the Father, then no man can get that sheep out of His grasp.

Verse 30

0 The Father is greater than all other beings in existence. Since He and his Son are one (in spirit and purpose), the security of a sheep that is true to them is established and is based on the unfailing power and goodness of the Lord.

Verse 31

1 At every climax of the arguments of Jesus, the conclusion was so unanswerable that the Jews were enraged. Instead of acting in a fair manner and accepting the teaching, they would threaten him with violence.

Verse 32

2 In reality it was the good works of Jesus that angered the Jews. They did not like to see the favor that he was receiving from the multitude, but were not honest enough to admit it. As a screen for their envious hypocrisy, they pretended to object to some of his personal claims.

Verse 33

3 The specific grievance they put forward was that Jesus made himself God. He did not make such a claim directly (although he could have done so justly if taken rightly) but only had claimed to be the Son of God.

Verse 34

4 In reply to the charge of the Jews, Jesus made a quotation from Psa 82:6. Incidentally, let us note that Jesus called the book of Psalms your law, which tells us that the writings of Moses do not contain all of "the law" of the Jews. In this citation are the words ye are gods; they were addressed to the Jews of old to whom the law was sent, and in such a form of speech they were called gods. There is nothing strained in attributing such a title to God's people. The name God is a family one and includes every member of that family. Every member of the Jones family is a Jones, and likewise every member of the family of God is a God in the sense of relationship. It was in that sense the passage in Psalms was used.

Verse 35

5 The mere fact of being the ones to whom the word of God was sent, entitled them to the family relationship and the right to its name, which was God. The scripture cannot be broken denotes that these Jews had no right to speak of Jesus in a way that would criticize the scripture just quoted.

Verse 36

6 Sanctified is from HAGIAZO. It has such varied applications in the New Testament, sometimes pertaining to man and at others applying to the Lord, that I think it will be well to copy the definitions (the parts in italics) of Thayer. The reader should acquaint himself with these different clauses, and when using them in any given place in the scripture, always use the one that is appropriate. "1. To render or acknowledge to be venerable [worthy of high regard], to hallow. 2. To separate from things profane and dedicate to God, to consecrate. 3. To purify, to cleanse externally. To purify internally by reformation of soul." Jesus never had any impurities in his character, hence the definitions 1 and 2 should apply to him. The Father acknowledged the Son as being worthy of high regard, when he said he was his beloved Son in whom he was well pleased (Mat 3:17), and he dedicated him to the great work of God when he gave the command, "Hear ye him" (Mat 17:5). If the people who were honored only by having the law sent to them were entitled to be called gods, then certainly the One on whom God bestowed all these latter honors has the right to be called Son of God.

Verse 37

7 Jesus was willing to rest his reputation upon the works that he did. The Jews would not have been able to name a single thing that Jesus performed that God condemned in the Scriptures. That would indicate the works were of the Father and it should have caused them to become believers.

Verse 38

8 The gist of this verse is the willingness of Jesus to pass over his personality for the time. Yet he insisted that the Jews should at least accept him as a worker of good things.

Verse 39

9 Again the Jews were baffled by the reasoning of Jesus. Instead of acknowledging their inability to meet the issue, they were inclined to take bodily possession of him. He escaped because his time had not yet come. (See chapter 7:6.)

Verse 40

0 Since it was not yet time for Jesus to be taken in hand by the Jews, he moved out of the territory of Jerusalem. It was his desire to continue his good work, and he selected a community where John had done work before he was slain. His preaching had doubtless sown the seeds of truth that prepared the soil for Jesus.

Verse 41

2 This paragraph confirms the comments on the preceding verse. The people saw in Jesus the fulfillment of many of John's sayings, and it made believers of them. John did no miracle. These people used the word in its physical sense, and there is no account of any such a work done by him. However, the predictions that John made of Christ and which were fulfilled, required supernatural knowledge, and such a manifestation could rightly be called' miraculous. The word miracle fills such a prominent place in the New Testament that I shall explain it in detail, with the hope the reader will make a note of it for reference, as it will not again be given in full. It comes from two different Greek words, and they have also been rendered by several other English words in the King James Version. Before giving the lexicon definitions of the original words, I shall state how each has been translated and how many times. One of the Greek words is DUNAMIS, and it has been rendered ability 1 time, abundance 1, meaning 1, miracle 8, power 77, strength 7, violence 1, virtue 3, wonderful work 1. The other Greek word is SEMEION, and it has been rendered miracle 22 times, sign 51, token 1, wonder 3. Since the last word is the one from which the significant words "miracle" and "sign" come usually, I shall give the lexicon definitions of it only. Thayer defines it, "A sign, mark, token A sign, prodigy, portent." He also explains his definitions, "That by which a person or thing is distinguished from another and by which it is known. . . . An unusual occurence, transcending [going beyond] the common course of nature." From the foregoing information, it can be seen that the word "miracle" has a very wide range of meaning, and the specific definition to apply in any given place must be determined by the connection in which it is used. Any unusual or great or wonderful thing that is done, whether by the Lord or man, may rightly be called a miracle. But the rule is that a miracle means something that only God can do, whether he does it directly or through the agency of man.