João 10
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
João 10
Cole quips "the bottom line is, it’s not how much you know, but who you know. The Pharisees knew far more theology than the man born blind, but they didn’t know the true shepherd. But the healed blind man now knew Jesus as his shepherd. Do you? Jesus prayed (Jn 17:3): “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” (The True Shepherd and His Sheep) Warren
João 10
Cole - I read once about a seminary class that spent a semester searching the New Testament to discover which truth is emphasized more than any other. To their surprise they found that warnings against false teachers top the list, ahead of love or any other virtue. Jesus Himself warned (Mt. 7:15), “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” The metaphor pictures the deceptiveness and the self-centered destructiveness of false prophets. They fool the sheep into thinking that they are sheep, and thus gain access to the flock. But their aim is not to build up and care for the flock, but to ravage them for their own selfish purposes (see also, 2Co 11:13-15; 2Pe 2:1-22; and 1, 2, & 3 John).....Christlike shepherds warn their flocks about false teachers. If Jesus, the true shepherd, warned about false teachers, then His undershepherds must also warn about false teachers if they are faithful to Him. To put it another way, Jesus was not always “nice” and “positive.” Read Matthew 23:1-39, where He pronounces woe after woe on the scribes and Pharisees, whom He repeatedly calls “hypocrites.” Both Paul and John pointed out false teachers by name (1Ti 1:20; 2Ti 2:17; 4:14; 3Jn 9-10). People have criticized me because at times I have named false teachers or heretical groups. But if I leave it vague and general, people don’t connect the dots. I would not be a faithful shepherd if I didn’t specifically warn you about false teachers. (The True Shepherd and His Sheep ) (ED: See Jim Jones below) Sheep Pen (Sheepfold) - John Beck - See page 233 in the Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery The sheep and goats that were absolutely vital to the well-being of the average family had a very low capacity for defending themselves. Lacking the strength to fight or speed to flee, sheep and goats were no match for the large predators of the Promised Land. Therefore families developed a series of strategies designed to safeguard their animals. Each flock was assigned a shepherd whose sight, strength, and cunning compensated for the vulnerability of the flock. Throughout the daylight hours, the shepherd would keep the animals tightly configured in a close-knit group and usher stragglers back into the flock. With the need for food and water met, lengthening shadows signaled the coming of more dangerous hours for the flock. From dusk to dawn, even the presence of the shepherd did not guarantee the security of the flock, so the animals were taken into a hard-sided enclosure (ED: SEE PICTURE ABOVE) that put stone and thorns between predator and prey. Such sheep pens or sheepfolds were located either near the village or in the open countryside. During the wet winter season, pastures for the flock were available closer to the village, which meant it was possible for the shepherds to lead their animals to sheep pens associated with the village complex. But the drier late spring and summer forced the shepherds to move their flocks farther and farther away from the village. These pastures were often too far away to allow a return to the village sheep pens before dark, so the shepherds built sheepfolds in the open countryside in the vicinity of those remote pastures. In either case the sheepfold was not an enclosed barn or shed with roof and doors that turned on hinges. Instead, a sheep pen could be configured by enhancing a natural cave, closing off the cave’s open side by stacking fieldstones to create an artificial fourth wall for the shelter. When a cave was not available, the shepherd could build an elliptical wall of fieldstone that could be topped with a layer of thorny branches. Both types of sheep pen insulated the flock from predators with solid walls that deterred their access to the sheep and goats. Of course it was necessary to create an access point to either sheepfold. The gate that guarded this entry was not a wooden door but the shepherd himself or herself who sat in the opening and controlled who could enter and exit. This is the kind of sheep pen that receives both literal and metaphorical mention in the Bible. After the Israelites had secured the land east of the Jordan River, the descendants of Reuben and Gad approached Moses with a request. They asked that they be given their land inheritance on that side of the Jordan before sending their men into the battles that would win the west side of the Jordan River for the rest of the tribes (Nu 32:1–15+). They asked for and received permission to build the necessary infrastructure that would allow their women, children, and herds to live securely—fortified cities and pens to secure their livestock (Nu 32:16, 24+). David’s dramatic change in station from shepherd to shepherd-king is described by referring to his old habit of building sheep pens: “He chose David his servant and took him from the sheep pens; from tending the sheep he brought him to be shepherd of his people Jacob, of Israel his inheritance” (Ps. 78:70–71). The familiar sheep pen is also used rhetorically in the Bible. Zephaniah describes the ruin of the large and powerful Philistine cities by observing that the land they occupied would return to its earlier, rustic character. The places that teemed with thriving trade and urban sprawl would become “a place for shepherds and sheep pens” (Zeph. 2:6). Israel would also face the judgment of God as the Babylonian armies crisscrossed their land. Normal life would cease, a fact emphatically pictured by the prophet who looks in the direction of the sheep pens but finds them void of any animals (Hab. 3:17+). That is because God’s people were deported from the Promised Land. Yet there would be a return, a return that Micah envisioned with this metaphor: “I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely bring together the remnant of Israel. I will bring them together like sheep in a pen, like a flock in its pasture; the place will throng with people” (Mic. 2:12+). The most extended and well-known metaphor that employs the image of the sheep pen comes from John 10. Jesus had healed a man who was born blind. When the Pharisees took up an investigation of this matter, they threatened this man and his family with excommunication from the synagogue; no one who acknowledged Jesus as the Christ was permitted to remain a member (John 9:22+). When they made good on this threat, Jesus went to the man who had lost his membership in the synagogue to reassure him (Jn 9:35–38+). In the metaphor that followed, the sheep pen was the true Israel. Jesus made it clear that He was the “gate” of this sheep pen; He and he alone was the one who controlled or denied access: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved” (Jn 10:9+). But lest his listeners think of the kingdom of God in terms that were too narrow, Jesus added, “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” (Jn 10:16+). The flock of Jesus’ followers was much too large for one sheep pen. Gentiles from every corner and culture of the world would also be called to join the flock of the Good Shepherd. Related Resource: Sheep, Shepherd - 8 page discussion beginning on p 2628 in the Dictionary of Biblical Imagery - This is worth reading for great background on teaching John 10. Here is an excerpt from this long article... "Sheep are the most frequently mentioned animal in the Bible, with nearly four hundred references if we include references to flocks. Additionally, the figure of the shepherd receives approximately one hundred references. This prominence grows out of two phenomena—the importance of sheep to the nomadic and agricultural life of the Hebrews, and the qualities of sheep and shepherds that made them particularly apt sources of metaphor for spiritual realities. Sheep were a central part of the Israelite economy from the earliest days (Gen 4:2). Abraham, Isaac, Moses, David and Amos were all shepherds (Gen 12:16; 26:14; Ex 3:14; 2 Sam 7:8; Amos 1:1). Shepherds were not always men; shepherdesses include Rebekah (Gen 29:9) and the daughters of Jethro (Ex 2:16). Raised for both food (milk and meat) and wool, sheep were a natural part of life in the arid eastern Mediterranean because they can survive with a minimum of water and grass and can be moved to new grazing and watering areas during dry times (see Pasture). Sheep also figured prominently in the OT [Old Testament] sacrificial system. Conditions of shepherding in ancient Palestine provide the foundation for figurative references. These conditions were very different from most modern practices. Sheep were not fenced in and left to fend for themselves. Instead they were totally dependent on shepherds for protection, grazing, watering, shelter and tending to injuries. In fact, sheep would not survive long without a shepherd. Sheep are not only dependent creatures; they are also singularly unintelligent, prone to wandering and unable to find their way to a sheepfold even when it is within sight. Sometimes other animals, such as goats, were mixed with sheep. This situation figures prominently in at least two biblical passages—Jacob’s experiences with Laban’s flocks (Gen 30—31) and Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, with its picture of the final judgment as a time when God will separate sheep from goats (Mt 25:32—33). The helplessness of sheep helps to explain the actions and qualities of a good shepherd, who in the Bible is a case study in care and compassion. It was the task of a shepherd to lead sheep from nighttime protection in a sheepfold on safe paths to places of grazing and watering. After morning grazing and watering, sheep typically lie down for several hours at midday in a shady or cool place (Song 1:7), returning at night to the sheepfold, where the shepherd would attend to fevered or scratched sheep. To protect sheep against predators, shepherds would carry two pieces of equipment, the *“rod and staff” of Psalm 23:4, one of them a clublike weapon and the other the familiar crook used for protection, rescue and placing across the backs of sheep to count them as they entered the sheepfold (a process known as “the rodding of the sheep”; see Lev 27:32). Psalm 23, built around a typical day in the life of a shepherd, is a virtual handbook of these shepherding practices. Shepherds were thus providers, guides, protectors and constant companions of sheep. They were also figures of authority and leadership to the animals under their care. So close is the connection between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds are inseparable from their flocks, and their work is demanding, solitary and sometimes dangerous (Gen 31:38— 40; 1 Sam 17:34—35). Shepherds were aided by their sons or daughters (Gen 37:12; 1 Sam 16:11) or hired help (Jn 10:12— 13), again placing them in a position of authority and responsibility. Jesus the Shepherd By Rev. Melvin Tinker SCRIPTURE: John 10:1–21 INTRODUCTION: There are three things about Jesus, the shepherd leader, which marks Him out from all the other leaders the world has ever known or will know. 1. Jesus Is the Shepherd Who Knows His People (vv. 1–6). 2. Jesus Is the Shepherd Who Nourishes His People (vv. 7–10). 3. Jesus Is the Shepherd Who Dies for His Sheep (vv. 11–18). CONCLUSION: The final three verses show the two responses we can have to Jesus the Shepherd. We will either be offended by Him and insult or reject Him (vv. 19–20). Or, we may believe Him because of His words and works (v. 21)! James Smith - THE SHEPHERD JOHN 10:1–10 “Now, the training strange and lowly, Unexplained and tedious now: Afterward—the service holy And the Master’s “Enter thou.” —F. R. HAVERGAL. These “Verily, verily’s” of our Lord, which might be rendered, “In most solemn truth,” never seem to be used at the beginning of a discourse, but always to illustrate, or emphasise some preceding statement; so that the last part of chapter 9 is closely connected with the opening verses of chapter 10. Those hirelings, who cast the man out because he said that Christ opened his eyes, are here contrasted with the true shepherd, who cares for the sheep. The allegory of this chapter, like the parable in the fifteenth of Luke, is given to us in three different sections. We have (1) the sheepfold and the (under) shepherd (vv. 1–10); (2) the Good Shepherd giving His life for the sheep (vv. 11–18); (3) the safety of the sheep (vv. 25–30). I. The Sheepfold. This was an enclosure, into which the sheep were put for safety during the night (v. 1). This may have reference to the old theocracy, that position of privilege, which belonged to the Jews as God’s chosen and protected people, and into which no man could honourably enter, but by the door of birth—the seed of Abraham; or it may represent that new provision of security which Christ Himself was about to establish for His sheep, through the giving of His life for them. It is a sheepfold, there is no mention of goats here. II. The Entrance. There is an entrance, but only one. “I am the Door of the sheep” (v. 7). It is through Him who died for them that they enter into the safety and quiet of this spiritual and heavenly fold. “He that entereth in by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.” The sheep and the true shepherds all enter in by the same door. There is none other Name whereby we can be saved (Acts 4:12). He is no shepherd of the sheep who has not, first of all, appropriated Christ for himself, as the Way, the Truth, and the Life. If he enters not by this door into the sheepfold ministry, “the same is a thief and a robber,” and those sheep which have entered by the door will not follow him. Christ is the only open door into the salvation of God, and, praise Him, it is open for all “I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved” (v. 9). III. The Porter. “He that entereth by the door … to him the porter openeth” (v. 3). It is a marvel to us how commentators should ignore or belittle the porter, lest they should press the allegory too far. In point of fact, the porter is second in importance to Him who is the Door, and undoubtedly represents the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Who abode with the sheep, and was their only comforter during the weary hours of night? The porter. Who could take the Door (Christ) and open it and close it at His will? The porter. Who alone had the power to admit a shepherd into the fold? The porter (Acts 13:2). All who would enter in by the door shall have the porter’s help and encouragement. It is the Spirit who takes the things of Christ and shows them to the seeking soul. IV. The Shepherd. “He that entereth in by the door is a shepherd of the sheep” (v. 2, R.V., margin). The reference here is to the under shepherd, who has the liberty of the porter (Spirit) to go in and out, and to lead, and feed the sheep. The hirelings in chapter 9:34, cast out the true sheep of Christ’s flock. They know not the voice of strangers. It is important to note the nature of the shepherd’s work and influence as stated here. It is— 1. PERSONAL. “He calleth his own sheep by name.” There is no mistaking the purpose of a true shepherd when he comes into the sheepfold. He has not thought of thrashing or amusing the sheep, his chief object is to call them out into a larger place of blessing. To this end he deals with them definitely and personally. All the faithful under-shepherds of Christ’s flock rightly divide the Word; they call the sheep by their proper names, and seek their individual good. 2. PROGRESSIVE. “He leadeth them out.” It is not enough that the sheep are safe and at rest in the fold, they have to be lead out into fresh healthy pastures. The fields at the disposal of the shepherds are as broad, far reaching, and as rich as the whole Revelation of God. But those who have not examined those rich pasture lands will not be likely to lead the sheep into them. 3. EXEMPLARY. “He goeth before them.” The true shepherd leads by example, as well as by precept. He does not say, “Go,” but “Come.” He goeth before them in doctrine and in practice (Titus 2:7). Not as lords over God’s heritage, but as examples of the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Paul wrote to Timothy: “Be thou an example of the believers in Word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” To the Corinthians he said: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” The shepherd leads into green pastures, and by the still waters, not into the howling wilderness of that “higher criticism,” which offers only doubt and perplexity to a hungry soul. 4. PROTECTIVE. “A stranger will they not follow … for they know not the voice of strangers” (v. 5). The true sheep know the voice of a true shepherd, and will not be led away by the call of a stranger, who has climbed up by some other way. Some religious teachers have the form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (Holy Spirit); from such turn away. The sheep that have a faithful shepherd are too well taught to become the followers of any hireling, or thief, who may don the shepherd’s attire. V. The Intruders. “He that entereth not by the door, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” It does not matter much what that “other way” is, so long as it is another way, it is an ignoring and a denial of Him who is the Door—and of Him who is the Porter—a denial of Christ, and of the Holy Spirit. Those who will not enter by the door of grace into this Kingdom will have some climbing to do, and in the end rewarded only as thieves and robbers. The “other way” that some prefer is the way of legalism, or learning, human works, or human wisdom. They will climb away for years to get into the fold, rather than submit to enter by the door. But all such climbers are, in their hearts, at enmity with the Shepherd and the sheep, and seek only their own base and selfish ends. “The same is a thief.” There is no other way for a sheep, or a shepherd, for salvation or service, but by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Door. “I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10:1–18 - Croft Pentz I. THE STORY—vv. 1–6 Christ often used parables, or stories, to explain a truth. A. Salvation—v. 1. Christ uses this as an illustration of being the only way to heaven—John 14:6; Acts 4:12. B. Shepherd—v. 2. Christ is the Great Shepherd. C. Savior—v. 3. The door to heaven is opened only by Christ our Lord and Savior. After we accept Him, He leads us. D. Strangers—vv. 4–5. Sinners do not follow Christ because they do not know His voice. E. Spiritual—v. 6. This story was a “spiritual lesson” but the people didn’t seem to understand. II. THE SHEPHERD—vv. 7–15 A. Person—v. 7. Christ is the door. He is the only way in which man may enter heaven. Note the 8 “I Am’s” of John. These make Him a personal God. B. Problem—v. 8. Those who came before Christ were thieves and robbers. Those who were “spiritual minded” did not accept them. C. Pardon—v. 9. Those who came to Christ shall be saved. Compare Romans 10:13; John 6:37. D. Personality—vv. 10–11. 1. Life—v. 10. Christ came to give life and more enjoyable life. 2. Love—v. 11. Christ, the Good Shepherd gave His life for His sheep. E. Practice—vv. 12–14. The “hireling” who works in God’s work professionally (without a call) doesn’t stay with the sheep. To him it is just a job or a duty. F. Protection—v. 15. He gave His life for the sheep. What a place of safety—IN CHRIST! III. THE SURRENDER—vv. 16–18 A. Soul-winning—v. 16. Others need Christ. We should seek to win them to Christ. About 95 percent of Christians never win a soul to Christ! B. Surrender—v. 17. Christ gave His life willingly. He was not forced to die. He died for His friends, for His enemies, for all men—everywhere. C. Sacrifice—v. 18. “No one can kill me without my consent—I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right”—LB. THE GOOD SHEPHERD John 10:1–8 Croft Pentz The prophet says, “All we like sheep have gone astray” Isa. 53:6. In this parable, man is compared to sheep and Christ is the Shepherd. Men are like sheep—lost in sin and in need of guidance. Christ came into the world to teach men the way to heaven; by His teaching and example, He will lead us. I. The Comparison—vv. 1–6 A. Salvation—v. 1. Christ uses this to illustrate the way to heaven (see John 14:6, Acts 4:12). B. Shepherd—v. 2. Christ is the great Shepherd. C. Saviour—v. 3. The door to God’s salvation is opened by Christ to those who accept His leading. D. Strangers—vv. 4, 5. Sinners do not follow Christ because they do not know His voice. E. Spiritual—v. 6. This parable is a spiritual lesson not understood by worldly people. II. The Christ—vv. 7–15 A. Person—v. 7. Christ is the door. He is the only way of salvation. Note the wrong way—Prov. 14:12. Christ is personal—eight times in John, He says, “I am.” B. Problem—v. 8. All those before Christ were the thieves and robbers, blinded spiritually and without understanding. They were dead in sin; He came to quicken us—Eph. 2:1. C. Pardon—v. 9. Those who come to Christ will be saved. He turns none away (see Rom. 10:13; John 6:37). His blood cleanses us from all sin—1 John 1:7. D. Personality—vv. 10–11 1. Life—v. 10. He came to give enjoyable life (cf. Ps. 16:11). 2. Love—v. 11. Christ the Good Shepherd gives His life for His sheep (cf. John 15:13). E. Practice—vv. 12–14. The “hireling” is someone to whom doing God’s work is a job—not a divine calling. F. Protection—v. 15. He gave His life for the sheep. We are always safe in Him (cf. Ps. 91). III. The Concern—vv. 16–18 A. Soul winning—v. 16. The world needs Christ. Christians should not be content with their own salvation—they should feel compelled to reach the lost (Mark 16:15). B. Surrender—v. 17. Christ gave His life willingly. He died for all people everywhere—John 3:16. C. Sacrifice—v. 18. “No one can kill me without my consent—I lay down my life voluntarily. For I have the right and power to lay it down when I want to and also the right and power to take it again. For the Father has given me this right”—LB. When sheep refuse to follow the shepherd, they go astray; they face the possibility of being killed by other animals. As long as we remain in Christ, and He in us, no harm can come to us. If we stray from Him, we forfeit His protection and guidance; let’s follow our Shepherd closely. Rob
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Cole - G. Campbell Morgan (See page 181 for original story in The Gospel According to John) tells of a conversation he had with Sir George Adam Smith, a scholar who had spent much time in the Near East. Smith told of meeting a shepherd there who showed him the fold where the sheep were led at night. It consisted of four walls with a way in. Smith asked, “That is where you go at night?” “Yes,” the shepherd said, “and when the sheep are in there they are perfectly safe.” “But there is no door,” said Smith. “I am the door,” the shepherd replied. He was not a Christian man, but rather an Arab shepherd. But he was using the same language that Jesus used. He explained further, “When the light has gone, and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door.” Brian Bell illustrating the Door of Salvation (John 10:9a) - An Arab shepherd showed off his sheep enclosure to a tourist and said confidently, “When the sheep go in there they are perfectly safe.” To which the tourist asked, “Why doesn’t your pen have a door on it?” The shepherd responded, “I am the door. After my sheep are in the pen, I lay my body across the opening. No sheep will step over me and no wolf can get in without getting past me first.”
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Cole adds another aspect of go in and out - The term also was a Hebrew expression that connoted familiar access. In Acts 1:21, Peter mentions “the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” Acts 9:28 mentions how after Paul’s conversion, when Barnabas introduced him to the apostles and they came to trust that he really was converted, Paul was with them, “moving about freely in Jerusalem.” Literally, the Greek reads, he was “going in and out” in Jerusalem. So the spiritual picture is that if you have entered the fold through Jesus, who is both the shepherd and the door, He provides safety and familiar access. He is guarding all of your ways. You can go out to the rich pasturelands that He provides and come into the safety of His fold as you please. (The Door to Abundant Life) Enters (1525) eiserchomai (from eis = into + erchomai = to come, go) means to go in (to), enter. Eiserchomai can speak of a thought “coming into” mind (Herodotus), wisdom entering someone (Wisdom of Solomon 1:4), the “entering” of the prophetic spirit (Josephus Antiquities 4.6.5), demonic spirits that “enter” into men (Mk 9:25; Lk 8:30), and Satan “entering” Judas (Lk 22:3). Figuratively eiserchomai can denote the acquiring of something, i.e., “to attain something” (wealth, property, and so on). It is used of the kingdom of God/heaven (Mt 5:20; Mt 7:21; Mt 19:24; Mk 9:47; Mk 10:15; et al); eiserchomai describes attaining eternal life (Mt 18:8f.; Mt 19:17; Mk 9:43,45); or eiserchomai can speak of entering rest (Heb 3:11,18; Heb 4:11). Friberg - (1) literally, in a local sense go or come into, enter (Mt 2.21); (2) figuratively; (a) of the birth of Jesus come into (the world) ( Heb 10.5); (b) of demons enter in, take possession of (Mk 9.25 ); (c) of persons; (i) in a good sense come into, enter into, begin to enjoy (Mt 5.20); (ii) in a bad sense begin to experience, meet, encounter (Mt 26.41); (d) as the first stage of an activity -- begin, come up (Lk 9.46) (Borrow Analytical Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Zodhiates - (see page 526 Word Study Dictionary) (I) Spoken of persons, followed by eis with the acc. of place (Matt. 6:6; 24:38; Mark 3:27; Luke 9:34; John 18:28; Acts 11:20; Rev. 22:14). Followed by eis with the acc. of person (Acts 16:40 [Textus Receptus], "unto Lydia" [a.t.], meaning into her house, with later editions having prós, toward; Acts 19:30, "unto the people" means into the assembly; Acts 20:29, eis humás, "among you"). Spoken of Satan or of demons entering into persons (Mk 9:25; Lk 8:30; 22:3); into swine (Mk 5:12, 13; Lk 8:32, 33); with eis implied (Mt. 12:45; Lk 11:26). Followed by en with the dat. of person in Rev. 11:11, "life... entered into [and remained in] them" ([TR] epí, upon); by pará, by, with, meaning to enter in by or with someone, to lodge with (Luke 19:7); by prós <G4314>, toward, with the acc. of person, to enter to someone, i.e., into his house (Mk 15:43; Acts 10:3; 17:2; Rev. 3:20); by hupó, by with the acc. of place, e.g., under the roof (Matt. 8:8); by ésō, inside (Mt. 26:58); by hópou, where (Mark 14:14); by hóde, hither (Matt. 22:12). (II) Metaphorically of person, followed by eis with the acc. of state, condition (Matt. 5:20; 18:3, 8, 9, "to enter into life"; 19:24; 25:21, 23, "into the joy of thy Lord"; Mark 9:43, 45, 47); John 3:5 "into the kingdom of God"; Heb. 3:11; 4:1, 3, "into my rest"). With both eis and the acc. implied (Matt. 7:13; 23:13; Luke 11:52; 13:24). In Matt. 26:41, enter, to come into or enter into temptation means to fall into temptation. In John 4:38, "ye are entered into their labors," i.e., ye succeed them and reap the fruits of their labors. (III) Spoken of things, to enter in or into, equivalent to eisphéromai, to be brought or put into, e.g., food into the mouth (Matt. 15:11; Acts 11:8). Used metaphorically in Luke 9:46, "there arose a dispute among them" (a.t.); James 5:4. Of hope, in Heb. 6:19, "entering in" (a.t.), i.e., extending even unto. (IV) The expression eisérchomai and exérchomai , to go out or to go in and out, means to perform one's daily duties, spoken of one's daily walk and life, e.g., of Jesus as in Acts 1:21f., ephʾ hēmás, among us, in our company. Metaphorically in John 10:9 (cf. eisporeúomai, to enter, and ekporeúomai, to go out, in the expression "to go in and out" [a.t. {Acts 9:28; Sept.: Deut. 31:2; 1 Sam. 18:13, 16; 2 Chr. 1:10}]). In the Sept. eísodos, entrance, and éxodos, exit (1 Sam. 29:6; Isa. 37:28). Eiserchomai - 180v - came(10), come(15), comes(3), coming(1), enter(66), entered(63), entering(6), enters(7), go(8), go*(1), gone(1), reached(1), started(1), went(8). Matt. 2:21; Matt. 5:20; Matt. 6:6; Matt. 7:13; Matt. 7:21; Matt. 8:5; Matt. 8:8; Matt. 9:25; Matt. 10:5; Matt. 10:11; Matt. 10:12; Matt. 12:4; Matt. 12:29; Matt. 12:45; Matt. 15:11; Matt. 18:3; Matt. 18:8; Matt. 18:9; Matt. 19:17; Matt. 19:23; Matt. 19:24; Matt. 21:10; Matt. 21:12; Matt. 22:11; Matt. 22:12; Matt. 23:13; Matt. 24:38; Matt. 25:10; Matt. 25:21; Matt. 25:23; Matt. 26:41; Matt. 26:58; Matt. 27:53; Mk. 1:21; Mk. 1:45; Mk. 2:1; Mk. 2:26; Mk. 3:1; Mk. 3:27; Mk. 5:12; Mk. 5:13; Mk. 5:39; Mk. 6:10; Mk. 6:22; Mk. 6:25; Mk. 7:17; Mk. 7:24; Mk. 8:26; Mk. 9:25; Mk. 9:28; Mk. 9:43; Mk. 9:45; Mk. 9:47; Mk. 10:15; Mk. 10:23; Mk. 10:24; Mk. 10:25; Mk. 11:11; Mk. 11:15; Mk. 14:14; Mk. 15:43; Mk. 16:5; Lk. 1:9; Lk. 1:28; Lk. 1:40; Lk. 4:16; Lk. 4:38; Lk. 6:4; Lk. 6:6; Lk. 7:1; Lk. 7:6; Lk. 7:36; Lk. 7:44; Lk. 7:45; Lk. 8:30; Lk. 8:32; Lk. 8:33; Lk. 8:41; Lk. 8:51; Lk. 9:4; Lk. 9:34; Lk. 9:46; Lk. 9:52; Lk. 10:5; Lk. 10:8; Lk. 10:10; Lk. 10:38; Lk. 11:26; Lk. 11:37; Lk. 11:52; Lk. 13:24; Lk. 14:23; Lk. 15:28; Lk. 17:7; Lk. 17:12; Lk. 17:27; Lk. 18:17; Lk. 18:25; Lk. 19:1; Lk. 19:7; Lk. 19:45; Lk. 21:21; Lk. 22:3; Lk. 22:10; Lk. 22:40; Lk. 22:46; Lk. 24:3; Lk. 24:26; Lk. 24:29; Jn. 3:4; Jn. 3:5; Jn. 4:38; Jn. 10:1; Jn. 10:2; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 13:27; Jn. 18:1; Jn. 18:28; Jn. 18:33; Jn. 19:9; Jn. 20:5; Jn. 20:6; Jn. 20:8; Acts 1:13; Acts 3:8; Acts 5:7; Acts 5:10; Acts 5:21; Acts 9:6; Acts 9:12; Acts 9:17; Acts 10:3; Acts 10:24; Acts 10:25; Acts 10:27; Acts 11:3; Acts 11:8; Acts 11:12; Acts 14:1; Acts 14:20; Acts 14:22; Acts 16:15; Acts 16:40; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:19; Acts 19:8; Acts 19:30; Acts 20:29; Acts 21:8; Acts 23:16; Acts 23:33; Acts 25:23; Acts 28:8; Acts 28:16; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 11:25; 1 Co. 14:23; 1 Co. 14:24; Heb. 3:11; Heb. 3:18; Heb. 3:19; Heb. 4:1; Heb. 4:3; Heb. 4:5; Heb. 4:6; Heb. 4:10; Heb. 4:11; Heb. 6:19; Heb. 6:20; Heb. 9:12; Heb. 9:24; Heb. 9:25; Heb. 10:5; Jas. 2:2; Jas. 5:4; Rev. 3:20; Rev. 11:11; Rev. 15:8; Rev. 21:27; Rev. 22:14 Uses in the Septuagint - Gen. 6:18,20; 7:1,7,9,13,15-16; 12:11,14; 16:2,4; 19:3,5,8,22-23,31,33-35; 20:3,13; 24:31-32,67; 29:21,23,30; 30:3-4,10,16; 31:33; 34:25,27; 38:2,8-9,16,18; 39:11,14,17; 40:6; 41:21; 43:26,30; 44:14; 46:6,8,26-27; Exod. 1:1,19; 3:18; 5:1,15; 6:11; 7:10,23,26,28; 9:1,19; 10:1,3; 12:23,25; 14:16-17,20,22-23; 15:19; 16:22; 20:21; 21:3; 24:3,18; 29:30; 33:8-9; 34:35; 35:29; 40:35; Lev. 9:23; 12:4; 14:8,34,36,44,48; 16:3,23,26,28; 18:14; 19:23; 21:11; 23:10; 25:2; Num. 4:5,15,20; 5:22,24,27; 6:6; 8:15,22,24; 12:14; 14:24,30; 15:2; 17:8,23; 19:7; 20:24; 25:8; 27:17,21; 31:24; 32:9; Deut. 1:37-39; 4:1,21,34; 6:18; 8:1; 9:1; 11:8,31; 12:5; 16:20; 17:14; 18:9; 19:5; 20:19; 21:13; 23:2-4,9,11-12,25-26; 24:10; 25:5; 26:1,3; 27:3; 31:7; 32:44,52; 33:7; 34:4; Jos. 1:11; 2:1,4; 3:8; 6:5-6,22-23; 10:19; 14:11; 19:27; 23:7; 24:6; Jdg. 3:20,24; 4:21-22; 6:19; 7:19; 9:5,41; 11:18; 13:6; 15:1; 16:1; 18:9-10,15,18; 19:15,22-23; Ruth 2:18; 3:15-17; 4:13; 1 Sam. 1:18-19,24; 4:13-14; 5:3,10-11; 6:14; 9:13; 10:5,14; 12:8; 14:11,26; 16:21; 20:40-41; 21:1,16; 23:7; 24:4; 26:6,15; 28:21; 30:1; 2 Sam. 1:2; 2:24; 3:7,24; 4:5,7; 5:6,8; 6:9; 7:18; 10:14; 11:4,7,11; 12:1,16,20,24; 13:5-6; 14:4,33; 15:37; 16:15,21-22; 17:6,17-18,25; 18:9; 19:4,6,9,26; 20:3,8,22; 24:13; 1 Ki. 1:13-15,23,28,32,42,47,53; 2:13,19; 10:2; 11:2,17-18; 12:21,24; 13:7-8,22,25; 16:10; 17:12-13,18; 18:12; 19:9; 20:5; 21:30,33; 22:25,30; 2 Ki. 3:24; 4:4,11,32-33,36-37; 5:4-5,25; 6:20; 7:4-5,8-10,12; 8:14; 9:2,5-6,11,34; 10:17,21,23-25; 11:5,9,13,16,18-19; 18:21,37; 19:1,32-33; 20:1,14; 24:11; 25:26; 1 Chr. 2:21; 7:23; 11:5; 2 Chr. 1:10; 7:2; 8:11; 12:11; 18:24,29; 20:28; 23:6,12,14,17,19-20; 24:17; 26:16-17; 27:2; 29:16-18; 30:8; Neh. 2:8; 6:10-11; 9:15; 10:30; 13:1; Est. 1:19; 2:12,15-16; 4:2,4,8-9,11,16; 5:1,10,14; 6:4; 7:1; 9:25; Ps. 5:8; 17:7; 23:7,9; 25:4; 36:15; 42:4; 48:20; 50:2; 62:10; 65:13; 68:2,28; 70:16; 72:17; 78:11; 87:3; 94:11; 99:2,4; 104:23; 108:18; 117:19-20; 118:170; 131:3,7; 142:2; Prov. 5:10; 6:29; 11:2; 23:10; 27:10; 28:10; Cant. 5:1; Job 13:16; 14:3; 15:28; 33:26; 37:8; 41:5; Hos. 7:1; 9:4,10; 11:9; Amos 4:4; 6:1,14; Mic. 4:8; Joel 1:13; 2:9; Obad. 1:5,11,13; Jon. 3:4; Nah. 2:12; Hab. 3:16; Hag. 1:14; Zech. 2:4; 5:4; 6:10; 7:3; Isa. 2:10,21; 7:24; 13:20; 16:12; 19:23; 20:1; 24:10; 26:2,20; 30:29; 36:6,22; 37:24,33; 47:1,5; Jer. 2:7; 4:5; 8:14; 9:20; 14:18; 16:5,8; 17:25; 21:13; 22:4; 28:51; 30:20; 33:21; 34:22; 37:20; 39:5,23; 41:3,10; 42:11; 43:5,20; 45:11; 46:3; 48:6-7,17; 49:14-15,18-19,22; 50:2,7,11; 51:8; Lam. 1:10,22; 4:12; Ezek. 3:4,11,15,24; 4:14; 7:22; 8:9-10; 9:2; 10:2,6; 11:16,18; 12:16; 13:9; 16:7-8,16; 17:3; 20:38; 21:24-25; 36:20-22; 37:10,21; 40:4,6; 41:3; 42:14; 43:4; 44:2-3,9,16,25; 46:2,8-10; Dan. 2:16,24; 10:3,12; 11:6,9-10,13,29,40; Saved (4982) sozo has the basic meaning of rescuing one from great peril. Additional nuances include to protect, keep alive, preserve life, deliver, heal, be made whole. Sozo is sometimes used of physical deliverance from danger of perishing (see Mt 8:25; Mt 14:30; Lk 23:35; Acts 27:20, 27:31), physical healing from sickness (Mt 9:21, 22; Mk 5:23, Acts 4:9), and deliverance from demonic possession (Lk 8:36). More often sozo refers to salvation in a spiritual sense to rescue or preserve from eternal death, from judgment, sin, bring salvation, bring to salvation (active sense = Mt 18:11; Lk 7:50; Jn 12:47; Ro 11:14; 1 Cor 1:21; 7:16; Titus 3:5; Hb 7:25; Jas 4:12; 5:20; 1 Pet 3:21 or passive sense = be rescued or saved, attain salvation = Mt 24:13; Mk 10:26; Lk 13:23; 18:26; Jn 3:17; Jn 5:34; Acts 11:14; 15:1, 11; Ro 8:24; 11:26; 1 Cor. 3:15; 5:5; Eph 2:5, 8; 1 Ti 2:4). Jesus' very Name speaks of His primary purpose to save men from their sin - "She (Mary) will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save (sozo) His people from their sins." (Mt 1:21+) In Mt 1:21 sozo is equated with deliverance from sins (guilt and power of) with Jesus' Name being a transliteration of Joshua meaning "Jehovah is salvation". Sozo in John's Gospel - Jn. 3:17; Jn. 5:34; Jn. 10:9; Jn. 11:12; Jn. 12:27; Jn. 12:47 I am the door. - The ancient city of Troy had but one gate. Go round and round the city, you would have found no other. If you wanted to get in, there was but one way. So to the golden city of heaven there is but one gate. Christ says, “I am the door.” QUOTE FROM C S LEWIS' "MERE CHRISTIANITY" or why you need to continually be a Berean (Acts 17:11+) - "There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by Him that they are His in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it. For example, a Buddhist of goodwill may be led to concentrate more and more on the Buddhist teaching about mercy and to leave in the background (though he might still say he believed) the Buddhist teaching on certain other points." This is a highly questionable quotation and does not sound like Jesus is the ONLY DOOR! Paul was very explicit and exclusive - Peter was more explicit declaring "There is salvation in no one else for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we MUST be saved." (Acts 4:12+). Paul adds "if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (Ro 10:9-10+) Below are some comments on the C. S. Lewis' quote from Kevin DeYoung (See page 54 of Cross : Unrivaled Christ, Unstoppable Gospel, Unreached Peoples, Unending Joy) When I was in college, my world religion professor was a winsome, popular teacher. He was also very liberal and undermined a lot of the evangelical convictions of the students. I remember him saying, “Look, I believe in the sovereignty of God. And because God can do whatever he wants and the Spirit blows wherever he wills, I believe the Spirit of God can regenerate the hearts of Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus whether they know of Christ or not.” The notion is quite popular among some evangelicals. It allows Christians to affirm that only Christ saves, but then gives them the leeway of thinking that people can be saved without explicitly believing in Christ. So there may be people in other religions who don’t know that they belong to Christ, and yet the Spirit has caused them to become born again and joined them to Christ, even though they’ve never heard of him and have never put their trust in him. This view is called inclusivism, and some of you may hold to the view, not so much because it was taught to you, but because it seems good and feels good. In fact, even the great C. S. Lewis was mistaken on this account. He says in Mere Christianity, “There are people who do not accept the full Christian doctrine about Christ but who are so strongly attracted by him that they are his in a much deeper sense than they themselves understand. There are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it.”16 You see the same idea in The Chronicles of Narnia where one of the worshippers of Tash is saved because it turns out he was really following Aslan without knowing it.17 There are many reasons why inclusivism does not work biblically, but one of the chief reasons has to do with the Trinity. To talk about the Spirit’s work in the way my professor did, or even the way C. S. Lewis does in the passage above, is to fundamentally misunderstand the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s work is always to reveal and glorify the Son. We cannot worship Christ apart from the work of the Spirit, and the Spirit does not want to be magnified except insofar as he points to Christ—which is why the symbolism of the early church was not the dove but the cross. (SOURCE: See page 54 of Cross : Unrivaled Christ, Unstoppable Gospel, Unreached Peoples, Unending Joy) QUESTION - Inclusivism vs. exclusivism-what does the Bible say? ANSWER - Is personal faith in Jesus the only way to heaven (exclusivism), or did Jesus’ death also provide salvation for some who do not believe (inclusivism)? This question is often posed by non-Christians when first confronted with the claims of biblical Christianity. Many skeptics charge that it is unreasonable for God to demand allegiance to Jesus Christ in order to receive the forgiveness of one’s sins. In the last several decades, many Christians have begun to opt for a different answer than that which has traditionally been given by the majority of Christian believers. The trend is toward “inclusivism.” Inclusivism is the view that people actually appropriate God’s gift of salvation only on the basis of Jesus Christ’s atoning work, but that the sinner need not explicitly believe the gospel in order to actually receive this salvation. Inclusivism teaches that Christianity is the only true religion (including the belief that Christ is the only Savior of men), but that this salvation could be made available through means other than explicit faith in Christ. The inclusivist believes that adherents of other religions and even atheists can be saved by responding to God’s revelation in creation or through the elements of truth contained within their non-Christian religion. Inclusivists will quickly point out that any person who is saved is ultimately saved by Jesus Christ, but the sinner need not believe that Christ is Savior in order to receive this salvation. Inclusivists will sometimes refer to such people as “anonymous Christians.” Inclusivists refer to several biblical texts in an attempt to support their view; however, their primary argument is more philosophical than exegetical (derived directly from the Scripture). The question of the ultimate destiny of the unevangelized is often raised by inclusivists, along with issues related to the salvation of infants, the mentally handicapped, and others who are prevented from making a rational choice for or against Christ. “Exclusivism” or “restrictivism” is the traditional evangelical Christian view dealing with the salvation of non-Christians. This is the view that a sinner can only be saved by a conscious, explicit faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Exclusivists argue that a positive response to general revelation is simply insufficient to ensure salvation from a biblical perspective. Exclusivists appeal to multiple scriptures to support their view, including John 14:6; John 3:16–18; and Romans 10:13–15. It appears that a straightforward reading of these texts reveals the inspired Scripture is clearly teaching Christian exclusivism (that one must place his faith in Christ in order to be saved). It is important to point out that there may be exceptions to this principle (such as the death of infants or children of a very young age who have not yet developed sufficiently to comprehend their sin and to make a rational choice of trusting in Christ). 2 Samuel 12:23 states that King David’s infant child went to heaven after death. Isaiah 7:15–16 also hints at an age of moral accountability: “He will eat curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right. But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.” These exceptions would in no way undermine the position of Christian exclusivism. Rather, they show the infinite mercy of God in providing salvation for those who might otherwise not attain it. Our position is that explicit faith in Christ is necessary for all sinners who are capable of actually trusting in Christ and believing the gospel. Christian exclusivists believe that the biblical texts used to support inclusivism are far from compelling and that the texts used by exclusivists are, in fact, clear. It is difficult to see how the inspired writers could have been clearer that explicit faith in Christ is necessary for salvation (for those who are capable of it). It is also important to point out that the Christian exclusivist does not necessarily believe that the un-evangelized person will be condemned for failing to believe in a Jesus that they have never heard of. Rather, such a person would be judged for his or her failure to respond to the message of general revelation and for sinning against God’s moral law that had been written on the heart. In the end, we can be confident that God will not judge anyone unfairly. The unevangelized will only be judged based on the sins that they have willfully committed. Christian exclusivism certainly should provide the church with more than sufficient motivation to evangelize every person on Earth, for, literally, people’s eternal destiny hangs in the balance. God has simply not informed us of any back-up plan He may have for those who do not hear the gospel in this life. We must assume that there is none. GotQuestions.org Other Related Articles from Gotquestions.... What does it mean that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12)? Is Jesus really the only way to Heaven? What did Jesus mean when He said “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6)? Just how narrow is the narrow gate? QUESTION - What did Jesus mean when He said “I am the door” (John 10:7)? ANSWER - The statement “I am the door,” found in John 10:7, is the third of seven “I am” declarations of Jesus recorded only in John’s Gospel. These “I am” proclamations point to His unique, divine identity and purpose. In this “I am” statement, Jesus colorfully points out for us the exclusive nature of salvation by saying that He is “the door,” not “a door.” Furthermore, Jesus is not only our Shepherd who leads us into the “sheepfold,” but He is the only door by which we may enter and be saved (John 10:9). Jesus is the only means we have of receiving eternal life (John 3:16). There is no other way. To get a clear picture of Jesus’ meaning in this statement, it is helpful to understand a little of that ancient culture, especially of sheep and shepherding. Of all domesticated animals, sheep are the most helpless. Sheep will spend their entire day grazing, wandering from place to place, never looking up. As a result, they often become lost. But sheep have no “homing instinct” as other animals do. They are totally incapable of finding their way to their sheepfold even when it is in plain sight. By nature, sheep are followers. If the lead sheep steps off a cliff, the others will follow. Additionally, sheep are easily susceptible to injuries and are utterly helpless against predators. If a wolf enters the pen, they won’t defend themselves. They won’t try to run away or spread out. Instead they huddle together and are easily slaughtered. If sheep fall into moving water, they will drown. However, sheep do fear moving water and will not drink from any stream or lake unless the water is perfectly still. This is why David in the 23rd Psalm tells us of the shepherd who “makes [us] to lie down in green pastures, he leads [us] beside the still waters . . . though [we] walk through the valley . . . [we] will fear no evil. For You [the Shepherd] are with [us].” Sheep are totally dependent upon the shepherd who tends them with care and compassion. Shepherds were the providers, guides, protectors and constant companions of sheep. So close was the bond between shepherd and sheep that to this day Middle Eastern shepherds can divide flocks that have mingled at a well or during the night simply by calling their sheep, who know and follow their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds were inseparable from their flocks. The shepherd would lead the sheep to safe places to graze and make them lie down for several hours in a shady place. Then, as night fell, the shepherd would lead the sheep to the protection of a sheepfold. There were two kinds of sheepfolds or pens. One kind was a public sheepfold found in the cities and villages. It would be large enough to hold several flocks of sheep. This sheep pen would be in the care of a porter or doorkeeper, whose duty it was to guard the door to the sheep pen during the night and to admit the shepherds in the morning. The shepherds would call their sheep, each of which knew its own shepherd’s voice, and would lead them out to pasture. The second kind of sheep pen was in the countryside, where the shepherds would keep their flocks in good weather. This type of sheep pen was nothing more than a rough circle of rocks piled into a wall with a small open space to enter. Through it the shepherd would drive the sheep at nightfall. Since there was no gate to close—just an opening—the shepherd would keep the sheep in and wild animals out by lying across the opening. He would sleep there, in this case literally becoming the door to the sheep. In this context, Jesus is telling us that He is not only the shepherd of the sheep, but also the door of the sheep. In doing so, He is vividly contrasting Himself with that of the religious leaders of His time whom He describes as “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8). When Jesus says, “I am the door,” He is reiterating the fact that only through Him is salvation possible. This is far removed from the ecumenical teachings popular in today’s liberal religious circles. Jesus makes it clear that any religious leader who offers salvation other than the teachings of Christ is a “thief” and a “robber.” One who believes the gospel (Hebrews 11:6) and repents of sin (Luke 13:3) is assured of being in “the fold” and of having entered by “the door.” As followers of Christ, Jesus is both our Shepherd and the Door to the sheepfold who provides for all our needs. Knowing that the world is full of predators whose sole intent is to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8), we are always under His protection. More importantly, we are fully confident that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, [we] will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4). GotQuestions.org James Smith - “I AM THE DOOR.” JOHN 10:9 1. The Blessing. Salvation. “Shall be saved.” 2. The Way. “By Me.” 3. The Condition. “Enter in.” 4. The Offer. “If any man.” 5. The Prospect. “Shall go in and out and find pasture.” James Smith - “I AM THE DOOR.” John 10:9 Dr. White, of America, gives us the following suggestive notes on this most comprehensive text. We have here— 1. Simplicity, “I am.” 2. Exclusion, “By Me.” 3. Inclusion, “If any man.” 4. Condition, “Enter in.” 5. Certainty, “Shall be saved.” 6. Liberty, “Go in and out.” 7. Provision, “Find pasture.” J C Philpot - January 12 JOHN 10:9 There is a finding pasture in providence. A sweet and healthy pasture indeed this is to watch the Lord’s providential dealings with us spread through a long series of years. It is seeing the Lord’s providential hand which makes the commonest temporal mercies sweet. Every nibble of grass or lock of hay which we can believe to be specially provided for us by the hand of that good Shepherd becomes thereby doubly sweet. But, Oh, what pastures in grace has God provided for His hungry sheep! Look at the promises and declarations, the sacred truths and heavenly consolations scattered up and down the Scriptures of truth. But of all spiritual pasture thus provided for the flock, the chiefest is the flesh and blood of the Lord Jesus. This is His own divine declaration: “For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed” (John 6:55). And every communication of grace to the soul out of the fulness of Christ, every promise applied with a divine power to the heart, every truth which drops with heavenly savour, every season of encouragement; in a word, every part of God’s Word which the soul can eat and feed upon is spiritual pasture. Thus the prophet found it of old: “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts” (Jer. 15:16). J.C. Philpot, Ears from Harvested Sheaves C H Spurgeon —John 10:9 Jesus, the great I AM, is the entrance into the true church, and the way of access to God himself. He gives to the man who comes to God by him four choice privileges. 1. He shall be saved. The fugitive manslayer passed the gate of the city of refuge, and was safe. Noah entered the door of the ark, and was secure. None can be lost who take Jesus as the door of faith to their souls. Entrance through Jesus into peace is the guarantee of entrance by the same door into heaven. Jesus is the only door, an open door, a wide door, a safe door; and blessed is he who rests all his hope of admission to glory upon the crucified Redeemer. 2. He shall go in. He shall be privileged to go in among the divine family, sharing the children’s bread, and participating in all their honours and enjoyments. He shall go in to the chambers of communion, to the banquets of love, to the treasures of the covenant, to the storehouses of the promises. He shall go in unto the King of kings in the power of the Holy Spirit, and the secret of the Lord shall be with him. 3. He shall go out. This blessing is much forgotten. We go out into the world to labour and suffer, but what a mercy to go in the name and power of Jesus! We are called to bear witness to the truth, to cheer the disconsolate, to warn the careless, to win souls, and to glorify God; and as the angel said to Gideon, “Go in this thy might,” even thus the Lord would have us proceed as his messengers in his name and strength. 4. He shall find pasture. He who knows Jesus shall never want. Going in and out shall be alike helpful to him: in fellowship with God he shall grow, and in watering others he shall be watered. Having made Jesus his all, he shall find all in Jesus. His soul shall be as a watered garden, and as a well of water whose waters fail not. J J Knapp - I Am the Door John 10:9 At night the herds in the East were gathered in the sheepcote, not much more than a fence without a roof in the open field, where they were safe from cattle thieves and wild animals. At dusk the herds came from all directions. No matter how far spread apart during the day, they all made for one door, that would allow them into the safe cote, and where the porter would be stationed. Jesus applied this to the dearly bought congregation. All who belong to it are the sheep of His pasture, and He calls Himself the door of the sheepcote, because only those who enter through Him shall be saved. He is the door. Like a door opens a lawful entrance to go from one room into another, so is in Christ Jesus and His redemptive work a door given to enter from this world, that lies in wickedness, into the kingdom of grace, yes, even once to enter into the kingdom of glory. That blessed circle of life, where it is so good for the heart; where we are kept safe with body and soul by the ever guarding faithfulness of the Lord; where the great thief from the kingdom of darkness cannot steal us away to drag us to destruction; and where the corrupting powers of sin cannot completely tear and devour,—that blessed circle of life full of peace has been opened for us by Jesus Christ. The sin, that excluded us from it, He has redeemed. The curse, that made us to wander over the face of the earth, He has borne. In this manner He has become the open door, whereby we may enter, burdened by guilt, to be relieved of our iniquities by Him. Nothing but this Redeemer only can bring us to the peace and the freedom of the children of God. Our repentance over sin or our penitence does not open a door for us. Our tears and our payers would be fruitless, if there were no Jesus to lead us from the darkness into His marvellous light. Let us enter respectfully and thankfully through that door; to embrace that Jesus in faith; and to simply trust that He shall make us to share the fatherly favour of our God. A door is not made to be watched or admired. Even less to only peek through it inside. Rather to enter through it inside. Let us also consider that the door, now still open, shall one time be closed. Therefore, let every one enter, whether with the firm step of faith or with the hesitant steps of hope, to place himself under His care. Even a weak faith shall bring us through it, and whoever has once embraced Christ in faith, shall go in and out to his daily task and shall find pasture everywhere. Warren
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Cole writes "Knowing God and His Son is the essence of eternal life (John 17:3). And the crucial matter on the day of judgment will be whether Jesus knows you (Matt. 7:23+). He knows all people, of course, but He was talking about knowing you in a personal, intimate way. (Why Follow Jesus? ) Bob Utley on even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father - This is a recurrent theme in John. Jesus acts and speaks out of His intimate relationship with the Father. The surprising analogy in John 10:14-15 is that the intimacy between Father and Son is compared to the intimacy between Son and followers (cf. John 14:23). John focuses on the Hebrew connotation of "know" as intimate fellowship, not cognitive facts. Jesus knows the Father; those who know Jesus, know God! (Bolding added) And I lay down My life (psuche) for (huper) the sheep (probaton) - This is the second of three times (Jn 10:11, 15, 17) that Jesus emphasizes His willingness to die for those who are His sheep. Of course ultimately this declaration is in effect a prophecy of His soon to come crucifixion and death in place of His sheep! Again notice the preposition for (huper) which signifies on behalf of or in place of and thus describes the great doctrine of substitution (as in Jn 10:11+). THOUGHT - Jesus paid a debt He did not owe, because His sheep owed a debt that they could never pay! Thank You, Jesus! Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my Savior am happy and blest; Watching and waiting, looking above, Filled with His goodness, lost in His love. —Crosby He Guards Me Well I lay down My life for the sheep. — John 10:15 Today's Scripture: John 10:7-15 During the quiet moments before a Sunday morning service, the organist played a hymn that was new to me. I turned to the page noted in the hymnal and read the words of the song “The Lord My Shepherd Guards Me Well,” a beautiful paraphrase of Psalm 23: The Lord my Shepherd guards me well, And all my wants are fed: Amid green pastures made to lie, Beside still waters led. My care-worn soul grows strong and whole When God’s true path I tread. No matter how often we read or hear the familiar 23rd Psalm, it seems to come with a fresh message of God’s care for us. Though I should walk in darkest ways Through valleys like the grave, No evil shall I ever fear; Your presence makes me brave. On my behalf Your rod and staff Assure me You will save. (© Hope Publishing Co.) This image was familiar to the people who heard Jesus say, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Unlike a hired person who runs away from danger, the true shepherd stays with the sheep to protect them. “But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd . . . sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees . . . . I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep” (vv.12-14). No matter what you’re facing today, Jesus knows your name, He knows the danger, and He will not leave your side. You can say with confidence: The Lord my Shepherd guards me well! By: David C. McCasland John 10:16 "I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. BGT John 10:16 καὶ ἄλλα πρόβατα ἔχω ἃ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ τῆς αὐλῆς ταύτης· κἀκεῖνα δεῖ με ἀγαγεῖν καὶ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούσουσιν, καὶ γενήσονται μία ποίμνη, εἷς ποιμήν. KJV John 10:16 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. NET John 10:16 I have other sheep that do not come from this sheepfold. I must bring them too, and they will listen to my voice, so that there will be one flock and one shepherd. CSB John 10:16 But I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. Then there will be one flock, one shepherd. ESV John 10:16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. NIV John 10:16 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. NLT John 10:16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. other: John 11:52 Ge 49:10 Ps 22:26-31 72:17-19 86:9 98:2,3 Isa 11:10 Isa 24:13-16 42:10-12 43:6 49:6 52:10 56:8 Ho 1:10 Zec 2:11 Zec 8:20-23 Acts 18:10 Ro 9:23,24 Ro 15:9-13 Eph 2:14 1Pe 2:10 them: Ac 15:14 Ro 8:29,30 Eph 2:1-5,15-18 2Th 2:13 Titus 3:3-5 they will hear: John 10:27 Jn 6:37 Mt 17:5 Ac 22:14 Rev 3:20 they: Eze 37:22 Eph 2:14 one shepherd: John 10:2,11 Ec 12:11 Eze 34:23 Heb 13:20 1Pe 2:25 1Pe 5:4 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Acts 15:14+ “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. Isaiah 42:6 “I am the LORD, I have called You in righteousness, I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You (MESSIAH) as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations (GENTILES), Isaiah 49:6 He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You (MESSIAH) a light of the nations (GENTILES) So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Romans 1:16+ For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (GENTILES). John 11:50-52+ (CAIAPHAS PROPHESIED UNKNOWINGLY ABOUT GENTILE CONVERTS) nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.” 51 Now he did not say this on his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the nation, 52 and not for the nation only, but in order that He might also gather together into one the children of God who are scattered abroad. (GENTILES!) John 12:32+ And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” THE SHEPHERD SEEKS HIS OTHER SHEEP! I have other sheep (probaton), which are not of this fold (aule) - This fold in context refers to Jews. Then given that the sheepfold refers primarily to the Jews, most take sheep...not of this fold as a reference to the Gentiles. In the context of John's Gospel, Jesus' words would also refer to the Samaritans (John 4:1-42+) in addition to the Gentiles ("a royal official" - John 4:43-54+) THOUGHT - Dear Gentile reader, how we thank and praise our great and generous God for this verse opening the door of eternal life to us who had "no hope and (were) without God in the world!" (Eph 2:12+) Amen. I must (dei) bring (lead) them also - Note that Jesus does not say "might" or "maybe" but must! It is a necessity! It is His passion! The reason it is a must is alluded to by Paul writing to the Gentile "brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth." (2Th 2:13+) The salvation of the Gentiles was foreordained in eternity past which explains why Jesus must bring them into the flock in eternity present! And they will hear (akouo) My voice (phone) - They would be more willing to listen to His voice than the Chosen People! Certainly the history of missions has proven this to be true. They will hear the Shepherd's voice because they were His sheep from before the foundation of the world! Remember that hear does not just mean to hear "sound waves," but means to listen attentively so as to obey what is heard. Of course, now Jesus in no longer physically present and so this "must" passes on to His disciples (sheep who have been called and justified) and it is His missionary mandate for them to take His Gospel to all nations (Mt 28:19+; Lk 24:47+; Acts 1:8+). Notice that Jesus gives us a prophetic promise of success declaring "they will hear My voice (through His ambassadors - see 2Co 5:20+)." A T
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Cole - This ties in to what we saw in Jn 10:11, “the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” Jesus did not die in vain. He died to secure the salvation of His sheep and He strongly asserts that He will succeed. There is no uncertainty or desperation in His voice: “I hope that these other sheep will listen to My voice, because I really want them in My flock. But it’s up to them to decide.” No, it is certain: The Father gave them to Jesus, He died for them, and they will hear Him and they will come into His flock. Sometimes those who deny the biblical truth of God’s sovereign election and effectual grace argue that this teaching will stifle evangelism and missions. They charge, “If all the elect will be saved, then why witness? Why send out missionaries?” The biblical answer is, “Because God ordained the means as well as the end.” (cf 2Ti 2:10+) (Why Follow Jesus?) Warren
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Cole - One other truth in verse 16 is that the Christian life is not to be lived in isolation, but in community with other believers. Sheep aren’t independent creatures. To thrive, they must be part of a flock under the protection of a shepherd. Sheep that stray from the flock get eaten by the wolves. So even though you may not like some of the sheep that the Lord has brought into His flock, you need to work hard at harmonious relationships. The second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as much as you do in fact love yourself (Matt. 22:39). If you just come to church and leave, without getting to know well some of your fellow believers, you’re missing one of the main sources for growth and encouragement in your Christian life. (Why Follow Jesus?) One (1520)(heis) One, alone, one and the same, only one, someone, anyone. W. E. Vine - the first cardinal numeral, masculine (feminine and neuter nominative forms are mia and hen, respectively), is used to signify (1) (a) "one" in contrast to many, e.g., Mt. 25:15; Ro 5:18 "one (trespass)," i.e., Adam's transgression, in contrast to the "one act of righteousness," i.e., the death of Christ; (b) metaphorically, "union" and "concord," e.g., John 10:30; John 11:52; John 17:11, 21, 22; Rom. 12:4, 5; Phil. 1:27; (2) emphatically, (a) a single ("one"), to the exclusion of others, e.g., Matt. 21:24; Rom. 3:10; 1 Cor. 9:24; 1 Tim. 2:5 (twice); (b) "one, alone," e.g., Mark 2:7 (AV, "only"); Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19; (c) "one and the same," e.g., Rom. 3:30 "God is one," i.e., there is not "one" God for the Jew and one for the Gentile; cp. Gal. 3:20, which means that in a promise there is no other party; 1 Cor. 3:8; 1 Cor. 11:5; 1 Cor. 12:11; 1 John 5:8 (lit., "and the three are into one," i.e., united in "one" and the same witness); (3) a certain "one," in the same sense as the indefinite pronoun tis, e.g., Matt. 8:19 "a (scribe)," marg., "one (scribe)," AV, "a certain (scribe);" Matt. 19:16, "one;" in Rev. 8:13, RV marg., "one (eagle);" heis tis are used together in Luke 22:50; John 11:49; this occurs frequently in the papyri (Moulton, Prol., p. 96); (4) distributively, with hekastos, "each," i.e., "every one," e.g., Luke 4:40; Acts 2:6, "every man" (lit., "every one"); in the sense of "one … and one," e.g., John 20:12; or "one …" followed by allos or heteros, "the other," e.g., Matt. 6:24; or by a second heis, e.g., Matt. 24:40, RV, "one;" John 20:12; in Rom. 12:5 heis is preceded by kata (kath') in the sense of "severally (members) one (of another)," RV (AV, "every one … one"); cp. Mark 14:19; in 1 Thess. 5:11 the phrase in the 2nd part, "each other," RV (AV, "one another"), is, lit., "one the one;" (5) as an ordinal number, equivalent to prōtos, "first," in the phrase "the first day of the week," lit., and idiomatically, "one of sabbaths," signifying "the first day after the sabbath," e.g., Matt. 28:1; Mark 16:2; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2. Moulton remarks on the tendency for certain cardinal numerals to replace ordinals. (Pdf - Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words) Gingrich - numeral one Mt 5:41; 19:5; Mk 8:14; Ac 21:7; Ro 5:12; Ro 12:5. For emphasis one and the same Lk 12:52; Ro 3:30; 1 Cor 12:11; only one, (a) single Mt 23:15; Mk 12:6; 10:21; Ro 3:10; 1 Ti 3:2 of one who is married only once; alone Mk 2:7. Equivalent to the indefinite tis - someone, anyone Mt 18:24; Lk 24:18; with tis a certain (one) Mk 14:47; Jn 11:49; equivalent to the indefinite article a, an Mt 8:19; Mk 12:42; Rev 8:13. Equivalent to protos = first Mt 28:1; 1 Cor 16:2; Titus 3:10. (o`) eis…(o`) eis = (the) one…the other (Mt 20:21; Jn 20:12; Gal 4:22). eis ton ena = one another 1 Th 5:11. kathos ena = one by one 1 Cor 14:31. eis kata eis (the second eis is an undeclined nominative) = one after the other (Mk 14:19; Jn 8:9). (Borrow Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament) Gilbrant - Heis commonly means the uniqueness of something; i.e., the single or only one of its kind. In that respect the “oneness” or “uniqueness” of God is a vital tenet of the Biblical faith—both Old and New Testaments. God “alone” is one. The shema of Israel reflects the centrality of this distinction in the religion of Israel: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4; cf. Mark 12:29ff.). There is no other beside Him (Mark 12:32). The Biblical religion allows for no other God but Yahweh. God’s desire to bring all men to the knowledge of the truth is grounded in His status as the only God. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2:5, “For there is one God” (heis gar theos). He continues that there is “one mediator between God and men” (heis kai mesitēs theou kai anthrōpōn), “the man Christ Jesus” (anthrōpos Christos Iēsous). No other is God except the one, the one God the Father, the one Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things came into existence (1 Corinthians 8:4,6; Ephesians 4:5,6). Christ is unique in His role as Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22,45ff.). Just as sin and death entered the world through a single man (henos anthrōpou), in the same way, but even more effectively, a single Man, Jesus Christ (tou henos Iēsou Christou), was the bearer of God’s grace (Romans 5:12,14, but see verses 12-20). He is the pivot of all history (Romans 5:14). The one died on behalf of many (2 Corinthians 5:14; cf. John 11:50ff.). The death of one for many brings unity to the many: “For ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (pantes gar humeis heis este en Christō Iēsou; Galatians 3:28). Christ is head over all His church (Ephesians 1:22; Colossians 1:18) which is one. The unity of the Church through the one Spirit is fundamental to the message of the gospel. “There is one body, and one Spirit” (Hen sōma kai hen pneuma, Ephesians 4:4; cf. 2:18; 4:15,16). Unity becomes the basis for behavior as well as the criterion for the exercise of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12-14), even though unity is expressed in diversity. (Complete Biblical Library) 269 verses - Matt. 5:18-19,29-30,36,41; 6:24,29; 10:29,42; 13:46; 16:14; 17:4; 18:5-6,10,12,14,16,24,28; 19:5-6,16-17; 20:12-13,21; 21:19,24; 22:35; 23:8-10,15; 24:40-41; 25:15,18,24,40,45; 26:14,21-22,40,47,51; 27:15,38,48; 28:1; Mk. 2:7; 5:22; 6:15; 8:14,28; 9:5,17,37,42; 10:8,17-18,21,37; 11:29; 12:6,28-29,32; 13:1; 14:10,18-19,37,43,47,66; 15:6,27; 16:2; Lk. 4:40; 5:3,12,17; 7:41; 8:22; 9:33; 10:42; 11:46; 12:6,27,52; 13:10; 14:18; 15:4,7-8,10,15,19,26; 16:5,13,17; 17:2,15,22,34-36; 18:10,19,22; 20:1; 22:47,50; 23:17,39; 24:1,18; Jn. 1:3,40; 6:8,22,70-71; 7:21,50; 8:9,41; 9:25; 10:16,30; 11:49-50,52; 12:2,4; 13:21,23; 17:11,21-23; 18:14,22,26,39; 19:34; 20:1,12,19,24; 21:25; Acts 1:22,24; 2:3,6; 4:32; 11:28; 12:10; 17:26-27; 20:7,31; 21:19,26; 23:6,17; 24:21; 28:25; Rom. 3:10,12,30; 5:12,15ff; 9:10; 12:4-5; 15:6; 1 Co. 3:8; 4:6; 6:16-17; 8:4,6; 9:24; 10:8,17; 11:5; 12:9,11-14,18-20,26; 14:27,31; 16:2; 2 Co. 5:14; 11:2,24; Gal. 3:16,20,28; 4:22,24; 5:14; Eph. 2:14-16,18; 4:4-7,16; 5:31,33; Phil. 1:27; 2:2; 3:13; Col. 3:15; 4:6; 1 Thess. 2:11; 5:11; 2 Thess. 1:3; 1 Tim. 2:5; 3:2,12; 5:9; Tit. 1:6; 3:10; Heb. 2:11; 10:12,14; 11:12; Jas. 2:10,19; 4:12; 2 Pet. 3:8; 1 Jn. 5:8; Rev. 4:8; 5:5; 6:1; 7:13; 9:12; 13:3; 15:7; 17:1,10,12-13,17; 18:8,10,17,19; 21:9,21 Over 6500 uses in the Septuagint - too many to list so only listing those in Genesis. Gen. 1:5,9,14-16,29-30; 2:7,9-11,21-22,24; 3:6,19,22; 4:8,19,23; 6:3,16,18-19; 7:1,7,9,13,15; 8:9,13; 9:3,12-13,15; 10:19,25,30; 11:1,3,6,31; 12:1-2,5-6,8,10-11,14-15,19; 13:1,3-4,9-10,17; 14:8,10,17; 15:5-6; 16:5; 17:6ff,12-13,16,19-21; 18:2,5,7,10,14,18,22,33; 19:1-3,8-10,17,19,23,26-27; 20:1,6,8-9,12-13,16; 21:2,13,15,18,30,32; 22:2-3,7-8,13; 23:9-10,13,16,18,20; 24:4-5,8,10,17,20,27-28,32,36,38,41,49,60,63,65,67; 25:6,9; 26:1-2; 27:3,5,9,17,38,43,45; 28:2-3,5-7,10,12,15,21; 29:1,3,13; 30:16,25,30,38-40; 31:3-4,13,18,21,30,33-34,44; 32:1-2,4,7ff; 33:4,13-14,16-18; 34:4,12,16,22,25; 35:1,3,6,16,27; 37:12,14,17,20-22,24-25,28,35-36; 38:12-13,28; 39:1,6,8,11,16,20; 40:3,5,11,13,15,21; 41:5,11,21-22,25-26,36,57; 42:11,16,19,25,27,29,32-33,37-38; 43:14ff,21-22,26,30; 44:2,13,28-29,31; 45:2,4-5,16-17,21,23,25; 46:3-4,6-8,26-29; 47:5,9,14,21,24,26; 48:4-5,16,19,21; 49:6,15-17,23,27; 50:4,13-14,20-21,24 Flock (4167)(poimne) means literally a flock, especially of sheep (Lk 2.8). Figuratively poimne refers to Jesus' band of disciples (Mt 26.31) and then to the church or body of followers of Christ (Jn 10.16) Poimne - 5x/4v - Matt. 26:31; Lk. 2:8; Jn. 10:16; 1 Co. 9:7. Once in Lxx = Ge 32:16. ILLUSTRATION OF ONE FLOCK - William
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Cole writes that "the main point Jesus is making is that His death was not a tragic accident where He was a helpless victim. As Acts 4:27-28+ puts it: “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, Whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.” The sinners who crucified Jesus were responsible for their sin, but at the same time, God used them to fulfill His purpose to save Jesus’ sheep from their sins. (Why Follow Jesus?) Brian Bell - In the OT the sheep died for the shepherd; Christ is the Shepherd who dies for the sheep! The story of the Good Shepherd is not the tragic story of a Victim but the tremendous story of a Victor! One who voluntarily laid down His life on our behalf. Pilate tried to intimidate Jesus w/the authority to release Him or crucify Him. Peter tried to protect Him w/his sword a Gethsemane. But Jesus’ death was voluntary. He told Peter “put away your sword, do you think I cannot ask My Father, & He will at once put at my disposal more than 12 legions of angels?” & He told Pilate “you would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above.” I have authority (exousia) to lay it down, and I have authority (exousia - legal right, power) to take it up again - Authority (exousia) speaks of Jesus having both the right and the might to carry out these actions, referring to His death and resurrection (because to take it up again alludes to His resurrection.) While we normally think of the Father as having the power to raise Jesus from the dead, here we see that Jesus Himself also had that power. Bob
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Cole notes that "His resurrection verifies that the Father accepted His sacrifice (Ro 4:25)." (Why Follow Jesus?)
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Cole writes that "R. C. Sproul (BORROW Chosen by God page 96) gives a helpful illustration of why God can hold unbelievers accountable for their unbelief, even though they are incapable of believing. He pictures God saying to a man, “I want you to trim these bushes by 3 p.m. But be careful. There’s a large pit at the edge of the garden. If you fall into the pit, you won’t be able to get yourself out. So stay away from the pit.” As soon as God leaves the garden, the man runs over and jumps into the pit. At 3 p.m. God returns and finds the bushes untrimmed. He goes over to the pit and sees the man at the bottom. He can’t get out. God says to the man, “Why haven’t you trimmed the bushes?” The man replies angrily, “How do you expect me to trim these bushes when I’m trapped in this pit? If you hadn’t left this pit here, I wouldn’t be in this predicament!”
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Cole explains that "This truth is often misunderstood and attacked because it is alleged that if Jesus died only for His sheep, then we can’t offer the gospel to all people. But that is a false allegation. Jesus is “the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29+). John 3:16+: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Jesus is the Savior of the world (John 4:42+). The almost final verse of the Bible appeals (Rev. 22:17+), “The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.” So this truth in no way limits the invitation to all people to be saved. God pleads with all to be saved. Rather, this truth looks at the death of Christ from the standpoint of God’s intent or purpose. Jesus died actually to pay for all the sins of His sheep, whom the Father had given Him from all eternity. And He promises that He will not lose even one of them (John 6:39+; Jn 10:28). So this truth should assure us: If you believe in Christ, you’re one of His sheep for whom He died. And He promises to keep you unto eternity. His purpose will not fail (Eph. 1:11+). (Why Follow Jesus?) John 10:27 "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; BGT John 10:27 τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς φωνῆς μου ἀκούουσιν, κἀγὼ γινώσκω αὐτὰ καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσίν μοι, KJV John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: NET John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. CSB John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow Me. ESV John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. NIV John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. NLT John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. NRS John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. NJB John 10:27 The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me. NAB John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. YLT John 10:27 according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me, MIT John 10:27 My sheep listen to my voice. I know them and they follow me. sheep: John 10:4,8,16 5:25 Jn 8:43 Mt 17:5 Ac 3:23 Heb 3:7 Rev 3:20 and I: John 10:3,14 Mt 7:23 Mt 25:12 Lu 13:27 1Co 8:3 Ga 4:9 2Ti 2:19 and they: John 10:4 8:12 12:26 21:22 1Ki 18:21 Mt 16:24 Mk 8:34 10:21 Lu 9:23 Rev 14:4 John 10 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: John 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. John 10:8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. John 5:25+ “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. John 8:43+ “Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word. Acts 3:23 ‘And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Hebrews 3:7 Therefore, just as the Holy Spirit says, “TODAY IF YOU HEAR HIS VOICE, Revelation 3:20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. SHEEP KNOW THE SHEPHERD'S VOICE Are you a good listener like the famous RCA Dog above (adapted from Francis Barraud's 1898 painting)? Are you too listening for your "Master's voice?" See related article Are You Listening? While there is no contrast term like "but," clearly there is a striking contrast between Jn 10:26 (you are not of My sheep) and Jn 10:27 (My sheep). Or one might see it as an explanation as to why these Jews cannot believe. It is because they don't have ears to hear His voice. My sheep hear (akouo) My voice (phone) - My indicates that the sheep personally belong to Jesus! As believers we not their own (1Co 6:19+) but have been purchased by Jesus with His precious blood (Acts 20:28+, Titus 2:14+, 1Pe 1:18-19+, 1Co 6:20+) to be His possession forever and ever. Amen! Jesus essentially repeats teaching similar to what He had taught earlier (Jn 10:4,8,16). THOUGHT - Since Jesus' sheep hear and respond to HIS VOICE, what should be our priority when sharing the Gospel with others? Yesterday I had to make an insurance payment over the phone to a customer representative. When the transaction was complete, I asked if they were going to Heaven? The gentleman said "I think so." When I asked on what did he base his hope and he answered that it was by the things he had done (WORKS). I then briefly shared the Gospel and ended by speaking the Good Shepherd's words in John 14:6. I would like to say He received those words and believed, but that did not happen. The point is that he heard the voice of Jesus in John 14:6, and if he is a sheep of Jesus, one day he will respond. I left him with the words, "Now it is up to the Holy Spirit to accomplish His work." He was cordial and we said "Good-bye," but of course my prayer was that I would see him a thousand years from now in Heaven. His sheep hear His voice. Let us speak His voice when we share the Gospel. Chuck Swindoll points out that "God’s sheep are sensitive to His leading (Jn 10:27a). If you were to travel the world and hold an informal conversation with Christians in different countries and from different cultures, you will eventually hear them describe a common experience: the inner prompting of the Holy Spirit leading them to do certain things or to go certain places. I’m amazed by the similarities in the descriptions of people living on opposite sides of the globe. (BORROW Insights on John, page 194) Brian Bell adds are you Sensitive to His voice? - "Are you listening even when He speaks through your conscience? Through other people? Through a mean employee or boss? Through a strong willed child? One might ask how do Jesus' sheep recognize His voice? Just as one cannot read the Word of God without having one's eyes supernaturally opened, one cannot hear the Word of the Lord without having their ears supernaturally opened. In short, it is a gift from God, based solely on His matchless, amazing grace and having nothing to do with merit on the sheep's part. As we have noted before to hear Jesus' voice means more than to hear "sound waves," but means to hear with an intent to obey what is heard (enabled by His Spirit). Notice also that hear is in the present tense indicating this is the sheep's habitual practice to listen to the Shepherd's voice. THOUGHT - Of course sheep wander (grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence), but they return to the fold to hear their Shepherd's voice. If someone claims to be Jesus' sheep but has no interest in hearing His voice (aka, reading His Word), then it is possible that they are not truly His sheep (see 2Co 13:5+). Compare a similar teaching in John 8:31-32+ where abiding in His Word is the mark of a true follower (sheep) of Christ. Are you daily feeding in His green pastures of His living and active Word? R C H
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Cole - Reasons To Believe) Yet everything John said about this man was true - What did they recognize as true? Clearly one thing they accepted was John's testimony "I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:34+) And based on John's testimony, they believed. Note the juxtaposition of man's responsibility (privilege) and God's sovereignty in the miracle of salvation. THOUGHT - Have you shared your personal testimony of miraculous redemption (every testimony is a miracle!)? If not let, be encouraged by John's testimony and share your's. Skeptics can argue apologetics but one thing they cannot dispute is your personal testimony that you are now a new creation in Christ (2Co 5:17+). That is your privilege and your mission. It is not your responsibility to save them. That is up to the miraculous, mysterious working of the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3, 7, 8+) Brian Bell - Oh to have said at your funeral, “He was a good man. He never performed miracles, but he told me about Christ, which led me to know Him for myself.” John
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Cole points out that Jesus now uses "a rabbinic form of argument that some (including the Jehovah’s Witnesses) misunderstand. They claim that Jesus was toning down His claim to deity by showing that the term “gods” can legitimately be used of men in certain ways. Thus He, a man, may be called “the Son of God.” But if Jesus had been toning down His claim to deity, the Jews would not still have tried to seize Him (Jn 10:39) after His explanation. (Reasons To Believe) Jesus answered them, "Has it not been written (grapho in perfect tense - "Does it not stand written") in your Law, 'I SAID, YOU ARE GODS (theos)' - All caps in the NASB indicates a direct OT quote, in this case from Psalm 82:6 in which Asaph (author of the psalm) says "I said, “You are gods (elohim; Lxx = theos), and all of you are sons of the Most High." (explained below). Jesus designates it as your Law because He knew these "Biblical scholars" held it in such high esteem and had to accept it. Your Law refers in context to the entire Old Testament. In other words, in this statement Jesus uses "your Law" to stand for "your OT Scriptures." (cf Jn 12:34, Ro 3:19) These hypocrites proudly posed as the special custodians of the Law, the "legal eagles" so to speak! So Jesus is appealing to their very own Scriptures which they claim to revere. As explained below, Jesus used this OT quotation to reason from the lesser to the greater. "Jesus meets the rabbis on their own ground in a thoroughly Jewish way." (Robertson) Steven Cole - Jesus’ argument is from the lesser to the greater: “If mere men can be called ‘gods’ because of their position as judges, then how much more should I, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, be called the Son of God?” Leon Morris (The Gospel According to John [Eerdmans], p. 528) adds, “Jesus is not classing Himself among men…. He separates and distinguishes Himself from men.” (Reasons To Believe) John
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Cole - It’s no accident that liberal theologians and skeptics invariably attack the miracles in the Bible, including the miracles of Christ. Sometimes they sneer, “Just show me a miracle and I’ll believe.” But these Jews saw many miracles, yet they did not believe. In John 11 they will witness Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, but their response is not to fall before Jesus in faith and worship, but rather to intensify their plans to kill Him. You have to ask, “Why is this? Why did people in Jesus’ day reject miracles that they witnessed with their own eyes? Why do people in our day reject the eyewitness testimony of credible witnesses who reported the miracles of Jesus?”I think the only answer is that they realize that if Jesus really did these things, then He is Lord and they will have to repent of their sins and submit their lives to Him. In the case of the Jewish leaders, they liked their place of power, so they didn’t want to yield to Jesus as Lord. In the case of modern liberal scholars, they take pride in their intellectual abilities and in the recognition that they get by writing books that attack the credibility of the New Testament. But in both cases, the skeptics don’t want to repent of their sins and bow before Jesus as Lord. So they attack His miracles. But those miracles are a powerful witness to Jesus’ deity. (Reasons To Believe) Magic Or Miracle? Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. — John 10:38 Today's Scripture: John 10:22-39 Magician Harry Houdini often performed an amazing escape. He was handcuffed, put inside a sack, and locked in a trunk—but he always managed to free himself. Some claimed that he had supernatural powers, but Houdini himself said that all his tricks could be explained. When a museum in Wisconsin opened an exhibit that showed the secret of Houdini’s famous escape act, many magicians said it violated their code of ethics that prohibits revealing how tricks are performed. The exhibit proved Houdini was a magician, not a miracle worker. Jesus, however, was a miracle worker. He attributed His supernatural acts to the power of God. He performed them to heal people and to prove that He was who He claimed to be—the Son of God. He said, “The works [miracles] that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me. . . . Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him” (John 10:25,38). The wonderful works of Jesus established His identity in history. The marvelous works He performs through all who trust Him reveal His identity in the world today. Have you found that to be true in your life? By: David C. McCasland Sometimes we see a miracle, And faith in God revives; Yet we should see God's gracious hand At work throughout our lives. —Hess In a world of smoke and mirrors, Jesus offers the miracle of salvation. Miracle Or Magic? Though you do not believe Me, believe the works, that you may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him. — John 10:38 Today's Scripture: John 10:24-42 Did Jesus really walk on water or simply use some nearby sandbars? Did He actually multiply bread and fish to feed 5,000 or just hypnotize the crowd into thinking He did? Was it miracle or magic? When Christian illusionist Brock Gill explored those questions for a BBC television program, he set aside his personal beliefs to examine the biblical miracles with an open mind. Producer Jean-Claude Bragard said, “Even if an atheist had been chosen as host, the conclusions wouldn’t have changed.” In every case,