John 10,1-30

John 10
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1“Very truly I tell you, Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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.
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.
18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
19 The Jews who heard these words were again divided.
20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Further Conflict Over Jesus’ Claims

22 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter,
23 and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.
24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,
26 but you do not believe because you are not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.
29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.
30 I and the Father are one.”

Hello everyone, I am Kiki. The Chinese name of our second phase of the program is “读经大讲堂”. The English name is “Bible Study”.
We will adopt a relaxed and enjoyable learning mode to take you into a new world of learning. Each time, I will make a personal summary and analysis from the perspective of a learner, and then Sister Ingrid will help me conduct in-depth learning and discussions with everybody.
I hope that such an interesting and interactive process can bring a new learning experience to you all. The following is my interview with Sister Ingrid on related issues. Today is the eighteenth lecture on the Gospel of John.
Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment area for discussion!

2. My summary of the eighteenth study of John:

Well, everybody! Below is my personal study summary for today.

In today’s passage, Jesus talks about being the Good Shepherd, using the example of sheep and their shepherd to share a really important message.

He starts off by saying that anyone who sneaks into the sheep pen through a different way is like a thief.

The true shepherd, who enters through the gate, is someone the sheep recognize and trust.

They know his voice and follow him, but they run away from someone they do not recognize.

Jesus explains that he is that shepherd.

He says he lays down his life for his sheep, showing how much he cares for them.

Unlike a hired hand, who might run away when trouble comes (like a wolf), Jesus stays and protects his sheep.

He emphasizes that he truly knows his sheep, just as he knows the Father, and he promises to give them eternal life.

He also mentions that he has other sheep who are not part of this flock, and he will bring them together.

This creates one big flock with one shepherd.

Jesus reveals that his Father loves him because he is willing to lay down his life, but he also has the power to take it up again.

When some people in the crowd hear him, they have mixed reactions.

Some think he is crazy or possessed by a demon, while others are amazed and question how someone like him could open the eyes of the blind.

Later, while in the temple, the Jews ask him directly if he is the Messiah.

Jesus says he already told them through his actions, but they do not believe because they are not his sheep.

He assures them that his sheep hear his voice, know him, and will never be taken away from him or the Father.

In a powerful statement, he concludes by declaring that he and the Father are one.

Now let Sister Ingrid give a further summary.

3. Sister Ingrid’s comment on my study summary:

Hello sister, in this story, we have to analyze the different persons and their roles carefully.

The sheep pen is the invisible global true church of Jesus Christ. It has a door. Here we meet again the door of the Gospel of Matthew, where we have to go in through the narrow door to become Jesus’ disciples.

Only those who enter the sheep pen through the door are true Christians. But Jesus says that there are people who enter the sheep pen by another way. It is interesting to understand who they are and what they steal.

There can be many people who do not enter the sheep pen through the door: false preachers, traditional Christians, and religious persons. Jesus warns us about them. They are robbers. They can steal your money, your time, your joy, and your peace if you are not careful and do not have fellowship with Jesus.

Then we have the gatekeeper. This is God the Father and the Holy Spirit because they lead us to repentance.

True Christians hear and know the voice of Jesus, as you mentioned. Even though there are false people in the sheep pen who come to rob and murder, the sheep of Jesus do not follow them because they know the voice of the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus Christ.

The hired hands are people who work for the Lord Jesus here on earth, but they do not work well. They run away when there is danger.

But Jesus was the Good Shepherd because he gave his life for the sheep, and that was his mission here on earth.

Q&A List Based on the Eighteenth Study of John:

Okay. Based on the Bible study content above, let me ask Sister Ingrid some related questions. We hope the following questions can be helpful to our brothers and sisters who have just become Christians.

1. Who does Jesus identify himself as in this passage, and what does he mean by being the “Good Shepherd”?

He explains that he is the Good Shepherd. We can trust in him because he will keep us safe, as it is written in Psalm 23 as well.

Apart from Jesus Christ, there are also bad shepherds in this world, and we have to separate ourselves from them.

2. What is the significance of the sheep recognizing the shepherd’s voice? How does this relate to our relationship with Jesus?

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can discern whether a message comes from Jesus or whether somebody wants to deceive us by speaking something similar to the words of Jesus.

But we do not only listen to the words; we also hear the voice of the person who is speaking. In this way, we know whether we can believe the message or whether it is just a trick.

3. In what ways does Jesus contrast himself with the hired hand? Why is it important that the Good Shepherd cares for his sheep?

The hired hand is somebody who also takes care of the sheep. There are many hired hands in the church of Jesus today. But the hired hand runs away when a situation becomes dangerous. The Good Shepherd stays.

4. What does Jesus mean when he says he lays down his life for the sheep? How does this relate to the concept of sacrifice in the Christian faith?

Jesus gave his life on the cross of Calvary for us. In the Jewish religion, the Jews had to sacrifice a sheep every year to wash away their sins. The sacrifice of Jesus was one sacrifice that is valid for eternity. His blood washes us clean from former sins, the sins we commit today, and the sins we will commit in the future.

5. What does the phrase “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen” indicate about Jesus’ mission?

Who do you think these “other sheep” represent?

Jesus came first of all to the Jewish people. But he had more than only Jewish people in his sheep pen. The other sheep were the Gentiles, the Greeks, and all other tribes on earth. And the secret of God is that he will unite a church with members from all peoples of the world in his sheep pen.

6. How does Jesus’ statement “I and the Father are one” clarify his identity and role as the Son of God?

First, Jesus, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons. Second, Jesus acts absolutely according to the will of his Father. Therefore, he can say that they are one.

7. What are some of the reasons given for why the Jewish leaders did not believe Jesus? How can this teach us about the importance of faith and belief in our own lives?

The Jewish leaders were very religious people. They were trapped in their own traditions and interpretations of the Holy Scriptures.

But faith in Jesus is the opposite of this: he is life, and he wants a relationship, not religion. He wants to give us everything so that we can stop trying to earn something from God through religious acts.

8. What does Jesus promise to his sheep regarding eternal life? How does this assurance impact the Christian faith?

When he gives his life for us and takes it up again, he overcomes death and the devil. As it is promised several times in the Gospel of John, the people who believe in Jesus Christ and base their faith on him will have eternal life.

9. How do the reactions of the crowd to Jesus’ teachings reflect different perspectives on faith and belief? What can we learn from that today?

The crowd was divided. Some said Jesus had a demon; others said that a possessed person could not speak like Jesus did or perform the miracles that he did.

We learn from today’s text that we should not argue and create division among people, but simply believe. The things that Jesus said and did are enough evidence that he is the Son of God and that we will have eternal life through him.

10. Why is it important for Christians to understand the relationship between Jesus and the Father as described in this passage? How does this understanding shape our faith?

In John 3:16, we read that God the Father gave us his own Son so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Jesus confirms this here when he says that the Father has sent him and that he is doing the will of the Father. He says that he received this commandment from the Father.

And he says that the Father loves him because he will do his will and give his life for us.