John 10 - NIV Application Bible

10:1–5 At night, sheep were often herded into walled enclosures. Legitimate shepherds entered these enclosures through the main gate. Sheep recognized the voice of their shepherd (v. 4).

10:1–18 In the OT, God is the Shepherd of Israel (Ps 23:1). Moses and David were also shepherds by occupation. Impious kings in Israel were commonly understood to be false or bad shepherds.

John reminds us the occasion for this discourse is the Festival of Dedication (modern Hanukkah; v. 22). This is the only reference to this minor, intertestamental festival in the Bible. In the 160s BC, the Maccabean War pitted conservative Jewish fighters against Greeks and Hellenized Jews. Hanukkah was a season that asked hard questions about failed leadership and false shepherds.

10:6 It is not surprising that Jesus’ audience does not grasp the spiritual point he is making. In John the theme is consistently Jesus’ identity; stories unveil who he is. But in each case, the problem is not necessarily intellectual. The problem is often an unwillingness to respond to the challenge of the saying.

10:7–10 Jesus’ explanation turns the story creatively. In his interpretation, Jesus shifts some of the images. He becomes the gate. He stands in the gateway, and anyone who enters without his permission is not trustworthy. This image implies a warning that there are illegitimate shepherds whose entry he prohibits. The most likely target of Jesus’ criticism is the Pharisees.

Jesus is the gate for the sheep; only those sheep who know him will enter the sheepfold and find safety. Jesus’ image is that of well-fed sheep whose shepherd knows how to lead them to pasture and water daily and how to give them safe rest in the sturdy walls of the sheepfold each night.

10:11–13 At the final level of his interpretation, Jesus claims that he is the “good shepherd” (v. 11). The shepherd’s job was severe, tiring, and hazardous. The hired hand is distinguished by his lack of commitment to the sheep. The good shepherd, by contrast, “owns the sheep” (see v. 12), which speaks to his unique, passionate commitment to them.

10:14–15 The most important feature of Jesus’ role as shepherd is that he lays down his life for the sheep. He cares for them so much that he is willing to come between his flock and danger. He is willing to die for them. Jesus is pointing to the depth of his love for the flock of God and his own commitment to die for them in obedience to God’s will.

10:16 Jesus further says there are “other sheep” (v. 16) that do not come from this sheepfold. If they come from a different fold, they come from outside of Judaism, which no doubt refers to Gentiles. This is Jesus’ vision for the unity of the church: Jewish and Gentile believers living together under Christ’s leadership.

10:17–18 Jesus next probes the deeper meaning of the Father’s love for him. The fundamental element in this relationship is Jesus’ dependence on and obedience to God’s will. This is exemplified by his willingness to die on the cross.

The love and unity that Jesus and the Father share is underscored at the beginning of v. 18. Jesus was not a victim of human conspiracies. He was not a martyr whose life was tragically ended. Rather, he obediently participated in the plan of God. The early Christians who interpreted Jesus’ death reinforced this view.

The final aspect of Jesus’ uniqueness as the Good Shepherd is the authority he holds to die and retake his life in resurrection (vv. 17b–18). The resurrection, therefore, is not an afterthought in which God rescues his Son from an unexpected tragedy.

Jesus’ authoritative, powerful activity from Good Friday to Easter Sunday operates in harmony with God, who has authorized and directed it.

10:19–21 John’s chief interest here is in the opposite reactions now forming. Some believe that Jesus is “demon-possessed and raving mad” (v. 20). The reaction is antagonistic. Still others in the audience are impressed with Jesus, though they fail to identify Jesus accurately or exhibit belief. Nevertheless, they are open to new possibilities and unwilling to judge Jesus outright.

10:22–42 This is Jesus’ final public disclosure of himself to his people. It will be an ultimate disclosure of his complete identity. The account ends with his returning to where it all began—the Jordan River, where John had baptized him.

10:24 The crowd is looking for an unambiguous statement about Jesus’ identity. “How long will you keep us in suspense?” can also be translated “How long will you annoy us?” They want an open, clear statement from Jesus about his Messiahship, and no doubt they are poised to judge him if his answer is not to their liking.

10:25–27 Given the explosive, highly politicized views of the Messiah in this period, it is not surprising that Jesus has used restraint so far. Now his audience wants a “plain” statement. Even if Jesus were to speak plainly, only his “sheep” would recognize his voice (v. 26). The root problem is unbelief. The character of Jesus’ life and his works or miracles wrought by God’s power indicate his true identity. But only those who are Jesus’ sheep can understand. The “other sheep” cannot understand his voice; he does not know them, and they do not follow.

10:28–29 Jesus’ assignment has been to gather up “all those the Father gives” him (6:37–40). Therefore, his skill as the Good Shepherd secures them against all predators and thieves (v. 29).

10:30 The astounding affirmation given in v. 30 serves as a high point in the chapter. The sheep belong to the Father and the Son, and enjoy fellowship with both simultaneously. The sheep’s protection results from the Father and Son’s joint work.

10:31–33 This formulation of oneness is stronger than what we see elsewhere, and the response of the crowd (vv. 31,33) suggests that they hear something different too. To the crowd, this is not a man who is saying he has joined his efforts with God; this is a man who is saying something blasphemous. His opponents believe he is claiming to be God.

10:34–39 Jesus’ defense is carefully nuanced and takes advantage of Hanukkah’s symbolism. He defends himself by citing Ps 82:6. If the word “god” can be applied to those other than God himself in the Scriptures, why are Jesus’ words blasphemy?

Moreover, Jesus is the one whom God “sanctified” and sent into the world. The Greek verb for “set apart” means to consecrate or make something holy; this points to the meaning of Hanukkah itself. Judas Maccabeus had reclaimed the temple after he conquered his Greek oppressors. In 1 Maccabees 4:48 we read, “They also rebuilt the sanctuary and the interior of the temple, and consecrated [“sanctified”] the courts.” Jesus, then, is the object of Hanukkah’s interest. He is the “sanctified place,” the “holy place,” the “temple” of God celebrated in this season.

10:40–41 Jesus’ departure from Judea is as much a theological statement as it is geographical. He is moving away from the area of conflict in Jerusalem and returning to where John the Baptist had worked. Jesus has come full circle.

For the last time, John the Baptist’s role is affirmed. Echoing the words of 3:22–30, his ministry is placed in perspective. He was a trustworthy and reliable witness to the truth about Jesus.

10:42 Ironically, the evangelist adds, “And in that place many believed in Jesus” (v. 42). Jesus finds faith not among the ranks of the religious in the holy city of Jerusalem. Rather, he finds it when he moves to the desert. “Many people” made the effort to travel, “came to him” in the desert by the Jordan and believed in him, recognizing that this was God’s hand behind Jesus’ works and God’s voice within his words.

✜ 10:1–42 The desert in Israel is tremendously important in order to understand the Bible. During the bulk of the year, the desert is inhospitable to life. It takes little convincing to show that the environment of the world is as treacherous as a Judean desert: It is hostile at every turn. We do live in a modern desert. Amid this moral chaos, in this threatening desert, whose voice—which shepherd—do we follow?

Every communicator of biblical truth needs to sound the alarm and point the audience to their need of a true shepherd who can genuinely lead them from the desert. John has given us a direct and simple solution. Jesus is the true Shepherd, and he is the only one who can endorse others who will lead the sheep. The final test of a shepherd’s credentials is his or her fidelity to the leadership of Jesus.