John 10

Joh 10:1-21.

THE

GOOD

SHEPHERD.

This discourse seems plainly to be a continuation of the closing verses

of the ninth chapter. The figure was familiar to the Jewish ear (from

Jer 23:1-40;

Eze 34:1-31;

Zec 11:1-17,

&c.). "This simple creature [the sheep] has this special note among all

animals, that it quickly hears the voice of the shepherd, follows no

one else, depends entirely on him, and seeks help from him

alone--cannot help itself, but is shut up to another's aid" [LUTHER in STIER].

1, 2. He that entereth not by the door--the legitimate way (without

saying what that was, as yet).

into the sheepfold--the sacred enclosure of God's true people.

climbeth up some other way--not referring to the assumption of

ecclesiastical office without an external call, for those Jewish rulers,

specially aimed at, had this

(Mt 23:2),

but to the want of a true spiritual commission, the seal of heaven

going along with the outward authority; it is the assumption of the

spiritual guidance of the people without this that is meant.

2. he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep--a

true, divinely recognized shepherd.

3. To him the porter openeth--that is, right of free access is

given, by order of Him to whom the sheep belong; for it is better not to

give the allusion a more specific interpretation [CALVIN,

MEYER,

LUTHARDT].

and the sheep hear his voice--This and all that follows, though it

admits of important application to every faithful shepherd of God's

flock, is in its direct and highest sense true only of "the great

Shepherd of the sheep," who in the first five verses seems plainly,

under the simple character of a true shepherd, to be drawing His own

portrait [LAMPE,

STIER, &c.].

7-14. I am the door of the sheep--that is, the way in to the fold,

with all blessed privileges, both for shepherds and sheep (compare

Joh 14:6;

Eph 2:18).

8. All that ever came before me--the false prophets; not as claiming

the prerogatives of Messiah, but as perverters of the people from the

way of life, all pointing to Him [OLSHAUSEN].

the sheep did not hear them--the instinct of their divinely taught

hearts preserving them from seducers, and attaching them to the

heaven-sent prophets, of whom it is said that "the Spirit of Christ was

in them"

(1Pe 1:11).

9. by me if any man enter in--whether shepherd or sheep.

shall be saved--the great object of the pastoral office, as of all

the divine arrangements towards mankind.

and shall go in and out and find pasture--in, as to a place of

safety and repose; out, as to "green pastures and still waters"

(Ps 23:2)

for nourishment and refreshing, and all this only transferred to

another clime, and enjoyed in another manner, at the close of this

earthly scene

(Re 7:17).

10. I am come that they might have life, and . . . more abundantly--not

merely to preserve but impart LIFE,

and communicate it in rich

and unfailing exuberance. What a claim! Yet it is only an echo of all

His teaching; and He who uttered these and like words must be either a

blasphemer, all worthy of the death He died, or "God with us"--there can

be no middle course.

11. I am the good shepherd--emphatically, and, in the sense intended,

exclusively so

(Isa 40:11;

Eze 34:23; 37:24;

Zec 13:7).

the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep--Though this may be

said of literal shepherds, who, even for their brute flock, have, like

David, encountered "the lion and the bear" at the risk of their own

lives, and still more of faithful pastors who, like the early bishops of

Rome, have been the foremost to brave the fury of their enemies against

the flock committed to their care; yet here, beyond doubt, it points to

the struggle which was to issue in the willing surrender of the

Redeemer's own life, to save His sheep from destruction.

12. an hireling . . . whose own the sheep are not--who

has no property, in them. By this He points to His own peculiar

relation to the sheep, the same as His Father's, the great Proprietor

and Lord of the flock, who styles Him "My Shepherd, the Man that is

My Fellow"

(Zec 13:7),

and though faithful under-shepherds are so in their Master's interest,

that they feel a measure of His own concern for their charge, the

language is strictly applicable only to "the Son over His own house"

(Heb 3:6).

seeth the wolf coming--not the devil distinctively, as some take

it [STIER,

ALFORD, &c.], but generally whoever comes upon the flock

with hostile intent, in whatever form: though the wicked one, no doubt,

is at the bottom of such movements [LUTHARDT].

14. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep--in the peculiar sense

of

2Ti 2:19.

am known of mine--the soul's response to the voice that has inwardly

and efficaciously called it; for of this mutual loving acquaintance ours

is the effect of His. "The Redeemer's knowledge of us is the

active element, penetrating us with His power and life; that of believers is

the passive principle, the reception of His life and light. In this

reception, however, an assimilation of the soul to the sublime object of

its knowledge and love takes place; and thus an activity, though a

derived one, is unfolded, which shows itself in obedience to His

commands" [OLSHAUSEN]. From this mutual knowledge Jesus rises to another

and loftier reciprocity of knowledge.

15-18. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father--What

claim to absolute equality with the Father could exceed this? (See on

Mt 11:27).

and I lay down my life for the sheep--How sublime this, immediately

following the lofty claim of the preceding clause! It is the riches and

the poverty of "the Word made flesh"--one glorious Person reaching at

once up to the Throne and down even to the dust of death, "that we might

live through Him." A candid interpretation of the words,

"for the sheep," ought to go far to establish the special relation of

the vicarious death of Christ to the Church.

16. other sheep I have . . . not of this fold: them also I must

bring--He means the perishing Gentiles, already His "sheep" in the love of

His heart and the purpose of His grace to "bring them" in due time.

they shall hear my voice--This is not the language of mere foresight that they would believe, but the expression of a

purpose to draw them to Himself by an inward and efficacious call, which would

infallibly issue in their spontaneous accession to Him.

and there shall be one fold--rather "one flock" (for the word for

"fold," as in the foregoing verses, is quite different).

17. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life,

&c.--As the highest act of the Son's love to the Father was the laying

down of His life for the sheep at His "commandment," so the Father's

love to Him as His incarnate Son reaches its consummation, and finds

its highest justification, in that sublimest and most affecting of all

acts.

that I might take it again--His resurrection-life being indispensable

to the accomplishment of the fruit of His death.

18. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down myself: I have power to

lay it down, and I have power to take it again--It is impossible for

language more plainly and emphatically to express the

absolute voluntariness of Christ's death, such a voluntariness as it

would be manifest presumption in any mere creature to affirm of his

own death. It is beyond all doubt the language of One who was conscious

that His life was His own (which no creature's is), and therefore

His to surrender or retain at will. Here lay the glory of His

sacrifice, that it was purely voluntary. The claim of "power to take

it again" is no less important, as showing that His resurrection, though

ascribed to the Father, in the sense we shall presently see, was

nevertheless His own assertion of His own right to life as soon as

the purposes of His voluntary death were accomplished.

This commandment--to "lay down His--life, that He might take it again."

have I received of my Father--So that Christ died at once by "command"

of His Father, and by such a voluntary obedience to that command as has

made Him (so to speak) infinitely dear to the Father. The necessity of

Christ's death, in the light of these profound sayings, must be

manifest to all but the superficial student.

19-21. There was a division . . . again among the Jews for these

sayings--the light and the darkness revealing themselves with

increasing clearness in the separation of the teachable from the

obstinately prejudiced. The one saw in Him only "a devil and a madman";

the other revolted at the thought that such words could come from

one possessed, and sight be given to the blind by a demoniac; showing

clearly that a deeper impression had been made upon them than their

words expressed.

Joh 10:22-42.

DISCOURSE AT THE

FEAST OF

DEDICATION--FROM THE

FURY OF

HIS

ENEMIES

JESUS

ESCAPES BEYOND

JORDAN,

WHERE

MANY

BELIEVE ON

HIM.

22, 23. it was . . . the feast of the dedication--celebrated rather

more than two months after the feast of tabernacles, during which

intermediate period our Lord seems to have remained in the neighborhood

of Jerusalem. It was instituted by Jude Maccabeus, to commemorate the

purification of the temple from the profanations to which it had been

subjected by Antiochus Epiphanes 165 B.C., and kept for eight days, from

the twenty-fifth Chisleu (December), the day on which Judas began the

first joyous celebration of it (1 Maccabees 4:52,56,59; and

JOSEPHUS, Antiquities, 7.7.7).

it was winter--implying some inclemency. Therefore,

23. Jesus walked . . . in Solomon's porch--for shelter. This portico

was on the east side of the temple, and JOSEPHUS

says it was part of the

original structure of Solomon [Antiquities, 20.9.7].

24. Then came the Jews--the rulers. (See on

Joh 1:19).

How long dost thou make us to doubt?--"hold us in suspense"

(Margin).

If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly--But when the plainest

evidence of it was resisted, what weight could a mere assertion

of it have?

25, 26. Jesus answered them, I told you--that is, in substance, what I

am (for example

Joh 7:37, 38; 8:12, 35, 36, 58).

26. ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I

said--referring to the whole strain of the Parable of the Sheep,

(Joh 10:1,

&c.).

27-30. My sheep hear my voice, &c.--(See on

Joh 10:8).

28. I give unto them eternal life--not "will give them"; for it

is a present gift. (See on

Joh 3:36;

Joh 5:24).

It is a very grand utterance, couched in the language of majestic

authority.

29. My Father, which gave them me--(See on

Joh 6:37-39).

is greater than all--with whom no adverse power can contend. It is a

general expression of an admitted truth, and what follows shows for what

purpose it was uttered, "and none is able to pluck them out of My

Father's hand." The impossibility of true believers being lost, in the

midst of all the temptations which they may encounter, does not consist

in their fidelity and decision, but is founded upon the

power of God. Here the doctrine of predestination is presented in

its sublime and sacred aspect; there is a predestination of the holy,

which is taught from one end of the Scriptures to the other; not,

indeed, of such a nature that an "irresistible grace" compels the

opposing will of man (of course not), but so that that will of man

which receives and loves the commands of God is produced only by

God's grace (OLSHAUSEN--a testimony all the more valuable, being given

in spite of Lutheran prejudice).

30. I and my Father are one--Our language admits not of the precision

of the original in this great saying. "Are" is in the masculine

gender--"we (two persons) are"; while "one" is

neuter--"one thing." Perhaps "one interest" expresses, as

nearly as may be, the purport of the saying. There seemed to be some

contradiction between His saying they had been given by His Father into

His own hands, out of which they could not be plucked, and then

saying that none could pluck them out of His Father's hands, as if

they had not been given out of them. "Neither have they," says He;

"though He has given them to Me, they are as much in His own almighty

hands as ever--they cannot be, and when given to Me they are not,

given away from Himself; for HE AND I

HAVE ALL IN COMMON." Thus it will

be seen, that, though oneness of essence is not the precise thing

here affirmed, that truth is the basis of what is affirmed, without

which it would not be true. And AUGUSTINE was right in

saying the "We are" condemns the Sabellians

(who denied the

distinction of Persons in the Godhead), while the "one"

(as explained) condemns the Arians

(who denied the unity of their essence).

31. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him--and for

precisely the same thing as before

(Joh 8:58, 59).

32. Many good works have I showed you--that is, works of pure

benevolence (as in

Ac 10:38,

"Who went about doing good," &c.; see

Mr 7:37).

from my Father--not so much by His power, but as directly

commissioned by Him to do them. This He says to meet the imputation

of unwarrantable assumption of the divine prerogatives [LUTHARDT].

for which of those works do ye stone me?--"are ye stoning (that is,

going to stone) me?"

33. for a blasphemy--whose legal punishment was stoning

(Le 24:11-16).

thou, being a man--that is, a man only.

makest thyself God--Twice before they understood Him to advance the

same claim, and both times they prepared themselves to avenge what they

took to be the insulted honor of God, as here, in the way directed by

their law

(Joh 5:18; 8:59).

34-36. Is it not written in your law--in

Ps 82:6,

respecting judges or magistrates.

Ye are gods--being the official representatives and

commissioned agents of God.

35, 36. If he called them gods unto whom the word of God came . . .

Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world,

Thou blasphemest--The whole force of this reasoning, which has been

but in part seized by the commentators, lies in what is said of the two

parties compared. The comparison of Himself with mere men, divinely

commissioned, is intended to show (as NEANDER well expresses it) that

the idea of a communication of the Divine Majesty to human nature was by

no means foreign to the revelations of the Old Testament; but there is

also a contrast between Himself and all merely human representatives

of God--the one "sanctified by the Father and sent into the world";

the other, "to whom the word of God (merely) came," which is

expressly designed to prevent His being massed up with them as only one

of many human officials of God. It is never said of Christ that "the

word of the Lord came to Him"; whereas this is the well-known formula by

which the divine commission, even to the highest of mere men, is

expressed, as John the Baptist

(Lu 3:2).

The reason is that given by the Baptist himself (see on

Joh 3:31).

The contrast is between those "to whom the word of God came"--men of

the earth, earthy, who were merely privileged to get a divine

message to utter (if prophets), or a divine office to

discharge (if judges)--and "Him whom (not being of the earth at all)

the Father sanctified (or set apart), and sent into the

world," an expression never used of any merely human messenger

of God, and used only of Himself.

because, I said, I am the Son of God--It is worthy of special notice

that our Lord had not said, in so many words, that He was the Son of

God, on this occasion. But He had said what beyond doubt amounted to

it--namely, that He gave His sheep eternal life, and none could pluck

them out of His hand; that He had got them from His Father, in whose

hands, though given to Him, they still remained, and out of whose hand

none could pluck them; and that they were

the indefeasible property of both, inasmuch as "He and His Father

were one." Our Lord considers all this as just saying of Himself, "I am

the Son of God"--one nature with Him, yet mysteriously of Him. The parenthesis

(Joh 10:35),

"and the Scripture cannot be broken," referring to the terms used of

magistrates in the eighty-second Psalm, has an important bearing on the

authority of the living oracles. "The Scripture, as the

expressed will of the unchangeable God, is itself unchangeable and

indissoluble" [OLSHAUSEN]. (Compare

Mt 5:17).

37-39. though ye believe not me, believe the works--There was in

Christ's words, independently of any miracles, a self-evidencing truth,

majesty and grace, which those who had any spiritual susceptibility were

unable to resist

(Joh 7:46; 8:30).

But, for those who wanted this, "the works" were a mighty help. When

these failed, the case was desperate indeed.

that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in him--thus

reiterating His claim to essential oneness with the Father, which He

had only seemed to soften down, that He might calm their

rage and get their ear again for a moment.

39. Therefore they sought again to take him--true to their original

understanding of His words, for they saw perfectly well that He

meant to "make Himself God" throughout all this dialogue.

he escaped out of their hand--(See on

Lu 4:30;

Joh 8:59).

40-42. went away again beyond Jordan . . . the place where

John at first baptized--(See on

Joh 1:28).

41. many resorted to him--on whom the ministry of the Baptist had

left permanent impressions.

John did no miracle, but all things John spake of this man were true--what

they now heard and saw in Jesus only confirming in their minds the

divinity of His forerunner's mission, though unaccompanied by any of His

Master's miracles. And thus, "many believed on Him there."