John 10

One of the things that can trip up a person when reading the bible are the parables and the symbols. It trips them up because we tend to want to try to understand what we read as we read it, but the parables and the symbols used in scripture need to unfold in order to give a complete understanding. With a Parable, you have to listen to the entire story, and then you will find that Jesus interprets the parable for you, so you can understand what it all means. The brilliance of a parable is that we are story lovers… and when we are being taught with a story, we will retain the knowledge longer and with the example of how the story is applied, we will be able to apply it correctly to situations we encounter. When it comes to the use of symbols, you will also find that Jesus will give interpretations for that as well… for the most part, but when he doesn’t give us a meaning, we need to leave it until the meaning comes, and no, it won’t come to us in prayer…. it instead will come to the entire body of believers all at the same time… in Jesus’s time. By attempting to figure it out on your own, you can end up derailing yourself and others. If the word doesn’t say, leave it alone. Examples of symbols being interpreted for you are the seven golden candlesticks and seven stars on Revelation. The verses continue and Jesus tells John that they are the seven Angels of the churches and the seven churches. An example of a symbol left unknown is the Whore of Babylon. With the Whore of Babylon, we know the parts about her that we need to know right now… like that she is wealthy and is drunk on the blood of the martyred saints. What we don’t know because it isn’t stated for us to know, is who she is. To borrow a saying from Joel Richardson and Dalton Thomas…. what the scripture shouts, shout, what the scripture whispers, whisper.

1Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

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

3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

This is about the Pharisees and the others who set themselves up as scholars on the Law, but they did it without God for the purpose of looking after themselves. They were supposed to be feeding and looking after the sheep and leading them to God, but instead they were feeding ON the sheep and were looking down on them as being heathens. They had a superior attitude. Instead of serving the children of God and leading them into truth, they were looking down on them and profiting from them. The children of God didn’t listen to them. How would we recognize the voice of Jesus? One thing, it would be loving, and it would be words in the best interest of our soul and leading us to God. The word would never be used to abuse us, only to edify us. My impression of the Pharisees was that they wanted to corner the market on Godliness and be the ones who decided if something was Godly or not, they seemed to be stingily sharing God with others and creating situations to exclude people.

9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Here, in contrast to the pharisees, Jesus shows everyone that he is the way to salvation.

10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

The Pharisees were on par with thieve that were attempting to steal God’s people away to kill them and destroy them. In contrast to the Pharisees, Jesus shows he is the giver of life… in abundance.

11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

Jesus is the Lord of Lords… he is the Son of God… the Savior of all mankind… and here we see him looking after the sheep with complete willingness to die for them… for… us. No Pharisee would have done that, in fact, they were seeking to kill the only one who would die for mankind. Jesus would go on to lay down his life for his children (sheep) and it would be because of the thief that came to steal, kill and destroy. BUT, Jesus is the Son of God and there is no grave that could hold him down. He resurrected from the dead the 3rd day and is seated at the right hand of God….and if we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior… we receive that same resurrection power that will bring us out of the grave to be with him forever.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

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.

17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

The Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus because they didn’t want anyone shining the light on them and taking away their religious hold on people. They wanted to be the authority on God. Jesus had come to this earth to lay down his life to pay for our sins once and for all… and in so doing he fulfilled the Law and started a new way to reach God by grace through faith in what he did when he laid down his life, defeated death, hell and the grave, then rose again from the dead and went home to God to sit as his right hand making intercession for the saints. JESUS LOVES US SOOOO MUCH… EVEN AFTER HE DIED FOR US… HE CONTINUES TO SHEPARD US AND LOOK AFTER US.

19 There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

20 And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

21 Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

Jesus’s sheep know his voice.

22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

30 I and my Father are one.

31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

We will see this kind of anger in the end time. Our beliefs in God will shine light onto other people and those who are in darkness will become enraged over it… and all we will have to do is worship Jesus… follow Jesus… proclaim Jesus. They will want us to stop believing because of how it makes them feel, and when we don’t stop believing in Jesus, they will come for our heads. It won’t be enough for them to just believe in their own beliefs…. they will also be offended because we refuse to believe in their false gods.

32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

35 If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

Jesus had more than proved he is the Son of God… in action and in his words. They refused to believe even though they had the prophets of old who spoke of Jesus’s coming, they were still refusing to see.

38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.

39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.

41 And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

John told them Jesus was coming and what he would do, and it all happened just the way John said. John himself didn’t do any miracles, but his words confirmed who Jesus is, and all of this built the faith of the sheep following the Shepard.

42 And many believed on him there.