John 10:1-42

Outline:

Before we dive into John chapter 10 there are a few contextual points that need to be made. First, while it’s hard to say if the sermon recorded in this chapter is the continuation of the things Jesus was articulating at the close of John 9 or happened at a later date, one thing is evident… John is continuing the same theme he began in the previous chapter. Case in point, the healing of the blind man will again be referenced in verse 21.

Secondly, the purpose of Jesus’ sermon will be to contrast Himself with the religious establishment in light of the way they treated the “man formerly born blind.”

Instead of glorifying God on account of the man’s healing, we saw last week how they were offended Jesus healed on the Sabbath, how they challenged his parent’s account, and were audacious enough to even doubt whether he’d actually been blind at all. In the end John says these men “reviled him,” hurled insults at him, before eventually “casting him out!”

For a group who touted themselves as being the most religious in all of Israel — who the masses viewed as the most holy and pious — who were the foremost experts concerning the Word of God — who’d been entrusted with managing the Temple proceedings, the way they treated people was utterly shameful. Instead of caring for those under their influence they judged the sinner, condemned the downtrodden, and were genuinely mean.

Thirdly, Jesus will make His point about these men as well as establish the contrast with Himself using what John calls in verse 6 an “illustration.” While Jesus employed all kinds of teaching methods, it’s interesting to point out John is the only Gospel writer who does not record any of Jesus’ “parables” and the only one who presents these “illustrations.”

In actuality, this Greek word we have translated in John 10 as “illustration” is only used in three other places in all of the Bible: Twice in John 16 the word will be translated as “figurative language” and then in 2 Peter 2 we’ll find it translated as a “true proverb.”

The reason this is important is that in contrast to a “parable” (which is a story used to teach an overarching truth to one group while concealing that truth from another) an “illustration” is used to articulate several lessons to everyone all at once. Before we break down the illustration and examine the lesson, I think it’d be helpful if we read the entirety of the text.

John 10:1-21, “‘Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.

I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.