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| | Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what He was talking about.So Jesus went on to explain, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the gate to the sheep. Everyone who came before me were thieves and criminals, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, he shall be saved, and he shall enter through the gate, then continue on and find pasture. The thief does not come for any other reason except to steal, kill and destroy. I come so that they can have life, and have it exceedingly, abundantly beyond measure. | | Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what He was talking about.So Jesus went on to explain, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the gate to the sheep. Everyone who came before me were thieves and criminals, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. If anyone enters through me, he shall be saved, and he shall enter through the gate, then continue on and find pasture. The thief does not come for any other reason except to steal, kill and destroy. I come so that they can have life, and have it exceedingly, abundantly beyond measure. |
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| − | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sake of sheep. | + | I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sake of sheep. The hired worker is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and flees, so the wolf attacks the sheep, snatching some up, and scattering the rest. [''The hired worker flees''] because he is being paid a wage, and doesn't really care about the sheep. |
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| − | |The word for life in this verse is "psuche," while the word for life in verse ten is "zdoe." When contrasted together like this, psuche (often translated "soul") indicates a purely physical kind of life - that kind that indicates nothing more than our bodies are alive. Dzoe indicates a deeper life, a real life, a life that surpasses and supersedes that of mere physical life. A life that is really lived, is more alive, is beyond life. You might say that everyone is alive (psuche), but not everyone truly lives (dzoe). So Jesus is indicating that the shepherd will give up his "physical life" so that the sheep can have a deeper, fuller, more abundant life that overflows beyond measure or imagination. So they will truly "come alive." This is a life that goes beyond mere living, it starts at the MOMENT of salvation, and it never ends.
| + | I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and they know me, in the same way that my Father knows me, and I know my Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. |
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| + | I have other sheep who are not from this sheep yard. I must also lead them, they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one sheep yard and one shepherd. Here is why the Father loves me; because I give my life so that I can take it back again. No one takes it from me, but rather, I myself give it. I have the authority to give it, and I have the authority to take it back afterward. This is the command I have freely taken from my Father's side. |
| − | |<span id="10:12"></span>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.
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| − | |The hired worker is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. When he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and flees, so the wolf attacks the sheep, snatching some up, and scattering the rest.
| + | Due to these words, a huge dispute once again developed among the Jews. Many of them said, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you even listen to Him?" But others said, "These are not the words of someone with a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?" |
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| + | During the winter, in Jerusalem, at the time of the festival of the Dedication, Jesus was walking in the Temple, in Solomon's porch, when He was surrounded by the Jews, who said to Him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, then stop beating around the bush and just tell us openly and boldly." |
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| − | |<span id="10:13"></span>The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
| + | Jesus answered, "I already told you, and are refusing to believe: the works that I do in my Father's name are testifying about me. But you are refusing to believe because, as I have already said to you, you are not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, I know them, they follow me, and I give them everlasting life. They shall never, ever be destroyed, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. |
| − | |[''The hired worker flees''] because he is being paid a wage, and doesn't really care about the sheep.
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| − | |The italicized clause is found only in the Byzantine tradition, and was probably added later to clarify this sentence.
| + | My Father, who is greater than everyone and everything, has given them to me, and no one has the ability to snatch them out of the Father's hand. |
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| − | |<span id="10:14"></span>I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
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| − | |I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and they know me,
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| − | |<span id="10:15"></span>As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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| − | |in the same way that my Father knows me, and I know my Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.
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| − | |In the Greek, verses 12, 13, 14 and 15 are one continuous thought, so this last clause is intended as a contrast to what was said of the hired worker two verses up. The hired worker abandons the sheep to preserve his own life where Jesus lays His life down for the sheep.
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| − | |<span id="10:16"></span>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.
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| − | |I have other sheep who are not from this sheep yard. I must also lead them, they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one sheep yard and one shepherd.
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| − | |The Mormons have long claimed that this was a reference to them. Taken in context with the discussions Jesus has been having with the Jews, the most likely reference is simply to the gentiles. Even in Acts, the Gentile Christians were treated as "outsiders" by many Jewish Christians, and many Jewish Christians never got over this. Many either overtly or subtly considered the two groups as being two different "churches," (recall how Peter withdrew from the Gentiles when Jewish Christians showed up, and how angry that made Paul). At one point, the elders in Jerusalem held a big council meeting to see what parts of the law they were going to require the Gentile believers to obey in order to be considered real Christians, again, treating them as a separate body of believers from the Jewish Christians. Historically, Gentile believers tended to make more of a separation with other believers based on doctrinal differences (denominations - Catholic versus Protestant; Calvinist versus Arminian; Charismatic versus traditional; etc.), where Jewish believers tended to lump all denominations together, and make more of a separation based on race (Jewish versus Gentile). Jesus, on the other hand, says all believers are part of the same flock.
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| − | |<span id="10:17"></span>Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
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| − | |Here is why the Father loves me; because I give my life so that I can take it back again.
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| − | |This is ONE of the things the Father loves about the Son. While it can indicate the main reason, δια τουτο does not usually indicate the SOLE reason. Again, "life" is psuche.
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| − | |<span id="10:18"></span>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.
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| − | |No one takes it from me, but rather, I myself give it. I have the authority to give it, and I have the authority to take it back afterward. This is the command I have freely taken from my Father's side.
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| − | |Lambano is active in the last sentence, not passive. When used of "commands" or "instructions," it indicates that we WANT to obey the command, that we are freely and actively TRYING to do the command we have been given, NOT that we have "grabbed" it or stolen it. The key thing is that it is not PASSIVE ("I have received"), but active, showing our intentional and enthusiastic involvement in wanting to fulfill the command. Jesus didn't die on the cross SIMPLY because the Father told Him to do it, but He actively and enthusiastically WANTED to do the will of the Father, to die and be resurrected, so that humanity could be reconciled to God.
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| − | |<span id="10:19"></span>There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
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| − | |Due to these words, a huge dispute once again developed among the Jews.
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| − | |<span id="10:20"></span>And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?
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| − | |Many of them said, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you even listen to Him?"
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| − | |<span id="10:21"></span>Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
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| − | |But others said, "These are not the words of someone with a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?"
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| − | |Note that His defenders relied on what Jesus DID as proof that what He said was from God. So it is supposed to be with all believers: our ACTIONS, the way we behave and treat others, should be the best evidence of the Truth of our words.
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| − | |<span id="10:22"></span>And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.
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| − | |During the winter, in Jerusalem, at the time of the festival of the Dedication,
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| − | |The "Festival of the Dedication" is called Chanukah (or Hanukkah) today, which means the following encounter took place roughly in December sometime between the middle to the end of the month, or around the time we celebrate Christmas today.
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| − | |<span id="10:23"></span>And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.
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| − | |Jesus was walking in the Temple, in Solomon's porch,
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| − | |<span id="10:24"></span>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.
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| − | |when He was surrounded by the Jews, who said to Him, "How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, then stop beating around the bush and just tell us openly and boldly."
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| − | |The word used here implies that the Jews felt Jesus was constantly being evasive about whether or not He was the Christ, and they were tired of the word games. However, as this and many other conversations reveal, what they were really tired of was not having enough evidence to accuse Jesus of blasphemy. They weren't interested in following Him if He openly claimed to be the Messiah, they just wanted to be able to use His own words against Him in a trial.
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| − | |<span id="10:25"></span>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.
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| − | |Jesus answered, "I already told you, and are refusing to believe: the works that I do in my Father's name are testifying about me.
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| − | |Jesus says the answer is easy: Figure out who is the source of the miracles Jesus does, and that will answer all your questions. If God is the source of His miracles, then God is also the source of His words.
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| − | |<span id="10:26"></span>But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
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| − | |But you are refusing to believe because, as I have already said to you, you are not my sheep.
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| − | |The phrase, "as I said to you" is found in P66, Alexandrinus, and Bezae Cantabrigiensis, but not found in P75, Sinaiticus, Vaticanus, or Ephraemi Rescriptus. That is pretty evenly split, so the evidence is mixed, and uncertain. I have included it because, even though UBS-4 excludes it, in situation where the witnesses are so mixed, I believe it is better to err on the side of inclusion, rather than exclusion. Besides, Jesus '''had''' already said this to them, meaning the statement is true, so including it does not detract from the text.
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| − | |<span id="10:27"></span>My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
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| − | |My sheep hear my voice, I know them, they follow me,
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| − | |<span id="10:28"></span>And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
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| − | |and I give them everlasting life. They shall never, ever be destroyed, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.
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| − | |The phrase "they shall never, ever be destroyed" is the strongest, most emphatic negation possible in Greek: the double negative followed by "forever": They absolutely shall not be destroyed (perish, die) forever.
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| − | |<span id="10:29"></span>My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
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| − | |My Father, who is greater than everyone and everything, has given them to me, and no one has the ability to snatch them out of the Father's hand.
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| | |This is a continuation of the previous guarantee: Once we believe in Jesus, no outside force of any kind, whether human or demonic, can ever, by any means, forcefully snatch us away from God because nothing and on one is stronger than He. | | |This is a continuation of the previous guarantee: Once we believe in Jesus, no outside force of any kind, whether human or demonic, can ever, by any means, forcefully snatch us away from God because nothing and on one is stronger than He. |
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| | *[[Phonics mistakes]] | | *[[Phonics mistakes]] |
| | *[[Phonics reading list]] | | *[[Phonics reading list]] |
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| | = References = | | = References = |
| | {{reflist}} | | {{reflist}} |