John Chapter 10
John Chapter 10 -- the 10th chapter of the Gospel of John -- is excellent for anyone learning how to read, particularly those who learn through the superior approach of phonics.
John Chapter 1
"Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who does not enter into the sheep yard by the gate, but climbs in another way is a thief and criminal. But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gate keeper opens the gate for him, he calls his own sheep by name, the sheep listen to his voice, and he leads them out. When he brings his sheep out, he walks in the front, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
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.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sake of sheep.
|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. |- |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. |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. | |- |13 |The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. |[The hired worker flees] because he is being paid a wage, and doesn't really care about the sheep. |The italicized clause is found only in the Byzantine tradition, and was probably added later to clarify this sentence. |- |14 |I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. |I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and they know me, | |- |15 |As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. |in the same way that my Father knows me, and I know my Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. |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. |- |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. |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. |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. |- |17 |Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. |Here is why the Father loves me; because I give my life so that I can take it back again. |This is ONE of the things the Father loves about the Son. While it can indicate the main reason, δια ÏÎ¿Ï Ïο does not usually indicate the SOLE reason. Again, "life" is psuche. |- |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. |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. |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. |- |19 |There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. |Due to these words, a huge dispute once again developed among the Jews. | |- |20 |And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? |Many of them said, "He has a demon and is insane. Why do you even listen to Him?" | |- |21 |Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? |But others said, "These are not the words of someone with a demon. Can a demon give sight to the blind?" |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. |- |22 |And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. |During the winter, in Jerusalem, at the time of the festival of the Dedication, |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. |- |23 |And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. |Jesus was walking 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. |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." |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. |- |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. |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. |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. |- |26 |But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. |But you are refusing to believe because, as I have already said to you, you are not my sheep. |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. |- |27 |My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: |My sheep hear my voice, I know them, 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. |and I give them everlasting life. They shall never, ever be destroyed, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. |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. |- |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. |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. |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. |- |30 |I and my Father are one. |The Father and I are one." |This statement is considered blasphemous by Jews. No human can be one with God, because that would make us equal with God. |- |31 |Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. |Once again, the Jews picked up stones so that they could stone Him. |This was not the first time they had done this, and this shows what their motivations were from the very beginning. Their question about Jesus' identity as the Messiah was for no other reason than so they would have an excuse to kill Him. |- |32 |Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? |Jesus responded, "I have shown you many good works from my Father. For which of these works do you stone me?" |Remember, Jesus made the claim earlier that it was His miracles which proved His claims were true. Thus, if they had a problem with what He said, they must also have a problem with what He did: that is, they must believe His miracles were not from God. So His question is: Which of my miracles was not from God? |- |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. |The Jews answered, "We are not stoning you for a good work, but for blasphemy, because you, although you are only a man, are making yourself God." | |- |34 |Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? |Jesus responded, "It is written in your law, 'I said you are gods,' isn't it?" |Rhetorical question implying a "yes" answer. |- |35 |If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; |The scriptures cannot be broken into pieces, so if He called them gods, to whom the Word of God came, |When Jesus says that "the scriptures cannot be broken into pieces (destroyed)," He is not making an absolute statement that that the scriptures can never be wrong. This is an idiom meaning "to smash it up into pieces and only keep the pieces you like, discarding all the pieces you don't like." In other words, the scriptures are a whole, and should be accepted or rejected as a whole. Either accept that ALL of the scriptures are the Word of God, or reject ALL of the scriptures. Do NOT pick and choose what you do or do not want to believe simply because you don't LIKE what some of it says. |- |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? |then how can you say of the one whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, 'you are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God?' | |- |37 |If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. |If I do not do the works of my Father, then don't believe in me. | |- |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. |But if I do them, even though you do not believe in me, believe in the works, so that you can know, and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the Father." | |- |39 |Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand, |Undeterred, they again tried to grab Him, but He slipped through their grasp, | |- |40 |And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode. |and once again He went across the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He stayed there. | |- |41 |And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true. |Many people came to Him, and they said, "Even though John did not do any miracles, everything John said about this man is true." | |- |42 |And many believed on him there. |And many in that place believed in Him.