John 10

May 18, 2023

“I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:16 NLT). Jesus infuriated the Jewish leaders with His dual claim to be the only Door by which the true sheep of Israel

May 19, 2018

THE DOUBLE-LOCKED GATE
Two of Christ’s seven “I AM” statements are found in John chapter 10: “I AM the Gate” and “I AM the Good Shepherd.” Jesus is both the shepherd who calls to His sheep and the gate by which they enter His fold and are kept safe. Those who belong to Jesus are eternally secure. He saves them and He keeps them. And His Father, who gives them to Him, keeps them safe too.

It’s like Jesus is the gate and the lock, and the Father is the deadbolt. Dear believer, be assured in this.

May 18, 2018

TWO FOLDS BECOME ONE FLOCK WITH ONE SHEPHERD
Jesus infuriated the Jewish leaders with His dual claim to be the only “Gate” by which the true sheep of Israel might be saved, and the “Good Shepherd,” whom only the true sheep of Israel would follow. Those who claimed to be shepherds of Israel, Jesus called “hired hands” who only cared for themselves. In contrast, Jesus said, “I AM the Good Shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know Me and I sacrifice My life for the sheep.”

So being born into the Jewish fold wasn’t enough. Jesus was calling out the true sheep from the Jewish fold who would be spiritually born again by believing in Him.

Then, Jesus shocked them further by announcing that He had other sheep not in the Jewish sheepfold. Who are these sheep? They are those who would believe in Jesus among the Gentiles. This is the “mystery” that the apostle Paul described, that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Eph. 3:6).

The mystery called the Church was being revealed by Jesus, namely, that sheep from both the Jewish and the Gentile sheepfolds would become one flock with one Shepherd.

The implications of this were not missed by the Jewish leaders. Being Jewish, having the Torah, the Temple and the traditions was not enough. Even Gentiles who had none of these things would be able to be saved by simply believing in Jesus as the Christ. It was through Jesus that the promise to Abraham would be kept, that “all the nations of the earth would be blessed through his Seed” (Gen.22:18). That Seed, that Shepherd, is Jesus. He is the One who calls His sheep from two folds to become one flock with one Shepherd.

May 19, 2016

In many places Jesus was rejected, but in the land where John the Baptist had preached, “many believed.” I wonder what made this place different? Was it John’s plowing that prepared the soil of their hearts to receive the gospel seed? What made the people there more spiritually receptive to the gospel? Whether we are plowing, sowing or reaping, I pray that we will ultimately see “many believe.”

May 18, 2016

Jesus came that we might have life. The Greek word here is ζωή (zóé), which speaks of both physical and spiritual life. This life originates with, and is sustained by Jesus, who is Life. “Zoe” life is described both by its quantity (eternal), and its quality (abundant). Receiving Jesus, we receive His life. Many focus on the eternal nature of this life, but miss Christ’s emphasis on its “abundance” for the present. In Christ we are to thrive, living life to the full, bearing fruit, and exploding with vibrance all around!

May 19, 2015

In some places Jesus was rejected, but in the land where John the Baptist had preached, they believed. I wonder what made this place different? Was it John’s plowing that prepared the soil of their hearts to receive the gospel seed? Whether we are plowing, sowing or reaping, I pray that we will ultimately see “many believe.”

May 18, 2015

Jesus came that we might have life. The Greek word is ζωή (zóé), which speaks of both physical and spiritual life. This life originates with, and is sustained by Jesus, who is Life. “Zoe” life is described both by its quantity (eternal), and its quality (abundant). Receiving Jesus, we receive His life. Many focus on the eternal nature of this life, but miss Christ’s emphasis on its “abundance” for the present. In Christ we are to thrive, living life to the full, bearing spiritual fruit, and exploding with vibrance all around!

May 18, 2014

Some thought Jesus “demon possessed and out of his mind” when they heard him speak of his coming death and resurrection. Certainly, they are closer to the truth than those who would make Jesus merely a good man or a good teacher. A mere man doesn’t speak of having the “authority,” the power to control his life, so that no one can take it from him unless he gives it willingly. And further, that having given it, he could “take it up again.” No, in this his critics rightly understood his claim. For if Jesus doesn’t actually fulfill his outrageous claim to die sacrificially and rise again, then he is either a devilish liar or a raving lunatic. Yet, Jesus did fulfill his promise to die for us and rise again. And so, he spoke the truth and showed himself more than mere man. He is neither liar or lunatic. He is the Lord.