John 10 - Wiersbe Study Bible

10:1–18 This sermon grew out of our Lord’s confrontation with Jewish leaders, following the excommunication of the beggar (ch. 9). He had briefly spoken to them about light and darkness, but now He changed the image to that of the shepherd and the sheep. Why? Because to the Jewish mind, a “shepherd” was any kind of leader, spiritual or political. People looked on the king and prophets as shepherds.

10:5 The thieves and robbers could never enter through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. But even if they did get in, they would never get the sheep to follow them, for the sheep follow only the voice of their own shepherd. The false shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away.

10:8 Jesus was referring primarily to the religious leaders of that day. He was not condemning every prophet or servant of God who ever ministered before He came to earth. They were not true shepherds nor did they have the approval of God on their ministry. They did not love the sheep, but instead they exploited them and abused them. The beggar’s excommunication was a good example of what the “thieves and robbers” could do.

10:14 The word translated “good” means “intrinsically good, beautiful, fair.” It describes that which is the ideal, the model that others may safely imitate. Our Lord’s goodness was inherent in His nature. To call Him “good” is the same as calling Him “God” (Mark 10:17,18).

10:15 The fact that Jesus said that He died “for the sheep” must not be isolated from the rest of biblical teaching about the cross. He also died for the nation Israel (11:50–52) and for the world (6:51). While the blood of Jesus Christ is sufficient for the salvation of the world, it is efficient only for those who will believe.

10:16 God’s people are compared to sheep, and the comparison is a good one. Sheep are clean animals, unlike pigs and dogs (2 Pet. 2:20–22). They are defenseless and need the care of the shepherd (Ps. 23). They are, to use a classic phrase, “prone to wander,” and must often be searched for and brought back to the fold (Luke 15:3–7). Sheep are peaceful animals, useful to the shepherd. In these and other ways, they picture those who have trusted Jesus Christ and are a part of God’s flock.

10:17,18 His voluntary death was followed by His victorious resurrection. From the human point of view, it appeared that Jesus was executed; but from the divine point of view, He laid down His life willingly.

10:26–28 Since Jesus Christ is “the gate” (v. 7), we should expect a division, because a door shuts some people in and others out! He is the Good Shepherd, and the shepherd must separate the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:32). It is impossible to be neutral about Jesus Christ, for what we believe about Him is a matter of life or death (John 8:24).

10:27 Jesus revealed to the Jewish leaders why they did not understand His words or grasp the significance of His works: They were not His sheep. From the human standpoint, we become His sheep by believing, but from the divine standpoint, we believe because we are His sheep. There is a mystery here that we cannot fathom or explain, but we can accept it and rejoice (Rom. 11:33–36). God has His sheep and He knows who they are. They will hear His voice and respond.