JOHN CHAPTER 10 THE DEITY OF JESUS

Chapter 10 begins @ 9:59

CHAPTER 10

Parables of the Good Sheppard

And

Jesus Asserts His Deity

INTRODUCTION TO John Chapter 10

In chapter nine we see the miracle of the blind man.  We learned about the significance of this healing.  We also saw the controversy surrounding this miracle.  We learned how man is a slave to his own sin. The chapter ends with Jesus confirming His deity.

In chapter 10 we will learn about the parable of the good Sheppard.  We will lean why Jesus used this parable and what this parable reveals about Jesus.  We will discover how this parable bears the same message to us today as it did to those who Jesus was speaking to.  We will also in verse 30 Jesus describing Himself and God as one in the same.


THE PARABLE OF THE GOOD SHEPPARD JOHN 10: 1-20


John 10:1 Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 

• Here again we see Jesus using a metaphor to illustrate; there is no deception in Him
• He is to be trusted because He is straight forward

JN 10:2 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.

• Sheep were very valuable to the Jewish people for their wool, meat, and milk
• Jesus refers to us as sheep because we too are very valuable to Him
• Jesus stands at the door watching and guarding His sheep
• A Sheppard's main responsibilities were to protect the sheep from wolves and to care for the daily needs of the sheep
• This is a perfect metaphor to describe Jesus
• Guardian, protector, Healer, provider; in short He cares for all of our daily needs 

JN 10:3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

• Jesus knows us (X Jer 1:5) 
• Jesus hears our voice and is attentive to our needs (X JN 10:27) 
• Not only does Jesus know who His sheep are but also knows their name
• This fact tells us of His intimate closeness to us
• Jesus leads His followers by:
• Teaching us with His written word
• Giving us His example to follow
• Disciplines us as needed 
• We see numerous examples of the Lord disciplining both people and nations throughout the Bible
• How then do we know when hard time come whether it is the Lord’s discipline or Satan attacking?
• The Lord disciplines to teach us Satan afflicts us with trials to destroy our relationship with God ( the story of Job)
• The Lord disciplines us when we are disobedient, whereas Satan rejoices when we disobey because he has won a victory 

JN 10:4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

• Soldiers are taught to follow the unit guide-on 
• A guide-on is a unique flag, held high and is always in front of the company.
• The guide-on can not be seen by all any where else but the front of the company
• As soldiers in Christ’s army we follow Jesus’ lead which is always in our sight 
• Like sheep we are comforted by what Jesus has said to us and know His voice to be true
• We are guided by the familiar voice of the Holy Spirit within us 

JN 10:5 “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”

JN 10:6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. 

• They did not understand because they were not His sheep.
• Jesus knows His sheep and knows who will understand His message.

JN 10:7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.

• Jesus prepares a place for us (X  JN 14:2)
• He stands at the door beckoning us to enter in      (X REV 3:20 )
• Jesus know who will knock and who won’t (X JER 1:5
• For those who are not His sheep the door will be closed (X LUK 13:25 )
• Jesus is not just the door keeper He is the door
• You can only enter the kingdom through Him
• Much the same way as a person might be sponsored by a member to a very restricted club

JN 10:8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.  (X JN 10:1 )

• Who was Jesus talking about in this verse?
•  All who would call themselves shepherds but were and are concerned not for the flock but for themselves. (X EZ 34:2 )  
• Those who would say there is another way to enter the kingdom
• The warning found in JER 23:1 is  ominous      
• Why did He call them thieves and robbers?
• Those who would deceive the flock are thieves because they rob the flock of the truth of salvation as stated in verse 9  

JN 10:9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

• Jesus states He is the door and through Him is salvation.
• Jesus’ use of a door as a metaphoric description of Himself is interesting
• A good shepherd makes sure there is only one entrance to the sheep’s enclosure, and that entrance is guarded by the shepherd at all times.
• To enter the safety of the enclosure one must pass through the shepherd
• One must go through Jesus to reach the safety of salvation

JN 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Jesus strengthens the statement found in verse 8
Not only does the thief come to rob but to kill and destroy
To kill the chance for salvation
To destroy every lasting life with Jesus
Jesus promises abundant life
not just existence but a life overflowing with joy and fulfillment

JN 10:11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

• Jesus is telling them and us that like a good shepherd He will lay down His life for all who would believe in Him
• A prophetic statement of Calvary
• A statement of undying love and faithfulness
•  The supreme sacrifice is to give ones life for another (X JN 15:13 ; JN 3:16 )
• Could you give your life for a friend?

JN 10:12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 

• A hired hand refers to a person who has no vested interest in the safety of his flock
• No job is worth your life is it
• The hired hand will flee to avoid danger
• Christians sometimes flee to avoid difficult situations, Peter did (X  MAT 26:34 )
• Strong indication in the last sentence that Jesus is talking directly about the future of the Jews
• Jesus is implying ownership of His flock here

JN 10:13 “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.   JN 10:14 & 15 “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 


JN 10:15  even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

• This is a statement of a very intimate relationship between Jesus His Father and His flock flock
• Jesus prophesized His own death on Calvary

JN 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. “

• The first part of this verse announces the gentile ministry (X IS 56:8 ; JN 11:52; EP 2:16)
• Isaiah prophesied the Lord would gather others to those already gathered
• We see now that it was God’s plan all along to gather all who would accept His Son to Himself
• God the Father offering the only sufficient sacrifice you and I and all who would believe
• Not all will hear His voice, only those who seek Him with all there heart (X JER 29:13)

JN 10:17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.”

• This prophetic verse speaks of the ultimate sacrifice and devotion to the Father according to His will
• Also prophesied the resurrection of Jesus to glory  
• We too must be willing to lay down our life and allow Jesus to pick it up
•  When one chooses to lay down his life he will be reborn in Christ a new person, a new life 

JN 10:18 “No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”

• Jesus points out that He is in control of His life (X MAT 26:53)
• No one can take His life unless He allows it 
• It was the Fathers commandment that Jesus lay down His life but it was always Jesus’ choice to do so
• By laying down His live He not only showed His love for the Father but us as well

JESUS ASSERTS HIS DEITY John 10:22 - 42 

John 10:22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem;

• The feast of dedication is also know as the festival of lights (Hanukkah)
• Which commemorates the purification of the temple by Juda Maccabeaes in 164 BC

John 10:23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.

John 10:24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.”

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 

• He told them He was before Abraham (X JN 8:58)
• If they believed in the prophets and what was foretold they would know Him by His works (X JN 5:36 )

John 10:26 “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

• They can’t hear His words because they are not right with God (X JN 8:47 ) 
• 27 “My sheep ear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 
• All who hear Jesus are of God for the Holy Spirit dwells with in each disciple (X II TIM 1:14 1:14;  ACTS 13:52 )
• Each believer is sealed by the Holy Spirit (X EP 4:30 )

John 10:2728 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

• Jesus will never leave nor forsake the believer (X JN 6:37 )

John 10:29 “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 

• We will not perish because Jesus will raise us up on the last day (X JN 6:39 )
• Satan will give us trials but has no power to take us from Jesus

John 10:30 “I and the Father are one.” 

• They asked for plain talk from Jesus and this statement leaves no room for doubt who Jesus was
• Of all that Jesus said this one sentence caused the most detention 
• How could Jesus be God?
• To the Jew there is but on God (X DEU 5:7 )
• They screamed blasphemy because; they did not know the existence of the trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit  (X JN 17:21 )
• Even though we are blessed with the New Testament the Jew had the writing of Moses (X Gen 1:26; GEN 3:22)
• This is a huge subject warranting it’s own study 

“The Godhead - Father, Son and Holy Spirit


God exists in three Persons -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is called the doctrine of the Trinity. Although the word Trinity is not in the Bible, it expresses a scriptural truth; in fact, it was coined by one of the early Latin Christian writers to set forth the truth that God is a Tri-unity of Persons.
   The term Godhead (Godhood) refers to God's essence or divine Being; and is a proper statement of truth to say that there are three Persons in the Godhead.
The Old Testament emphasizes the unity of God; that is, it asserts that there is but one God, in contrast to the many false gods of the heathen; nevertheless, there are intimations in the Old Testament of the fact that God exists in a plurality or Trinity of Persons. For example, the Spirit of God is mentioned in Genesis 1:2; the Son is mentioned in Psalm 2:7, 12; and there are plural expressions in a number of places which show that God is a Trinity.
   "And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" (Genesis 1:26).    The New Testament, while fully recognizing the unity of God, emphasizes the fact of the three Persons.”  (Ref:  http://www.montney.com/inspire/trinity.htm )   [1]

John 10:31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.  

• The law as recorded in LEV 24:16 requires the people to stone a blasphemer
• Now to blaspheme is “To slander, insult the honor of, injure the reputation of, attack, say untruths about.  
• Usually refers to cursing God or using abusive and cutting language about Him, His name, or His Word (X Rom 2:23, 24;  TIT 2:5 ) [2 ]

John 10:32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?”


John 10:33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.”

• They were saying Jesus was lying 
• They limited God in their eyes by saying He could or would not become a man
• Some of Jesus’ followers may have thought He had gone to far, as not all believed He was God incarnate

John 10:34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’?  ( PS 82:6) 

• The Greek word used here for gods is theos pronounced theh'-os of uncertain affinity
• Notice the use of theos and not elohiym pronounced el-o-heem (supreme God, plural)
• God (eloheem) the creator of man would in fact be the father of man
•  and conversely man would be the sons of the heavenly Father, made slightly lower than the angels.
• Jesus while is human form was said to have been made slightly lower than the angels for a little while   (X HEB 2:7, 9)

John 10:35 “If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 

• Men were called gods in PS 82:6
• To say that Jesus was wrong would have been tantamount to saying the scriptures are wrong

John 10:36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?

• The word sanctify means to give something holy status [3]
• God spoke and said this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matthew 3:17
• Jesus being declared Gods Son confirmed to man His sanctification
• His holy sanctification acknowledged by His disciple Peter John 6:69

John 10:37 “If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; John 10:38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.”

• Jesus is challenges those unbelievers 
• If you don’t believe what I am telling you then believe the works I do are the Fathers works
• If you can believe that the work I do is the Fathers works then believe also then that the Father is in me and I am in the Father (X John 15:24 )
• Jesus did nothing of His own desire but only that of the Father (X John 8:28 )
• We too can take a lesson from this and apply it to our lives 

John 10:39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.  

• Not from fear but because His time had not come
• His blood must be shed (sacrificed as a lamb to slaughter) by Israel for the salvation of both the Jew and the Gentile.
• This is why Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God

CREDITS AND REFERENCES USED IN THIS STUDY
Credit 1 – http://www.montney.com/inspire/trinity.htm
Unknown author
Credit 2 – The student Bible Dictionary
(by: Daren Dockrey Johnnie & Phyllis Godwin published by Barbour publishers)
Credit 3 – Encarta Dictionary
(by: Microsoft publishers)
All scripture verses used in this publication were copied from Cross Wire Online Study Bible