In John 10, Jesus gives a sequence of teachings by using analogies about sheep. Not every analogy is the same. It is his points we should look at - vs. over-extrapolating the analogies to fit man-made theories. (We don't have wool, we don't grass, etc.) Nothing He says here will contradict scripture, and much of it is clarified by other prophecies and scriptures in the Bible.
Jn 10:1: "Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber."
The first analogy Jesus uses is that of the shepherd vs. robbers. He is pointing out His own, true authority as Shepherd of the flock of God, and that the Pharisees are 'strangers'.
Jn 10:1-6
"The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this
figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
In this first analogy, Jesus' point is based around these things:
- Only the man who comes in through the gate is the Shepherd (Jesus comes in through the gate, so is the true Shepherd)
- The sheep will only follow the voice of the Shepherd (The sheep only follow Jesus)
- The sheep will run away from the strangers and robbers who come in another way (The sheep recognize that the pharisees are not the true shepherd)
Jesus then moves into a second analogy:
Jn 10:7-10
"Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you,
I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
In this second analogy, Jesus points out that He *Himself* is the gate, not just the shepherd (leader of the sheep).
As the gate, His is the only way to enter the fold and be saved. It is important to note in this analogy that no one 'starts' inside the fold, but that all (including the sheep themselves) must come in through the gate (Christ).
Jesus then continues with a third analogy:
Jn 10:11-14
"I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."
In this analogy, Jesus does not compare the Pharisees to robbers or talk about coming in through the gate, but rather compares them in this bit to 'hired hands.' He bases his authority as the shepherd (true leader) of the sheep on His willingness to die for them.
The 'wolf' here is general enemies of Christ, such as false prophets, but to a degree the pharisees as well (
Matthew 7:15,
Matthew 10:16,
Luke 10:3).
Jesus then builds upon the teachings he has just given to make a new point - that there are more sheep not of 'this fold:'
Jn 10:15-18
"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and
there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus here moves on not to His authority vs. the Pharisees, but to His death and Ressurection, and the bringing in of Gentile believers.
Recall that at the feast previously, the Jews had asked, "Will He go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?” (
John 7:35)
The bringing in of the Gentiles had been foretold in the OT: Isaiah 52, Isa 53,
Micah 4:2; etc.
But why juxtapose the teaching with the mention of His death? Because the unifying of Jew and Gentile believers into one flock would be a result of His laying down His life for the sheep.
Jn 11:51-52
"Caiaphas did not say this on his own. Instead, as high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one."
Jn 12:32
"And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.”
they shall hear it, as the words seem to imply, while the sheep now in the fold refuse to follow it. (Comp. Notes on
Matthew 8:11 and
Romans 11:17.)
The people of Israel thought they were the true, and only, flock of God by virtue of being part of His chosen people. Yet Jesus' point in the next section is that His true sheep hear his voice. Merely being in the fold of Israel doesn't make one part of the one true flock of God.
Jn 10:24-30:
"The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe (present active indicative). The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me, but you do not believe (present active indicative) because you are not (present indicative) my sheep. My sheep listen (present active indicative) to my voice; I know (present active indicative) them, and they follow me (present active indicative). I give them eternal life (present active indicative), and they shall never perish; no one will snatch (future active indicative) them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them (perfect active indicative) to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch (present active indicative) them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
It is very important to note the verb forms in this section. Disbelief and belief are both treated as ongoing states - not one-time or completed past events, and as other scriptures show amply, those states can be changed (unbelievers come in faith, or those with faith apostatize back to unbelief.) The giving of eternal life is also shown as a present, ongoing state, which fits well with other scripture which shows it is those who believe (actively) that hold (actively) eternal life (Jn 3:16.)
No one (the thieves, robbers, wolves, etc. of the chapter - and in other passages demonic powers or other earthly forces) can snatch the sheep from His hands, present or future.
Note, though, that this verse does not say that the sheep come in by some other way than the gate, that inside the gate is their start point, or that the sheep can never leave on their own. The sheep still have to come in through the gate (Christ) as shown in Jn 10:7-10. It is only those who are within the gate who are the flock and believe (continuously, as it is a present active participle). Those without the gate, who have not come through Christ, refuse to believe. However, there is hope! They can still come through the gate (Christ) in faith, become Christ's sheep, and then follow Him in faith, since their unbelief is only their current, present ongoing state.
Other scripture also sheds light on the meaning of this passage:
Rom 9:6-9 - Not all those who are ethnically descended from Israel are Israel, but only those children of the promise
Rom 6:25-26 - The revelation of Jesus, the Messiah, has made the way of salvation known to every nation
Rom 10: 9-13
But what does it say? “
The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,”d that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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Rom 10:6-9 is a ref back to Duet 30:11-14.
"Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. ...No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
It clarifies that responding in faith is not 'beyond the means' of anyone who hears the gospel. The work of Christ in revealing Himself to us on the cross has made it easy to obtain, not a far-off impossibility.
Yet still, some do not believe.
Jn 5:37-40:
"And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.
You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,
yet you are not willing (present active indicative) to come to me to have life.
Nothing in Jn 10 forces the Calvinist theories of eternal security or irresistible grace. Taken in context and with other scripture alongside, Jn 10 is harmonious with other scripture and does not contradict the many passages with show that some people only temporarily believe and then later reject faith, or that Jesus' work on the cross was sufficient for all men to respond in faith, but some still choose not to believe.
