John 10

John 10 follows directly from the healing of the man born blind in chapter 9 and the ensuing dispute with the Pharisees. At the end of the chapter Jesus withdraws beyond the Jordan, and the account of Lazarus in chapter 11 follows.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Jesus tells the parable of the sheepfold. He contrasts the shepherd, who enters by the door, with the thief and robber, who climb up some other way, and says that the sheep know the shepherd's voice. His hearers do not understand what he means.
• Verses 7–10 Jesus says, "I am the door of the sheep." Whoever enters by him shall be saved, and he has come that the sheep "might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
• Verses 11–18 Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd," contrasting himself with the hireling, who flees when the wolf comes. He says that he will also bring other sheep that are not of this fold, and that he has power to lay down his life of his own accord and to take it again.
• Verses 19–21 A division arises among the Jews. Some say that he has a devil, while others ask whether a devil can open the eyes of the blind.
• Verses 22–30 In winter, at the Feast of Dedication, the Jews in Solomon's porch in the temple demand that Jesus tell them plainly whether he is the Christ. Jesus answers that his sheep hear his voice and that no one can pluck them out of his hand or his Father's hand, and then says, "I and my Father are one."
• Verses 31–39 When the Jews take up stones, charging him with blasphemy, Jesus responds by citing the words of the law, "Ye are gods." They again seek to take him, but he escapes.
• Verses 40–42 Jesus stays beyond the Jordan River, at the place where John first baptized. There many believe in him.

Key Verses

• John 10:11 "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" is one of the "I am" sayings in the Gospel of John and anticipates Jesus' death on the cross as a voluntary sacrifice.
• John 10:28 "Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" is frequently cited in discussions of the security of salvation.
• John 10:30 "I and my Father are one" is a central verse in Christological discussion of the relationship between the Son and the Father.

People and Places

• Jesus Christ: the speaker in the shepherd discourse and the temple dispute.
• The Jews: a term used in the Gospel of John for the Jewish leadership and crowds who oppose Jesus.
• John the Baptist: does not appear directly but is mentioned in verses 40–41.
• Solomon's porch in the Jerusalem temple: a roofed colonnade (a corridor lined with columns) on the east side of the temple.
• Beyond the Jordan: the place where John the Baptist first baptized.

Interpretive Notes

• Verses 27–29 and assurance of salvation: Presbyterians and others in the Reformed tradition read these verses as grounds for the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints (the teaching that those who are truly saved will be kept to the end). Methodist, Holiness, and Full Gospel churches in the Wesleyan and Arminian traditions focus on "they follow me" in verse 27. These traditions hold that the promise is given to sheep who continue to follow the shepherd, leaving open the possibility that one may fall away.
• Verse 30: Historic orthodox Christianity reads this verse as support for the doctrine of the Trinity, which holds that the Father and the Son are of one essence yet distinct. In the original Greek, "one" is neuter and the verb "are" is plural. For this reason the verse is understood differently from modalism, which regards the Father and the Son as a single person.
• The "other sheep" of verse 16: Most denominations take this phrase to refer to Gentile believers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints interprets it as referring to peoples of the Americas.
• Old Testament connections: Verse 34 quotes Psalm 82:6. The shepherd imagery connects with the tradition, found in Ezekiel 34:11–16 and Psalm 23, of portraying God as a shepherd.

In Korean Churches

In Korean Protestant churches, the contrast between the good shepherd and the hireling is often used in sermons on the proper conduct of pastors. In their Sunday schools, the chapter is frequently taught using pictures of a shepherd and sheep.