Get Ready
Where was the “safe” place in your house when you were growing up? Were these places safe because of their location, because of what they were built of, because of a person associated with them? What kind of situations prompted you to go to your “safe” place?
The Word
10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheep fold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
19 Again the Jews were divided because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is out of his mind. Why listen to him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the words of one who has a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand.a 30 The Father and I are one.”
31 The Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus replied, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you, but for blasphemy, because you, though only a human being, are making yourself God.”
34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If those to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’—and the scripture cannot be annulled— 36 can you say that the one whom the Father has sanctified and sent into the world is blaspheming because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” 39 Then they tried to arrest him again, but he escaped from their hands.
40 He went away again across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing earlier, and he remained there. 41 Many came to him, and they were saying, “John performed no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.” 42 And many believed in him there. NRSV
Get into the Word
1. Why do you think Jesus used the image of sheep and a shepherd here? How do you think his audience responded to this image? What is the difference between the shepherd and a thief?
2. How does Jesus link the idea of a shepherd to himself? To his ministry? What does he do for his “sheep”? What are the parallels between a “good” shepherd and Jesus? What is the difference between Jesus and a hired hand?
4. Who are the “other sheep” Jesus refers to in verse 16? Why do you think he includes them at this point? What do you think he means by “one flock, one shepherd?”
5. How does Jesus describe his relationship to God? What is the nature of his authority? How do the people respond to this assertion?
6. Where does the next interchange take place. What is going on? What do the people ask Jesus?
7. How does Jesus answer the question? What image does he use? Why don’t the people believe him?
What does he say about the Father and himself?
8. How do the people react to this claim? How does Jesus respond to their actions? What evidence does he tell the people to look at to support his claim?
Get Personal
How does Jesus continue to be your good shepherd “gate?” When do you rely on his protection? When do you listen for his voice? When have you sought “pasture” through Jesus? What “miraculous works” have you looked at recently?
Notes . . .
10:1. Sheepfold — several shepherds would pen their sheep together for security at night and then retrieve them the next morning with a unique call which the sheep would recognize. Jesus’s audience would also be familiar with the devotion required of a good shepherd, since sheep need a lot of attention.
The best-known image of God as a shepherd is Psalm 23, but Jeremiah prophesied: I will give you shepherds after my own heart, [3:15].
10:7. Gate — Jesus presents himself as both the protection for the sheep and the means through which the sheep achieve security.
10:16. Other sheep — a clear reference to the Gentiles who would accept Jesus as
their Lord and Savior, and who would join with Jewish believers as one “flock” or one body (church) with Christ as the “shepherd” and head.
10:22. Festival of the Dedication — Hanukkah is not one of the prescribed festivals of the Torah. It is also called the “Festival of Lights” because it celebrates the lamp oil that lasted eight days to cleanse the Temple after a Greek ruler defiled it in 165 B.C.E.
10:24. Tell us plainly — the irony is that Jesus has been declaring he is equal with God, the Father. But he explains it one more time [vv. 25-30].
10:34. Is it not written — Jesus is referring to Psalm 82:6: I say, “you are gods and children of the Most High.”
Memory Verse
I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly,
[John 10: 10]
Next Lesson
The raising of Lazarus – John 11
