John Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Man, I was promised John didn’t get into parables, too bad! Here comes one…

He that enters into a sheepfold in any way except for the door is the same as a thief and a robber. If you enter through the door you’re the shepherd. Only to a shepherd will the door open and the sheep will recognize his voice. He’ll also know to call the sheep by name and lead them out. When he has his own sheep he will walk ahead of them and they’ll follow because they recognize his voice. They won’t follow a stranger, they’ll run because they don’t know his voice.

Ahhh, an interesting lesson on sheep, but what does it mean?

JC explains for us. He is the door of the sheep. Anyone who came before him was a thief and/or robber, but luckily the good little sheep didn’t hear them. He is the door and if anyone enters he’ll be saved and will be able to go in and out and find pasture. (Shouldn’t he be the shepherd in the metaphor, not the door… and are people really allowed to go “in and out”, what does that mean. Does that mean everyone can enter and exit heaven at their desire? How come my dad never visits then?)

More on this parable… The thief only comes to steal and kill and destroy. JC comes so his sheep can have life and that they will live abundantly. He is the good shepherd and the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. (Ahh, so he’s the door and the shepherd… interesting).

Now we get involved in a new facet… the person that is a hireling and not the shepherd who is not the owner of the sheep sees the wolf coming and runs leaving the sheep unattended. The wolf then catches some of the sheep and scatters the rest. (Sheep have a lot to be worried about… murderous thieves and robbers, wolves… yipes!)

The hireling flees because he doesn’t care about the sheep. Jesus cares because he is a good shepherd and he knows his sheep and his sheep know him (I must be a sheep that belongs to another shepherd… bahhh!)

JC can’t get through a chapter without mentioning this.. he knows his dad, and you know what, his dad knows him too! So, therefore he lays down his life for the sheep (kind of a leap, but we’ll take it).

You know what though, there are other sheep too. Sheep that aren’t yet in the fold and he has to go talk to them so they can hear and recognize his voice to create one fold with one shepherd. This is why his dad loves him so much because he lays down his life only so that he can take it again (I don’t know if that means die again or live again). No one can take JC’s life from him, only he can lay it down himself. Even better once he gives it, he can just take it back up again (I guess the answer to my previous questions was “live again”). He has to do all this because that’s what papa told him to do.

In the group that he was talking to there was more division (JC seems to be a pretty divisive guy according to John). Lots of them say he was possessed (yeah, we’ve heard that before) and also is mad, they wonder why everyone’s listening to him. Others said that his miracles proved that he was not the devil.

Now we’re in Jerusalem at the feast of dedication (John loves to mention all the feasts), and it was winter. JC went to yet another temple and strolled onto Solomon’s porch. The Jews came around him and said, why are you making us doubt, just tell us plainly if you really are Christ or not.

JC said that he already told that that he does works in his Father’s name and those works bear his witness. If they don’t believe it’s because they’re not his sheep. His sheep know him. And he’s giving all his sheep eternal life. Ha! His dad who is better than anyone won’t let anyone pluck sheep from his own hand or his sons because he and his dad are one person.

This pisses the crowd off enough that they pick up stones to throw at him again. (They need to find a more civilized response to their anger, maybe they could try just walking away).

Jesus says that he has shown them all kinds of good works in the name of his papa, and wonders which of these is causing them to throw stones at him.

They say, none, dummy, it’s for blaspheming. You keep telling us that you’re God, but you’re only a man.

JC answers by saying, “Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?” (I read this as he is asking if they think they’re gods, but read that however you want). The gospel continues by saying that if he called them gods who the word came to then the scripture can’t be broken. (Mystery to me, you’ll have to sort this whole line of thinking out yourself).

Jesus confirms with them what they’re saying. So, you’re telling me that even though my dad sanctified me and sent me into the world I’m blaspheming because I said I’m the son of god. If I don’t do my dad’s fine works then you shouldn’t believe me, but if I do them, even if you don’t believe me, believe the works. Then you can know that God is in me and I’m in him.

They disagreed and tried to take him but he escaped.

He went away, beyond Jordan where John had first baptized and he stayed there. Many talked about JC and said that John didn’t do any miracles but everything he said about this guy was true. So many in that area believed in him.