Lesson for August 17, 2025
The Book of John
Lesson 28
Chapter 10:1-42
The Door and the Shepherd
Verses 1-6
“Truly, truly I say to you, the one 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. 2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6 Jesus told them this figure of speech, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant. 7 So, Jesus said to them again, ‘Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus gave them an analogy in an attempt to wake them up spiritually. Jesus used two analogies in this passage. Jesus, as the “door” and Jesus, as “the shepherd.” The sheep who belonged to Jesus were those Jews who believed in Jesus (as the Messiah, as we will see in verse 16). The sheep who do not recognize the voice of Jesus was a reference to unbelieving Jews who rejected Him as their Messiah. Once the sheep (believers) heard the voice of their shepherd (Jesus), they follow Him, but they would not follow another (the Pharisees). On the other hand, those sheep (unbelievers) who did not recognize the voice of the shepherd (Jesus) followed the Pharisees. The Pharisees were pictured as thieves and robbers because they wanted the sheep (unbelievers) to remain under their distorted system of legalism (keeping the Mosaic Law).
There was only one way for the sheep to enter the holding pen and that was through the door. And the doorkeeper would let in only those sheep who legitimately belonged there. So, Jesus said He was “the door” and entry into the pen was only through Him. This analogy refers to salvation. A person becomes one of the “sheep of Jesus” by faith in Him as Savior.
Verses 10-16
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life and have it abundantly.11 I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 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 the flock. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and 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 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.”
Jesus gives life (salvation) to His sheep, and He gives them life abundantly after salvation, if they follow Him. The legitimate shepherd protects his sheep, even to the point of laying down his life for them. This is exactly what Jesus did for us (His sheep), when He went to the Cross and paid the penalty for our sin. Jesus gave His life so that we could have eternal life and an abundant spiritual life.
Anyone claiming to be the Messiah (and there were many) were illegitimate shepherds and did not lay down their lives for the sheep. Their motives were selfish, and they cared nothing for the sheep. Even now many false teachers claim to represent God and through flattery and deceit gather “a flock” of their own, only to “fleece” (defraud, extort, cheat) them. Their motives are normally fame and fortune, and many unbelievers, and believers alike, fall prey to their gimmicks.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice; and they will become one flock, with one shepherd. Speaking to the Jews, Jesus was referring to the Gentiles and the fact that there will be one body of believers made up of many races. The Jews did not have a monopoly on salvation, as the Pharisees claimed. Salvation has always been available to all people by a simple act of faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.
Verses 17-18
“For this reason, the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it back. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it back. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Jesus prophesied His resurrection in this passage. Once again, Jesus asserts His deity as having the authority to lay down His life and to raise Himself from the dead. Actually, Jesus was raised by all members of the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He was raised by the Father. (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:24-31, 13:30; Romans 6:4; Ephesians 1:19-20) He raised Himself. (John 2:19-22, 10:17-18) He was raised by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 1:4) The resurrection of Jesus sets Him apart from any other person who claimed or will claim to be God.
Because of the Resurrection, believers have hope (confident expectation) of their own resurrection at the Rapture. Just as the death of a believer is God’s victory, the resurrection of believers is God’s victory.The resurrection of believers is the wise and sovereign decision of God. This means that a believer’s volition and individual merit are not factors in the resurrection of the Church. The Resurrection of Christ and of all believers is strictly God’s victory. We have no control over the manner or time of our resurrection. It is completely a matter of the sovereignty of God.
The Rapture can occur at any time, because no prophecy must be fulfilled before it happens. The time of the Rapture and our resurrection is God’s decision, not ours. In the meantime, we are to live every day “as unto the Lord.” Just as we do not know when we are going to die, we do not know when the Rapture will occur. Therefore, the Rapture is not subject to man’s timetable or man’s speculation.
The Rapture is a technical theological term for the resurrection of the Royal Family of God, the Church. Once the Royal Family of God is completed, the Church (the body of Christ) is resurrected to meet Jesus Christ in the air and then to become the bride of Christ. The Church Age, in which we live, is that period of human history when the Royal Family of God is being formed on earth. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:16, 4:4-5; Colossians 1:18, 24, 2:19) When the royal family of God is completed, then the Rapture occurs. (I Thessalonians 4:16-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58) During the conclusion of the Age of Israel called the Tribulation, the bride of Christ is prepared in Heaven in a resurrection body for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Jesus Christ). Then comes the Judgment Seat of Christ when all Church Age believers are evaluated and rewarded according to their divine production. (II Corinthians 5:10)
Verses 19-21
“Dissension occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, ‘He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?’ 21 Others were saying, ‘These are not the words of one who is demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of those who are blind, can it?’”
The crowd was once again divided because of what Jesus said. Every time that Jesus Christ presented Himself as Messiah through a miracle, immediately there was a response and reaction from the Jewish crowd. Once again, Jesus was accused by some of being demon-possessed but they also added insanity. Others, however, had a great argument as to why Jesus couldn’t be demon-possessed – the healing of the blind man. The first response was strictly emotional, based on hatred, vindictiveness, jealousy, and hostility.
Insanity in the ancient world under Judaism was often ascribed to demon possession. They used anything to try and discredit Jesus and the miracles He had been performing, ascribing them to the work of Satan. People were becoming interested in what Jesus was saying, and the Pharisees were angry and jealous. Their only recourse was to verbally attack Jesus and make false claims about Him.
There were, however, some people who recognized that Jesus was not a lunatic nor was He demon possessed. Their logic was sound when they said that a demon could not perform miracles like Jesus had been doing. Their logic was that only God can perform miracles and therefore they rejected the religious explanation.
Christianity is not a religion; it is a relationship. The word “religion” comes from two Latin words, “re,” which means “back” and “ligio,” which means “to bind.” Combined, they mean “to bind back.” This is exactly what religion teaches – that we must bind ourselves back to God. However, the Bible teaches that it is impossible to bind ourselves back to God. Actually, the opposite is true – God binds us to Himself in the Person and work of Christ.