ST JOHN
CHAPTER 10
Jesus is the good Shepherd—He gained power over death from his Father—He promises to visit his other sheep—He proclaims: ‘I am the son of God.’
1 VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, [ See also 2 Ne 9:41; Matt 7:13 - door equates to gate. We see in verse 9 that this is Jesus Christ himself. Or the proper path(covenant path), the proper way. Now let's look a little here at the sheep. The Savior is teaching them in front of the temple here, so I think there might be some temple context. My thoughts here are that the sheep to which he was referencing is the temple flock. The flock that was keep on the hills outside of the city walls, protected by the temple priests, wrapped in swaddling clothes, then later would be sacrificed at the temple. All of this would in a way point to the temple, and the ultimately points to the Savior which he in a way is declaring to them here. ] but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. [ The person who trys to get into the sheepfold any other way than through the proper path(gate and covenant path) is trying to do so without authority to do so and is like a thief trying to get something that they did not earn. ]
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [ One way to look at this is that Jesus(who is the door verse 9) is teaching them that he is the way for them to return to the fold of God. ]
3 To him the porter [ "Porter" : a person who carries burdens of others. ] openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, [ He can only do this if he knows them. If you think about this in connection with the parable of the ten virgins. What is it that the bridegroom says to them in the inspired version of Matt 25:12 "Ye know me not." hence he never knew them. ] and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know [ In Hebrew, the word for "know" is the word yada, which means not only learning about something or someone but experiencing something or someone. It is not a superficial experience of God but a profoundly intimate experience. In the Israelite worldview, The Old Testament is the foundation of this experience. ] his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
9 I am [ “The Hebrew, Ehyeh, signifying I Am, is related in meaning and through derivation with the term Yahveh or Jehovah. The central fact connoted by this name, I Am, or Jehovah, the two having essentially the same meaning, is that of existence or duration that shall have no end, and which, judged by all human standards of reckoning, could have had no beginning; the name is related to such other titles as Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” James E. Talmage. “Jesus the Christ ”] the door: [ Singular, definite statement that he Christ is "the Door". ] by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, [ Christ is the only way that we can be saved. ] and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
11 I am the good shepherd: [ First he tells them that he is the one whom they need to follow. ] the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. [ So he's saying it's not just all these sheep being sacrificed on a daily basis at the temple, but they are there to point to him, he who will be sacrificed. ]
12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.
14 I am the good shepherd, [ The "I am" is the Greek "ego eimi" which is equivalent to the Hebrew "I am that I am" which forms the divine name YHWH (i.e. Jehovah)] and know my csheep,
and am known of mine.
16 And other sheep I have, [ They are probably saying wait a minute we are Israel that you are talking to hear, who else could there possibly be? Setting This statement is made just before the feast of dedication, which is a winter feastival which we refer today as Hannaka or the feastival of lghts. So we are sometime in the fall of the year. He is teaching the jewish people and theire is a great division among them as to who he is. So he is taking this opportunity to tell the Jewish people that they are not the only ones for whom this message is intended. Note that this is follow the parable in John about the sheep and the responsibilities of the shepard to them. I am the shepard - I gather the sheep. 3 Ne. 16:1 ] which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. [ What do you think that the Jews thought when they heard this message? Did they think that it was some of their cousins which had wandered off somewhere that he would take the message to as well? Or would they have thought that it was the gentiles that he was speaking of? In 3 Ne. 16:1-4; 15:22 he answered just exactly who he was taking about and the fact that the jews did not bother to ask further about the other sheep. ]
18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
19 ¶ There was a division [ So there were people that both believed his words about other sheep and those who did not believe them. ] therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.
20 And many of them [ These self appointed policemen of the doctrine, and of what is true and not. ] said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? [ This is the opposite of what President Nelson has instructed us to do - to Hear Him. Just of interest bible scholars suggest that less then 2% of the Jewish population of the day believed in the words of Christ. The Jews though that they were good at identifying truth as they thought they were, so the message for us are we any better at identifying the truth today? This is why we need to learn to hear him. ]
21 Others said, [ That small 2% who believed him. ] These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?
24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, [ “The Anointed, Elect, or Chosen One” ] tell us plainly.
25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.
[ They get what the Savior is teaching them and they don't like it one bit - so the obvious thing to do is not to listen but to stone him right? ]
32 Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?
33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; [ Why blasphemy? Christ is bring these ancient traditions to light and saying that he is the fulfillment of the ancient temple traditions that point to Christ, they get it and they think that this is blasphemy. Why? Well if we go back it was the scribes that changed the scriptures enough so that the people in Christ day would be looking for a different kind of Messiah - a political one, one with power over the government. ] and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, [ Why does Jesus say your law? Well the answer is because he has been quoting from the book of Deuteronomy. This book was heavily redacted by the scribes and Jesus knew that. They changed it and by quoting from Deuteronomy(their law) he is using their own words against themselves. Deut ironically. In a strictly ideological sense, Deuteronomism is Christ's greatest adversary when he appears mortally. The Pharisees, the Saduccees, the Priests and lawyers and SCRIBES were all heirs of Deuteronomism. So when rebuffing their judgements, He uses it against them. That way they are stuck: deny Deut? Or Deny Deut? Anything else and they'd find a way to wriggle out, or change the scriptures even more. (Psalms 82:6; Acts 17:29)] I said, Ye are gods?
36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the son of God?
38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
40 And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.