The Gospels · New Testament

John 10

John 10: the shepherd, the door, and the feast of the dedication

General context

The chapter opens with a figure of the sheepfold: whoever does not enter by the door is a thief and a robber, while the shepherd enters by the door, calls his own sheep by name and leads them out, and they follow because they know his voice. The narrator says his hearers did not understand. Jesus then says he is the door of the sheep and the good shepherd who lays down his life for them, unlike a hireling who runs when the wolf comes. He speaks of other sheep not of this fold and of one fold and one shepherd, and says no man takes his life from him. The Jews divide again, some saying he has a devil, others pointing to the opened eyes of the blind. At the feast of the dedication in winter, walking in Solomon's porch, he is asked to say plainly whether he is the Christ. He answers that his works bear witness, and after he says he and his Father are one the Jews take up stones and charge blasphemy. He escapes and goes beyond Jordan, where many believe.

Cited passages: John 10:1, John 10:3, John 10:4, John 10:6, John 10:7, John 10:11, John 10:12, John 10:16, John 10:18, John 10:19, John 10:20, John 10:21, John 10:22, John 10:24, John 10:25, John 10:30, John 10:31, John 10:33, John 10:39, John 10:42

John 10 (KJV)

¹Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

⁶This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

⁹I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰The 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.

¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

¹²But 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.

¹³The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

¹⁴I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

¹⁵As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

¹⁶And other sheep I have, 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.

¹⁷Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

¹⁸No 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.

¹⁹There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

²⁰And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

²¹Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?

²²And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter.

²³And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch.

²⁴Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

²⁵Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

²⁶But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

³⁰I and my Father are one.

³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.

³²Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me?

³³The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

³⁴Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

³⁵If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;

³⁶Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?

³⁷If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not.

³⁸But 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.

³⁹Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand,

⁴⁰And went away again beyond Jordan into the place where John at first baptized; and there he abode.

⁴¹And many resorted unto him, and said, John did no miracle: but all things that John spake of this man were true.

⁴²And many believed on him there.

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Historical context

The narrator names the first section a parable and says the hearers did not understand it, so the explanations that follow are given inside the chapter rather than supplied from outside. The setting shifts at verse 22 to the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem, and the season is given as winter, one of the few such markers in the book; no date is stated. The charge of blasphemy is spoken by the Jews, who define it as a man making himself God, and the answer quotes their own law. The closing note refers back to John, saying he did no miracle while what he said about Jesus was true, and places the location beyond Jordan where he first baptized. The people who say this are those who come to Jesus there.

Cited passages: John 10:6, John 10:7, John 10:22, John 10:23, John 10:33, John 10:34, John 10:40, John 10:41

Literary context

The figure is stated, met with incomprehension, then restated twice with a direct claim attached, first the door and then the good shepherd. Hearing runs through both halves: the sheep know the voice, the crowd asks for plain speech, and the answer says they do not believe because they are not of his sheep. Hireling and wolf give the picture a threat, and laying down a life is repeated until it is put as something chosen rather than suffered. The stoning here answers the earlier stoning in the temple, with the charge stated this time. The chapter closes back beyond Jordan where the book's first scenes were set, and the last word is that many believed there.

Cited passages: John 10:3, John 10:5, John 10:24, John 10:26, John 10:27, John 10:13, John 10:15, John 10:17, John 10:18, John 10:31, John 10:40, John 10:42

Key moments

Sheep know the voice (John 10:4). The shepherd goes before his sheep and they follow because they know his voice.
Not understood (John 10:6). The narrator says the hearers did not grasp the figure he spoke.
I am the good shepherd (John 10:11). Jesus names himself the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.
Other sheep (John 10:16). He speaks of sheep not of this fold and of one fold and one shepherd.
Tell us plainly (John 10:24). At the feast of the dedication the Jews ask him to say plainly whether he is the Christ.
Stones taken up again (John 10:31). After he says he and his Father are one, they take up stones.
Back beyond Jordan (John 10:40). He withdraws to the place where John first baptized, and many believe there.

For reflection

The crowd asks for a plain answer and is told the works have already given one. What does the chapter suggest about the difference between a statement people ask for and evidence they have already seen?