John 10 Commentary: “The Good Shepherd”

Jesus talks a great deal in this chapter about being a Shepherd to His people. Verse 1 corresponds with Psalm 68:13.

Jesus said:
John 10:1
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.”

Psalm 68:10-13

“Your congregation dwelt in it;
You, O God, provided from Your goodness for the poor.
 The Lord gave the word;
Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:
 “Kings of armies flee, they flee,
And she who remains at home divides the spoil.
Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,
And her feathers with yellow gold.”

There is so much beautiful imagery in this Psalm. I believe it is depicting Christ. Verse 11 says: “The Lord gave the word”.

Jesus is called the Word in John 1:1:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

Verse 13 says: “Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,”

What this is depicting is the intimacy of Christ with His followers. It is saying that Christ dwells with us where we are, in the sheepfolds. He lies down with us. This reminds me also of Psalm 23, which has a lot of shepherd imagery.

Jesus is the door to the sheepfold. If someone enters by any other door into the sheepfold other than Him, they are a thief and a robber. Anyone who is in the community of believers that has not come in by the way of Christ does not belong in the assembly of believers.

This reminds me of the part in Pilgrims Progress where Christian met Formalist and Hypocrisy and asked them: “Gentlemen, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

Formalist and Hypocrisy answered: “We were born in the land of Vain-glory, and are going for praise to Mount Zion.”

Christian asked: “Why did you not come in at the gate which stands at the beginning of the way? Do you not know that it is written, that "he that does not enter in by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber?"

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10:1

Formalist and Hypocrisy said, that to go to the gate for entrance was counted by all their countrymen too far; so their usual way was to make a short cut of it, and to climb over the wall as they had done.
Christian answered: “But will it not be counted a trespass against the Lord of the city where we are bound, to violate his revealed will in this manner?”

This means that there will be people who will be within the congregation of believers that have not entered by the door or the gate (Jesus). They will be cast out in the end. Jesus is our Shepherd and we know His voice and He knows us well. We are His found sheep and nothing can pluck us from His hand.

Jesus said:
John 10:28

“And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.”

Jesus speaks about those who belong to Him with such tenderness, such ownership and such possession that it is wholly endearing and intriguing. Meditating on this will cause us to understand the deep love and intimate ownership Christ has over us. Along with this knowledge of ownership and belonging to Him, is an all inclusive open-arms policy. He welcomes all people to Himself with open arms. He died for ALL people. He calls all people to Himself. When a person whole-heartedly seeks Christ, He always welcomes them to Himself. Jesus is saying here in John 10 not to trust any other besides Him who claims to be the gate or door to heaven, because they are a liar. He is certainly speaking of false prophets and teachers teaching any other way as entry into heaven. There is no other gate or door to heaven besides Jesus, the Christ. The ownership of us by Christ is so deep that He gives His life for those that belong to Him. He speaks in the present for to Him all is the present. He speaks in the present of those who will ultimately belong to Him, even if presently they are not at home in the sheepfold. They have yet to be found and brought home. There will be an unveiling of the sons and daughters of God in the end.

Romans 8:19
“For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.”

There is only ONE flock of the sons and daughters of God, and there is only ONE Shepherd. Jesus is a mysterious figure. He can take many forms but His sheep always recognize Him because they know His voice. Those who do not belong to Him cannot recognize Him because they do not know His voice. The teachers of the law accused Jesus of blasphemy, which He was not guilty of. He was guilty of nothing. He simply left at that point. They were boiling mad at His claims so He simply escaped from their evil hands because it was not time for Him to lay down His life for His sheep yet. He went to the land where John the Baptist baptized by the Jordan and STAYED there (in the sheepfold). Then many of His sheep came to Him there because they heard His voice and recognized the voice of their Shepherd. “And many believed in Him there.” (John 10:42)


"Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan-Part 1, Stage 3." Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.