John 10:1-21

The Central Idea of the Text is that Jesus reveals Himself as the Door of the sheep and the Good Shepherd who calls and leads His elect into a relationship with Him.  Previously, Jesus sought the man who had been healed of blindness and brought him into His fold (John 9:35-38).  The elect turn to Jesus and follow Him because they know His voice and respond positively.  Jesus is both the Door as well as the Good Shepherd who calls His sheep by name and leads them into a relationship with Him.  “The scene pictures Jesus’ calling every individual whom the Father had given Him to follow Him out from the other non-elect Jews.”[1]  Jesus reveals that there are false shepherds who selfishly seek to lead others astray (John 10:1, 8, 10), causing only harm, and fleeing when danger appears (John 10:12-13).  In contrast, Jesus lays down His life for the sheep that they might have life in Him (John 10:14-18).  Previously, Jesus presented Himself as the Bread of life (John 6:35), the Light of the world (John 8:12), the I AM of Abraham and Moses (John 8:58), and here presents Himself as the Door of the sheep (John 10:7), and the Good Shepherd (John 10:11, 14).  Later, He will present Himself as the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25), the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6), and the True Vine (John 15:1, 5).

 

[1] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Jn 10:3.