The Gospel of John for Youth
Commentary by Pastor Ron
Beckham
John Chapter 10
(Words in red
in the Scriptures are the words of Jesus)
Verse 1. "Truly,
truly, I say to you, he 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."
There is
only one way to God, and the Way is Jesus Christ. If we try to be
saved through good works, it is not enough. We need Jesus, or we are
like a “thief and a robber” in the sight of God. He is good and He
will save you and me.
Verse 2. "But
he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep."
Jesus was
talking to very religious people. If you want to help other people
find God, you must do it in a certain way. We are to help people into
the kingdom of God through the “Door”, if we want to be like a
shepherd and help others.
Verse 3. "To
him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls
his own sheep by name and leads them out."
Jesus is
truly the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep (His people) into a
wonderful place. He knows your name and you can trust that He will
lead you safely.
Verse 4. "When
he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow
him because they know his voice."
Wherever
we go, Jesus has gone ahead of us, and He knows the way we are going.
You are safe because of Him, and you can follow Him. He will reveal
His “voice” to you, and He will bring you through.
Verse 5. "A
stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because
they do not know the voice of strangers."
God’s
people will not long follow someone who only pretends to be from God.
We need someone who loves us, and we can trust in Jesus, now and
forever. Others we may listen to; but we will follow Him.
Verse 6. "This
figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not
understand what those things were which He
had been saying to them."
The people
of Israel were a nation of shepherds who had led sheep for centuries.
They should have understood the “parable” He was giving to them. He
was their Great Shepherd and they should have followed Him.
Verse 7. "So
Jesus said to them again,
'Truly, truly, I
say to you, I am the door of the sheep."
Jesus saw
they did not understand Him, and so He spoke more plainly. He is both
the Great Shepherd and the Door, through which we enter and find God.
There is no other way.
Verse 8. "All
who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear
them.”
There have
been many people who have claimed to be someone special. Those who
trust in the Lord will not always follow them. Sooner or later the
“sheep” (you and me), will turn away from the “thieves and robbers”
and follow Jesus.
Verse 9. "I
am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will
go in and out and find pasture.”
This is so
clear – Jesus Christ is the “Door” to God the Father. If you want to
find God, enter through Jesus. You will be saved and find a better
life than you ever dreamed.
Verse 10. "The
thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may
have life, and have it abundantly.”
There are
people who pretend to care for you, but just want something from you.
Jesus came to earth to give you LIFE; wonderful life! He wants you to
be happy; to know the JOY of the Lord.
Verse 11. "I
am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the
sheep.”
Jesus
proved that He loves you, because He loved you so much, that He died
for you. He gave His life so that you might live. He is indeed the
Good Shepherd.
Verse 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 them.”
When
trouble comes, the fake “shepherd” will run away and not help you.
They are like wolves who are after the “sheep” for their own
purposes. Jesus Christ will never leave you or forsake you. He loves
you.
Verse 13. "He
flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep."
The One
who really loves you is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There are
others who want you to follow them, and if they know Jesus, they will
share His love with you. But some just don’t care about you at all.
Verse 14. "I
am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,"
Do you
know Jesus? He IS the Good Shepherd. He knows you. When you trust
in Him, you will know Him, too.
Verse 15. "even
as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life
for the sheep."
God the
Father and God the Son, really KNOW one another. And Jesus knew that
He had come to earth to die for you and me.
Verse 16. "I
have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also,
and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one
shepherd."
Jesus was
speaking to Jewish people. The “other sheep” are the Gentiles
(non-Jews). He was to die for ALL people, everywhere. All those who
love Him are “one flock” and He is our Shepherd.
Verse 17. "For
this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I
may take it again."
Jesus
perfectly did what God the Father wanted, and what He wanted was that
the Son would die for you and me. Jesus gave up everything, but He
trusted in the Father and knew He would come back to life again.
Verse 18. "No
one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.
I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up
again. This commandment I received from My Father."
When Jesus
died on the cross, it was because He was saving us. He died the death
we should have died. He was also able to Himself alive again. He
knew it because the Father had told Him so. He TRUSTS in the Father
and the Father trusts in Him.
Verse 19. "A division occurred again among the Jews because of these
words."
The Jewish
people who were listening to Jesus, began to argue about what He was
saying.
Verse 20. "Many of them were saying, 'He has a demon and is insane.
Why do you listen to Him?'"
Some of
them were angry at Jesus, accusing Him of having a demon, and they
said He was “crazy.” They were annoyed that others were listening to
Jesus.
Verse 21. "Others were saying, 'These are not the sayings of one
demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?'"
They had
seen Jesus help people through many miracles. He had given sight to
the blind, for example. They said: He has done wonderful things, and
therefore, He must be wonderful. And He is.
Verse 22. "At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at
Jerusalem;”
The Feast
of Dedication was also called the “Feast of Lights” and it lasted
8-days. A group of Jews called the “Maccabees” had fought and won
back the nation Israel, about 150 years before Jesus was on earth.
One of the things they did was devote (dedicate) the Jewish Temple to
God.
Verse 23. "It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the
portico of Solomon."
The Feast
of Dedication or “Lights” (see verse 22) was in December, each year.
The “portico” or “porch” of King Solomon was a special part of the
Temple which was to later become a meeting place for Christians (see
Acts 3:11-12).
Verse 24. "The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him,
‘How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us
plainly.’”
The word
“Christ” or (“Messiah”) means “anointed one.” Jesus Christ is the
special One, sent from God. Jesus had been telling them who He was,
but here they were, still asking Him, “Who are You?” They did not
want to understand.
Verse 25.
“Jesus answered them, ‘I
told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's
name, these testify of Me.’”
Jesus had
been telling them and showing them, that He is the Christ (the special
One of God). But they still did not understand. The reason was
because they did not believe. To see what Jesus has done, is to
understand that He is God.
Verse 26. "But
you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.”
In these
verses, we will see what it means to belong to Jesus and trust in
Him. He calls us, “My sheep”. The Shepherd loves the sheep, and
Jesus loves you and me.
Verse 27. "My
sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;”
The words
of these verses are from the voice of Jesus Christ. We “hear” (read)
them, and we understand they are His words. Because of them, we say
“Yes” to Jesus, and follow Him. We know we are His, and He is ours.
Verse 28. “and
I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one
will snatch them out of My hand.”
Jesus
gives eternal LIFE to those who trust in Him. We may seem to lose our
life for awhile, but nobody can ever take us away from our Lord.
“Death” is just a doorway to eternal life.
Verse 29. “My
Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is
able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.”
God the
Father has given us to Jesus Christ. The Father is far greater than
any person or being that could ever be. No person, no creature, no
one, can take you away from the hand of God the Father.
Verse 30. “I
and the Father are one.”
Now we
know more about Jesus. He is God the Son, and He is One with God the
Father. They are one in love, one in purpose; one God. People say,
“If only I could see God…” Trust in Him, and you will see Him with
your heart.
Verse 31. “The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him.”
The
religious people who were listening to Jesus, picked up rocks and
meant to throw them at Him. They wanted to kill Him.
Verse 32.
“Jesus answered them, "I
showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you
stoning Me?’”
Jesus gave
sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf; love to those who had
nothing. Those listening to Him, had stones in their hands and were
going to hurt Him. Why would they harm Someone who had done them so
much good?
Verse 33. “The
Jews answered Him, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but
for blasphemy; and because You, being a man,
make Yourself out to be God.’”
God the
Son became a human baby, who grew into a man. He was the Father’s
gift to you and me. Those listening to Jesus, accused Jesus of
“blasphemy” (pretending to be God). They liked it better when God was
invisible to them and they wanted to kill Jesus.
Verse 34.
“Jesus answered them, ‘Has
it not been written in your Law, I said, you are gods'?"
Jesus is
quoting Psalm 82:6, where it says of people, “You are gods.” God is
showing that some of His authority, His power, has been shared with
all of us. Our power to move, to speak, or to think – all is given
from Him to you and me.
Verse 35. "If
he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture
cannot be broken),"
The people
listening to Jesus, had stones in their hands and they were ready to
throw them at Him, because He said He is God (and He is God). He was
reminding them of Psalm 82:6, where it says that something of the
power of God, is given to all people.
Verse 36. "do
you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world,
'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?"
Jesus
continued speaking to them: If Psalm 82:6 says that something of the
power of God is given to all people, then why do you say I am a
“blasphemer” (someone pretending to be God)?
Verse 37 "If
I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me;”
The Lord
did WONDERFUL works during His time here on earth. He healed people
of all kinds of sicknesses. Those who had no hope were filled with
love. Those who had sinned were forgiven. Look at what He did and
believe in Him.
Verse 38. "but
if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that
you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the
Father."
Even if
you don’t believe the words of Jesus, look at what He did, so that you
may start to understand that God the Father is in Him, and He is in
the Father. They are One, and we should TRUST in Him.
Verse 39. "Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He
eluded their grasp."
The
religious people who were listening to Jesus, still had rocks in their
hands and meant to throw them at Him. But even though they wanted to
kill Him, He easily walked away, unharmed. No one could do anything
to Him, until it was His time to die.
Verse 40. "And
He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John
was first baptizing, and He was staying
there."
Jesus very
calmly walked away from those who had stones in their hands and meant
to hurt Him. He then crossed the Jordan River, to the place where
John the Baptist had been, and stayed there for awhile.
Verse 41. "Many came to Him and were saying, "While John performed no
sign, yet everything John said about this man was true."
John the
Baptist had helped many people, but he did not do “signs” like Jesus
did (healing the sick, blind, and deaf). Many had believed in John’s
words, and John had said Jesus is the Christ (the Special One of God).
Verse 42. "Many believed in Him there."
They did
what we all should do – they BELIEVED in Jesus Christ and placed their
TRUST in Him. Let us do that, now: Jesus, I believe in You. I trust
in You now. Thank You, Lord, for saving me. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham, Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
www.fridaystudy.org
Ron@fridaystudy.org
