John 10

Jesus is the Great Shepherd and the Door to eternal life

1 Truth, I tell you the truth, He that does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that enters in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The porter opens to him; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calls his own sheep by name, and leads them out. 4 And when he puts out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And they will not follow a stranger but will flee from him: for they do not know the voice of strangers. 6 Jesus spoke this parable to them: but they did not understand what he said to them.

• The Pharisees were the thieves and robbers.
• They were not following God by faith.
• They had not entered by the door, Jesus (John 14:6).
• They make their living from the offerings of the people to God, but do not lead the people to God.
• Sheep can’t guide themselves, can’t clean themselves, can’t tend their own injuries, can’t protect or defend themselves, can’t find their own food or water.
• Sheep panic easily and are soothed by a voice or music.
• The produce of the sheep (wool) belongs to the shepherd.

7  Then Jesus said to them again, Truth, I tell you the truth, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door: by me if any man enters in, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief only comes to steal, to kill, and to destroy: I have come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is a hired hand and not the shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees: and the wolf catches them and scatters the sheep. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hired hand and does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

• Ancient sheep pens had no door.
• The sheep could go in and out except at night.
• At night the shepherd lay in the doorway.
• A wolf had to go through the shepherd to go to the sheep.

• John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

• Ezekiel 34:11 For thus says the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeks out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, … and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and on the high mountains of Israel: there they will lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture 16 I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.

15 As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold: I must bring them also, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one fold, and one shepherd. 17 Therefore my Father loves me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18 No man takes 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 I received from my Father. 19 So a division occurred again among the Jews because of these sayings. 20 And many of them said, He has a demon and is insane; why do you hear him? 21 Others said, These are not the words of one demon-possessed. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? 22 And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. 23 And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. 24 Then the Jews surrounded him and said to him, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. 25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and you did not believe me: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

• When He walked in the temple He was walking in His house, built for Him with gifts from His people.

• Luke 16:31 And he said to him, If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rise from the dead.

Our heavenly Father, the greatest of all, keeps us securely in His hand

26 But you do not believe because you are not my sheep, as I said to you. 27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: 28 And I give to them eternal life; and they will never perish, neither will any man pluck them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

• We are doubly secure in the Ones who have all the power, everywhere.
• We can’t be removed from the hand of the Son.
• We can’t be removed from the hand of the Father.
• The Father gave us to Jesus as a gift.

Jesus was and always is One with the Father

30 I and my Father are one. 31 Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, I have showed you many good works from my Father; for which of those works do you stone me? 33 The Jews answered him, saying, We do not stone you for a good work; but for blasphemy; because you, being a man, make yourself God. 34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, You are gods? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. 36 Do you say of him whom the Father has sanctified, and sent into the world, You blaspheme; because I said, I am the Son of God? 37 If I do not do the works of my Father, do not believe me.

• His works and His words proved beyond doubt who He was. Who else can turn water into wine, walk on water, still storms, cast out demons, heal every disease and raise the dead?

• John 17:21 That they all may be one; as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that you have sent me.

• John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name

38  But if I do, though you do not believe me, believe the works: that you may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. 39 Therefore they tried again to seize/arrest him: but he escaped out of their hand, 40 And went away again beyond Jordan to the place where John at first baptized; and he stayed there. 41 And many came to him and said, John did no signs: but all things that John spoke of this man were true. 42 And many believed on him there.

• 1Peter 2:25 For you were as sheep going astray; but have now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

• Hebrews 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant

• 1Peter 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd will appear, you will receive a crown of glory that does not fade away.

                                                  John 11

1 Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick.) 3 Therefore his sisters sent to him saying, Lord, look, he whom you love is sick. 4 When Jesus heard that he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

• Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying, Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn you.

• John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him not perish, but have everlasting life.

6  So when he had heard that he was sick, he remained two days in the same place where he was. 7 Then after that he said to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again. 8 His disciples said to him, Master, the Jews recently sought to stone you; and you go there again? 9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if a man walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him. 11 He said these things: and after that he said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep. 12 Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will be safe. 13 However Jesus spoke of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of resting in sleep. 14 Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there so that you may believe; nevertheless let us go to him. 16 Then Thomas, called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, Let us go also, that we may die with him. 17 Then, when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about 2 miles away: 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. 20 As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming she went and met him: but Mary sat in the house. 21 Then Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know, that even now, whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you.

• John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you can ask what you will, and it will be done to you.

23  Jesus said to her, Your brother will rise again. 24 Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life

25  Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet he will live: 26 And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?

• How long has mankind looked for this very thing? Endless life.

27 She said to him, Yes, Lord: I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who comes into the world. 28 When she had said this she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying, The Master has come and calls for you. 29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him. 31 When the Jews that were with her in the house comforting her saw Mary rise up quickly and go out, they followed her saying, She is going to the grave to weep there. 32 Then when Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping that came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and he troubled himself.

• There was no faith in her words, just blame.
• How often do we blame instead of believe?

Jesus wept

34  And said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then the Jews said, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Couldn’t this man who opened the eyes of the blind have prevented this man’s death? 38 Jesus therefore, groaning again in himself, came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay on it. 39 Jesus said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the one that was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time he stinks: for he has been dead four days. 40 Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?

• God’s words are of no benefit to us if we do not believe what He says.

• Hebrews 4:2 but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those that heard it.

Jesus raises the dead

41  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead one was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I know that you always hear me: but because of the people that stand by I said it, that they may believe that you have sent me. 43 And when he had spoken this, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come out. 44 And he that was dead came out, bound hand and foot with grave clothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said to them, Loose him and let him go. 45 Then many of the Jews who came to Mary and had seen the things that Jesus did, believed on him.

• God stated His purpose…that they may believe.
  
• esus never regarded iniquity in His heart, so God always heard Him.
• Imagine that day in the future when Jesus will speak and raise all the dead, when suddenly all those buried over the centuries will be raised to life with just a word from the Lord.

• Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me

• Isaiah 26:19 Your dead men will live, together with my dead body they will arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in dust: for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth will cast out the dead.

• Revelation 1:18 I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

46  But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what Jesus had done. 47 Then the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, What will we do? For this man does many miracles. 48 If we let him alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.

• The One they said they were waiting for was with them, proving that He was from God.
• And all they were concerned about was keeping their position and possessions.

• Matthew 10:39 He that finds his life will lose it: and he that loses his life for my sake will find it.

49 And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said to them, Do you know nothing at all, 50 nor consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not. 51 And He spoke this not of himself: but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for that nation; 52 And not for that nation only, but that also he would gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

• Proverbs 16:1 The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

53 Then from that day on they plotted together to put him to death. 54 So Jesus no longer walked openly among the Jews; but went to a country near the wilderness to a city called Ephraim and continued there with his disciples. 55 And the Jews’ passover was near at hand: and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the passover to purify themselves. 56 Then they sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, What do you think, that he will not come to the feast? 57 Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he was, he would show it so that they might seize/arrest him.

• Jesus was at the top of the nations most wanted list. He should be the one we want most, but their purposes were the height of evil, the very heart of Satan himself.

• Psalm 72:11 …all kings will fall down before him: all nations will serve him.

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SUMMARY: John 10-11

• Jesus is the Great Shepherd and the Door to eternal life
• Our heavenly Father, the greatest of all, keeps us securely in His hand
• Jesus was and always is One with the Father
• Jesus is the resurrection and the life
• Jesus wept
• Jesus raises the dead