The Gospels record a number of confrontations between Jesus Christ and the religious leaders He met, during His earthly ministry. The 10th chapter of John’s Gospel contains one such encounter.
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.
2 "But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 "To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 "When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 "A stranger they simply will
not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers."
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.
7 So Jesus said to
them again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
8 "All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
9 "I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11 "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
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.
13 "He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
14 "I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me,
15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.
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.
17 "For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again.
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."
19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words.
20 Many of
them were saying,
"He has a demon and is insane. Why do
you listen to
Him?"
21 Others were saying, "These are
not the sayings of
one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of
the blind, can
he?" (NASB) (1)
What can we learn from this? First, Jesus opposed people who rigidly followed the letter of religious law but missed the point of it. He regarded such teaching and practice as fundamentally destructive. Therefore, we should be careful about which religious teachers we allow to influence our thinking. We mustn’t follow strangers … those whose teaching isn’t consistent with the Holy Bible.
The Pharisees and others he was talking to didn’t get it. So, Jesus explained it over again. They still didn’t get it, because they didn’t believe in Him. They weren’t part of the flock that recognized his voice and followed Him. Those who hear the Master’s voice calling them and respond are those who put their faith in Jesus and follow Him. To them He gives an abundant life.
Jesus foresaw the Gentile converts. He blends Jewish and Gentile believers into one body; His own.
Faith in Jesus is only one way to God, to salvation, to eternal life with God. Jesus reiterated this truth again in John 14:6, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. (NASB) (2)
Jesus laid down His life for us. He did it voluntarily. He rose from the dead as the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29) The spirits of those who believe in Him will return with Him in the Rapture to be reunited with our resurrected bodies. (1Thessalonians 4:13-18), and we will be like Him. (1John 3:2)
There is no end to the Good News. Praise be to God the Father and to His Son Jesus Christ. If you get discouraged by this evil world and its cares, you only have to look into God’s Word to be thrilled by what is waiting for us.
(1) https://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/
(2) ibid.
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