Lesson Scripture, John 10:1-16, R.V.
1 "VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other 2 way, the same is a thief and a robber. But He that entereth 3 in by the door is the Shepherd of the sheep. To Him the porter openeth, and the sheep hear His voice; and He calleth 4 His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. When He 5 hath put forth all His own, He goeth before them, and 6 the sheep follow Him; for they know His voice. And a 7 stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him; for they 8 know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake Jesus 9 unto them; but they understood not what things they were 10 which He spake unto them.
11 "Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say 12 unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that came before 13 Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. 14 I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, 15 and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. The thief 16 cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I 17 came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. 18 I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His 19 life for the sheep. He that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, 20 whose own the sheep are not, beholdeth the wolf coming, and 21 leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf snatcheth them, 22 and scattereth them; he fleeth because he is a hireling, and 23 careth not for the sheep. I am the good Shepherd; and I 24 know Mine own, and Mine own know Me, even as the Father 25 knoweth Me, and I know the Father; and I lay down My life 26 for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this 27 fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; 28 and they shall become one flock, one Shepherd."
Golden Text.—"I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep." Verse 11.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What does Jesus say of those who try to enter the sheepfold by some other way than the door? V. 1. Note 1. (2) What is the character of Him who enters by the door? V. 2. Note 2. (3) Who opens to Him? How do the sheep regard Him? What does He do for the sheep? Who is the porter? V. 3. Note 3. (4) How do the sheep manifest their regard for the Shepherd? V. 4. Note 4. (5) How do the sheep regard a stranger? V. 5. Note 5. (6) How did the Jews regard the parable? V. 6. Note 6. (7) What then did Jesus say of Himself? V. 7. Note 7. (8) What of all who ever came before Him? V. 8. Note 8. (9) What will result to those who enter in by the door? V. 9. (10) For what purpose does the thief come? And for what did Christ come? V. 10. (11) What else did Jesus say of Himself? V. 11. Note 9. (12) How does a hireling differ from the good Shepherd? And what is the result? V. 12. (13) Why does the hireling flee? V. 13. (14) In what other way is the good Shepherd distinguished? V. 14. (15) What is His knowledge of the Father? What spirit of sacrifice is emphasized by repetition? V. 15. (16) What is said of "other sheep"? V. 16. Note 10.
NOTES.
1. "He that entereth not by the door."—The first five verses of this lesson constitute a parable. Primarily it is to show that Christ is the Shepherd of God's flock, or people, in the earth; in other words, that He was the Messiah. He is the "chief Shepherd." 1 Peter 5:4. As His ministers on earth are under shepherds, or assistants (verses 1-3), the parable applies, secondarily, to them. They must enter the fold by the door, and do their work in a legitimate manner. They are selected from the flock, and are part of the flock; therefore they, as well as the flock, must follow the Word and example of the chief Shepherd. Whoever will not do this is a destroyer, and not a true shepherd.
2. "He that entereth by the door."—Christ came according to the Scriptures (Luke 24:27; John 5:39), which had been indicted by His own Spirit (1 Peter 1:11); therefore He had entered "by the door." So the under shepherd who acknowledges the authority of Christ, and follows the directions given in His Word, also enters "by the door." He enters upon the work in a legitimate manner, having only the interest of the Master and the welfare of the flock at heart. Every one claiming to be a shepherd must be tested by the Word and example of Christ.
3. "The porter."—The Holy Spirit is the porter. Christ was begotten by the Spirit; and was anointed and set apart to His office by the Spirit. By this He was given power, and when He was about to leave the earth, committing the work to human agents, He commanded them to tarry at Jerusalem until "endued with power from on high." Luke 24:49. They were to have this power when the Holy Ghost should come upon them, and that would give them authority to witness for Him in all the world (see Acts 1:8), and to feed the flock (John 21:15-17; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
4. "His voice."—Christ was the Word of God (John 1:1,14), therefore His voice was the voice of God (chap. 14:24), and "he that is of God heareth God's words" (chap. 8:47). They follow because they know the voice. "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." Chap. 17:3.
5. Will not follow a stranger.—Why?—Because they do not know his voice. He may wear the outward garb of a true shepherd, and might be able to deceive the eye; but God's sheep "walk by faith, not by sight." 2 Cor. 5:7. Despite all appearances, they follow the rule which the Scriptures give as a protection against false teachers: "To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them." Isa. 8:20.
6. "They understood not."—For the reason that they were not His sheep, notwithstanding their loud profession of being the children of Abraham.
7. "I am the door."—Christ is not only the "chief Shepherd," but He is the door through which all other shepherds, as well as the flock, must enter the fold. "Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Acts 4:12. The Holy Spirit opens this door to the fold for the sheep.
8. "All that came before Me."—This does not refer to prophets and teachers generally, but to all who had made claim to Messiahship, all teachers of false methods of salvation. No matter how many followers they may have had, the true sheep did not follow them.
9. "The good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep."—The same obligation is laid upon all His disciples: "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." 1 John 3:16.
10. "Other sheep."—Out among the Gentiles were sheep to be gathered in. They were scattered to the uttermost part of the earth. Hence the commission to be witnesses to the farthest limit. See Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8. "Not of this fold."—He does not mean the Jewish fold as the Jews understood it, but the fold or flock of the true Israel, the true people of God. The people are the flock; the fold is the true church, or spiritual kingdom.
