Outline of the Book of John
- The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry (1:19-51)
- Changing Water into Wine (2:1-11)
- Cleansing the Temple (2:12-25)
- Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (3:1-21)
- John the Baptist's Final Testimony about Jesus (3:22-36)
- Jesus and the Samaritans (4:1-42)
- Healing of the Official's Son (4:43-54)
- Jesus' Visit to Jerusalem at an Annual Feast (ch. 5)
- Feeding the 5,000 and Jesus' Claim to Be the Bread of Life (ch. 6)
- Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles and Disputes over Who He Is (chs. 7-8)
- Healing of the Man Born Blind (ch. 9)
- Jesus is the Good Shepherd (10:1-21)
- Conflict at the Feast of Dedication over Jesus' Identity (10:22-42)
- The Raising of Lazarus (ch. 11)
- Statement of the Gospel's Purpose (20:30-31)
- Epilogue: Jesus' Recommissioning of the Disciples (ch. 21)
Copyright 2002 © Zondervan. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
John 10 NLT
1 “I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks
over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely
be a thief and a robber!
2 But the one who enters through the gate
is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him,
and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by
name and leads them out.
4 After he has gathered his own flock, he
walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.
5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will
run from him because they don’t know his voice.”
6 Those who heard Jesus use this
illustration didn’t understand what he meant,
7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you
the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.
8 All who came before me were thieves and
robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.
9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in
through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good
pastures.
10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill
and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd
sacrifices his life for the sheep.
12 A hired hand will run when he sees a
wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he
isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the
flock.
13 The hired hand runs away because he’s
working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own
sheep, and they know me,
15 just as my Father knows me and I know
the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep.
16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in
this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there
will be one flock with one shepherd.
17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice
my life so I may take it back again.
18 No one can take my life from me. I
sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want
to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has
commanded.”
19 When he said these things, the people
were again divided in their opinions about him.
20 Some said, “He’s demon possessed and out
of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?”
21 Others said, “This doesn’t sound like a
man possessed by a demon! Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
22 It was now winter, and Jesus was in
Jerusalem at the time of Hanukkah, the Festival of Dedication.
23 He was in the Temple, walking through
the section known as Solomon’s Colonnade.
24 The people surrounded him and asked,
“How long are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us
plainly.”
25 Jesus replied, “I have already told you,
and you don’t believe me. The proof is the work I do in my Father’s name.
26 But you don’t believe me because you are
not my sheep.
27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know
them, and they follow me.
28 I give them eternal life, and they will
never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,
29 for my Father has given them to me, and
he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s
hand.
30 The Father and I are one.”
31 Once again the people picked up stones
to kill him.
32 Jesus said, “At my Father’s direction I
have done many good works. For which one are you going to stone me?”
33 They replied, “We’re stoning you not for
any good work, but for blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34 Jesus replied, “It is written in your
own Scriptures that God said to certain leaders of the people, ‘I say, you are
gods!’
35 And you know that the Scriptures cannot
be altered. So if those people who received God’s message were called
‘gods,’
36 why do you call it blasphemy when I say,
‘I am the Son of God’? After all, the Father set me apart and sent me into the
world.
37 Don’t believe me unless I carry out my
Father’s work.
38 But if I do his work, believe in the
evidence of the miraculous works I have done, even if you don’t believe me.
Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me, and I am in the
Father.”
39Once again they tried to arrest him, but he
got away and left them.
40 He went beyond the Jordan River near the
place where John was first baptizing and stayed there awhile.
41 And many followed him. “John didn’t
perform miraculous signs,” they remarked to one another, “but everything he
said about this man has come true.”
42 And many who were there believed in
Jesus.
John 10
In this chapter we have, I. Christ’s
parabolical discourse concerning himself as the door of the sheepfold, and the
shepherd of the sheep (v. 1-18). II. The various sentiments of people upon
it (v. 19-21). III. The dispute Christ had with the Jews
in the temple at the feast of dedication (v. 22-39). IV. His departure into the country
thereupon (v. 40-42).
Verses 1-18 It is not certain whether this discourse was
at the feast of dedication in the winter (spoken of v. 22), which may be taken as the date, not only of
what follows, but of what goes before (that which countenances this is, that
Christ, in his discourse there, carries on the metaphor of the sheep, v. 26, v. 27,
whence it seems that that discourse and this were at the same time); or whether
this was a continuation of his parley with the Pharisees, in the close of the
foregoing chapter. The Pharisees supported themselves in their opposition to
Christ with this principle, that they were the pastors of the
church, and that Jesus, having no commission from them, was an intruder
and an impostor, and therefore the people were bound in duty to stick
to then, against him. In opposition to this, Christ here
describes who were the false shepherds, and who the true, leaving them to infer
what they were.I. Here is the parable or similitude proposed (v. 1-5); it is borrowed from the custom of that
country, in the management of their sheep. Similitudes, used for the
illustration of divine truths, should be taken from those things that are most
familiar and common, that the things of God be not clouded by that which should
clear them. The preface to this discourse is solemn: Verily, verily,
I say unto you,—Amen, amen. This vehement asseveration intimates the
certainty and weight of what he said; we find amendoubled in the church’s
praises and prayers, Ps. 41:13 Ps. 72:19 Ps. 89:52 . If we would have
our amens accepted in heaven, let Christ’s amens be
prevailing on earth; his repeated amens. 1. In the parable we have,
(1.) The evidence of a thief and robber, that comes to do mischief to the flock,
and damage to the owner, v. 1. He enters not by the door, as
having no lawful cause of entry, but climbs up some other way, at a
window, or some breach in the wall. How industrious are wicked people to do
mischief! What plots will they lay, what pains will they take, what hazards
will they run, in their wicked pursuits! This should shame us out of our
slothfulness and cowardice in the service of God. (2.) The character that
distinguishes the rightful owner, who has a property in the sheep, and a care
for them: He enters in by the door, as one having authority (v. 2), and he comes to do them some good office or
other, to bind up that which is broken, and strengthen that
which is sick, Eze. 34:16 . Sheep need man’s care, and, in return
for it, are serviceable to man (1 Co. 9:7 );
they clothe and feed those by whom they are coted and fed. (3.) The ready
entrance that the shepherd finds: To him the porter openeth, v. 3. Anciently they had their sheepfolds within
the outer gates of their houses, for the greater safety of their flocks, so
that none could come to them the right way, but such as the porter opened to or
the master of the house gave the keys to. (4.) The care he takes and the
provision he makes for his sheep. The sheep hear his voice, when he
speaks familiarly to them, when they come into the fold, as men now do to their
dogs and horses; and, which is more, hecalls his own sheep by name, so
exact is the notice he takes of them, the account he keeps of them; and he
leads them our from the fold to the green pastures; and (v. 4, v. 5)
when he turns them out to graze he does not drive them, but
(such was the custom in those times) he goes before them, to prevent any
mischief or danger that might meet them, and they, being used to
it, follow him, and are safe. (5.) The strange attendance of the
sheep upon the shepherd: They know his voice, so as to discern
his mind by it, and to distinguish it from that of a stranger (for the ox
knows his owner, Isa. 1:3 ), and a stranger will they not
follow, but, as suspecting some ill design, will flee from him,
not knowing his voice, but that it is not the voice of their own
shepherd. This is the parable; we have the key to it, Eze. 34:31 : You my flock are men, and
I am your God. 2. Let us observe from this parable, (1.) That good
men are fitly compared to sheep. Men, as creatures depending on their Creator,
are called the sheep of his pasture. Good men, as new creatures, have
the good qualities of sheep, harmless and inoffensive as
sheep; meekand quiet, without noise; patient as sheep under the
hand both of the shearer and of the butcher; useful and profitable,
tame and tractable, to the shepherd, and sociable one with another,
and much used in sacrifices. (2.) The church of God in the world is
a sheepfold,into which the children of God that were scattered
abroad are gathered together ch. 11:52),
and in which they are united and incorporated; it is a good fold, Eze. 34:14 . SeeMic. 2:12 .
This fold is well fortified, for God himself is as a wall of fire about
it, Zec. 2:5 . (3.) This sheepfold lies much exposed
to thieves and robbers; crafty seducers that debauch and deceive, and cruel
persecutors that destroy and devour; grievous wolves(Acts. 20:29 ); thieves that would steal Christ’s
sheep from him, to sacrifice them to devils, or steal their food from them,
that they might perish for lack of it; wolves in sheep’s
clothing, Mt. 7:15 . (4.) The great Shepherd of the sheep
takes wonderful care of the flock and of all that belong to it. God is the
great Shepherd, Ps. 23:1 . He knows those that are his calls them
by name, marks them for himself, leads them out to fat pastures, makes them
both feed and rest there, speaks comfortably to them, guards them by his
providence, guides them by his Spirit and word, and goes before them, to
set them in the way of his steps. (5.) The under-shepherds, who are entrusted
to feed the flock of God, ought to be careful and faithful in the discharge of
that trust; magistrates must defend them, and protect and advance all their
secular interests; ministers must serve them in their spiritual interests,
must feed their souls with the word of God faithfully opened and
applied, and with gospel ordinances duly administered, taking the
oversight of them. They must enter by the door of a regular
ordination, and to such the porter will open; the Spirit of Christ
will set before them an open door, give them authority in the church,
and assurance in their own bosoms. They must know the members of their flocks
by name, and watch over them; must lead them into the pastures of public
ordinances, preside among them, be their mouth to God and God’s to them; and in
their conversation must be examples to the believers. (6.) Those who are truly
the sheep of Christ will be very observant of their Shepherd, and very cautious
and shy of strangers. [1.] They follow their Shepherd, for
they know his voice, having both a discerning ear, and an obedient
heart. [2.] They flee from a stranger, and dread following him,
because they know not his voice. It is dangerous following those in whom we
discern not the voice of Christ, and who would draw us from faith
in him to fancies concerning him. And those who have experienced
the power and efficacy of divine truths upon their souls, and have the savour
and relish of them, have a wonderful sagacity to discover Satan’s wiles, and to
discern between good and evil.II. The Jew’s ignorance of the drift and meaning
of this discourse (v. 6): Jesus spoke this parable to
them, this figurative, but wise, elegant, and instructive discourse,but they
understood not what the things were which he spoke unto them, were
not aware whom he meant by the thieves and robbers and whom by
the good Shepherd. It is the sin and shame of many who hear the word
of Christ that they do not understand it, and they do not because they will
not, and because they will mis-understand it. They have no
acquaintance with, nor taste of, the things themselves, and therefore do not
understand the parables and comparisons with which they are illustrated. The
Pharisees had a great conceit of their own knowledge, and could not bear that
it should be questioned, and yet they had not sense enough to understand
the things that Jesus spoke of; they were above their capacity.
Frequently the greatest pretenders to knowledge are most ignorant in the things
of God.III. Christ’s explication of this parable, opening the particulars of it
fully. Whatever difficulties there may be in the sayings of the Lord Jesus, we
shall find him ready to explain himself, if we be but willing to understand him.
We shall find one scripture expounding another, and the blessed
Spirit interpreter to the blessed Jesus.Christ, in the parable, had
distinguished the shepherd from the robber by this, that heenters in by the
door. Now, in the explication of the parable, he makes himself to be
boththe door by which the shepherd enters and the shepherd that enters in
by the door. Though it may be a solecism in rhetoric to make the same person to
be both the door and the shepherd, it is no solecism in
divinity to make Christ to have his authority from himself, as he has life in
himself; and himself to enter by his own blood, as the
door, into the holy place. 1. Christ is the door. This he
saith to those who pretended to seek for righteousness, but, like the
Sodomites, wearied themselves to find the door, where it was not to
be found. He saith it to the Jews, who would be thought God’s only sheep, and
to the Pharisees, who would be thought their only shepherds: I am the
door of the sheepfold; the door of the church.(1.) In general, [1.] He is
as a door shut, to keep out thieves and robbers, and such as are not
fit to be admitted. The shutting of the door is the securing of the house; and
what greater security has the church of God than the interposal of the Lord Jesus,
and his wisdom, power, and goodness, betwixt it and all its enemies? [2.] He is
as a door open for passage and communication. First, By
Christ, as the door, we have our first admission into the flock of God, ch. 14:6 . Secondly, We go in and out
in a religious conversation, assisted by him, accepted in him; waling up and
down in his name, Zec. 10:12 . Thirdly, By him God comes to
his church, visits it, and communicates himself to it. Fourthly, By
him, as the door, the sheep are at last admitted into the heavenly
kingdom, Mt. 25:34 .(2.) More particularly,[1.] Christ is
the door of the shepherds, so that none who come not in by him are to
be accounted pastors, but (according to the rule laid down, v. 1) thieves and robbers (though they
pretended to beshepherds ); but the sheep did not hear
them. This refers to all those that had the character of shepherds
in Israel, whether magistrates or ministers, that exercised their
office without any regard to the Messiah, or any other expectations of him than
what were suggested by their own carnal interest. Observe, First, The
character given of them: they are thieves and robbers (v. 8); all that went before him, not in
time, many of them were faithful shepherds, but all
that anticipated his commission, and went before he sent them (Jer. 23:21 ), that assumed a precedency and superiority
above him, as the antichrist is said to exalt himself, 2 Th. 2:4 . "The scribes, and Pharisees, and
chief priests, all, even as many as have come before me, that have
endeavoured to forestal my interest, and to prevent my gaining any room in the
minds of people, by prepossessing them with prejudices against me, they
are thieves and robbers, and steal those hearts which they have no
title to, defrauding the right owner of his property.’’ They condemned our
Saviour as a thief and a robber, because he did not come in by them as the
door, nor take out a license from them; but he shows that they ought to have
received their commission from him, to have been admitted by him, and to have
come after him, and because they did not, but stepped before
him, they were thieves and robbers. They would not come in as
his disciples, and therefore were condemned as usurpers, and their pretended
commissions vacated and superseded. Note, Rivals with Christ are robbers of his
church, however they pretend to be shepherds, nay, shepherds of
shepherds. Secondly, The care taken to preserve the sheep from
them: But the sheep did not hear them. Those that had a true savour
of piety, that were spiritual and heavenly, and sincerely devoted to God and
godliness, could by no means approve of the traditions of the elders, nor
relish their formalities. Christ’s disciples, without any particular
instructions from their Master, made no conscience of eating with unwashen
hands, or plucking the ears of corn on the sabbath day; for nothing is more
opposite to true Christianity than Pharisaism is, nor any thing more
disrelishing to a soul truly devout than their hypocritical devotions.[2.]
Christ is the door of the sheep (v. 9): By
me (di emou —through me as the door) if any man enter
into the sheepfold, as one of the flock, he shall be
saved; shall not only by safe from thieves and robbers, but he shall be
happy, he shall go in and out. Here are, First, Plain
directions how to come into the fold: we must come in by Jesus
Christ as the door. By faith in him, as the great Mediator between God and
man, we come into covenant and communion with God. There is no entering into
God’s church but by coming into Christ’s church; nor are any looked upon as
members of the kingdom of God among men but those that are willing to submit to
the grace and government of the Redeemer. We must now enter by the door of
faith (Acts. 14:27 ), since the door
of innocency is shut against us, and that pass become
unpassable, Gen. 3:24 . Secondly, Precious promises
to those who observe this direction. They shall be saved
hereafter; this is the privilege of their home. These sheep
shall be saved from being distrained and impounded by divine justice for
trespass done, satisfaction being made for the damage by their great Shepherd,
saved from being a prey to the roaring lion; they shall be for ever
happy. 2. In the mean time they shall go in and out and find
pasture; this is the privilege of their way. They shall have
their conversation in the world by the grace of Christ, shall be in his fold as
a man at his own house, where he has free ingress,
egress, and regress. True believers are at home in
Christ; when they go out, they are not shut out as strangers, but
have liberty to come in again; when they come in, they are not shut
in as trespassers, but have liberty to go out. They go out to the field in
the morning, they come into the fold at night; and in both the Shepherd leads
and keeps them, and they find pasture in both: grass in the field,
fodder in the fold. In public, in private, they have the word of God to
converse with, by which their spiritual life is supported and nourished, and
out of which their gracious desires are satisfied; they are replenished with
the goodness of God’s house.2. Christ is the shepherd, v. 11, etc. He was prophesied of under the Old
Testament as a shepherd,Isa. 40:11 ; Eze. 34:23 Eze. 37:24 ; Zec. 13:7 .
In the New Testament he is spoken of as the great Shepherd (Heb. 13:20 ), the chief Shepherd (1 Pt. 5:4 ), the Shepherd and bishop
of our souls, 1 Pt. 2:25 . God, our great owner, the sheep of
whose pasture we are by creation, has constituted his Son Jesus to be
our shepherd; and here again and again he owns the relation. He has
all that care of his church, and every believer, that a good shepherd has of
his flock; and expects all that attendance and observance from the church, and every
believer, which the shepherds in those countries had from their flocks.(1.)
Christ is a shepherd, and not as the thief, not as those
that came not in by the door.Observe,[1.] The mischievous design of the
thief (v. 10): The thief cometh not with any
good intent, but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. First, Those
whom they steal, whose hearts and affections they steal from Christ
and his pastures, they kill and destroyspiritually; for the heresies they privily
bring in are damnable. Deceivers of souls are murderers of
souls. Those that steal away the scripture by keeping it in an unknown tongue,
that steal away the sacraments by maiming them and altering the property of
them, that steal away Christ’s ordinances to put their own inventions in the
room of them, they kill and destroy; ignorance and idolatry are
destructive things. Secondly, Those whom they
cannot steal, whom they can neither lead, drive, nor carry away, from
the flock of Christ, they aim by persecutions and massacres to kill and
destroy corporally. He that will not suffer himself to be robbed is in
danger of being slain.[2.] The gracious design of the shepherd; he is
come,First, To give life to the sheep. In opposition to the
design of the thief, which is to kill and destroy (which was the
design of the scribes and Pharisees ) Christ saith, I
am come among men, 1. That they might have life. He came to
put life into the flock, the church in general, which had seemed rather like a
valley full of dry bones than like a pasture covered over with flocks. Christ
came to vindicate divine truths, to purify divine ordinances, to redress
grievances, and to revive dying zeal, to seek those of his flock that
were lost, to bind up that which was broken (Eze. 34:16 ), and this to his church is as
life from the dead. He came to give life to particular
believers. Life is inclusive of all good, and stands in opposition to the death
threatened (Gen. 2:17 ); thatwe might have life, as a
criminal has when he is pardoned, as a sick man when he is cured, a dead man
when he is raised; that we might be justified, sanctified, and at last
glorified. 2. That they might have it more abundantly, kai perisson
echosin . As we read it, it is comparative, that they might have
a life more abundant than that which was lost and forfeited by sin,
more abundant than that which was promised by the law of Moses, length of days
in Canaan, more abundant than could have been expected or than we are able
to ask or think. But it may be construed without a note of
comparison, that they might have abundance, or might have it abundantly. Christ
came to give life and perisson ti —something
more, something better, life with advantage; that in Christ we
might not only live, but live comfortably, live plentifully, live and rejoice.
Life in abundance is eternal life,life without death or fear of death,
life and much more. Secondly, To give his life for the
sheep, and this that he might give life to them (v. 11): The good shepherd giveth his life
for the sheep. 1. It is the property of every good shepherd to hazard and
expose his life for the sheep. Jacob did so, when he would go through such a
fatigue to attend them,Gen. 31:40 . So did David, when he slew the
lion and the bear. Such a shepherd of souls was St. Paul, who would
gladly spend, and be spent, for their service, and counted not
his life dear to him, in comparison with their salvation. But, 2. It was
the prerogative of the great Shepherd to give his life to purchase his flock (Acts. 20:28 ), to satisfy for their trespass, and to
shed his blood to wash and cleanse them.(2.) Christ is a good shepherd,and
not as a hireling. There were many that were not thieves, aiming to kill and
destroy the sheep, but passed for shepherds, yet were very careless in the
discharge of their duty, and through their neglect the flock was greatly
damaged; foolish shepherds, idle shepherds, Zec. 11:15, Zec. 11:17 . In opposition to these,[1.] Christ here calls
himself the good shepherd (v. 11),
and again (v. 14) ho poimen ho kalos —that
shepherd, that good Shepherd, whom God had promised. Note, Jesus Christ is
the best of shepherds, the best in the world to take the over-sight of souls,
none so skilful, so faithful, so tender, as he, no such feeder and leader, no
such protector and healer of souls as he.[2.] He proves himself so,
in opposition to all hirelings, v. 12-14. Where observe,First, The carelessness
of the unfaithful shepherd described (v. 12, v. 13); he that is a hireling, that is employed as
a servant and is paid for his pains, whose own the sheep are not, who
has neither profit nor loss by them, sees the wolf coming, or some
other danger threatening, and leaves the sheep to the wolf, for in
truth he careth not for them. Here is plain reference to that of the
idol-shepherd, Zec. 11:17 . Evil shepherds, magistrates and
ministers, are here described both by their bad principles and their bad
practices.a. Their bad principles, the root of their bad
practices. What makes those that have the charge of souls in trying times to
betray their trust, and in quiet times not to mind it? What makes them false,
and trifling, and self-seeking? It is because they
are hirelings, and care not for the sheep. That is,
(a.) The wealth of the world is the chief of their good; it is because they
are hirelings. They undertook the shepherds’ office, as a trade to
live and grow rich by, not as an opportunity of serving Christ and doing good.
It is the love of money, and of their own bellies, that carries them on in it.
Not that those are hirelings who, while they serve at the altar, live,and
live comfortably, upon the altar. The labourer is worthy of his meat;
and a scandalous maintenance will soon make a scandalous ministry. But those
are hirelings that love the wages more than the work, and set
their hearts upon that, as the hireling is said to do,Deu. 24:15 . See 1 Sa. 2:29 ; Isa. 56:11 ; Mic. 3:5, Mic. 3:11 .
(b. ) The work of their place is the least of their care. They value
not the sheep, are unconcerned in the souls of others; their business is
to be their brothers’ lords, not their brothers’ keepers or helpers;
they seek their own things, and do not, like Timothy, naturally
care for the state of souls.What can be expected but that they will flee when
the wolf comes. He careth not for the sheep, for he is
one whose own the sheep are not. In one respect we may say of the best
of the under-shepherds that the sheep are not their own, they have
not dominion over them not property in them (feed my
sheep and my lambs, saith Christ); but in respect of dearness
and affection they should be their own. Paul looked upon those as his
ownwhom he called his dearly beloved and longed for. Those who do not
cordially espouse the church’s interests, and make them their own, will not
long be faithful to them.b. Theirbad practices, the effect of these
bad principles, v. 12. See here, (a. ) How basely the hireling
deserts his post; when he sees the wolf coming, though then there is
most need of him, he leaves the sheep and flees. Note, Those who mind
their safety more than their duty are an easy prey to Satan’s temptations.
(b. ) How fatal the consequences are! the hireling fancies the sheep may
look to themselves, but it does not prove so: the wolf catches
them, and scatters the sheep, and woeful havoc is made of
the flock, which will all be charged upon the treacherous shepherd. The blood
of perishing souls is required at the hand of the careless
watchmen.Secondly, See here the grace and tenderness of the good Shepherd
set over against the former, as it was in the prophecy (Eze. 34:21,Eze. 34:22 , etc.): I am the good Shepherd. It is matter of
comfort to the church, and all her friends, that, however she may be damaged
and endangered by the treachery and mismanagement of her under-officers, the
Lord Jesus is, and will be, as he ever has been, the good
Shepherd. Here are two great instances of the shepherd’s
goodness.a.His acquainting himself with his flock, with all that
belong or in any wise appertain to his flock, which are of two sorts, both
known to him:—(a. ) He is acquainted with all that are now of his
flock (v. 14, v. 15),
as the good Shepherd (v. 3, v. 4): I
know my sheep and am known of mine. Note, There is a mutual acquaintance
between Christ and true believers; they know one another very well, and
knowledge notes affection.[a. ] Christ knows his sheep. He knows
with a distinguishing eye who are his sheep, and who are not; he
knows the sheep under their many infirmities, and the goats under their most
plausible disguises. He knows with a favourable eye those that in
truth are his own sheep; he takes cognizance of their state, concerns himself
for them, has a tender and affectionate regard to them, and is continually
mindful of them in the intercession he ever lives to make within the veil; he
visits them graciously by his Spirit, and has communion with them;
he knowsthem, that is, he approves and accepts of them, as Ps. 1:6 Ps. 37:18 ; Ex. 33:17 .[b. ] He is known of
them. He observes them with an eye of favour, and they observe him with an
eye of faith. Christ’s knowing his sheep is put before their knowing him, for
he knew and loved us first (1 Jn. 4:19 ), and it is not so much our knowing him
as our being known of him that is our happiness, Gal. 4:9 . Yet it is the character of Christ’s
sheep that they know him; know him from all pretenders and intruders;
they know his mind, know his voice, know by experience the power of his death.
Christ speaks here as if he gloried in being known by his sheep, and thought
their respect an honour to him. Upon this occasion Christ mentions (v. 15) the mutual acquaintance between his Father
and himself: As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the
Father. Now this may be considered, either, First, As
the ground of that intimate acquaintance and relation which subsist
between Christ and believers. The covenant of grace, which is the bond of this
relation, is founded in the covenant of redemption between the Father and the
Son, which, we may be sure, stands firm; for the Father and the Son understood
one another perfectly well in that matter, and there could be no mistake, which
might leave the matter at any uncertainty, or bring it into any hazard. The
Lord Jesus knows whom he hathchosen, and is sure of them ch. 13:18 ), and they also know whom they
have trusted, and are sure of him (2 Tim. 1:12 ), and the ground of both is the perfect knowledge which
the Father and the Son had of one another’s mind, when the counsel of
peace was between them both. Or, Secondly, As an apt similitude,
illustrating the intimacy that is between Christ and believers. It may be
connected with the foregoing words, thus: I know my sheep, and am known of
mine, even as the Father knows me, and I know the Father;compare ch. 17:21 . As the Father knew the Son, and loved
him, and owned him in his sufferings, when he was led as a sheep
to the slaughter, so Christ knows his sheep, and has a watchful
tender eye upon them, will be with them when they are left alone, as
his Father was with him. 2. As the Son knew the Father, loved and obeyed him,
and always did those things that pleased him, confiding in him as his God even
when he seemed to forsake him, so believers know Christ with an obediential
fiducial regard.(b. ) He is acquainted with those that are hereafter
to be of this flock (v. 16): Other sheep I have,have a right
to and an interest in, which are not of this fold, of the Jewish
church; themalso I must bring. Observe,[a. ] The eye that Christ
had to the poor Gentiles. He had sometimes intimated his special concern
for the lost sheep of the house of Israel; to them indeed his
personal ministry was confined; but, saith he, I have other sheep. Those
who in process of time should believe in Christ, and be brought into obedience
to him from among the Gentiles, are here called sheep, and he is said
to have them, though as yet they were uncalled, and many of
them unborn, because they were chosen of God, and given to Christ in
the counsels of divine love from eternity. Christ has a right, by virtue of the
Father’s donation and his own purchase, to many a soul of which he has not yet
the possession; thus he had much people in Corinth, when as yet it
lay in wickedness,Acts. 18:10 . "Those other sheep I
have,’’ saith Christ, "I have them on my heart, have them in my eye,
am as sure to have them as if I had them already.’’ Now Christ speaks of
those other sheep, First, To take off the contempt that was put upon
him, as having few followers, as having but a little
flock, and therefore, if a good shepherd, yet
a poorshepherd: "But,’’ saith he, "I have more sheep than you
see.’’ Secondly, To take down the pride and vain-glory of the Jews,
who thought the Messiah must gather all his sheep from among them. "No,’’
saith Christ, "I have others whom I will set with the lambs of my flock,
though you disdain to set them with the dogs of your flock.’’[b. ] The
purposes and resolves of his grace concerning them: "Them also I must
bring, bring home to God, bring into the church, and, in order to this,
bring off from their vain conversation, bring them back from their wanderings,
as that lost sheep,’’ Lu. 15:5 .
But why must he bring them? What was the
necessity? First, The necessity of their case required it:
"I must bring, or they must be left to wander endlessly, for,
like sheep, they will never come back of themselves, and no other can or will
bring them.’’ Secondly, The necessity of his own
engagements required it; he must bring them, or he would not be faithful
to his trust, and true to his undertaking. "They are my
own, bought and paid for, and therefore I must notneglect them nor
leave them to perish.’’ He must in honour bring those with
whom he was entrusted.[c. ] The happy effect and consequence of this, in
two things:—First, "They shall hear my voice. Not only my voice shall
be heard among them (whereas they have not heard, and therefore could
not believe, now the sound of the gospel shall go to the ends of
the earth ), but it shall be heard by them; I will speak, and
give to them to hear.’’ Faith comes by hearing, and our diligent observance of
the voice of Christ is both a means and an evidence of our being brought to
Christ, and to God by him. Secondly, There shall be one fold and one
shepherd. As there is one shepherd, so there shall be one fold. Both Jews
and Gentiles, upon their turning to the faith of Christ, shall be incorporated
in one church, be joint and equal sharers in the privileges of it, without
distinction. Being united to Christ, they shall unite in him; two sticks shall
become one in the hand of the Lord. Note, One shepherd makes one fold; one
Christ makes one church. As the church is one in its constitution, subject to
one head, animated by one Spirit, and guided by one rule, so the members of it
ought to be one in love and affection, Eph. 4:3-6 .b. Christ’s offering up himself for his
sheep is another proof of his being a good shepherd, and in this
he yet more commended his love, v. 15, v. 17, v. 18.(a. )
He declares his purpose of dying for his flock (v. 15): I lay down my life for the
sheep. He not only ventured his life for them (in such a case, the hope
of saving it might balance the fear of losing it ), but he
actuallydeposited it, and submitted to a necessity of dying for our
redemption; tithemi —I put it as a pawn or pledge; as
purchase-money paid down. Sheep appointed for the slaughter, ready to be
sacrificed, were ransomed with the blood of the shepherd. He laid down his life, hyper
ton probaton , not only for the good of the sheep, but in their
stead. Thousands of sheep had been offered in sacrifice for their
shepherds, as sin-offerings, but here, by a surprising reverse, the shepherd is
sacrificed for the sheep. When David, the shepherd of Israel, was himself
guilty, and the destroying angel drew his sword against the flock for his sake,
with good reason did he plead, These sheep, what evil have they done?
Let thy hand be against me, 2 Sa. 24:17 . But the Son of David was sinless and spotless; and his
sheep, what evil have they not done? Yet he saith, Let thine hand be
against me. Christ here seems to refer to that prophecy, Zec. 13:7 , Awake, O sword, against my
shepherd;and, though the smiting of the shepherd be for the present
the scattering of the flock, it is in order to the gathering of them
in.(b. ) He takes off the offence of the cross, which to many is a stone
of stumbling, by four considerations:—[a. ] That his laying down his
life for the sheep was the condition, the performance of which entitled
him to the honours and powers of his exalted state (v. 17): "Therefore doth my
Father love me, because I lay down my life. Upon these terms I am, as
Mediator, to expect my Father’s acceptance and approbation, and the glory
designed me—that I become a sacrifice for the chosen remnant.’’ Not but that,
as the Son of God, he was beloved of his Father from eternity, but
as God—man, as Immanuel, he was therefore beloved
of the Father because he undertook to die for the sheep; therefore God’s
soul delighted in him as his elect because herein he was his faithful
servant (Isa. 42:1 ); therefore he said, This is my
beloved Son.What an instance is this of God’s love to man, that he loved his
Son the more for loving us! See what a value Christ puts upon his Father’s
love, that, to recommend himself to that, he would lay down his life for the
sheep. Did he think God’s love recompence sufficient for all his services and
sufferings, and shall we think it too little for ours, and court the smiles of
the world to make it up? Therefore doth my Father love me, that is,
me, and all that by faith become one with me; me, and the mystical
body, because I lay down my life. [b. ] That his laying down his
life was in order to his resuming it: I lay down my life, that I may
receive it again. First, This was the effect of his Father’s love, and the
first step of his exaltation, the fruit of that love. Because he was
God’s holy one, he must not see corruption, Ps. 16:10 . God loved him too well to leave him in
the grave.Secondly, This he had in his eye, in laying down his life, that
he might have an opportunity of declaring himself to be the Son of God with
power by his resurrection,Rom. 1:4 . By a divine stratagem (like that
before Ai, Jos. 8:15 ) he yielded to death, as if he were
smitten before it, that he might the more gloriously conquer death, and triumph
over the grave. He laid down a vilified body, that he might assume
a glorified one, fit to ascend to the world of spirits; laid down a
life adapted to this world, but assumed one adapted to the other, like a corn
of wheat, ch. 12:24 .[c. ] That he was perfectly
voluntary in his sufferings and death (v. 18):
"No one doth or can force my life from me against my will, but I
freely lay it down of myself, I deliver it as my own act and deed,
for I have(which no man has) power to lay it down, and to take it
again.’’ First, See here the power of Christ, as the Lord of life,
particularly of his own life, which he had in himself. 1. He had
power to keep his life against all the world, so that it could not be
wrested from him without his own consent. Though Christ’s life seemed to be
taken by storm, yet really it was surrendered, otherwise it had been
impregnable, and never taken. The Lord Jesus did not fall into the hands of his
persecutors because he could not avoid it, but threw himself into their hands
because his hour was come. No man taketh my life from me. This was
such a challenge as was never given by the most daring hero. 2. He had power
tolay down his life. (1.) He had ability to do it. He could, when he
pleased, slip the knot of union between soul and body, and, without any act of
violence done to himself, could disengage them from each other: having
voluntarily taken up a body, he could voluntarily lay it down again,
which appeared when he cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. (2.) He
had authority to do it, exousian . Though we could find instruments
of cruelty, wherewith to make an end of our own lives, yet Id possumus
quod jure possumus—we can do that, and that only, which we can do
lawfully. We are not at liberty to do it; but Christ had a sovereign
authority to dispose of his own life as he pleased. He was no debtor (as we
are) either to life or death, but perfectly sui juris. 3. He had
power to take it again; we have not. Our life, once laid down,
is as water spilt upon the ground; but Christ, when he laid down
his life, still had it within reach, within call, and could resume it. Parting
with it by a voluntary conveyance, he might limit the surrender at pleasure,
and he did it with a power of revocation, which was necessary to preserve the
intentions of the surrender.Secondly, See here the grace of Christ; since
none could demand his life of him by law, or extort it by force, he laid
it down of himself, for our redemption. He offered himself to be the
Saviour: Lo, I come; and then, the necessity of our case calling for
it, he offered himself to be a sacrifice: Here am I, let these go their
way; by which will we are sanctified, Heb. 10:10 . He was both the offerer and the offering, so
that his laying down his life was his offering up himself.
Verses 19-21 We
have here an account of the people’s different sentiments concerning Christ, on
occasion of the foregoing discourse; there was a division,
a schism, among them; they differed in their opinions, which threw
them into heats and parties. Such a ferment as this they had been in
before ch. 7:43 ; 9:16); and where there has once been a
division again. Rents are sooner made than made up or mended. This division was
occasioned by the sayings of Christ, which, one would think, should rather have
united them all in him as their centre; but they set them at variance, as
Christ foresaw, Lu. 12:51. But it is better that men should
be divided about the doctrine of Christ than united in the
service of sin, Lu. 11:21 . See what the debate was in
particular.I. Some upon this occasion spoke ill of Christ and of his sayings,
either openly in the face of the assembly, for his enemies were very impudent,
or privately among themselves. They said, He has a devil, and is mad, why
do you hear him? 1. They reproach him as a demoniac. The worst of
characters is put upon the best of men. He is a distracted man, he raves and is
delirious, and no more to be heard than the rambles of a man in bedlam. Thus
still, if a man preaches seriously and pressingly of another world, he shall be
said to talk like an enthusiast; and his conduct shall be imputed to fancy, a
heated brain, and a crazed imagination. 2. They ridicule his
hearers: "Why hear you him? Why do you so far encourage him as
to take notice of what he says?’’ Note, Satan ruins many by putting them out of
conceit with the word and ordinances, and representing it as a weak and silly
thing to attend upon them. Men would not thus be laughed out of their necessary
food, and yet suffer themselves to be laughed out of what is more necessary.
Those that hear Christ, and mix faith with what they hear, will soon be able to
give a good account why they hear him. II. Others stood up in defence
of him and his discourse, and, though the stream ran strong, dared to swim
against it; and, though perhaps they did not believe on him as the Messiah,
they could not bear to hear him thus abused. If they could say no more of him,
this they would maintain, that he was a man in his wits, that he had not a
devil, that he was neither senseless nor graceless. The absurd and most
unreasonable reproaches, that have sometimes been cast upon Christ and his
gospel, have excited those to appear for him and it who otherwise had no great
affection to either. Two things they plead:—1. The excellency of his
doctrine: "These are not the words of him that hath a
devil; they are not idle words; distracted men are not used to talk at
this rate. These are not the words of one that is either violently possessed
with a devil or voluntarily in league with the devil.’’ Christianity, if it be
not the true religion, is certainly the greatest cheat that ever was put upon
the world; and, if so, it must be of the devil, who is the father of all lies:
but it is certain that the doctrine of Christ is no doctrine of devils, for it
is levelled directly against the devil’s kingdom, and Satan is too subtle to be
divided against himself. So much of holiness there is in the words of Christ
that we may conclude they are not the words of one that has a
devil, and therefore are the words of one that was sent of God; are not
from hell, and therefore must be from heaven. 2. The power of his miracles: Can
a devil, that is, a man that has a devil, open the eyes of the
blind? Neither mad men nor bad men can work miracles. Devils are not such
lords of the power of nature as to be able to work such miracles; nor are they
such friends to mankind as to be willing to work them if they were able. The
devil will sooner put out men’s eyes than open them. Therefore Jesus had
not a devil.
Verses 22-38 We
have here another rencounter between Christ and the Jews in the temple, in
which it is hard to say which is more strange, the gracious words that came out
of his mouth or the spiteful ones that came out of theirs.I. We have here the
time when this conference was: It was at the feast of dedication, and
it was winter, a feast that was annually observed by consent, in
remembrance of the dedication of a new altar and the purging of the temple, by
Judas Maccabaeus, after the temple had been profaned and the altar defiled; we
have the story of it at large in the history of the Maccabees (lib, cap. 4); we
have the prophecy of it, Dan. 8:13, Dan. 8:14 .
See more of the feast, 2 Mac. 1:18 . The return of their liberty was to
them as life from the dead, and, in remembrance of it, they kept an annual
feast on the twenty-fifth day of the month Cisleu, about the
beginning of December, and seven days after. The celebrating of it
was not confined to Jerusalem, as that of the divine feasts was, but every one
observed it in his own place, not as a holy time (it is only a divine
institution that can sanctify a day), but as a good time, as the days
of Purim, Esth. 9:19 . Christ forecasted to be now at
Jerusalem, not in honour of the feast, which did not require his attendance
there, but that he might improve those eight days of vacation for good
purposes.II. The place where it was (v. 23): Jesus
walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch; so called (Acts. 3:11 ), not because built by Solomon, but
because built in the same place with that which had borne his name in the first
temple, and the name was kept up for the greater reputation of it. Here Christ
walked, to observe the proceedings of the great sanhedrim that sat here (Ps. 82:1 ); he walked, ready to give
audience to any that should apply to him, and to offer them his services. He
walked, as it should seem, for some time alone, as one neglected;
walked pensive, in the foresight of the ruin of the temple. Those that have any
thing to say to Christ may find him in the temple and walk with him there.III.
The conference itself, in which observe,1. A weighty question put to him by the
Jews, v. 24. They came round about him, to
tease him; he was waiting for an opportunity to do them a kindness, and they
took the opportunity to do him a mischief. Ill-will for good-will is no rare
and uncommon return. He could not enjoy himself, no, not in the temple, his
Father’s house, without disturbance. They came about him, as it were, to lay
siege to him: encompassed him about like bees. They came about him as
if they had a joint and unanimous desire to be satisfied; came as one man,
pretending an impartial and importunate enquiry after truth, but intending a
general assault upon our Lord Jesus; and they seemed to speak the sense of
their nation, as if they were the mouth of all the Jews: How
long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ tell us. (1.)
They quarrel with him, as if he had unfairly held them in suspense
hitherto. Ten psychen hemon aireis —How long dost thou steal
away our hearts? Or, take away our souls? So some read it;
basely intimating that what share he had of the people’s love and respect he
did not obtain fairly, but by indirect methods, as Absalom stole the hearts of
the men of Israel; and as seducers deceive the hearts of the simple,and
so draw away disciples after them, Rom. 16:18 ; Acts. 20:30 . But most interpreters understand it as we
do: "How long dost thou keep us in suspense? How long are
we kept debating whether thou be the Christ or no, and not able to determine
the question?’’ Now, [1.] It was the effect of their infidelity, and powerful
prejudices, that after our Lord Jesus had so fully proved himself to be the
Christ they were still in doubt concerning it; this they willingly hesitated
about, when they might easily have been satisfied. The struggle was between
their convictions, which told them he was Christ, and their corruptions, which
said, No, because he was not such a Christ as they expected. Those who choose
to be sceptics may, if they please, hold the balance so that the most cogent
arguments may not weigh down the most trifling objections, but scales may still
hang even. [2.] It was an instance of their impudence and presumption that they
laid the blame of their doubting upon Christ himself, as if he made them
to doubt by inconsistency with himself, whereas in truth they made
themselves doubt by indulging their prejudices. If Wisdom’s sayings appear
doubtful, the fault is not in the object, but in the eye; they are
all plain to him that understands. Christ would make us to believe;
we make ourselves to doubt. (2.) They challenge him to give a direct
and categorical answer whether he was the Messiah or no:"If thou be the
Christ, as many believe thou art, tell us plainly, not by
parables, as, I amthe light of the world, and the good
Shepherd, and the like, but totidem verbis—in so
many words, either that thou art the Christ, or, as John Baptist,
that thou art not,’’ ch. 1:20. Now this pressing query of theirs
was seemingly good; they pretended to be desirous to know the truth,
as if they were ready to embrace it; but it was really bad, and put
with an ill design; for, if he should tell them plainly that he was the Christ,
there needed no more to make him obnoxious to the jealousy and severity of the
Roman government. Every one knew the Messiah was to be a king, and therefore
whoever pretended to be the Messiah would be prosecuted as a traitor, which was
the thing they would have been at; for, let him tell them ever so plainly that he
was the Christ, they would have this to say presently,Thou bearest witness of
thyself, as they had said, ch. 8:13 .2.
Christ’s answer to this question, in which,(1.) He justifies himself as not at
all accessary to their infidelity and skepticism, referring them, [1.] To what
he had said: I have told you. He had told them that he was the Son of
God, the Son of man, that he had life in himself, that he hadauthority to execute
judgment, etc. And is not this the Christ then? These things he had told
them, and they believed not; why then should they be told them again, merely to
gratify their curiosity? You believed not. They pretended that they
only doubted, but Christ tells them that they did not believe. Skepticism in
religion is no better than downright infidelity. It is now for us to teach God
how he should teach us, nor prescribe to him how plainly he should tell us his
mind, but to be thankful for divine revelation as we have it. If we do not
believe this, neither should we be persuaded if it were ever so much adapted to
our humour. [2.] He refers them to his works, to the example of his life, which
was not only perfectly pure, but highly beneficent, and of a piece with his
doctrine; and especially to his miracles, which he wrought for the confirmation
of his doctrine. It was certain that no man could do those miracles except God
were with him, and God would not be with him to attest a forgery.(2.) He
condemns them for their obstinate unbelief, notwithstanding all the most plain
and powerful arguments used to convince them: "You believed
not; and again, You believed not. You still are what you always
were, obstinate in your unbelief.’’ But the reason he gives is very
surprising: "You believed not, because you are not of my
sheep: you believe not in me, because you belong not to me.’’ [1.]
"You are not disposed to be my followers, are not of a tractable teachable
temper, have no inclination to receive the doctrine and law of the Messiah; you
will not herd yourselves with my sheep, will not come and see, come and hear my
voice.’’ Rooted antipathies to the gospel of Christ are the bonds of iniquity
and infidelity. [2.] "You are not designed to be my followers;
you are not of those that were given me by my Father, to be brought to grace
and glory. You are not of the number of the elect; and your unbelief, if you
persist in it, will be a certain evidence that you are not.’’ Note, Those to
whom God never gives the grace of faith were never designed for heaven and
happiness. What Solomon saith of immorality is true of infidelity, It is a
deep ditch, and he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein,Prov. 22:14 . Non esse electum, non est causa
incredulitatis propriè dicta, sed causa per accidens. Fides autem est
donum Dei et effectus praedestinationis—The not being included among the
elect is not the proper cause of infidelity, but merely the accidentalcause.
But faith is the gift of God, and the effect of predestination. So
Jansenius distinguishes well here.(3.) He takes this occasion to describe both
the gracious disposition and the happy state of those that are his sheep; for
such there are, thoughthey be not.[1.] To convince them that they were not
his sheep, he tells them what were the characters of his
sheep. First, They hear his voice (v. 27), for they know it to be his (v. 4), and he has undertaken that they shall hear
it, v. 16. They discern it, It is the voice of my
beloved, Cant. 2:8 . They delight in it, are in their
element when they are sitting at his feet to hear his word. They do according
to it, and make his word their rule. Christ will not account those his sheep
that are deaf to his calls, deaf to his charms, Ps. 58:5 .Secondly, They follow
him; they submit to his guidance by a willing obedience to all his
commands, and a cheerful conformity to his spirit and pattern. The word of
command has always been, Follow me. We must eye him as our leader and
captain, and tread in his steps, and walk as he walked—follow the
prescriptions of his word, the intimations of his providence, and the
directions of his Spirit—follow the Lamb (the dux gregis—the leader
of the flock) whithersoever he goes. In vain do we hear his
voice if we do not follow him.[2.] To convince them that it was their
great unhappiness and misery not to be of Christ’s sheep, he here describes the
blessed state and case of those that are, which would likewise serve for the
support and comfort of his poor despised followers, and keep them from envying
the power and grandeur of those that were not of his sheep.First, Our Lord
Jesus takes cognizance of his sheep: They hear my
voice, and I know them. He distinguishes them from others (2 Tim. 2:19 ), has a particular regard to every
individual (Ps. 34:6 ); he knows their wants and desires,
knows their souls in adversity, where to find them, and what to do for them. He
knows others afar off, but knows them near at hand.Secondly, He has
provided a happiness for them, suited to them: I give unto them
eternal life, v. 28. 1. The estate settled upon them is rich and
valuable; it is life, eternal life. Man has a living soul; therefore the
happiness provided is life, suited to his nature. Man has an immortal soul:
therefore the happiness provided is eternal life, running parallel with his
duration. Life eternal is the felicity and chief good of a soul
immortal. 2. The manner of conveyance is free: I give it to
them; it is not bargained and sold upon a valuable consideration, but given by
the free grace of Jesus Christ. The donor has power to give it. He who is the
fountain of life, and Father of eternity, has authorized Christ to give eternal
life, ch. 17:2 . Not I will give it,
but I do give it; it is a present gift. He gives the assurance of it,
the pledge and earnest of it, the first-fruits and foretastes of it,
thatspiritual life which is eternal life begun, heaven in the
seed, in the bud, in the embryo.Thirdly, He has undertaken for their
security and preservation to this happiness.a.They shall be saved from everlasting
perdition. They shall by no means perish for ever;so the words are. As there is
an eternal life, so there is an eternal destruction; the soul
not annihilated, but ruined; its being continued, but its
comfort and happiness irrecoverably lost. All believers are saved from this;
whatever cross they may come under, they shall not come
into condemnation. A man is never undone till he is in hell, and they
shall not go down to that. Shepherds that have large flocks often lose some of
the sheep and suffer them to perish; but Christ has engaged that none of his
sheep shall perish, not one.b. They cannot be kept from
their everlasting happiness; it is in reserve, but he that gives it
to them will preserve them to it. (a. ) His own power is engaged for
them: Neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. A mighty
contest is here supposed about these sheep. The Shepherd is so careful of their
welfare that he has them not only within his fold, and under his eye,
but in his hand, interested in his special love and taken under his
special protection (all his saints are in thy hand, Deu. 33:3 ); yet their enemies are so daring that
they attempt to pluck them out of his hand—his whose own they
are, whosecare they are; but they cannot, they shall not, do it. Note,
Those are safe who are in the hands of the Lord Jesus. The saints
are preserved in Christ Jesus: and their salvation is not in their
own keeping, but in the keeping of a Mediator. The Pharisees and rulers did all
they could to frighten the disciples of Christ from following him, reproving
and threatening them, but Christ saith that they shall not prevail. (b. )
His Father’s power is likewise engaged for their preservation, v. 29. He now appeared in weakness, and, lest his
security should therefore be thought insufficient, he brings in his
Father as a further security. Observe, [a. ] The power of the
Father: My Father is greater than all; greater than all the
other friends of the church, all the other shepherds, magistrates or
ministers, and able to do that for them which they cannot do. Those shepherds
slumber and sleep, and it will be easy to pluck the sheep out of their hands;
but he keeps his flock day and night. He is greater than all the enemies of the
church, all the opposition given to her interests, and able to secure his own
against all their insults; he is greater than all the combined force
of hell and earth. He is greater in wisdom than the old
serpent, though noted for subtlety; greater in strength than the great red
dragon, though his name belegion, and his title principalities and
powers. The devil and his angels have had many a push, many a pluck for
the mastery, but have never yet prevailed, Rev. 12:7, Rev. 12:8 .The Lord on high is
mightier. [b. ] The interest of the Father in the sheep, for the sake
of which this power is engaged for them: "It is my Father that gave
them to me, and he is concerned in honour to uphold his gift.’’ They
were given to the Son as a trust to be managed by him, and therefore God will still
look after them. All the divine power is engaged for the accomplishment of all
the divine counsels. [c. ] The safety of the saints inferred from these
two. If this be so, then none (neither man nor devil) is able to
pluck them out of the Father’s hand, not able to deprive them of the
grace they have, nor to hinder them from the glory that is designed them; not
able to put them out of God’s protection, nor get them into their own power.
Christ had himself experienced the power of his Father upholding and strengthening him,
and therefore puts all his followers into his hand too. He that secured the
glory of the Redeemer will secure the glory of the redeemed. Further to
corroborate the security, that the sheep of Christ may have strong consolation,
he asserts the union of these two undertakers: "I and my Father
are one, and have jointly and severally undertaken for the protection
of the saints and their perfection.’’ This denotes more than the harmony, and
consent, and good understanding, that were between the Father and the Son in
the work of man’s redemption. Every good man is so far one with God as to
concur with him; therefore it must be meant of the oneness of the
nature of Father and Son, that they are the same in substance, and equal
in power and glory. The fathers urged this both against the Sabellians, to
prove the distinction and plurality of the persons, that the Father and the Son
are two, and against the Arians, to prove the unity of the nature, that these
two are one. If we should altogether hold our peace concerning this
sense of the words, even the stones which the Jews took up to cast at him would
speak it out, for the Jews understood him as hereby making himself God (v. 33) and he did not deny it. He proves that none
could pluck them out of his handbecause they could not pluck them
out of the Father’s hand, which had not been a conclusive
argument if the Son had not had the same almighty power with the Father, and
consequently been one with him in essence and operation.IV. The rage, the
outrage, of the Jews against him for this discourse: The Jews took
up stones again, v. 31. It is not the word that is used before ch. 8:59 ),
but ebastasan lithous —they carried stones —great stones,
stones that were a load, such as they used in stoning malefactors.
They broughtthem from some place at a distance, as it were preparing
things for his execution without any judicial process; as if he were convicted
of blasphemy upon the notorious evidence of the fact, which needed no further
trial. The absurdity of this insult which the Jews offered to Christ will
appear if we consider, 1. That they had imperiously, not to
say impudently,challenged him to tell them plainly whether he was the
Christ or no; and yet now that he not only said he was the Christ,
but proved himself so, they condemned him as a malefactor. If the preachers of
the truth propose it modestly, they are branded as cowards;
if boldly, as insolent; but Wisdom is justified of her
children. 2. That when they had before made a similar attempt it was in vain;
he escaped through the midst of themch. 8:59 );
yet they repeat their baffled attempt. Daring sinners will throw stones at
heaven, though they return upon their own heads; and will strengthen themselves
against the Almighty, though none ever hardened themselves against him and
prospered.V. Christ’s tender expostulation with them upon occasion of this
outrage (v. 32): Jesusanswered what they did, for
we do not find that they said any thing, unless perhaps they stirred
up the crown that they had gathered about him to join with them,
crying, Stone him, stone him, as afterwards, Crucify him,
crucify him. When he could have answered them with fire from heaven, he
mildly replied, Many good works have I shown you from my Father: for which
of those works do you stone me? Words so very tender that one would
think they should have melted a heart of stone. In dealing with his enemies he
still argued from his works (men evidence what they are by what
they do ), his good works —kala erga excellent,
eminent works. Opera eximia vel praeclara; the expression
signifies both great works and good works. 1. The divine
power of his works convicted them of the most obstinate infidelity. They were
works from his Father, so far above the reach and course of nature as
to prove him who did them sent of God, and acting by commission from
him. These works he showed them; he did them openly before the
people, and not in a corner. His works would bear the test, and refer
themselves to the testimony of the most inquisitive and impartial spectators.
He did not show his works by candle-light, as those that are concerned only
for show, but he showed them at noon-day before the world, ch. 18:20 . See Ps. 111:6 . His works so
undeniably demonstrated that they were an incontestable demonstration of
the validity of his commission.2. The divine grace of his works convicted them
of the most base ingratitude. The works he did among them were not only
miracles, but mercies; not only works of wonder to amaze them, but works of
love and kindness to do them good, and so make them good, and endear himself to
them. He healed the sick, cleansed the lepers, cast out devils, which were
favours, not only to the persons concerned, but to the public; these he had
repeated, and multiplied:"Now for which of these do you stone
me? You cannot say that I have done you any harm, or given you any just
provocation; if therefore you will pick a quarrel with me, it must be for some
good work, some good turn done you; tell me for which.’’ Note, (1.) The horrid
ingratitude that there is in our sins against God and Jesus Christ is a great
aggravation of them, and makes them appear exceedingly sinful. See how God
argues to this purpose, Deu. 32:6 , Jer. 2:5 ; Mic. 6:3 . (2.) We must not think it strange if
we meet with those who not only hate us without cause, but are our adversaries
for our love,Ps. 35:12 Ps. 41:9 .
When he asks, For which of these do you stone me? as he
intimates the abundant satisfaction he had in his own innocency, which gives a
man courage in a suffering day, so he puts his persecutors upon considering
what was the true reason of their enmity, and asking, as all those should do
that create trouble to their neighbour, Why persecute we him? As Job
advises his friends to do, Job. 19:28 .VI. Their vindication of the attempt they made upon
Christ, and the cause upon which they grounded their prosecution, v. 33. What sin will want fig-leaves with which to
cover itself, when even the bloody persecutors of the Son of God could find
something to say for themselves?1. They would not be thought such enemies to
their country as to persecute him for a good work:For a good work we stone thee
not. For indeed they would scarcely allow any of his works to be so. His
curing the impotent man (ch. 5) and the blind man (ch. 9) were so far from
being acknowledged good services to the town, and meritorious, that they were
put upon the score of his crimes, because done on the sabbath day. But, if he
had done any good works, they would not own that they stoned him for
them, though these were really the things that did most exasperate
them, ch. 11:47 . Thus, though most absurd, they could
not be brought to own their absurdities.2. They would be thought such friends
to God and his glory as to prosecute him for blasphemy: Because that thou,
being a man, makest thyself God. Here is,(1.) A pretended zeal for the
law. They seem mightily concerned for the honour of the divine majesty, and to
be seized with a religious horror at that which they imagined to be a reproach
to it. A blasphemer was to be stoned,Lev. 24:16 . This law, they thought, did not only justify, but
sanctify, what they attempted, as Acts. 26:9 . Note, The vilest practices are often varnished with
plausible pretences. As nothing is more courageous than a
well-informed conscience, so nothing is moreoutrageous than a mistaken
one. See Isa. 66:5 ; ch. 16:2 .(2.)
A real enmity to the gospel, on which they could not put a greater affront than
by representing Christ as a blasphemer. It is no new thing for the worst of
characters to be put upon the best of men, by those that resolve to give them
the worst of treatment. [1.] The crime laid to his charge
isblasphemy, speaking reproachfully and despitefully of God. God himself
is out of the sinner’s reach, and not capable of receiving any real injury; and
therefore enmity to God spits its venom at his name, and so shows its ill-will.
[2.] The proof of the crime: Thou,being a man, makest thyself God. As
it is God’s glory that he is God, which we rob him of when we make
him altogether such a one as ourselves, so it is his glory that besides
him there is no other, which we rob him of when we make ourselves, or
any creature, altogether like him. Now, First, Thus far they were in
the right, that what Christ said of himself amounted to this—that he was God,
for he had said that he was one with the Father and that he would give
eternal life; and Christ does not deny it, which he would have done if it
had been a mistaken inference from his words. But, secondly, They
were much mistaken when they looked upon him as a mere man, and
that the Godhead he claimed was a usurpation, and of his own making. They
thought it absurd and impious that such a one as he, who appeared in the
fashion of a poor, mean, despicable man, should profess himself the Messiah,
and entitle himself to the honours confessedly due to the Son of God. Note, 1.
Those who say that Jesus is a mere man, and only a made God,as
the Socinians say, do in effect charge him with blasphemy, but do
effectually prove it upon themselves. 2. He who, being a man, a sinful man,
makes himself a god as the Pope does, who claims divine powers and prerogatives,
is unquestionably a blasphemer,and that antichrist.VII. Christ’s
reply to their accusation of him (for such their vindication of themselves
was), and his making good those claims which they imputed to him as blasphemous
(v. 34, etc.), where he proves himself to be no
blasphemer, by two arguments:—1. By an argument taken from God’s
word. He appeals to what was written in their law, that is, in
the Old Testament; whoever opposes Christ, he is sure to have the
scripture on his side. It is written (Ps. 82:6 ), I have said, You are
gods. It is an argumenta minore ad majus—from the less to the
greater. If they were gods, much more am I. Observe,(1.) How he explains
the text (v. 35): He called them gods to whom the word
of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken. The word of God’s
commission came to them, appointing them to their offices, as judges, and
therefore they are called gods,Ex. 22:28 .
To some the word of God came immediately, as to Moses; to others in the way of
an instituted ordinance. Magistracy is a divine institution; and magistrates
are God’s delegates, and therefore the scripture calleth them gods; and we are
sure that the scripture cannot be broken, or broken in upon, or found
fault with. Every word of God isright; the very style and language of
scripture are unexceptionable, and not to be corrected, Mt. 5:18 .(2.) How he applies it. Thus much in
general is easily inferred, that those were very rash and unreasonable who
condemned Christ as a blasphemer, only for calling himself the Son of God, when
yet they themselves called their rulers so, and therein the scripture warranted
them. But the argument goes further (v. 36):
If magistrates were called Gods, because they were commissioned to administer
justice in the nation,say you of him whom the Father hath sanctified, Thou
blasphemest? We have here two things concerning the Lord Jesus:—[1.] The
honour done him by the Father, which he justly glories in:
He sanctified him, and sent him into the world. Magistrates
were calledthe sons of God, though the word of God only came to them, and
the spirit of government came upon them by measure, as upon Saul; but our Lord
Jesus was himself the Word,and had the Spirit without
measure. They were constituted for a particular country, city, or nation;
but he was sent into the world, vested with a universal authority, as
Lord of all. They were sent to, as persons at a distance; he
was sent forth, as having been from eternity with God. The
Father sanctified him, that is, designed him and set him apart to the
office of Mediator, and qualified and fitted him for that
office. Sanctifying him is the same with sealing him, ch. 6:27 . Note, Whom the Father sends he
sanctifies; whom he designs for holy purposes he prepares with holy principles
and dispositions. The holy God will reward, and therefore will employ, none but
such as he finds or makes holy. The Father’s sanctifying and sending him is
here vouched as a sufficient warrant for his calling himself the Son of
God; for because he was a holy thing he was called the Son
of God,Lu. 1:35 . See Rom. 1:4 . [2.] The dishonour done him by the
Jews, which he justly complains of—that they impiously said of him, whom the
Father had thus dignified, that he was a blasphemer, because he
called himself the Son of God: "Say you of him so and so?
Dare you say so? Dare you thus set your mouths against the heavens? Have you
brow and brass enough to tell the God of truth that he lies, or to condemn
him that is most just? Look me in the face, and say it if you can. What!
say you of the Son of God that he is a blasphemer?’’ If devils,
whom he came to condemn, had said so of him, it had not been so strange; but
that men, whom he came to teach and save, should say so of him,be
astonished, O heavens! at this. See what is the language of an
obstinate unbelief; it does, in effect, call the holy Jesus a blasphemer. It is
hard to say which is more to be wondered at, that men who breathe in God’s air
should yet speak such things, or that men who have spoken such things should
still be suffered to breathe in God’s air. The wickedness of man, and the
patience of God, as it were, contend which shall be mostwonderful. 2. By
an argument taken from his own works, v. 37, v. 38. In the former he only answered the charge of
blasphemy by an argument ad hominem—turning a man’s own argument
against himself; but he here makes out his own claims, and proves
that he and the Father are one (v. 37, v. 38): If I do not the works of my Father,
believe me not.Though he might justly have abandoned such blasphemous wretches
as incurable, yet he vouchsafes to reason with them. Observe,(1.) From
what he argues—from his works, which he had often vouched as his
credentials, and the proofs of his mission. As he proved himself sent of God by
the divinity of his works, so we must prove ourselves allied to
Christ by the Christianity of ours. [1.] The argument is very cogent;
for the works he did were the works of his Father, which the Father
only could do, and which could not be done in the ordinary course of nature,
but only by the sovereign over-ruling power of the God of nature. Opera
Deo propria—works peculiar to God, and Opera Deo Digna—works
worthy of God —the works of a divine power. He that can dispense with the
laws of nature, repeal, altar, and overrule them at his pleasure, by his own power,
is certainly the sovereign prince who first instituted and enacted those laws.
The miracles which the apostles wrought in his name, by his power, and for the
confirmation of his doctrine, corroborated this argument, and continued the
evidence of it when he was gone. [2.] It is proposed as fairly as can be
desired, and put to a short issue. First, If I do not the works of my
Father, believe me not. He does not demand a blind and implicit
faith, nor an assent to his divine mission further than he gave proof of it. He
did not wind himself into the affections of the people, nor wheedle them by sly
insinuations, nor impose upon their credulity by bold assertions, but with the
greatest fairness imaginable quitted all demands of their faith, further than
he produced warrants for these demands. Christ is no hard master, who expects
to reap in assents where he has not sown in arguments. None shall perish for
the disbelief of that which was not proposed to them with sufficient motives of
credibility, Infinite Wisdom itself being judge. Secondly, "But
if I do the works of my Father, if I work undeniable miracles for the
confirmation of a holy doctrine, though you believe not me, though
you are so scrupulous as not to take my word, yet believe the works:believe
your own eyes, your own reason; the thing speaks itself plainly enough.’’ As
the invisible things of the Creator are clearly seen by his works of creation
and common providence (Rom. 1:20 ), so the invisible things of the
Redeemer were seen by his miracles, and by all his works both of power and
mercy; so that those who were not convinced by these works were without
excuse. (2.) For what he argues—that you may know and
believe, may believe it intelligently, and with an entire satisfaction,
that the Father is in me and I in him; which is the same with what he
had said (v. 30): I and my Father are one. The
Father was so in the Son as that in him dwelt all the fulness of the
Godhead, and it was by a divine power that he wrought his miracles; the
Son was so in the Father as that he was perfectly acquainted with the whole of
his mind, not by communication, but by consciousness, having lain in his bosom.
This we must know; not know and explain (for we cannot by
searching find it out to perfection), but know andbelieve it;
acknowledging and adoring the depth, when we cannot find the bottom.
Verses 39-42 We
have here the issue of the conference with the Jews. One would have thought it
would have convinced and melted them, but their hearts were hardened. Here we
are told,I. How they attacked him by force. Therefore they sought again to
take him,v. 39. Therefore, 1. Because he had fully answered
their charge of blasphemy, and wiped off that imputation, so that they could
not for shame go on with their attempts to stone him, therefore they contrived
to seize him, and prosecute him as an offender against the state. When they
were constrained to drop their attempt by a popular tumult, they would try what
they could do under colour of a legal process. See Rev. 12:13 . Or, 2. Because he persevered in the
same testimony concerning himself, they persisted in their malice against him.
What he had said before he did in effect say again, for the faithful
witnessnever departs from what he has once said; and therefore, having the same
provocation, they express the same resentment, and justify their attempt to
stone him by another attempt to take him. Such is the temper of a persecuting
spirit, and such its policy, malè facta malè factis tegere ne
perpluant —to cover one set of bad deeds with another, lest the
former should fall through. II. How he avoided them by flight; not an
inglorious retreat, in which there was any thing of human infirmity, but a
glorious retirement, in which there was much of a divine power. He escaped
out of their hands, not by the interposal of any friend that helped him,
but by his own wisdom he got clear of them; he drew a veil over himself,
or cast a mist before their eyes, or tied the hands of those whose hearts he
did not turn. Note, No weapon formed against our Lord Jesus shall
prosper, Ps. 2:4 . Heescaped, not because he was
afraid to suffer, but because his hour was not come. And he who knew
how to deliver himself no doubt knows how to deliver the godly
out of temptation, and to make a way for them to escape. III.
How he disposed of himself in his retirement: He went away again beyond
Jordan, v. 40. The bishop of our souls came not to be fixed
in one see, but to go about from place to place, doing good. This great
benefactor was never out of his way, for wherever he came there was work to be
done. Though Jerusalem was the royal city, yet he made many a kind visit to the
country, not only to his own country Galilee, but to other parts, even those
that lay most remote beyond Jordan. Now observe,1. What shelter he
found there. He went into a private part of the country, and there
he abode; there he found some rest and quietness, when in Jerusalem
he could find none. Note, Though persecutors may drive Christ and his gospel
out of their own city or country, they cannot drive him or it out of the world.
Though Jerusalem was not gathered, nor would be, yet Christ was glorious, and
would be. Christ’s going now beyond Jordan was a figure of the taking of the
kingdom of God from the Jews, and bringing it to the Gentiles. Christ and his
gospel have often found better entertainment among the plain country-people
than among the wise, the mighty, the noble, 1 Co. 1:26, 1 Co. 1:27 .2. What success he found there. He did not go
thither merely for his own security, but to do good there; and he chose to go
thither, where John at first baptized ch. 1:28 ),
because there could not but remain some impressions of John’s ministry and
baptism thereabouts, which would dispose them to receive Christ and his
doctrine; for it was not three years since John was baptizing, and Christ was
himself baptized here at Bethabara. Christ came hither now to see what fruit
there was of all the pains John Baptist had taken among them, and what they
retained of the things they then heard and received. The event in some measure
answered expectation; for we are told,(1.) That they flocked after him (v. 41): Many resorted to him. The return
of the means of grace to a place, after they have been for some time
intermitted, commonly occasions a great stirring of affections. Some think
Christ chose to abide at Bethabara, the house of
passage, where the ferry-boats lay by which they crossed the river Jordan,
that the confluence of people thither might give an opportunity of teaching
many who would come to hear him when it lay in their way, but
who would scarcely go a step out of the road for an opportunity of attending on
his word.(2.) That they reasoned in his favour, and sought arguments to induce
them to close with him as much as those at Jerusalem sought objections against
him. They said very judiciously, John did no miracle, but all things that
John spoke of this man were true. Two things they considered, upon
recollecting what they had seen and heard from John, and comparing it with
Christ’s ministry. [1.] That Christ far exceeded John Baptist’s power,
for John did no miracle, but Jesus does many; whence it is easy to
infer that Jesus is greater than John. And, if John was so great a prophet, how
great then is this Jesus! Christ is best known and acknowledged by such a
comparison with others as sets him superlatively above others. Though John came
in the spirit and power of Elias, yet he did not work miracles, as Elias did,
lest the minds of people should be made to hesitate between him and Jesus;
therefore the honour of working miracles was reserved for Jesus as a flower of
his crown, that there might be a sensible demonstration,
and undeniable one, that though he came after John, yet he waspreferred
far before him. [2.] That Christ exactly answered John Baptist’s
testimony. John not only did no miracle to divert people
from Christ, but he said a great deal to direct them to Christ, and to turn
them over as apprentices to him, and this came to their minds now:all
things that John said of this man were true, that he should be
the Lamb of God, shouldbaptize with Holy Ghost and with
fire. Great things John had said of him, which raised their expectations;
so that though they had not zeal enough to carry them into his country to
enquire after him, yet, when he came into theirs, and brought his gospel to
their doors, they acknowledged him as great as John had said he would be. When
we get acquainted with Christ, and come to know him experimentally, we find all
things that the scripture saith of him to be true; nay, and that the reality
exceeds the report, 1 Ki. 10:6, 1 Ki. 10:7 . John Baptist was now dead and gone, and yet his hearers
profited by what they had heard formerly, and, by comparing what they heard
then with what they saw now, they gained a double advantage;
for, First, They were confirmed in their belief that John was a
prophet, who foretold such things, and spoke of the eminency to which this
Jesus would arrive, though his beginning was so small. Secondly, They
were prepared to believe thatJesus was the Christ, in whom they saw those
things accomplished which John foretold. By this we see that the success and
efficacy of the word preached are not confined to the life of the preacher, nor
do they expire with his breath, but that which seemed as water spilt upon
the ground may afterwards be gathered up again. See Zec. 1:5, Zec. 1:6 .(3.)
That many believed on him there. Believing that he who wrought such miracles,
and in whom John’s predictions were fulfilled, was what he declared himself to
be, the Son of God, they gave up themselves to him as his disciples, v. 42. An emphasis is here to be laid, [1.] Upon
the persons that believed on him; they were many. While those that
received and embraced his doctrine at Jerusalem were but as the grape-gleanings
of the vintage, those that believed on him in the country, beyond the Jordan,
were a full harvest gathered in to him. [2.] Upon the place where this was; it
was where John had been preaching and baptizing and had had great
success; there many believed on the Lord Jesus. Where the preaching
of the doctrine of repentance has had success, as desired, there the preaching
of the doctrine of reconciliation and gospel grace is most likely to be
prosperous. Where John has been acceptable, Jesus will not be unacceptable. The
jubilee-trumpet sounds sweetest in the ears of those who in the day of
atonement have afflicted their souls for sin.
