A Blind Man and the Shepherd pt. 2 (JOHN 10)

From the Commentary

John 10 focuses on the image of sheep, sheepfolds, and shepherds. It is a rural and Eastern image, to be sure, but it is an image that can say a great deal to us today, even in our urban, industrialized world. Paul used this image when admonishing the spiritual leaders in the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:28ff.). The truths that cluster around the image of the shepherd and the sheep are found throughout the Bible, and they are important to us today. The symbols that Jesus used help us understand who He is and what He wants to do for us.

1.How does the culture and context affect one’s understanding of Jesus’ message in John 10? Is it important to understand the agrarian culture of the time in order to understand Jesus’ message? What modern analogies might express the same message today?

From the Commentary

Jesus opened His sermon with a familiar illustration (John 10:1–6), one that every listener would understand. The sheepfold was usually an enclosure made of rocks, with an opening for the door. The shepherd (or a porter) would guard the flock, or flocks, at night by lying across the opening. It was not unusual for several flocks to be sheltered together in the same fold. In the morning, the shepherds would come, call their sheep, and assemble their own flocks. Each sheep recognized its own master’s voice.The true shepherd comes in through the door, and the porter recognizes him. The thieves and robbers could never enter through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and enter the fold through deception. But even if they did get in, they would never get the sheep to follow them, for the sheep follow only the voice of their own shepherd. The false shepherds can never lead the sheep, so they must steal them away.

2. Go through John 10:1–10 and circle every mention of sheep. Why is “sheep” such a fitting image for this story? Why do you think the people didn’t understand what Jesus was telling them (v. 6)? Who were those who “came before” Jesus (v. 8)? What does it mean that the sheep will find pasture?

From the Commentary

John 10:11–21 includes the fourth of our Lord’s “I am” statements (John 6:35; 8:12; 10:9). Certainly in making this statement, He is contrasting Himself to the false shepherds who were in charge of the Jewish religion of that day. He had already called them “thieves and robbers,” and now He would describe them as “hirelings.”The word translated “good” means “intrinsically good, beautiful, fair.” It describes that which is the ideal, the model that others may safely imitate. Our Lord’s goodness was inherent in His nature. To call Him “good” is the same as calling Him “God” (Mark 10:17–18).

3. In what ways was Jesus acting as a shepherd during his early ministry (as you’ve been studying in this gospel)? Why did Jesus refer to the religious leaders of the time as “hired hands”? Review John 10:17. Why does Jesus include this explanation in the midst of a lesson on the Shepherd and the sheep?

From the Commentary

The leaders surrounded Jesus in the temple so that He had to stop and listen to them. They had decided that it was time for a “showdown,” and they did not want Him to evade the issue any longer. “How long are You going to hold us in suspense?” they kept saying to Him. “Tell us plainly—are You the Messiah?”Jesus reminded them of what He had already taught them. He emphasized the witness of His words (“I told you”) and His works (see John 5:17ff. and 7:14ff. for similar replies).

4. In what ways did Jesus reveal to the Jewish leaders that they didn’t understand His words? (See John 10:25–42.) Why were the leaders not considered “sheep”? How does someone become one of the Shepherd’s sheep?

5. Do you consider yourself a skeptic or a believer when it comes to healing? Explain your answer. If you need proof for things, how do you go about finding that proof? What role does faith play in your investigation of spiritual matters?

6. What is your response when leaders are put under a microscope by the media (and by other people in general)? Have you ever been in a similar situation? What are some of the good things that come from such scrutiny? What are some of the dangers?