John 10
Outline
1-6 | Jesus introduces the sheepfold illustration
7-10 | “I Am” the door of the Sheep
11-18 | “I Am” the Good Shepherd
19-21 | Jesus causes division
22-30 | Jesus’ identity is sought
31-39 | Jesus’ relation to the Father
40-42 | Many believe in Jesus
Reflections
There’s a lot in this chapter but I want to concentrate on one repeated concept by Jesus.
John 10:3-5 NASB “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 “When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 “A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
John 10:16 NASB “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.
John 10:27 NASB “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
I am reminded of a passage from Isaiah in which he is encouraging the people of Judah to not make an alliance with Egypt but to trust in God, who is gracious and compassionate, even in times of testing.
Isaiah 30:20-21 NASB Although the Lord has given you bread of privation and water of oppression, He, your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher. 21 Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left.
Hearing God’s voice and following Him is a learned habit. Remember when Samuel first heard God calling him as a young man, and Eli didn’t even recognize what was happening because God has been silent for so long (1 Samuel 3).
Somehow we have either developed the notion on our own or by the influence of others that God doesn’t want to communicate with people anymore. I think it is a rare thing for God to speak audibly to people, but God does speak through His word. Consider the following references where Jesus uses the phrase “ears to hear”.
Matthew 11:15 NASB “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.
Mark 4:9 NASB And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 4:23 NASB “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Mark 7:16 NASB [“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]
Luke 8:8 NASB “Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Luke 14:35 NASB “It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
Or the letters to the seven churches in Asia in Revelation where the repeated command is to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.
Revelation 2:7 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God.’
Revelation 2:11 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.’
Revelation 2:17 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’
Revelation 2:29 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 3:6 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 3:13 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
Revelation 3:22 NASB ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'”
It is true that the above passages are taken out of context but I highlight them to show a pattern. God wants to communicate with mankind. He rarely speaks in an audible voice but He definitely speaks through His word. Why would we not want to hear His directions for our life?
Below is a prayer that I wrote a while ago that I think fits the topic at hand.
LORD, Thank You for giving me
- a mind to think, so that I can recognize whatever You would have me know and understand;
- eyes to see, so that I can visualize the world like You do;
- ears to hear, so that I can comprehend Your calling on my life;
- a heart to love, so that I can spiritually and physically empathize with others;
- hands to do, so that I can demonstrate Your love and accomplish Your will on earth;
- and feet to go, so that I can travel to whoever and wherever.
So that I can be Your disciple and ambassador here, while anticipating being there with You.
May Your will be done in Jesus name, Amen
