Amongst all the places in the Old Testament which mention this great Shepherd, there is no one doth so exactly describe him and his pastoral work, as chapter 11 of the prophet Zechariah Zechariah_11. We will fetch a few things from thence, that may serve to explain the passage now in hand: I. He de... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 1. VERILY, VERILY, I SAY TO YOU, HE THAT ENTERS NOT BY THE DOOR INTO THE SHEEPFOLD, BUT CLIMBS UP SOME OTHER WAY, THE SAME IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER. 2. BUT HE THAT ENTERS IN BY THE DOOR IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP. 3. TO HIM THE PORTER OPENS; AND THE SHEEP HEAR HIS VOICE: AND HE CALLS HIS OWN SH... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 6. THIS PARABLE SPOKE JESUS TO THEM: BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT WHAT THINGS THEY WERE WHICH HE SPOKE TO THEM. AUG. Our Lord feeds by plain words, exercises by obscure. For when two persons, one godly, the other ungodly, hear the words of the Gospel, and they happen to be such that neither can unde... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 7. THEN SAID JESUS TO THEM AGAIN, VERILY, VERILY, I SAY TO YOU, I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP. 8. ALL THAT EVER CAME BEFORE ME ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS: BUT THE SHEEP DID NOT HEAR THEM. 9. I AM THE DOOR: BY ME IF ANY MAN ENTER IN, HE SHALL BE SAVED, AND SHALL GO IN AND OUT, AND FIND PASTURE. 10. THE... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 11. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVES HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. 12. BUT HE THAT IS A HIRELING, AND NOT THE SHEPHERD, WHOSE OWN THE SHEEP ARE NOT, SEES THE WOLF COMING, AND LEAVES THE SHEEP, AND FLEES: AND THE WOLF CATCHES THEM, AND SCATTERS THE SHEEP. 13. THE HIRELING FLEES, BECAUSE... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 14. I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD, AND KNOW MY SHEEP, AND AM KNOWN OF MINE. 15. AS THE FATHER KNOWS ME, EVEN SO KNOW I THE FATHER: AND I LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THE SHEEP. 16. AND OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, WHICH ARE NOT OF THIS FOLD: THEM ALSO I MUST BRING, AND THEY SHALL HEAR MY VOICE; AND THERE SHALL BE ONE F... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 22. AND IT WAS AT JERUSALEM THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION, AND IT WAS WINTER. 23. AND JESUS WALKED IN THE TEMPLE IN SOLOMON'S PORCH. 24. THEN CAME THE JEWS ROUND ABOUT HIM, AND SAID TO HIM, HOW LONG DO YOU MAKE US TO DOUBT? IF YOU BE THE CHRIST, TELL US PLAINLY. 25. JESUS ANSWERED THEM, "I TOLD YO... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 31. THEN THE JEWS TOOK UP STONES AGAIN TO STONE HIM, 32. JESUS ANSWERED THEM, "MANY GOOD WORKS HAVE I SHOWED YOU FROM MY FATHER; FOR WHICH OF THOSE WORKS DO YOU STONE ME?" 33. THE JEWS ANSWERED HIM, SAYING, "FOR A GOOD WORK WE STONE YOU NOT; BUT FOR BLASPHEMY; AND BECAUSE THAT YOU, BEING A MAN,... [ Continue Reading ]
VER 39. THEREFORE THEY SOUGHT AGAIN TO TAKE HIM: BUT HE ESCAPED OUT OF THEIR HAND, 40. AND WENT AWAY AGAIN BEYOND JORDAN INTO THE PLACE WHERE JOHN AT FIRST BAPTIZED; AND THERE HE ABODE. 41. AND MANY RESORTED TO HIM, AND SAID, JOHN DID NO MIRACLE: BUT ALL THINGS THAT JOHN SPOKE OF THIS MAN WERE TRUE.... [ Continue Reading ]