VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU,.... To the Scribes and Pharisees, who had taken it ill that they should be thought to be blind; and who had cast out the man that Christ had cured of blindness, for speaking in favour of him; and who had traduced Christ as an impostor, and a deceiver, and set up thems... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT ENTERETH IN BY THE DOOR,.... With a divine commission, and by a divine authority, who comes not of himself, but is sent; does not take the honour to himself, or thrust in himself, and assume an office to himself, but is called unto it, and invested in it, he IS THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HIM THE PORTER OPENETH,.... There is nothing in the explanation of this parable given by Christ, that directs to the sense of this clause; the allusion cannot be, as some have thought, to great men, who have porters at their gates, to open them, and let in persons that come and knock; since the p... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE PUTTETH FORTH HIS OWN SHEEP,.... The Ethiopic version reads, "when he leads them all out"; in order to bring them into proper pastures: HE GOETH BEFORE THEM; in allusion to the eastern shepherds, who when they put out their flocks, did not, as ours do, drive them before them, and follow... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A STRANGER WILL THEY NOT FOLLOW,.... One that knows not Christ, is not sent by him, and who does not preach him: BUT WILL FLEE FROM HIM; shun him and his ministry, as not only disagreeable, but dangerous: FOR THEY KNOW NOT THE VOICE OF STRANGERS: they do not approve of their doctrine, nor take... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS PARABLE SPAKE JESUS UNTO THEM,.... To the Pharisees, who were with him, John 9:40; BUT THEY UNDERSTOOD NOT WHAT THINGS THEY WERE WHICH HE SPAKE UNTO THEM; the things spoken by him being delivered in a parabolical way, though in lively figures, and in terms plain and easy to be understood; yet... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN SAID JESUS UNTO THEM AGAIN,.... By way of explanation of the above parable, since they did not understand it: VERILY, VERILY, I SAY UNTO YOU; this is certainly truth, and what may be depended on as such, whether it will be believed or not: I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP; and of none but them; not... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT EVER CAME BEFORE ME ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS,.... This must be understood with some restrictions, not of every individual person, nor of every individual prophet or shepherd; not of Moses, nor of the prophets of the Lord, nor of John the Baptist, who came immediately before Christ, was his h... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE DOOR,.... Of the sheep, as before, see John 10:7. The Ethiopic version reads, "I am the true door of the sheep"; which is repeated for further confirmation, and for the sake of introducing what follows: BY ME IF ANY MAN ENTER IN; into the sheepfold, the church, HE SHALL BE SAVED; not that... [ Continue Reading ]
THE THIEF COMETH NOT BUT FOR TO STEAL,.... That is his first and principal view; to steal, is to invade, seize, and carry away another's property. Such teachers that come not in by the right door, or with a divine commission, seek to deceive, and carry away the sheep of Christ from him, though they... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD,.... A shepherd of his Father's appointing, calling, and sending, to whom the care of all his sheep, or chosen ones, was committed; who was set up as a shepherd over them by him, and was entrusted with them; and who being called, undertook to feed them; and being promised, was... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE THAT IS AN HIRELING, AND NOT THE SHEPHERD,.... That is, who is not the owner of the sheep, though he keeps them, yet only for reward: by whom are meant, not the faithful ministers of the word, who live upon the Gospel, as Christ has ordained, and who are worthy of their reward, and are not to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HIRELING FLEETH, BECAUSE HE IS AN HIRELING,.... And has no propriety in the sheep; had he, he would abide by them, and defend them; but because he has not, he will not expose himself to any danger, but leaves them: AND CARETH NOT FOR THE SHEEP; what becomes of them, providing only for his own s... [ Continue Reading ]
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD,.... John 10:11. AND KNOW MY [SHEEP]; so as to call them all by their names: Christ has an universal, special, distinct, and exact knowledge of all his sheep, as they are the choice of his Father, as his Father's gift to him; and as his own purchase; he bears an affectionate... [ Continue Reading ]
AS THE FATHER KNOWETH ME,.... These words, with what follow, are in connection with John 10:14; and the sense is, that the mutual knowledge of Christ, and his sheep, is like that which his Father and he have of each other. The Father knows Christ as his own Son, and loves him as such, in the most st... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OTHER SHEEP I HAVE,.... Not distinct from those for whom he laid down his life, but from those who were under the Old Testament dispensation, and who heard not the thieves and robbers that were before Christ, John 10:8; others besides the lost sheep of the house of Israel, or the elect among the... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE DOTH MY FATHER LOVE ME,.... Christ was the object of his Father's love from all eternity, and was loved by him on various accounts; first and chiefly, as his own Son, of the same nature with him, equal to him; and also as Mediator, engaging for, and on the behalf of his chosen people; and... [ Continue Reading ]
NO MAN TAKETH IT FROM ME,.... It was indeed taken away at the instigation of the Jews, and by the order of Pilate, and by means of the Roman soldiers, who crucified him; and the former of these are often charged with slaying him, and killing him, the Prince of life; and it is expressly said, "his li... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WAS A DIVISION THEREFORE AGAIN AMONG THE JEWS,.... As there had been before; see John 7:12. FOR THESE SAYINGS; concerning his being the good shepherd, and laying down his life for the sheep, and having both a power to lay it down, and take it up again.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY OF THEM SAID, HE HATH A DEVIL, AND IS MAD,.... It was a notion of the Jews, that madness or distraction was from the devil, and therefore these two are here joined together, having a devil, and being mad: there is a spirit which they call Tazazith, and which, they say z, is an evil spirit t... [ Continue Reading ]
OTHERS SAID, THESE ARE NOT THE WORDS OF HIM THAT HATH A DEVIL,.... No madman or demoniac, one possessed of a devil, and under the influence of Satan, would ever talk in so divine a manner, and speak such words of truth and soberness: these were, some of the wiser sort, and were well disposed to Chri... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS AT JERUSALEM THE FEAST OF THE DEDICATION,.... That is, of the temple; not as built by Solomon, as Nonnus in his paraphrase suggests; or as rebuilt by Zerubabel, for there were no annual feasts appointed in commemoration of either of these; and besides, they were neither of them in the win... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JESUS WALKED IN THE TEMPLE,.... To keep himself warm, and to secure him the better from the inclemency of the weather: IN SOLOMON'S PORCH; which was covered over, and the outside of it was enclosed with a wall, which made it very convenient for such a purpose: this was on the outside of the tem... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN CAME THE JEWS ROUND ABOUT HIM,.... Who might be walking there on the same account, and seeing Jesus, took this opportunity, and got about him in great numbers, and hemmed him in; having a design upon him to ensnare him, if possible: AND SAID UNTO HIM, HOW LONG DOST THOU MAKE US DOUBT? or as th... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED THEM, I TOLD YOU, AND YE BELIEVED NOT,.... He had often said, what amounted to it, in his ministry and doctrine; as that God was his Father, and he was the light of the world, and the good shepherd, and the like; but they gave no heed nor credit to his words, even though he told them,... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT YE BELIEVE NOT,.... In me, as the Messiah: BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF MY SHEEP; they were not among the sheep given him by his Father, were they, they would have come to him; that is, have believed in him, according to John 6:37, they were not the chosen of God, predestinated unto eternal life; for... [ Continue Reading ]
MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE,.... The voice of Christ in his Gospel, both externally and internally; John 10:4, John 10:16; and since therefore these Jews did not, it was a plain case they were not of his sheep: AND I KNOW THEM; John 10:14; but Christ knew not these as the elect of God, or as the Father... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE,.... Christ gives eternal life to his sheep, or people now; he gives them a spiritual life, or a life of grace, which issues in eternal life; he gives them himself, who is the true God and eternal life, and whoever has him has life; he gives them the knowledge of hi... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FATHER WHICH GAVE [THEM] ME,.... So the sheep came to be Christ's, and to be in his hand; the Father gave them to him, put them into his hands, and made them his care and charge: IS GREATER THAN ALL; than all gods, than all beings, than all creatures, angels and men, and than all the enemies of... [ Continue Reading ]
I AND [MY] FATHER ARE ONE. Not in person, for the Father must be a distinct person from the Son, and the Son a distinct person from the Father; and which is further manifest, from the use of the verb plural, "I and [my] Father", εσμεν, "we are one"; that is, in nature and essence, and perfections, p... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE JEWS TOOK UP STONES AGAIN TO STONE HIM. As they had done before, John 8:59;... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED THEM, MANY GOOD WORKS,.... Such as healing the sick, and all manner of diseases; dispossessing devils, cleansing lepers, giving sight to the blind, causing the dumb to speak, the deaf to hear, and the lame to walk; which were not only works of power, but of mercy and beneficence; and... [ Continue Reading ]
THE JEWS ANSWERED HIM, SAYING,.... As follows; FOR A GOOD WORK WE STONE THEE NOT: they could not deny, that he had done many good works; this was too barefaced to be contradicted; yet they cared not to own them; and though they industriously concealed their resentment at them, yet they were very mu... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS ANSWERED THEM, IS IT NOT WRITTEN IN YOUR LAW,.... In the law which was given unto them, of which they boasted, and pretended to understand, and interpret, even in Psalms 82:6; for the law includes not only the Pentateuch, but all the books of the Old Testament: it is an observation of one of t... [ Continue Reading ]
IF HE CALLED THEM GODS, UNTO WHOM THE WORD OF GOD CAME,.... The Syriac version reads, "because the word of God came to them"; either the divine "Logos", the essential word, the Son of God, who appeared to Moses, and made him a God to Pharaoh, and who appointed rulers and magistrates among the Jews;... [ Continue Reading ]
SAY YE OF HIM WHOM THE FATHER HATH SANCTIFIED,.... Not by making his human nature pure and holy, and free from all sin, and by bestowing the holy Spirit on him without measure, though both true; but these were upon, or after his mission into the world; whereas sanctification here, designs something... [ Continue Reading ]
IF I DO NOT THE WORKS OF MY FATHER,.... Not only what the Father had given him to finish, and which he wrought by him as man, but such as were as great as the Father had done, and were equal to them; and which could not be done by any, but by the Father, or by one that is equal with him: BELIEVE ME... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF I DO,.... Works, which none but God can do: THOUGH YE BELIEVE NOT ME; what Christ said in his doctrine and ministry, though they paid no regard to that, and did not receive his testimony, on the credit of him the testifier, as they ought to have done: BELIEVE THE WORKS; not only that they a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE THEY SOUGHT AGAIN TO TAKE HIM,.... Not to take away his life by stoning him, as before, in the manner the furious zealots did, and was the part they were about to act just now; but to lay hold upon him and bring him before the sanhedrim, as they had done in John 5:18: he being so far from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WENT AWAY AGAIN BEYOND JORDAN,.... Where he had been before; and whither he went; not merely for the security of his person, much less to indulge himself in ease, but to preach the Gospel, work miracles, and bring many souls to believe on him, as did: and he went INTO THE PLACE WHERE JOHN AT FI... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY RESORTED TO HIM,.... From all the parts adjacent, having heard of his being there, and of the fame of him; and many of them doubtless personally knew him; these came to him, some very likely to be healed by him, others to see his person and miracles, and others to hear him preach: AND SAID... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY BELIEVED ON HIM THERE., Through the doctrine he preached, the miracles he wrought, and through comparing these things with what John had said of him: this shows the reason of Christ's leaving Jerusalem, and coming into these parts; there were others that were to believe in his name: the wor... [ Continue Reading ]