2BC BIBLE STUDY NOTES
Wednesday in the Word
Second Baptist Church
September 24, 2025
John 10:1-42
Before we begin this chapter we must read Ezekiel 34:1-31. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God rebukes the leaders (shepherds) of the Israelites for not taking care of his people. He speaks of a coming day when they will be judged, and when God Himself will gather His scattered flock in the person of Messiah. Jesus boldly claims to be the promised “Good Shepherd,” and in contrast to His shepherding, He exposes and indicts the Jewish religious leaders (especially the Pharisees) as wicked shepherds, who use and abuse the sheep of God’s flock for their own personal gain. There was an indictment then and there is one now with regards to those who would use and abuse the flock.
Verses 1-5. Jesus begins to describe a familiar scene to His audience. In most villages there would be a number of flocks of sheep. For convenience, shepherds would herd them into a common sheepfold (sheep-pen), protecting them from thieves and predators. There would be one access through which the sheep would enter and exit. Through this same door the various shepherds would enter to gather their flocks. The doorkeeper (gatekeeper) stationed himself in the doorway, keeping the sheep safely inside and any danger to the sheep outside. In the morning, each shepherd reported to the doorkeeper, who recognized him and let him into the sheepfold. Once inside the fold, each shepherd called out his own sheep and led them outside the fold. Knowing the voice of their shepherd, the sheep of each flock went to their own shepherd when called by name, and then they followed him outside the sheepfold, only to be brought safely back to the fold in the evening. Jesus uses this familiar scene to demonstrate how He is Israel’s true Shepherd, and how the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders are evil shepherds. Evil shepherds–to whom Jesus refers as “thieves and robbers”-do not dare present themselves to the doorkeeper, because he will know them for what they are, and will not grant them access to the sheep, since their intent is to steal sheep and to kill them. If they are to gain entrance into the sheepfold, they must enter by some other way than through the door. They must climb over the wall. The way these folks seek to get to the sheep makes it clear that they have no good in mind. The true shepherd enters the sheepfold in a way that demonstrates his claim to his sheep is legitimate. He comes to the doorkeeper, who recognizes him and grants him access through the door to the sheep. Jesus is the true Shepherd. The sheep in the sheepfold are the Jews to whom our Lord came as the Messiah. Because they are His sheep, they “know His voice,” reeognize Him as the Messiah, and trust in Him as their Shepherd. These sheep, which belong to the true Shepherd, also know better than to follow any false shepherd. Instead, they avoid such “shepherds” by fleeing from them.
Verses 6-18. Jesus used a figure of speech (allegory) which is the representation of abstract ideas or principles by characters, figures, or events in narrative, dramatic, or pictorial form. Jesus will tell his audience that he is two things that are found with regards to shepherding. He is the gate and the good shepherd. The people do not understand him because they are not his sheep which was the point he was trying to make.
Verses 7-10. Jesus is the gate. Jesus first says that the only way in was through him. All those that have come before him (referring to the Pharisees) are nothing more than “thieves and robbers.” They do not come to do good to the sheep. They do not care about the sheep, nor do they care for the sheep. They come for personal gain, at the expense of the sheep. But the Lord’s sheep are not taken in. They know the voice of their Shepherd, and they know a stranger when he comes as their shepherd, so they do not listen to them. In contrast, the Good Shepherd has come to benefit the sheep, at His own expense. The test of a true shepherd was the end result. The fake shepherds only stole, killed and destroyed; the true shepherd gives life, health and purpose. Jesus uses the example of himself being the only true gate that leads to good pastures and protection. The false shepherds only lead the sheep out to destruction and false provision. The point here is that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were leading the people not to salvation, but to destruction.
Verses 11-18. Jesus now refers to himself as the good shepherd. Not only is Jesus the way in, he is the one who takes care of the sheep.
Verses 11-13. The fake shepherds do not care about the flock; they care about themselves. Thus, they use and abuse the flock, but they do not tenderly care for the flock. They come “to steal and kill and destroy.” The Good Shepherd intimately knows and tenderly cares for His flock, but He does far more. He places the interests of the flock above His own, and thus in order to save the flock, He lays down His life for His sheep. The hired man is interested in his wages more than the sheep he is paid to care for. If a wolf attacks the sheep under his care, he would be risking personal injury were he to seek to save the sheep. The hired man therefore forsakes the sheep to save his own skin. He runs from danger, rather than endanger himself by seeking to save the flock.
Verses 14-21. Jesus continues telling his audience that he is the good shepherd. He tells the crowd that he is the shepherd that lays his life down to keep the sheep safe. The picture is that of a wolf about to attack a sheep, but diverted to attack the shepherd instead. Jesus lays his life so the sheep might be safe. Jesus lays his life down not by force, but by his own authority. Not only can he lay it down he also claims that he can take his life back after an attack. The crowd knows exactly what he is saying. They know he is saying that he can die and come back to life. They know he is saying that he has the power of God. They hear him and begin to declare that he is raving mad and demon possessed. Others believed in him because they saw the miracles and could not believe that a mad man could have done what Jesus had done.
Verses 22-30. It is now winter in Jerusalem, and the occasion is the Feast of Dedication.. He is in the temple and the Jews surround Jesus in a hostile manner, demanding that He give them a direct answer as to whether or not He claims to be Israel’s Messiah. They are obviously aggravated, because they feel He has been evasive. Jesus therefore gets right to the heart of their unbelief. It is not that they lack sufficient evidence to come to a conclusion as to His identity. It is not due to His failure to speak out clearly enough about Himself. Their rejection of Him as the Messiah is due to their stubborn refusal to believe His words and His works. They could not believe because they were not his sheep. They were determined to believe they were right and he was wrong. Jesus shifts gears and makes a statement about the future. He reveals that those who are his sheep will have eternal life. His sheep are safe and secure.
Verses 31-33. The Jews who heard Jesus knew that he was claiming to be God. They decided to pick up stones and stone him. Jesus sees their actions and ask what crime are they stoning him for. They reply be saying they are stoning him for claiming to be God. They were right he did claim to be God, they were wrong in thinking they should stone him because his claim was true. He could only commit blasphemy if his claim was false. They wanted to stone him because they could not believe that his claim to be God was true.
Verses 34-42. Jesus answers the Jews with a quote from Psalm 82. In that Psalm God says that He will judge the gods (rulers). Jesus tells the crowd that they should not be amazed that he calls himself the Son of God. If the scriptures refer to mere men as gods, surely the son of God is greater and should be considered God. The word god means ruler. If mere men can be rulers over little, surely the Son of God is ruler over them. Why should he not claim to be God if he is in fact God and greater than any man. Jesus quotes Psalm 82 not only because it refers to men and gods, but it also tells of how GOD will judge the gods (men who rule improperly). The Jews recognize that Jesus is saying that he has come to judge them as men who have abused their responsibility and He is one who exercises his authority correctly. Jesus tells the crowd, don’t believe what He say, believe what he has done. His works speak for themselves. The chapter ends with Jesus going back to the other side of the Jordan with many believing because he did what John said about him.
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