Welcome to Day 2153 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me.

This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom

The Gospel of John – 21 – The Living Door – Daily Wisdom

The Gospel of John – Part 3 Authentication Of The Word – The Living Door

Today we continue our series, the Good News according to John the Apostle. Last, we saw Jesus heal a man who was blind from birth. This man not only received physical sight, but more importantly, he received spiritual sight that granted him eternal life, as he proclaimed in verse 38, “Then the man said, ‘Lord, I believe,’ and he worshiped him.” Today, our scripture is John 10:1-42. As with our last message, since it is a more extended passage, so I will read it as we go through. We will see in today’s passage that Jesus is not only the great shepherd, but also The Living Door through which all who receive salvation must pass. If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a symbol is worth a thousand messages. Jesus understood the power of a familiar image to unlock the mysteries of heaven. And no sight was more common in first-century Judea than that of a shepherd leading his sheep. With some historical and cultural background, we can learn a great deal from the symbols Jesus used to describe Himself. To the lost sheep of Israel, He was the living door and the good shepherd. It was common for a shepherd to know his animals individually and call each one by name. A good shepherd never allowed his flock to remain in the field as night fell; thieves and wild animals took advantage of the darkness to steal and kill. If the pasture was close enough to the village, the sheep would be driven from the field to a communal pen, which a designated keeper guarded. In the morning, shepherds led their sheep out to pasture again. Shepherds frequently drove their flocks into the wilderness during temperate months to find adequate grazing. They always remained with them, camping out under the stars for weeks. Then, as darkness fell each evening, they corralled the flock into a cave or some other natural enclosure and slept at the entrance.   To protect their livestock from predators and thieves, shepherds herded their animals into a natural enclosure, such as this cave, and then stretched their bodies across the entrance for a good night’s sleep. Jesus drew on this familiar imagery when He said, “I am the door of the sheep” (John 10:7–9). Shepherds frequently worked together and even shared the same enclosure during the night. The following morning the flocks could be easily separated simply by calling them in opposite directions. Author H. V. Morton watched this firsthand during his travels in Israel. Early one morning, I saw an extraordinary sight not far from Bethlehem. Two shepherds had spent the night with their flocks in a cave. The sheep were all mixed, and the time had come for the shepherds to go in different directions. One of the shepherds stood far from the sheep and began to call. First one, then another, then four or five animals ran towards him, and so on until he had counted his whole flock. John’s account is unique among the Gospels in that he doesn’t recount any of the Lord’s parables but recalls Jesus’s use of figurative language and extended metaphors. This self-portrait as “the good shepherd” draws upon a familiar image painted in Old Testament prophecy (Jer. 23; Ezek. 34; Zech. 11) in which the Lord warns Israel’s unfaithful spiritual leaders that He will come to do the job of shepherding Himself. Jesus claimed to be the fulfillment of that long-standing promise. The religious authorities were slow to pick up on the implications, but they understood in time. 10:1–6 Very truly I tell you, Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.  The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. John presents the next discourse as a logical continuation of the last, providing no information about the time and place of the event. This is not uncommon for John. It is another snapshot that John weaves into the tapestry of his Gospel. John leaves it out unless details about the setting can provide additional insight. This discourse likely took place several weeks later as part of an extended conversation with multiple audiences of Pharisees (10:22). The primary point of His metaphor is the role of truth in the world. Jesus rarely presented truth to turn nonbelievers into believers; most often, the truth became His means of drawing believers out of the world. Beginning with feeding the multitude in the wilderness (Chapter 6) and the following discourses, Jesus taught the unvarnished truth about His identity, and His flock began to divide. Genuine believers followed the voice of their Master, while those who were not “his own” chose to reject Him (6:44, 65; 8:43, 47; 10:14). John’s editorial comment (sidebar v6) at the end of Jesus’ illustration is ironic. Their failure to “understand” merely validated the Lord’s point. 10:7–10 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus followed His first double amēn (in 10:1) with another, which interprets the first. Jesus’ predecessors are the priests, scribes, and Pharisees who presently ruled over the Jews. By identifying them as “thieves and robbers,” He cast them in the role prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 23), Ezekiel (Ezek. 34), and Zechariah (Zech. 11). In contrast, the Annas Bazaar left the people of Israel physically and spiritually impoverished (Remember the lesson on the clearing of the temple court John 2:13–14), Jesus came to bring true abundance. People in the West (especially the false prophets of the “prosperity gospel” movement) interpret “abundance” to mean material prosperity, an abundance of money and possessions, creature comforts, a fat wallet, a prestigious job, the nicest house in town, and the sleekest car in the driveway. Yet I see no indication that Jesus offered His followers anything through material wealth. No stack of shekels. No pension. No insurance coverage. Not even a guarantee of safety. He promised them quite the opposite (Luke 9:22–25). They must take up their cross. Jesus was not preaching against wealth, per se. As far as Jesus was concerned, money and possessions were morally neutral and had no relation to the new kingdom. Wealth can be a tool to build God’s kingdom, or it might distract us from what He considers important. So if abundance is not cash, possessions, or comfort, what is it? Given that Jesus’ inner circle of followers suffered persecution and died as martyrs, what abundance did they receive? Jesus offers a spiritual abundance transcending income, health, living conditions, and even death. The abundant life (or, as it says in the NLT, a rich and satisfying life) is a life that never ends, yet we don’t have to wait until the end of our physical life to receive this abundance and enjoy it. Abundant life includes peace, purpose, destiny, a real purpose for living, the joy of facing adversity—including the grave—without fear, and the ability to endure hardship confidently.  10:11–18 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.”  “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Jesus’ statement is a strong “I Am” (egō eimi) paired with the phrase “good shepherd,” which is particularly emphatic in Greek. What follows is a clear foreshadowing of the persecution He will suffer and a strong affirmation of His substitutionary death on behalf of His believers. Just as important is His acknowledgment that truth has always been a lightning rod for evil; nevertheless, He will not flinch as evil strikes Him with all the power of hell. As the Creator, He cannot be overpowered by anything. Yet He will voluntarily suffer and die to carry out the Father’s redemptive plan. This sets Jesus apart from the religious leaders who supposedly shepherd the people of God. Whereas He is selfless, they are selfish. Whereas He would lay down His life for the sheep, they would abandon all to save themselves. Whereas Jesus lived in complete obedience to the Father, they obeyed their lusts. In the middle of His dialogue, Jesus mentioned “other sheep.” This is almost undoubtedly non-Jews, such as Samaritans (like the people of Sychar in 4:7–45) and Gentiles, yet to hear the good news. That is us! 10:19–21 The Jews who heard these words were again divided. Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?”  But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” Jesus had declared earlier that His sword of truth divides people; His voice of truth summons His own. As expected, the dividing of “the Jews” (the religious officials) that occurred in 7:43 and 9:16 continued due to this discourse. Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. 10:22–24 Then came the Festival of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple courts walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” The Feast of the Dedication, now known as Hanukkah, is usually celebrated in December, roughly two months after Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles (7:1–8:30). The Feast of the Dedication celebrates the temple’s rededication in 165 BC, three years after Antiochus Epiphanes had desecrated the altar. It was the crowning moment of the Maccabean revolt, which essentially gave Israel its independence for a short time. During Jesus’ time, Jewish resentment for Roman occupation ran incredibly high during this festival, and their desire for the Messiah was felt more acutely than usual. John’s mention of winter would be redundant after mentioning Hanukkah were it not for his using the season to set the literary tone. The winter of Jesus’ life was approaching. As Jesus walked along the eastern portico of the temple, presumably after entering the eastern gate, the temple officials surrounded Jesus. They appeared willing to consider the possibility that Jesus had been telling the truth all along, that He was indeed the Messiah (cf. 1:19–34), perhaps driven to eagerness by the holiday. But make no mistake; they wanted a tailor-made messiah to fit their desires. 10:25–31 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,  but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all^[c]; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.  I and the Father are one.” Again his Jewish opponents picked up stones to stone him, Some scholars have objected that Jesus had not, in fact, “told” them He is the Christ. But I can think of a strong reason for His avoiding the exact phrase, “I am the Christ” (in addition to the reason He gave here). By the first century, Jewish theologians had attached so much misinformation to the title of Messiah that the people would have expected of Jesus what God had never intended. They expected a kind of “super-David” warrior king leading them to regain independence and restore their economy (6:15). Jesus would become Israel’s warrior king at His second coming. Still, He first came to save people from their sins. Jewish theologians had attached outlandish myths to the Messiah’s arrival; to claim the title, “Christ” would have been to adopt a mythic identity. Instead, Jesus produced all of the “signs” predicted by the Old Testament, which identified Him as the Messiah. Moreover, He freely quoted, paraphrased, and alluded to messianic passages in Scripture, identifying Himself using the vocabulary of prophets. Anyone willing to set aside their biased expectations long enough to compare His words and deeds to the image set forth by Scripture did not have trouble recognizing Him. Jesus made His earlier indictment plain again. The religious leaders refused to hear the Word of God in the flesh because they had rejected God’s written Word long ago. Their rejection of the true Christ was a continuation of their rejection of God (5:17, 37–38; 6:45; 7:27–28; 8:42–45; 9:29–34). Genuine believers, however, heed the voice of truth and are eternally safe in the Good Shepherd’s care, who will lay down His life to save them and wield His divine power to keep them secure. Belief is the authenticating response of a believer to their Savior. It is the Savior who does the saving, not those who are saved. Therefore, the faithfulness of Christ seals the believer’s salvation, not the believer’s faithfulness. Plain and simple: those who believe in Christ will never be lost. No one will snatch them out of my hand. Jesus concluded this portion of His discourse with a statement that was even bolder and more provocative than “I am the Christ.” He said, “The Father and I are one,” an allusion to the chief doctrinal statement of the Hebrew faith: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (Deut. 6:4). John recorded Jesus’ statement using a slightly different form of the Greek word for “one” from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The “neuter” form that John uses (as opposed to the “masculine” form in the Septuagint) indicates singleness in essence. Therefore, a more literal rendering would be, “We (The Father and I) are one being.” His many “signs,” including dramatic, authentic healings, had been established numerous times. While the English language cannot pick up on the subtle yet profound nuance in Jesus’ statement, it was plain to Jesus’ audience. They connected the dots. As a result, they prepared to stone Him for identifying Himself as God. 10:32–39  But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”  “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”  Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods”’?  If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be set aside—what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? Do not believe me unless I do the works of my Father. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp. In response to the Jews’ intention to stone Him, Jesus employed a complex bit of irony common to the rabbinic argument. He turned the accusation around with a quote from Psalm 82. The psalmist reminded Israel’s appointed judges that they were like little gods in that the Supreme Judge had appointed them to rule in His stead; therefore, they were accountable to Him. Jesus identified the worthless judges in the psalm as the religious leaders standing before Him and declared Himself to be the fulfillment of the poem’s opening line:  God presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the “gods.” For these apostate rulers of Israel to judge the Supreme Judge was nothing short of blasphemy. In reality, it is they who should be stoned. Jesus then pointed to the impossibility of overcoming their self-willed doubt. When He behaved in a God-like fashion—cleansing the temple, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, fulfilling the promises of Scripture—He was rejected as opposed to God (John 7:20; 8:48–52; 10:20). Yet they clamored for a “sign” (2:18; 4:48; 6:30). He invited them to examine His deeds, the definitive proof of goodness according to Hebrew wisdom. The religious leaders reacted in a typical fashion toward those they couldn’t control: they sought to seize Jesus to execute Him. But He escaped. 10:40–42 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in