This chapter is a continuation of the point Jesus was trying to make in Chapter 9. He had just told the Pharisees “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
Now Jesus tries out a new metaphor. Because so far his metaphors are really getting through to people. /s/ Except that only those who already believe Jesus is the Messiah will get the metaphors.
Jesus’ new metaphor (verses 10:1-5), in bullet points:
Anyone who doesn’t go into the sheepfold by the gate, but climbs in another way, is a thief.
The shepherd enters by the gate. No sneaking around.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice.
The shepherd calls the sheep by name, and leads them out into the pasture.
Once the sheep are all out, the shepherd goes ahead of the sheep, and the sheep follow the shepherd because they recognize the shepherd’s voice. The sheep won’t follow a strange voice.
Well, it’s hopeless. The Pharisees still don’t understand. Again Jesus tries to explain (verses 7-10) with another of this gospel’s famous “I am” statements:
I am the gate for the sheep. (or, I am the door.)
Everyone who came before me are thieves, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.
I am the gate (he says again). Whoever enters by me will be saved, cared for, and can find pasture.
The thief only comes to steal, kill, destroy.
But I came so that they (the sheep) can have abundant life (eternal life).
Jesus muddles things up (on purpose?) by sticking with the sheep theme, but a different metaphor, with the fourth “I am” statement of the gospel:
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (v. 11)
Jesus continues: A hired hand doesn't really care about the sheep and if a wolf comes to attack, the hired hand will run away and leave the sheep unprotected. He repeats for emphasis:
“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own 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 do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.” (v 14-17)
I’m going to leave aside interpreting who are sheep of this fold and not of this fold. Let’s just acknowledge that the notion of having a shepherd to lead you and guard you from harm and take you to your pasture for lunch and bring you back to the fold for sleepy time - that’s very comforting. Jesus the shepherd is so dedicated that he is willing to give up his own life in order to save the sheep. For those who know how the story ends, verse 17 is a reference to the crucifixion and resurrection.
But this metaphor also contains the same black-and-white thinking that runs through this gospel. Either you go through Jesus-the-gate or you are a thief. Either you are in the flock or you aren’t.
Jesus also touches on another theme we’ve seen before - his authority. When Jesus refers to himself as the good shepherd, he is probably alluding to Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd.” Once again Jesus is claiming equality with God. In verse 17-18 he says:
“... because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”
In biblical language, shepherds are definitely leaders, and God is the Shepherd par excellence.I didn’t remember that this metaphor was elsewhere in the Bible (other than this gospel) until Sunday when I saw one of our scripture passages was from Ezekiel 34. In the Ezekiel chapter, there are false shepherds, and then there is God, the ultimate shepherd and judge.
Not for the first time, Jesus’ claims cause division among “the Jews.” Some say he has a demon, but others say demons don’t heal blindness, so Jesus can’t be a demon.
It’s now winter, and time for the festival of Dedication, which is the celebration of when the Maccabees rededicated the Temple in Jerusalem, after it had been desecrated by King Antiochus. In other words, it is Hanukkah. But back then they probably did not have a Hanukkah bush, or give presents for eight days, or get Latke Larry out of the attic, or sing “I Have a Little Dreidel.” I don’t know how Hanukkah was celebrated at that time.
The thing that drove me nuts about Latke Larry is that Jerry Stiller could not carry a tune. It was a cute song, but couldn’t they get someone who could sing?
Anyway, Jesus is walking around in the temple. “The Jews” pester him again asking if he is the Messiah. “Tell us plainly,” they say. Jesus says, “I already told you.” Well, he told them in a lot of metaphors and oblique speech, but he didn’t tell them plainly. Jesus repeats sentences we’ve read in previous chapters, about doing work in the Father’s name. But this time he connects his accusations to his sheepfold metaphor: “you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep.”
Once again he makes a daring statement equating himself with God: “What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”
The Jews threaten to stone him for blasphemy (as they did in Chapter 8). Jesus quotes scripture back at them. For the umpteenth time he refers to the works he is doing, which are, in fact, the “works of my Father.”
They try to arrest him, but he escapes. He goes across the Jordan River to where John was baptizing back in Chapter 3. The crowds come and people believe in Jesus (align with him, are loyal to him).
Metaphors: sheepfold, gate, shepherd, sheep
Images and themes: Jesus as the only path to life abundant. Death. Blasphemy. And all the themes of the past chapters, too: working/works of God, Jesus equating himself with God, belief, judgment, resurrection, Messiah, antagonism with authorities, blindness.
People/Beings: Jesus, the Pharisees, “The Jews”, many people.
Places: Jerusalem, at the Temple (the portico of Solomon), across the Jordan River.
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