Exodus 31; John 10
Daily Catechism
QUESTION 53: WHAT IS FORBIDDEN IN THE FIRST COMMANDMENT?
Answer: The first commandment forbids us to deny or not to worship and glorify the true God as God and our God; and to give that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto him alone.
Scripture: Joshua 24:27; Romans 1:20-21, 25; Psalm 14:1.
John 10
Ready:
The previous chapter was about Jesus coming to judge between blindness that remains vs blindness that is removed by God unto belief. Jesus brings sight to the blind who are enlightened to know their blindness and he brings blindness to the blind who think they see and resist therefore his message. It can be said from verse 39 that the judgement Jesus brought was to give sight of the righteousness of God (Rom 9:30) to the ones who were blind to their own righteousness (did not consider it worthy of merit before God) but he brings blindness of the righteousness of God to the ones who are seeing of their own righteousness (who consider it worthy of merit before God). Consider Romans 10:2-4 here.
Seeing what’s there:
In this chapter Jesus sets himself apart from all other religious leaders ever known as he is the good shepherd who lays his life down for his sheep and he is the actual message rather than a carrier of a message (John 10:35-36). He declares that he was granted authority by God to willingly lay down his life for the sheep. Jesus brings a huge statement that belief is a result of identity and not the opposite (John 10:26-28). Jesus claims to be one with the Father and he instigates an attempted stoning by the Jews due to this supposed blasphemy that he argues against. In the end they chase him off, trying to arrest him. Next Jesus goes down to the Jordan and preaches there where many believe due to the road paved by John.
Key Verses:
John 10:4, 11, 14-15, 16, 17-18, 25-28, 30-31, 33, 35-36, 37-38, 41-42
Theme:
The true shepherd, the true gate, the one who lays down his life, the message in the flesh, the one who comes as fulfillment of all who came before is here, but he is received only by those who are his own sheep among the flocks of both Jews and Gentiles.
Thinking about the message:
v1-6. In this first parable of sorts Jesus explains himself to the the shepherd who enters through the true and right way with good purpose and whom the sheep follow because they recognize him. I take that Jesus comes right through the front door. His coming is from the ancient of days and he fulfills the prophecies and he is spoken of in the prophets and the law and the Psalms. He does not come from anywhere but from the very revelation of God and he fits the bill perfectly. There is a thievery that would occur if it were not for the good shepherd and the omnipotent hand of God that keeps those whom he gave to is Son (John 10:29; 17:2, 6). At the close of the first run at the parable Jesus ironically notes that they do not understand (recognize his voice).
v7-10. Now there is a shift in the metaphor and Jesus becomes the gate (or door) itself rather than one coming through the gate. I take this to be the transition to the NT as in the transfiguration where Jesus is now to be heard as the revelation of God rather than only the law and the prophets of old (Hebrews 1:1-2; Matt 17:2-8). Jesus entered through the gate and now himself is the gate who lets in or out by his authority that was granted to him by the Father (John 10:18). So he speaks of those who came before him who did not come through the front door are thieves who would take his sheep, but the true sheep did not listen (Rom 11:3-6). Jesus comes not as a thief to steal sheep or to steal glory (John 5:43-44) but as the true revelation of God and now he is the door. He is the judge as he had stated in the last chapter. Truth is based upon him. If our revelation of God comes by him and his testimony, then it is true and life giving. If it does not, then it is a lie and thievery (John 10:10). There is no other name and he is the only way, the only door (Acts 4:12; John 14:6).
v11-21. Now he returns to the shepherd position in this explanation. I take this whole discourse to be in support of the previous teaching that he judges blindness and he grants sight. The point is clearly made that Jesus is not only himself the revelation but he is himself the entire content of the revelation and the keeper, sustainer, teacher of those who receive the revelation. He is our all in all (1 Cor 15:28). He is no hired hand but he is the Son. He is the heir of these sheep. The sheep are his and he cares for them to the point of sacrificial death for them (John 10:14-15). Jesus prays especially for his sheep as contrasted to the remainder of the world (John 17:9). His sheep know him and he knows them (Matt 7:23). Jesus speaks of sheep as those who recognize his voice and they come from two flocks to become one (Eph 2:14-16; Rom 11:17-18). The Father grants the Son full authority and loves him deeply knowing that the Son will obey the Father and though he has all authority given to him to willingly act or not act the Son in no way will do anything but the will of the Father due to his own love and obedience. There is a love between the Father and Son that far precedes the creation of man and is a more base reason for the obedience of Christ. Man puts himself on an altar if we think that the primary reason for Jesus to endure the cross was his love for man or the world or even his sheep. Jesus does not idolize man, but he lives unto the glory of the Father and he loves his Father above all. Authority is spoken os here and willingness. Yet there is no other answer for the one who knows the Father. This may be like the irresistible grace of God that we have authority to choose our devotion to God or self, but if we truly see the glory of God then we cannot do anything but choose him…because he is irresistible…and not because I am a robot, but precisely because I am no longer a blind robot acting by an enslaved and blinded will.
v22-30. Here the blind (seeing only of their own righteousness) ask Jesus to plainly disclose whether he indeed is the Christ, as if he has not already done this by his signs and claims (John 6:35, 40, 8:12). Then Jesus drops the bomb on them that belief is not conjured up but it belongs only to those who belong to Christ. Identity precedes faith (Rom 8:18-19). He did not say you are not my sheep because you do not believe. John teaches here a doctrine of election (Rom 1:5-7). None can snatch the children of God from Jesus’ hand for his hand is the very hand of God (Rom 8:33ff) upon the children of God. The sheep, those given to Jesus before time by the Father, receive eternal life in the Son (2 Tim 1:9-11; Titus 1:1). The unity of the Father and Son determine that those who are in the Son are eternally secure and dine also with the Father (John 14:23).
v31-42. Jesus is almost stoned for supposed blasphemy and he makes and argument from a lesser to a greater case in his defense. He demonstrates that even messengers are referred to as sons of God, yet they do not even recognize the message itself, the very incarnate Word (John 1:1-2, 14). He argues that is they will not receive his statements as the gate, then receive his signs that indicate he is coming through the gate as the true shepherd. They should acknowledge that he does the work of God and therefore comes with God’s message. He ultimately returns the argument to his unity with the Father and they again want to capture him. Jesus does not decline his deity in his argument, but he makes a case for them to come to realize it in steps. First take the truth of the signs and the works and then you will understand the identity. After he leaves to escape being stoned, Jesus goes to the Jordan and there many believe due to the preparation by John whereby the need is understood. They are awakened by God to their blindness and utter need for a deliverer. This is the sight that the unbelieving Jews lacked. They saw that Jesus’ works evidenced truth according to the prior testimony…this is what he was urging the Jews in the previous paragraph to see. But they couldn't get over his words as the gate itself.
Soli Deo Gloria!
