John 10:1-18
Previously we considered the healing of the man born blind. As Christ healed the physical blindness He was indicating to Israel that He was the One who could remove their spiritual blindness. As we see from the discussion with the Pharisees the miracle raised the question of the identity of the person of Christ. This question will be answered through the use of the Shepherd/sheep analogy.
He used the sheepfold to represent the nation of Israel. John the Baptist represents the “doorkeeper” or “watchman” mentioned in verse three. He fulfilled his mission by introducing Christ to the nation of Israel as both the Savior and the Sovereign Lord. One proof that Christ was who He proclaimed to be is that those who are His own sheep listen to His voice and recognize Him and are willing to follow Him (v. 3-4).
Next He explained the kind of Shepherd He is. In v. 9 He claims to be the way of salvation. He is also a Shepherd who liberates His sheep for we can “go in and out”. This speaks to the freedom and liberty we have in Christ. We will find “pasture” or provision for He is our provider and He does that abundantly. We not only have life, we have an abundant life because of all the blessings we have in Him.
Finally, He showed His deep love for us as a Shepherd because He was willing to lay down His life for us. He cares more for us than He does His own life. These are characteristics of Christ that no false shepherd can claim and are further proof that He is who He claimed to be.
Jewish people have had an especially difficult time recognizing Christ as their Savior, but so have many Gentiles. We can be thankful that through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have recognized Him as our Shepherd.
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