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People sat around Jesus in the Court of the Women listening intently.
"It is so true that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs over the fence or gets in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
"The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. That's who the gatekeeper opens the gate for. When the shepherd calls his own sheep by name, the sheep recognize his voice and follow him out."
"When the shepherd takes his flock out of the pen, he walks before them and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
"They won't follow someone they don't know, but will flee. The don't respond to the voice of a stranger."
Jesus' hearers had little comprehension of what he was driving at, and so he made his meaning plain.
"This is so very true: I AM the sheep gate. Everyone who preceded me was nothing but a thief and a robber. And the sheep did not hear them.
"I am the gate. If, by me, anyone enters in, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.
"The thief only comes to steal, to kill, to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.
"I'm not like the hired hand who doesn't own the sheep and who, when he sees the wolf coming, runs away so that the wolf catches the sheep and scatters the flock.
"The hired hand flees because the sheep aren't his and he cares nothing for them.
"I am the good shepherd -- who knows his sheep and is known by them. "Similarly, the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for my sheep.
"I also have other sheep, not of this fold. I must bring them forth. They will respond to my voice, and then there will be one fold with one shepherd."
"My Father loves me -- because I lay down my life, so that I might 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 been assured of this by my Father."
These words sparked contentious debate among his hearers, with many saying, "He is devil-crazed! Why do you even listen to him?!"
But others countered, "How can these be a demon's words? Can a demon open a blind person's eyes?"
Later, Jesus was walking in the Solomon's Porch area of the Temple.
A group of agents of the religious authorities gathered around him and pressed him to answer them:
"How long will you keep us in doubt? If you are the Messiah, say so plainly."
Jesus answered, "I have told you, but you don't believe. The works I do in my Father's name speak volumes about me. But you don't believe because you are not from my flock. As I told you earlier, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Later, his disciples related that statement to other words he uttered in less public circumstances: "I give my sheep eternal life and no one shall seize them from my hand.
"My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to pluck them from my Father's hand.
"I and my Father are one."
When Jesus told his antagonists that they were not his sheep, their countenance darkened and, had not the people been so supportive of Jesus, these fellows would have stoned him.
Jesus admonished them. "Many good works have I shown you from my Father. Which one of them makes you want to stone me?"
The men answered, "Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a man, make yourself God."
Jesus replied, "Is it not written in the Law you say you follow: I said, you are gods?
"He, who received the word of God, called them gods -- and the Scripture can't be broken. So are you saying that the one who was sanctified and sent into the world blasphemes because he says he is a son of God?"
Jesus continued, "If I don't do my Father's works, then don't believe me. But if I do them, then believe on account of the works, even if not on account of me. Then you may believe that the Father is in me, and I in him."
Though his antagonists menaced him when he said those words, Jesus was able to continue on his way.
NEXT PAGE:
Last supper, agony, betrayal
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/last-supper-agony-betrayal_12.html
"It is so true that anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but climbs over the fence or gets in some other way, is a thief and a robber.
"The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd. That's who the gatekeeper opens the gate for. When the shepherd calls his own sheep by name, the sheep recognize his voice and follow him out."
Apparently the custom was for several flocks to be kept in a common pen by night. Each flock would then be led out during the day to its pasture land. No one was permitted into this pen but the shepherds who cared for the sheep by day.
"When the shepherd takes his flock out of the pen, he walks before them and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice.
"They won't follow someone they don't know, but will flee. The don't respond to the voice of a stranger."
Jesus' hearers had little comprehension of what he was driving at, and so he made his meaning plain.
"This is so very true: I AM the sheep gate. Everyone who preceded me was nothing but a thief and a robber. And the sheep did not hear them.
"I am the gate. If, by me, anyone enters in, he will be saved, and will go in and out, and find pasture.
"The thief only comes to steal, to kill, to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep.
"I'm not like the hired hand who doesn't own the sheep and who, when he sees the wolf coming, runs away so that the wolf catches the sheep and scatters the flock.
"The hired hand flees because the sheep aren't his and he cares nothing for them.
"I am the good shepherd -- who knows his sheep and is known by them. "Similarly, the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for my sheep.
"I also have other sheep, not of this fold. I must bring them forth. They will respond to my voice, and then there will be one fold with one shepherd."
This statement has traditionally been taken to mean that Jesus was telling his Jewish hearers that Gentiles would join Jews in the company of the saved, not that they would have had much comprehension of these mysterious words at the time they were spoken. Such teachings and sentiments would become clear only after the resurrection and the empowerment of the church.
"My Father loves me -- because I lay down my life, so that I might 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 been assured of this by my Father."
These words sparked contentious debate among his hearers, with many saying, "He is devil-crazed! Why do you even listen to him?!"
But others countered, "How can these be a demon's words? Can a demon open a blind person's eyes?"
Later, Jesus was walking in the Solomon's Porch area of the Temple.
A group of agents of the religious authorities gathered around him and pressed him to answer them:
"How long will you keep us in doubt? If you are the Messiah, say so plainly."
Jesus answered, "I have told you, but you don't believe. The works I do in my Father's name speak volumes about me. But you don't believe because you are not from my flock. As I told you earlier, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."
Later, his disciples related that statement to other words he uttered in less public circumstances: "I give my sheep eternal life and no one shall seize them from my hand.
"My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all. No one is able to pluck them from my Father's hand.
"I and my Father are one."
When Jesus told his antagonists that they were not his sheep, their countenance darkened and, had not the people been so supportive of Jesus, these fellows would have stoned him.
Jesus admonished them. "Many good works have I shown you from my Father. Which one of them makes you want to stone me?"
The men answered, "Not for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a man, make yourself God."
Even though they hadn't forced Jesus to declare himself Messiah, these agents thought that what he did say implied that he was divine.
Jesus replied, "Is it not written in the Law you say you follow: I said, you are gods?
"He, who received the word of God, called them gods -- and the Scripture can't be broken. So are you saying that the one who was sanctified and sent into the world blasphemes because he says he is a son of God?"
Son of God was a term used to mean servant of God, and ordinarily did not mean God the Son. But Jesus' antagonists understood that Jesus seemed to be blurring that distinction.
Jesus continued, "If I don't do my Father's works, then don't believe me. But if I do them, then believe on account of the works, even if not on account of me. Then you may believe that the Father is in me, and I in him."
Though his antagonists menaced him when he said those words, Jesus was able to continue on his way.
NEXT PAGE:
Last supper, agony, betrayal
https://secretpath191.blogspot.com/2020/11/last-supper-agony-betrayal_12.html
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