John chapter 10

vs 11

Obviously shepherds didn't just kill themselves for their sheep for no reason. I think the idea is that he puts his life on the line for the sheep. After all, if all you have is your sheep, and then you lose them, well, what's the point of living? Fighting off thieves and wolves and stuff was just par for the course for a shepherd.

And it's the same for the church too. The choice of Jesus' words here is obvious in its meaning to us, but at the time it was still unclear what he was talking about with all this dying stuff.

vs 12

I don't think the hired hand is meant to represent anyone in particular (although I'm sure everyone could come up with an opinion). I think the reason the hired hand is mentioned is just to compare it to the shepherd, which is Christ. Others would not die for the church, but Jesus would. Whoever those others are isn't really important.

vs 13

Again, this is just showing why the true shepherd will lay his life down for his sheep, by comparing it to why others won't.

It was the love of Christ for us that compelled him, just as it should compel us.

vs 14

Jesus repeats his earlier point, that sheep know their shepherd, and he also knows who his sheep are. There is a double recognition here - some people see Jesus for who he is (even blind or ex-blind people) and Jesus sees those who will follow him.

vs 15

And this relationship is the same as Jesus' relationship with God the father. It doesn't mean we are Christ, it means we know Christ. Easy enough for those early Christians who met him to say, but it is a true for us, even though we haven't met him physically. Only yesterday Brian and I were talking about how you can usually tell when you meet a Christian as opposed to a church goer, even if they're not evangelical or whatever.

Jesus is also repeating two other key points. One is that he knows God the Father (which people were still iffy about) and the other that he will die for his sheep because he knows them, and he has relationship with them.

vs 16

My assumption here is that Jesus is talking about the gentiles. But this is one of those verses which whole heresies are based on (Mormonism, to name one) so I'm not going to be too dogmatic here, but I do think my opinion is justified. Certainly moreso than the Mormon rubbish.

If what I am saying is right, then Jesus is forshadowing the addition of gentiles to the church, and them being one glorious whole.

vs 17

Jesus is doing God's will, up to and including his death. Well, now we really know what he's talking about with the whole "take it up again". But everyone else would have been totally confused.

vs 18

Interestingly, Jesus says that no one takes it from him. And in a way, this is true. It does not remove the responsibility from those who killed him (that is, all of us) - someone allowing you to do a wrong action does not excuse you from doing the wrong action. Someone forcing you to do a wrong action is a different matter, called negative responsibility, but that's not what we're dealing with here - Jesus says he willingly put his life on the cross, but that doesn't mean that the people who dragged him and nailed him there aren't responsible.

vs 19

Again, division is made amongst the hearers. What was splitting them? Probably all sorts of stuff. His mentioning of his knowing God, his mentioning that he will die but come back to life again, his recent name calling, saying the Pharisees are blind and will be judged as sinners... Jesus knew how to stir the crowd.

vs 20

Some of them thought he was demon possessed. Like I said - spiritual stuff has to come from one of two places in a Jewish mindset, and if you don't want to accept Jesus as from God, then you only have one alternative.