If he called them ‘gods’, to whom the word of God came— and the Scripture cannot be broken— “broken” = luo = to loose any person (or thing) tied or fastened, such as shoes, chains, or bonds. Thus to loose what has been built together; to dissolve, to destroy or do away with. “the scripture …
Category Archives: Book of John By Verse
John 10:34
Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’? Jesus is quoting (Psalm 82:6). Strictly speaking, “the Law” refers to the Pentateuch, the first 5 books of the Bible, but the term was widely used to refer to the entire Old Testament. Psalms 82:6 “I said, ‘You are …
John 10:33
“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” “blasphemy” = blasphemia = slander, detraction, speech injurious to another’s (especially God’s) good name. The English definition is “profane or mocking speech, writing, or action concerning God or anything regarded as …
John 10:32
but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?” “great” = kalos {kal-os’} = beautiful or excellent. This is the same word Jesus used when speaking of the “good” shepherd. It denotes the attractiveness of goodness. The works He did came …
John 10:31
Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, “picked up” = bastazo = to take up with the hands in order to carry or bear. There were no loose stones in Solomon’s Colonnade so the Jews went to get some ammunition with which to stone Jesus. Since there was constant remodelling work being done …
John 10:30
I and the Father are one.” Jesus is not asserting identity, but total unity. He and the Father are not one in person, but in essence and in nature. Jesus is claiming to be God, but not claiming to be the Father. What a great reinforcement to the fact that God’s sheep are safe in …
John 10:29
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no-one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. “no-one can . . .” = Our Shepherd is all-powerful and it is impossible for anyone to take us away from Him. Earthly shepherds may be killed or incapacitated, but we are in the …
John 10:28
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no-one can snatch them out of my hand. “eternal life” speaks of the quantity of life: it will never end. It starts when we accept it and continues on forever after that. Note that this is a gift and cannot be earned or paid for. …
John 10:27
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. “listen” = “hear” (KJV) = to use the faculties for hearing, not just to possess such faculties. There is a sense of listening and acting upon what is heard. “I know them” is unexpected; we would expect to see “they know Me,” …
John 10:26
but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. “But” is very strong. They are in the habit of not believing.
John 10:25
Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, “believed” (KJV) is actually in the present tense and should be rendered “believe” as it is in the NIV. Jesus has already told them that he is the Son of God, the Son …
John 10:24
The Jews gathered round him, saying, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” “round him” = they hemmed Him in. This was an act of intimidation to get the answers they wanted from Jesus. They were actually blaming Jesus for their unbelief. This is what sinners …
John 10:23
and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade. “porch” (KJV) should be “colonnade” as it is in the NIV. It was a series of columns with a roof, which was welcomed as protection from the weather. It was here that people came to meditate and pray, and it was here that rabbis …
John 10:22
Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, feast of dedication = “Dedication” in Hebrew is “Hanukkah”. This is the latest of the Jewish festivals and it occurs annually on the 25th of the Jewish month Chisleu, which corresponds to our late November – mid December. It was founded by Judas Maccabeus …
John 10:21
But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?” “But others” defended Him. There is a minority that have been touched by what Jesus has been saying. Truth has penetrated their hearts to one extent or another and they come …
John 10:20
Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?” Those against Christ made accusations that He, the Son of God, was possessed by a demon and that He, the Truth incarnate, was crazy. What horrible and completely false things to say. Perhaps the saddest word in this verse is “many.” …
John 10:19
At these words the Jews were again divided. This is not the first time recorded in John that the words of Jesus have caused division (John 7:43, 9:16). God’s Son dod not come to earth to try to appease everyone and fit into our way of thinking; He came to tell us the truth and …
John 10:18
No-one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” “power” (KJV) = “authority” (NIV) = exousia = power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; the power of …
John 10:17
The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life— only to take it up again. The death of Jesus is thoroughly linked with His resurrection. He dies in order that He may be raised again. His death is not defeat, but victory.
John 10:16
I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. “not of this sheep pen” means not found within Judaism. Jesus did not come exclusively for the Jews; He came to save the …
John 10:15
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. To what degree are we to know our Shepherd? Even as He knows His Father and His Father knows Him. This is mainly speaking of a degree of intimacy beyond our wildest dreams! And yet it …
John 10:14
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— Jesus is speaking of intimacy here. He knows His sheep; He knows each one of them, individually. He doesn’t just know the flock, He knows each sheep. And His knowledge of His sheep is deep and full and complete. But there …
John 10:13
The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. The motivation of the hireling is wages, not the sheep themselves.
John 10:12
The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The shepherd who has been hired for the job and does not own the sheep, has complete responsibility for the sheep …
John 10:11
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. “good” = kalos = beautiful or excellent. There are two words in the Greek for good, this one and agathos which describes the moral quality of a thing or person. Jesus used kalos to describe Himself. Temple observes that “it …
John 10:10
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “the thief” = is anyone who would prey upon the sheep. Ultimately it is satan. 1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring …
John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. God’s Old Testament entrance into His fold was His love, grace, and mercy, and this has now found fulfillment in Christ. “All the Old Testament institutions, prophecies, and promises, so far as they referred …
John 10:9
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. God’s Old Testament entrance into His fold was His love, grace, and mercy, and this has now found fulfillment in Christ. “All the Old Testament institutions, prophecies, and promises, so far as they referred …
John 10:8
Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. “gate” = There were sheepfolds out on the hills which were just open spaces enclosed by four walls. There was one doorway, but no door. The shepherd would lie across the doorway making it impossible for wild beasts to …
John 10:7
Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. “gate” = There were sheepfolds out on the hills which were just open spaces enclosed by four walls. There was one doorway, but no door. The shepherd would lie across the doorway making it impossible for wild beasts to …
John 10:6
Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. The Greek word (paroimian) translated as “parable” in KJV is not so translated anywhere else in the Bible and is not the same word which is translated as parable elsewhere (parabolh). The NIV better translates it as “figure of …
John 10:5
But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.” There are accounts given of travellers to Palestine dressing in the garb of the shepherd and trying their best to imitate his voice and call, but the sheep only run away. Jesus …
John 10:4
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. “brought out” literally means to thrust out. If a sheep is reluctant to leave, the shepherd makes sure that they do so anyway. “all his own” = This is inclusive; he …
John 10:3
The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. the watchman opens = The type of fold spoken of here is a communal fold close to town in which several flocks would be kept for the night under the …
John 10:2
The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. Shepherds in Palestine are quite different from those in Western lands. In Palestine, the shepherd was never off duty while the sheep were grazing. The ground is rough and stone-filled so there is very little grass which creates a need to keep …
John 10:1
“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. Jesus gave an allegory of a shepherd and his sheep to those listening. This would have been very recognizable to the hearers, for throughout the …
John 9:41
Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. If the Pharisees had really been blind they would have had no sin, but since they had an understanding of spiritual things and yet refused to receive full sight, their sin …
John 9:40
Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” The saddest part of this passage is the Pharisees never realize that they could possibly be blind.
John 9:39
Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” There is probably a time lapse between the talk of Jesus with the man born blind and His discussion with the Pharisees in this section. The two are placed together here by …
John 9:38
Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshipped him. The man’s revelation of Jesus Christ has been progressing throughout the day and he now comes to it’s fullness. He recognizes that Jesus is the only One worthy to receive his faith and allegiance and he again acts according to the extent of his …
John 9:37
Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Jesus revealed Himself to the man. Note the manner in which Jesus words His revelation of His identity: “You have now seen him…” This would have special significance to the man who had never in his life seen anything …
John 9:36
“Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Up to now the man had not seen Jesus, but Jesus has just sought him out and spoken to him and he knows that voice. He knows that the One to whom he is speaking is the same One …
John 9:35
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “when he found him” – The man was cut off from family, religion, and society in general. It became common knowledge that he had been thrown out of the Temple and Jesus …
John 9:34
To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. His agrument is indeed unanswerable. The Jews again lose their cool and fling insults at him since they cannot fling answers at him. Robertson observes: “The audacity of it all… It was insufferable. He …
John 9:33
If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” His reasoning is beautiful and complete. God only hears and answers the prayers of the righteous; Jesus has performed a miracle that no one else in all of history has done and could only have come from God; therefore Jesus must be righteous and …
John 9:32
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. This healing is unparalleled in all of history, even by Moses!
John 9:31
We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. “God does not listen to sinners.” = (Psalms 66:18, Proverbs 15:29, Isaiah 1:15) Psalms 66:18 If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; Proverbs 15:29 The LORD is far from …
John 9:30
The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. The man boldly continues to answer their attack with ironic and yet powerful reasoning. He declares that the truly marvelous thing is that these leaders of Israel (“you” is emphatic) cannot see the simple truth in …
John 9:29
We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.” Some of the people knew of what they thought to be the origins of Jesus (John 7:27) but none of the Pharisees knew from where Jesus came (John 8:14). They regard their lack of knowledge …
John 9:28
Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses! The Jewish authorities completely lose their cool and lash out at the man. Edersheim observes “they lost all self-possession and with this their moral defeat became complete.” (Life II, 185) They claim to be followers of Moses, …
John 9:27
He answered, “I have told you already and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples, too?” He poses his question in such a way as to expect a negative answer. He is obviously baiting the Jews and, as we can see from the …
John 9:26
Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” Why would the accusers go back over the ground they just covered? They were seeking grounds to convict Jesus.
John 9:25
He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” He sticks to the facts of which he is certain and does not bow to their theories. Nothing can budge the man who can say with conviction “one thing I know”. …
John 9:24
A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God,” they said. “We know this man is a sinner.” “We know” = Ironically, the Pharisees say this phrase many times. It is indeed an indication of their real problem — pride. They think they know the answers and are therefore …
John 9:22-23
His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Christ would be put out of the synagogue. That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” “acknowledged” = is used in the broad sense of giving …
John 9:21
But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” “He is of age” = he is an adult and capable of answering for himself. The Jews recognized adulthood as beginning at the age of thirteen and one day, but …
John 9:20
“We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. The parents answer the 2 questions to which they are legitimate witnesses. Although they are in great fear and have not anyways near the boldness of their son, they remain unshaken as to the facts of which they are …
John 9:19
“Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?” The Jews put 3 questions to the parents, probably to confuse them and give their questioners the upper hand. The first 2 are relevant to the area of knowledge of the parents, …
John 9:18
The Jews still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. The Jews (or Pharisees) operated off the premise that Jesus did not come from God. He said and did things they didn’t like and that did not agree with the theology they …
John 9:17
Finally they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” The man replied, “He is a prophet.” Morris observes that “It is a measure of their perplexity and division that they ask the man what he thinks of Jesus. Normally they would not have …
John 9:16
Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.” But others asked, “How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?” So they were divided. “signs” = Men of God were often tested by the signs they could produce. Exodus 4:8 Then the LORD said, “If they …
John 9:15
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.” The Pharisees do not congratulate the man on being healed and given sight; they are not joining him in his joy. In fact, they don’t really care …
John 9:14
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath. Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath, perhaps intentionally to accomplish His purposes, and thus broke the Sabbath law in at least 3 ways: Working on the Sabbath = Jesus made clay which was work, even the simplest …
John 9:13
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. His neighbors brought him before those who claimed to be experts in the law.
John 9:12
“Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said. Jesus has left the area and is not to be found. Sometimes after having accomplished a work of grace in our hearts, Jesus leaves us to think about and apply that which we have learned before He returns to give us a greater …
John 9:11
He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” On his way home from the Pool of Siloam, he has apparantly been asking as to the personage of his …
John 9:10
“How then were your eyes opened?” they demanded. When we first accepted Christ and received spiritual sight in exchange for our blindness, we had many friends who saw a difference in us and asked us what it was. Our greatest opportunities to witness come after first being saved, when we still have the same set …
John 9:9
Some claimed that he was. Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” The context makes it plain that there are no divine overtones in the manner in which he responded. There is division over whether he is the former blind man or not, but he dispels …