JOHN 10:1 – 42
Bible Study Notes Rev. Betsy Perkins
The Voice of the Shepherd
o If you were blindfolded and taken into a room filled with people talking, are there any individuals you might be able to pick out from the crowd simply by their voice? What is it about their voice that is unique? How did you acquire that level of recognition and familiarity?
The Shepherd or A Thief? (10:1-6)
Joe Boyd, Bible Experiment – Gospel of John (RightNowMedia), 1:22:10-1:??:?0
o A sheep pen was probably an enclosure in which several families might have kept their sheep. How would a member of one of these families enter this sheep pen?
o How would they sort out each family’s sheep?
o Read Ezekiel 34:1-16. Who are the “shepherds of Israel” that Ezekiel is to deliver this message to? How have the human shepherds failed? What does God promise to do about it?
o Who would be our “shepherds” today? Are you a “shepherd”?
o The main question being debated in John 9 was “Is Jesus from God or not?” How does this parable address that question?
o How is Jesus suggesting they should be able to tell God’s true, appointed leader when he comes?
o How is the man who Jesus just healed from blindness a sign of this happening?
The Gate and The Good Shepherd (10:7-18):
o Why does a thief enter the sheep pen? Why does the shepherd enter the sheep pen?
o When the sheep are brought into a sheep pen, what is the role of the shepherd? Read Psalm 121:7-8.
o Who are the thieves and robbers Jesus speaks of in verse 8?
o How committed is the hired hand to the sheep? What is his priority?
o How committed is the shepherd to his sheep? What is his priority? (Again, how does this answer the main question being asked about who Jesus is?)
o Who are the “other sheep” Jesus speaks of in verse 16?
o How do you think the Jewish leaders and people might felt upon hearing that “other sheep” would be allowed in? Do we ever feel that same way even today?
o What is Jesus’ plan for the sheep?
The promise of full life, full to overflowing, is as relevant for us today as it was then. The modern Western world has discovered how unsatisfying materialism really is, and is looking for something more, something beyond. Many thieves have told lies, and have deceived the sheep, stolen them and left them for dead. The call today to Jesus’ true sheep is to listen for His voice, and to find in Him and Him alone the life which is overflowing life indeed. N.T. Wright
o Jesus hints at what is going to happen to him. How does the parable of the shepherd and the sheep help us understand what Jesus has come to do and why he needs to do it?
o After Ezekiel speaks of the Lord becoming the good shepherd of Israel, he then speaks of God appointing another shepherd. Read Ezekiel 34:23. Who is this good shepherd?
Our word ‘good’ doesn’t quite catch the full meaning of the word John has written here. For us, ‘good’ can sound a bit cold or hard, merely moralistic. The word John uses can also mean ‘beautiful’. This doesn’t refer to what Jesus looked like. It’s about the sheer attractiveness of what, as the shepherd, he was doing. When he calls, people want to come. When they realize he has died for them, they want to even more. The point of calling Jesus ‘the good shepherd’ is to emphasize the strange, compelling power of His love. N.T. Wright
o What are Jesus’ “I AM” statements in this passage? Fill them in on your chart.
The Messiah and the Father (10:19-42):
o What are the people arguing about following Jesus’ shepherd/sheep illustrations? What voices do they seem to be hearing?
o The Festival of Dedication is what is now called Hanukkah. Do you know what is being celebrated? How does it relate to shepherds/leaders?
o How does Jesus answer the direct question as to whether or not he is the Messiah?
o What promise does Jesus make to those who recognize his voice as the voice of their shepherd, their leader, their Messiah? What is the basis of his being able to make this promise?
o What was it Jesus said that caused his opponents to threaten to kill him on the spot?
o Jesus defends himself from the accusation of blasphemy with a phrase from Psalm 82:6 – basically saying, if the scriptures can say it then so can I. What does he tell them to use as the basis for judging his claim?
o On what basis do you evaluate Jesus’ claim to be one with God the Father?
The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along right paths, for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies,
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23
In light of this passage and our discussion, what one truth about God and about yourself stand out as something to “take to heart” this week?
Are there steps you will take, by God’s grace, to more fully apply it to your life?
Resources: NIV Zondervan Study Bible, 2015
N.T. Wright, John for Everyone, 2002
Max Lucado, Life Lessons from John, 2018
Joe Boyd, Bible Experiment – Gospel of John (RightNowMedia), 2014
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