21 Days in the Book of JohnSample

Even though all the other gospels record Jesus’ parables, there are none in the book of John. When Jesus spoke about being the Good Shepherd, He was technically telling the Pharisees a proverb.

Here are a few things I’d like to point out about Chapter 10:

1. In those days a man’s wealth was determined by the size of his flock and throughout history Israel was dependent on this industry. To protect his sheep, a shepherd would enclose them at night and sleep in front of the gate. In the morning, he would let them out through the gate to the pasture. The sheep followed their shepherd and knew his voice. Jesus is the best shepherd of all as He protects us, leads us, feeds us, and blesses us.
2. In this proverb, there are many clues as to the identifications of others. The porter (someone who would watch the sheep until the shepherd arrived) was John the Baptist. The thief and robbers were the Pharisees. The wolf was Satan, and the hirelings were the priests.
3. The Feast of Dedication was instituted by Judas Maccabaeus in 165 B.C. to commemorate the dedication of the Temple. It is an 8-day celebration that began with burning lights in the Temple and people’s homes. Today it is called by its Hebrew name: Hanukkah. Jesus returned to Jerusalem for the last time before His death for this celebration. The people were wondering if He was truly the Messiah because they were wanting a political revolt.