John 10:1-42
10:1 The one place scheming and deceiving cannot get you is with God. People might find ways to weasel themselves into positions of authority and honor but that will not work with God. Only authentic, sincere kindness allows a person through the door of His house.
10:2 Jesus, worthy of entering through the door, is the shepherd of the sheep. Likewise, whoever is authentically, sincerely kind, is eligible to protect God's children.
10:3 A sincere, compassionate shepherd/teacher/guide/friend (however you wish you label the relationship) is readily and enthusiastically welcomed through the symbolic door of God's house. Additionally, this shepherd shows their authenticity by knowing and cherishing each particular member of their group. Jesus, our shepherd, does indeed lead us out of many things: sadness, confusion, chaos... and He knows us each uniquely.
10:4 Continuing the metaphor: the shepherd leads the sheep (with love and wisdom), goes before them to protect them and the sheep happily and contentedly follow because they know they can trust the shepherd. This is instructive; we can follow our creator's lead because He has proven Himself trustworthy and compassionate.
10:5 A sheep, led by a kind and wise shepherd, does not stray to other, untrustworthy shepherds. God instructs His students well, enables us to discern kindness from deceit and equips us with the ability to deny and reject philosophy's contradictory to His own. He devotes Himself to our well-being.
10:6 Jesus used this metaphor to humbly teach the message of Himself as the shepherd symbol (a description of His purpose of gathering and leading God's children), but because they did not understand, He explains the metaphor in detail in the following verses.
10:7 Jesus explains: the only way into God's family, heaven (however you like to think of being with God) is through the way of life Jesus teaches. Jesus teaches us to be honest, just, and empathetic -- if we are those things, the door is wide open for entry.
10:8 Throughout history (and still today) people, religions and organizations have been established and deceitfully pretend to be upholders of Jesus' message. Instead, they prey on others to obtain wealth, fame, and/or control for themselves. God is very observant -- He knows that His true children never fall victim to these deceitful types for they are able to recognize truth from lie. They have identified and believed in their true creator and nothing leads them astray.
10:9 Living life with the philosophy Jesus taught us is the way to be saved. To be saved from what? We hear it all the time but what does it mean? God's way of life saves us from ourselves. It saves us from the mistakes and chaos humanity raises while on earth. It leads us away from materialism, greed, selfishness... and leads us directly into freedom, protection and peace (pasture).
10:8 Throughout history (and still today) people, religions and organizations have been established and deceitfully pretend to be upholders of Jesus' message. Instead, they prey on others to obtain wealth, fame, and/or control for themselves. God is very observant -- He knows that His true children never fall victim to these deceitful types for they are able to recognize truth from lie. They have identified and believed in their true creator and nothing leads them astray.
10:9 Living life with the philosophy Jesus taught us is the way to be saved. To be saved from what? We hear it all the time but what does it mean? God's way of life saves us from ourselves. It saves us from the mistakes and chaos humanity raises while on earth. It leads us away from materialism, greed, selfishness... and leads us directly into freedom, protection and peace (pasture).
10:10-11 Jesus' entire purpose, inspiration and motivation is to give, protect and better life for all of God's children. His purpose was not to come and rule or punish... it was to set people free from chaos and heal them from the cruel punishments inflicted upon them by the unjust.
10:12-13 Contrarily, there are some selfish, manipulative leaders, teachers, church members, etc. who pretend to be good-shepherds but instead are looking only to procure wealth and control for themselves. The very moment their following is in danger (danger caused by their corrupt rule, no doubt) they completely abandon them to protect their own selves.
Be very perceptive when choosing who to follow, join or befriend. A person's actions speak for their true character and you want to be with someone honest, loyal, and compassionate.
Jesus walks right into danger for us. He puts Himself in the midst of His enemies because He loves us so much. He lays His life down to have the opportunity to teach us how to save our own.
10:14 Jesus emphasizes His zealous, deep and particular love for each of us, individually. He is with us in spirit in our lives, our thoughts, our experiences... in every moment. If we allow Him to, He guides us, protects us, instructs us, heals us. He knows precisely what we need because every aspect of our souls and lives is important to Him.
10:15 Beautiful verse, it must be repeated: As the Father knows me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. Jesus and God are in sync and they both wholeheartedly agree that they love us. Their selfless, boundless love devotes itself entirely to our well-being.
10:16 Humans are so focused on division. Jesus wants us to understand that there are many "batches" of people in the world (each diverse from the other) yet all of them are welcome and a part of Him. The core of Jesus message is compassion and no matter the path a person or culture takes to reach Him, if it is a path of compassion, they will indeed reach Him and be welcomed. Humans often become obsessed with rules and exclusivity but God welcomes all who are kind. Even if a person does not believe in or know of Jesus, they are an integral part of His family if they are compassionate, good people during their lives. They do the work of God without even realizing -- and there is something very special in that. They are good by nature... God would never turn such a person away.
10:17 Another verse I must reiterate: Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. This verse, in essence, is Jesus' entire life story condensed. Jesus is beloved by God because of His selfless compassion for humanity -- He comes to earth to guide us despite knowing He would be mocked, beaten and killed for it. His selfless compassion therefore gives Him life. God gifts life to the selflessly compassionate -- a brighter, eternal, perfect life.
10:18 Jesus life could not have been taken without His willingness. Jesus had the choice not to come. He did not lose His life because of His enemies, He allowed them to take it. He allowed them to take it because the message He brought was worth the pain and torture He would endure to bring it. God allows Jesus to reclaim His eternal life because He's earned it and has gifted eternal life to countless others.
10:19-21 The crowd is quite divided. The perceptive see the truth and empathy of Jesus' message. The disbelieving close their ears to anything which threatens their corrupt authority on earth.
10:22-24 Although His entire life was dedicated to exemplifying the philosophy He taught, His adversaries persisted in questioning Him.
10:25 He reminds them that He has often and clearly proclaimed His identity through healing, teaching, wisdom, kindness...
10:26 Jesus' sheep, His followers, are easily able to identify the truth of His words because the compassion He speaks of us a familiar concept in their own hearts innately. His adversaries do not understand His message because their hearts are selfish and unjust.
10:27 Jesus' sheep, again -- His followers, know Him and understand Him because they have felt His lasting and compassionate impact in their lives. They willingly devote themselves to God because they trust His love and wisdom.
10:28 With God, you are always protected. Your faithful, spiritual connection with Him guides you throughout your lifetime: celebrates with you in times of joy and supports you during challenges. At the end of your time on earth, you eternally join the creator, the comforter that guided you through life.
10:29 There is no force, person, ideology or organization with more control than God. We've spoken before of What/Who God is, manifested...our God is more than universal. God is nature, science, creator... a being, a spirit so comprehensive we cannot even adequately perceive the nature of existence. God is not a king on a thrown... God is LIFE, LIGHT, WISDOM, EMPATHY manifested. Such a thing cannot be quantified. With life, light and wisdom behind you... who or what could ever make you stumble?
10:30 Jesus is the manifestation of everything our creator, our Father embodies. To know one is to know the other. To know compassion is to know them both.
10:25 He reminds them that He has often and clearly proclaimed His identity through healing, teaching, wisdom, kindness...
10:26 Jesus' sheep, His followers, are easily able to identify the truth of His words because the compassion He speaks of us a familiar concept in their own hearts innately. His adversaries do not understand His message because their hearts are selfish and unjust.
10:27 Jesus' sheep, again -- His followers, know Him and understand Him because they have felt His lasting and compassionate impact in their lives. They willingly devote themselves to God because they trust His love and wisdom.
10:28 With God, you are always protected. Your faithful, spiritual connection with Him guides you throughout your lifetime: celebrates with you in times of joy and supports you during challenges. At the end of your time on earth, you eternally join the creator, the comforter that guided you through life.
10:29 There is no force, person, ideology or organization with more control than God. We've spoken before of What/Who God is, manifested...our God is more than universal. God is nature, science, creator... a being, a spirit so comprehensive we cannot even adequately perceive the nature of existence. God is not a king on a thrown... God is LIFE, LIGHT, WISDOM, EMPATHY manifested. Such a thing cannot be quantified. With life, light and wisdom behind you... who or what could ever make you stumble?
10:30 Jesus is the manifestation of everything our creator, our Father embodies. To know one is to know the other. To know compassion is to know them both.
10:31-33 What of Jesus' message warranted stone-throwing? Stone-throwing, metaphorically, is something all unkind souls/humans do. They wish to instill and provoke fear in the people they disagree with... violence is their outlet, their method. Always be a proponent defending against such violent injustice.
10:34-36 Jesus is explaining that just as they, we, humanity belongs to God... so does He belong to God. Where is the blasphemy in that? We are all God's children... Jesus proudly proclaims His relationship to God and yet is condemned for it. Their arguments continue to be senseless, illogical and contradictory to what they say they believe. By saying He is the Son of God... Jesus is not claiming to be anything more than any of us are. We are all sons and daughters of God. Jesus is often emphasized as God's child because of how GOOD He is at it -- purely and innocently selfless and empathetic. Jesus is a humble child, a glad child, a productive child and because of that -- He is a manifestation of all that God embodies. Where is the blasphemy in that? If nothing else does, His actions during His time on earth prove all of that to be true.
10:37-38 If by nothing else, Jesus is saying, determine who I am and if I am truthful by what I say and do. He agrees that if a person does not exemplify what they say, they cannot be trusted. But Jesus does the work of God (healing, guiding, loving) and His works are a testimony of everything He teaches. His works alone identify Him as a soul of God's.
10:39 Remember what Jesus taught us in verse 18 of this chapter: Jesus willingly gives His life... and therefore it is only given when He is finished teaching and spreading the philosophy of God in every place and person it needed to be.
10:40-42 Jesus joins John the Baptist. John's disciples and followers believed his message because Jesus' works proved everything John foretold and taught them to be true. They were observant and perceptive: Jesus' life spoke for itself and identified Him as a prophet from God.
