John 10:13-18
 
John 10:13 (KJB)
The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.
 
The truth is very simple here that the one who was hired to care for the sheep does not really care about the sheep because he is not the owner and could care less if a wild animal steals any of them. It is a good thing he is not the owner because he might have the same mindset as the hireling. This is what we see going on in the churches today and in many ministries. The man at the top who is supposed to be a representative of the Good Shepherd, cares only for himself and not for the sheep. Did you ever wonder why TV preachers are multi-millionaires? It is because they are all takers and not givers. There should be no such thing as a Christian millionaire by hoarding money. They should only be millionaires if they are giving to the Lord’s work and then being blessed by the Lord. You can’t outgive the Lord!
 
John 10:14 (KJB)
I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
 
Here Jesus states that He is the Good Shepherd and that what He is bringing is not a new religion but He is showing that He has a personal relationship with every one of His sheep. He knows the sheep because their names were written in the Lamb’s book of life before the foundation of the world. These who are saved personally know the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who lived while He was on earth knew Him personally, and we know Him by personal faith, in that we can pray and come to Him any time with anything on our minds. Someday when Jesus winds up this world after the last one is saved, we will then see Him in all His glory on His throne.
 
John 10:15 (KJB)
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.
 
In the previous verse Jesus had revealed how He had a personal relationship with all His sheep. In this verse He once again emphasizes the relationship that He has with His Father. This would also mean that those who are in Christ will also have a personal relationship with the Father. Jesus came to fulfill the Father’s will on earth by dying for the elect. Here He states that “I lay down” which is in the first person singular speaking of Himself. (Heb 1:3 KJV) Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Jesus Himself as the Good Shepherd purged all our sins and made us ready for Heaven. This also teaches us that He did this willingly and was not forced by anyone.
 
John 10:16 (KJB)
And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
 
Here Jesus speaks about other sheep that He has and this is referring to the Gentiles and to all those down through the ages who will become saved from all over the world. They will hear His voice when they are called unto salvation. All the people who have become saved will make up one sheepfold and will have one Shepherd over them. This is a fulfillment of the prophecy found in Ezekiel 37:24. (Ezek 37:24 KJV) And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. David is figurative for the Lord Jesus Christ who will be the king and in the next phrase we read about one shepherd who is Christ. The body of believers will be one flock. It will be made up of both Jews and Gentiles. It is interesting that Jesus states that “I must bring,” because these were named before the foundation of the world and as He stated in chapter 6, that He would not lose one believer.
 
John 10:17 (KJB)
Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
 
Jesus is stating that His Father loves Him because He is going to lay down His life and because of that, the will of the Father will be fulfilled and this means that through Christ, millions of people will become saved. Then the next phrase teaches us that right after He gives His life for the sheep on Calvary, the third day He will be resurrected from the physically dead and will live again. (Rom 1:4 KJV) And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: Romans 1:4 is not stating that Jesus was not the Son of God before but it is basically teaching that by being resurrected, it was a declaration confirming His eternal and divine Sonship. Jesus also points to the fact that not only is He laying down His life for the sheep but He is also going to resurrect Himself. Keep in mind that when Jesus died on the cross, He committed His spirit unto the Father who is in Heaven, and then He died. Now when the spirit leaves the body, the physical body dies. On the third day, Jesus’ returned from Heaven to His body thus giving the body life once again. Then in Galatians 1:1 we read that God the Father raised Jesus. (Gal 1:1 KJV) Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) So now we see that both Jesus and the Father raised Jesus in concert. This is exactly how the ministry of Jesus was performed on earth by doing the will of the Father. Everything Jesus did was in concert with the Father’s will, even the resurrection.
 
John 10:18 (KJB)
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
 
Power - Authority
 
Here Jesus is speaking directly to the fact that His impending sacrifice was done willingly and it was not forced on Him by anyone. He has the authority to lay His life down willingly and the authority to take up His life again. Once again we see that the ministry of Jesus was done in concert with His Father because He was given the commandment that He will have the authority to perform both tasks and this commandment was not one like a superior giving a commandment to an inferior, but it was by mutual agreement. Throughout the ministry of Jesus we openly saw that neither He nor His Father had worked independently of each other. They did everything together.

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