Love On John's Terms (part 21)

The man to whom Jesus had given sight challenges the Pharisees who are questioning him and Jesus.  In response to that challenge, they threw him out of the assembly.  In the thirty-fifth verse, after he is thrown out, Jesus is said to have come to him in order to confirm to the man His presumed messianic identity.  This “throwing out” is ironic, as the very beginning of this story presents an observer with a sense of the way that this man had been previously treated prior to his healing.  Pointing to the nature of that treatment, Jesus’ disciples had asked Him “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?” (John 9:2) 

By this question, one can surmise that this man was ostracized from the community.  He was treated as an outsider.  He was treated as a sinner.  In terms of the way that he was treated by the community, he may as well have been a Samaritan or one possessed by a demon, but Jesus went to him.  Yes, Jesus gave him sight, and this is love at work; but perhaps just as importantly, Jesus also removed from him what was seen to be a curse and a source of shame (not just for him, but obviously for his parents as well), and this act of restoration to full humanity and to full participation in the community may be an even greater act of love. 

The tenth chapter of John, which does not provide a change in scenery (continuing in the same location in which the events of the ninth chapter unfolded---information useful to keep in mind as the story progresses), but does provide remarkable insights into the author’s definition of love as it relates to His telling of the story of Jesus, begins with “I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, is a thief and robber” (John 10:1). 

Now in hearing what follows, an observer is absolutely forced to consider that while it is highly likely that Jesus uttered these very words as words of warning to the assembled people in Jerusalem due to the highly charged political situation in Israel, and that they would have carried great weight for His original hearers, these words, as part of this narrative compilation of the life and words of Jesus, would have carried even greater weight for a Christian community near the close of the first century as they lived and served and worshiped after the fall and destruction of Jerusalem and the knowledge of the events that brought about that fall, and as they attempted to live out the ethic of Christ-modeled love that had gained ascendancy for this particular community. 

So, having put forward this thought, Jesus embarks on a series of statements about entering the door as the shepherd of the sheep, about gatekeepers, about sheep hearing the voice of true shepherd, about their not following strangers, and about sheep fleeing from that voice.  It is then said, not surprisingly as it is something of a general theme for the Gospels, that “they did not understand what He was saying to them” (10:6b).  However this lack of understanding was expressed (in the absence of an omniscient third-party narrator), Jesus apparently seizes on the lack of understanding and goes on to elaborate, repeating His dictum of “I tell you the solemn truth”, and going on to say, “I am the door for the sheep” (10:7). 

He then makes a slight change to His previous statement in regards to those that climb in by another way.  By doing so, Jesus makes it more direct and applicable, saying that “All who came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them” (10:8).  What does Jesus mean when He said that “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers”?  To whom is He referring?  He is obviously not talking about the prophets with whom He is no doubt being compared.  He is probably not talking about humans in general, and given the “all who came before Me,” it is unlikely that He is referring to the leaders of Israel in that day.

Good Shepherd (part 2 of 2)

Returning to the question previously posed, to whom was Jesus referring when He said that “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers” (John 10:8a).  With what has been outlined from this quick trip through the preceding chapters of John, we confidently propose that Jesus was referring to previous Messianic claimants.  Jesus was referring to all of those who had risen up in revolt and efforts to overthrow the nations that ruled over the land of Israel, grasping at that which was not theirs to take, and attempting to set themselves up as kings and rulers of God’s land and people.  Not only could this be directed towards all of those that could be looked back upon as potential and failed Messiah figures, but it could be rightly applied to Israel’s then current ruling, dynastic family, as Jesus adds “the sheep did not listen to them” (10:8b).  There were very few in Israel who looked upon the Hasmonean Herods as legitimate rulers. 

Jesus repeats Himself and says, “I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, He will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (10:9).  The people were in constant expectation of the re-establishment of national sovereignty and subsequent superiority to the surrounding nations, as in the days of David and Solomon.  They were expecting their God to break in upon history and set up His kingdom in and through them.  This was the reason for the repeated Messianic movements and claimants.  They looked to the long-held promise of a land of their own in which they ruled themselves, knowing that as long as the present situation of being ruled by foreign powers continued, that they were still in exile from God’s promises to them.  It is in this context that Jesus informs the people that the way in which they were attempting to regain control of their land, was not the way that God had intended for them.  It was not the door, so to speak.  Jesus told them that He was the door, and that entrance into the kingdom of God was going to be provided through union with Him.  The people would find their pasture, their land, through what it was that He was going to do, and through their believing in Him. 

Turning His thoughts to the thieves and robbers, the pretenders and presumptuous usurpers that had come before Him (not Satan as the thief and robber), Jesus offers commentary on their methods, saying that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy” (10:10a).  This was not God’s intention for His people.  Then, as it is now, it was not God’s design for His chosen people to establish and extend His kingdom by force of arms and violent revolution.  There was no need to steal and kill and destroy, as this is quite counter-productive to God’s plans.  Rather, Jesus, speaking forth as the Messiah that came to do the will of His Father, said “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (10:10b).  When Jesus speaks of this giving of life in abundance, is that gift to be thought of as being directed to Israel?  Naturally, that answer is yes.  However, we cannot disconnect the giving of life abundant from the statements about stealing, killing, and destroying.  In that, it must be understood that Jesus is also offering that gift to the Gentiles that were then in possession of the land---the gift of the blessings of the covenant God---in His establishment of the kingdom of God, which was contrary to all the then-current ways of thinking.  The people wanted their Messiah to steal from and kill and destroy the oppressors, but Jesus intended the opposite, desiring to establish the kingdom through the extension of His love, mercy, grace, and faith.  Yes, Jesus intended that the hated Romans, and all Gentile nations, to have the blessings of abundant life as well.      

Making the point about the nature of His kingdom and His role as Israel’s Messiah, Jesus adds to this and says “I am the good shepherd” (10:11a).  This use of “good shepherd,” owing to Old Testament prophecy (the book of Zechariah), was another way of speaking about the Messiah.  In this capacity, Jesus says, “The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (10:11b).  This was designed to begin preparing the people for the fact that their Messiah was going to be killed at the hands of the very ones that the people thought He would forcefully overthrow.  Previously, it had been the case that when a potential Messiah and king rose up, the evidence that the person in question was obviously not the Messiah was his death.  Execution or death at arms was the clear signal of another failed Messiah, but this was not going be the case for Jesus. 

Elaborating on this thought, Jesus presents a short analogy in reference to would-be Messiahs that had risen before Him (thieves and robbers), saying “He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.  He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (10:12-13).  How many men before Him had risen up to lead the people in revolution?  How many, when the pressure came and death threatened, ran away, leaving those whom he had previously led to suffer gruesome deaths?  As it relates to Jesus, the scattering can be understood as another reference to the prophecy of Zechariah (13:7), while also serving to make the point that Jesus, though He knew what was in store for Him in His pending crucifixion, was not going to flee from the wolf (the Romans and their cross) and leave His sheep unguarded.  No, He was going to be the shepherd that cared for His sheep, faithfully seeing His role through to the very end, for their salvation and life in His kingdom.  Driving this point home, He reiterates that He is “the good shepherd” (10:14a), and says “I lay down My life for the sheep” (10:15b).