Bible Study is very important for our spiritual growth in the wisdom and the knowledge of the God we profess to worship and serve.  Sadly, to say, don’t many professing Christians read or study the Bible.  They received salvation and have no desire to grow spiritually or get to know the God they say they worship.  The problem with this, God has given His people instructions on how to live as a Christian, without following the instructions of the Bible it causes them to live a life of disobedience to God’s instructions which will cause them to receive discipline and a chance to make hell their home.

John 10:23 – And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon’s porch. Solomon’s porch was a roofed walkway supported by large stone columns, just inside the walls of the Temple courtyard. It was the feast of dedication, and it was winter, a feast that was annually observed by consent in remembrance of the dedication of the new altar and the purging of the temple, by Judas Maccabaeus. Jesus walked in the temple, ready to give audience to any that had questions or comments and to offer them His service.

John 10:24 – Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt?  If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.  The Jews came around Him to tease Him; He was waiting for an opportunity to do them kindness.  Ill-will for good-will is no rare and uncommon return. Jesus had good-will towards them whereas the Jewish leaders had ill-will towards Him.  They came about Him pretending an impartial and importunate inquiry after truth but intending a general assault.  They quarrel with Him as if He had unfairly held them in suspense.  Their questioning was the effect of their infidelity, and powerful prejudices.  The struggle was between their convictions which told them He was the Christ and their corruption which said “No” because He was not such a Christ as they expected. They hoped He would declare Himself the Messiah for one of two reasons. First, they along with the disciples and everyone else in the Jewish nation would have been delighted to have Him drive out of the Romans.  They hoped He would identify Himself so they could accuse Him of telling lies as the Pharisees did

John 10:25 – Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me. Jesus reminded the Jewish leaders of His words and works.  Jesus was the Messiah and said to be so as He told the woman at the well He was the Messiah as well as the man born blind.  His works include all the miracles He performed as signs pointing to His Messiahship.

John 10:26 – But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep as I said unto you. At the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus had told the leaders that they were not among His sheep.  If they would have been of His sheepfold, they would have believed Him without questioning His Lordship. They pretended that they only doubted, but Jesus tells them they did not believe.  He refers to them to His works and the example of His life as well as His miracle.  Jesus Himself was a miracle being born of a virgin as well as the miracles He performed.  No man has never been born of a  virgin, and no man can do the miracles He performed except God was with Him and was sent by God.

John 10:27 – My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  Jesus described two characteristics of His sheep (1) They hear His voice, (And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him for they know his voice V.4). (2) They follow Him, (I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine – V. 14).  The following of the sheep is a metaphor for faith.  To convince them they were not His sheep, He tells them what was the character of His sheep. They hear His voice and they know it to be His voice, they discern His voice from all the other voices they hear. They delight in it and they do according to what they hear.

John 10:28 – And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.  Just as a shepherd protects his sheep, Jesus protects His people from eternal harm.  While as believers we can expect to suffer on earth, the Bible tells us this (Confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God – Acts 14:22).  This Scripture wasn’t just for the disciples of the Apostles time, but for every disciple known as a Christian then and now.  This is why we have been admonished to put on the whole armor of God.  Keeping on the armor and our faith in Jesus will enable us to partake in eternal life with the Father and Son.  Although earth is Satan’s domain, if we choose to follow Jesus, He will give us everlasting safety.

John 10:29 – My Father which gave them me is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.  The power of the Father is greater than any enemy that would try to come against a true Christian. Satan attacks the believer’s physical body, finances, marriage, children, business, but he can’t do anything unless God allows him, and if He allows him then it’s going to work together for our good although it seems as though he’s winning.  When we completely give ourselves to God; no weapon formed against us will prosper.

John 10:30 – I and my Father are one.  When Jesus makes the declaration of He and His Father is one, the Jewish opponents understood that Jesus was claiming to be God.  Jesus and the Father are not the same people, but they are one in essence and nature. Just as Jesus prayed to the Father that we would be one with Him and the Father (That they may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me – John 17:21). We become one with the Father and Son through sanctification although we are many we are animated by one Spirit. When we completely submit ourselves to the Spirit of Christ, we become the children of God.

John 10:31 – Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him.  The Jewish leaders attempted to carry out the direction found in Leviticus regarding those who blaspheme (And he that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, and he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death – Leviticus 24:16).  They didn’t believe Jesus was God nor the Son of God. God said Jesus was God (But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God is for ever and ever: A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom – Hebrews 1:8).  The Jewish leader’s heart was hardened with envy and jealousy and unbelief.

John 10:32 – Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? Jesus asks them a question, He had performed many good works (miracles) what He had seen of His Father, which of those works were they stoning Him for?They had seen His lifestyle, they had seen Him perform miracles, what could they find Him to make Him worthy of stoning?

John 10:33 – The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself, God. Their reply was, they weren’t stoning Him for His good works, but because He claimed to be God  The Jewish antagonizers revealed the reason for their opposition to Jesus His claiming a unique unity with the Father, a unity that clearly indicated His own deity; the Jewish leaders considered this to be blasphemy.