Gospel of John—Lesson 30
By Joyce Webb 2026
John Chp. 10 Vs. 19-31
Verse 19 After Jesus talked about being the good shepherd and that he alone was the door—–he talked about giving up his life.
He said that no one could take his life from him. That he could lay down his life and he could pick it up again. Meaning he could give up his spirit to God the Father, and he could come alive again. Meaning that he had the power of life within himself.
That is not something a human can do. That is something only God can do.
The people and Jewish leaders listening to Jesus —began talking to each other about what Jesus just said.
Verse 19, 20 Some of the people said, “He has a devil in him.” others said, “He is mad (crazy). Why should we listen to him?”
Vs. 21 Others said, “These are not the words of a person who has a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of a blind person?”
Vs. 22 This verse begins with Jesus at Jerusalem in the winter. It is a feast time. (The feast at this time of year was Hanukkah. About the same time we Christians celebrate Christmas.)
Vs. 23 Jesus walked in the temple in a part called Solomon’s Porch.
Vs. 24 Some Jewish people and leaders came around Jesus and said, “How long will you make us doubt—tell us plainly—are you the Christ?” They meant “Are you the promised Messiah?”—-the word Christ and Messiah were meaning the same person.
In the Old Testament, God promised that he would some day send a Person to save the Jewish people. The Jewish people always thought that this meant that the Person who God would send would be a great King and he would rule over them and he would fight against the Jews’ enemies and win.
So all these hundreds of years they were looking for a great person to rise up and be their King who would save them from their enemies.
That idea of who the Messiah/Christ would be was not completely correct.
The Messiah/Christ would be a great King and he would save them from their enemies—–but that would be at a later time and not at his first coming to earth.
In the future—yet to come—- Jesus will be King over all the earth—over every nation. When he comes at that time—he will come and save the Jewish people from their enemies who are at war with them when the Jewish people are almost losing to the enemy. Jesus will come and conquer the enemies and save the Jews. Then he will be King over all nations.
In Jesus’ first coming to earth—he also came to save the Jewish people.
He did not come to be King then. He came to pay the death punishment –that was on every human because of their sin.
He came to save them from—-not earthly enemies—-but to save them from paying the death punishment themselves —for their sin.
That was for the Jewish people and for the Gentile people of the whole earth.
The Jewish people were looking for a “King”. They were not looking for a person who looked like an ordinary man and who lived like an ordinary man.
When this “ordinary man” did things like heal people or raise up people from the dead—-they did not know what to think.
If Jesus was the Messiah—he should become their king and get rid of the Roman rulers. Jesus did not do that.
So the Jewish people had a hard time trying to understand who this “ordinary man” was.
Vs. 25 Jesus said to them—I told you who I was and you did not believe me.
I do the works of my Father in heaven and I do them in his name. The works I do—are a witness of who I am.
Vs. 26, 27 You do not believe me, because you are not of my “sheep”—as I said, My sheep know my voice and they follow me.” Meaning: Only some of the Jewish people will truly hear what Jesus is saying and believe him that he is God’s son. (Even though they understand that Jesus does not intend to be a king—-still he is from God and heaven and they need to learn more and understand more about him.)
Vs. 28 Jesus said: I give unto them (the ones who really listen and believe) eternal life—and they will never perish (die)— (meaning their spirits will live forever)
And no one will be able to pluck (take) them out of my Father’s hand.
Meaning: no one can take them away from believing in Jesus—if they choose to believe in Jesus—what men say to them, or do to them—will not take them away from Jesus—if they want Jesus —no one has the power to take them from Jesus. The Holy Spirit will help those people to stay firm in their faith.
Vs. 30 Jesus said: “I and my Father are one.”
Vs. 31 Then the Jews took up stones to throw at him to kill him.
————————–
Why did they do that? Jesus had said that he was the same as God.
Jesus and God the Father are one. They are of the same essence (same substance, same thing that makes up one –makes up the other.)
Jesus came out of God. He has the same substance as God the Father.
To the Jewish people—Jesus—the “ordinary man” was calling himself God. That was blasphemy! Meaning the worse kind of dishonor —a terrible sin.