9 I am the door, through me if any one may come in, he shall be saved, and he shall come in, and go out, and find pasture. 10 'The thief doth not come, except that he may steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they may have life, and may have 'it' abundantly. 11 'I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd his life layeth down for the sheep; 12 and the hireling, and not being a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, doth behold the wolf coming, and doth leave the sheep, and doth flee; and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep; 13 and the hireling doth flee because he is an hireling, and is not caring for the sheep. 14 'I am the good shepherd, and I know my 'sheep', and am known by mine, 15 according as the Father doth know me, and I know the Father, and my life I lay down for the sheep, 16 and other sheep I have that are not of this fold, these also it behoveth me to bring, and my voice they will hear, and there shall become one flock—one shepherd. 17 'Because of this doth the Father love me, because I lay down my life, that again I may take it; 18 no one doth take it from me, but I lay it down of myself; authority I have to lay it down, and authority I have again to take it; this command I received from my Father.'
19 Therefore, again, there came a division among the Jews, because of these words, 20 and many of them said, 'He hath a demon, and is mad, why do ye hear him?' 21 others said, 'These sayings are not those of a demoniac; is a demon able blind men's eyes to open?'
22 And the dedication in Jerusalem came, and it was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the porch of Solomon, 24 the Jews, therefore, came round about him, and said to him, 'Till when our soul dost thou hold in suspense? if thou art the Christ, tell us freely.' 25 Jesus answered them, 'I told you, and ye do not believe; the works that I do in the name of my Father, these testify concerning me; 26 but ye do not believe, for ye are not of my sheep, 27 according as I said to you: My sheep my voice do hear, and I know them, and they follow me, 28 and life age-during I give to them, and they shall not perish—to the age, and no one shall pluck them out of my hand; 29 my Father, who hath given to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to pluck out of the hand of my Father;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on John 10:9-29
Commentary on John 10:6-9
(Read John 10:6-9)
Many who hear the word of Christ, do not understand it, because they will not. But we shall find one scripture expounding another, and the blessed Spirit making known the blessed Jesus. Christ is the Door. And what greater security has the church of God than that the Lord Jesus is between it and all its enemies? He is a door open for passage and communication. Here are plain directions how to come into the fold; we must come in by Jesus Christ as the Door. By faith in him as the great Mediator between God and man. Also, we have precious promises to those that observe this direction. Christ has all that care of his church, and every believer, which a good shepherd has of his flock; and he expects the church, and every believer, to wait on him, and to keep in his pasture.
Commentary on John 10:10-18
(Read John 10:10-18)
Christ is a good Shepherd; many who were not thieves, yet were careless in their duty, and by their neglect the flock was much hurt. Bad principles are the root of bad practices. The Lord Jesus knows whom he has chosen, and is sure of them; they also know whom they have trusted, and are sure of Him. See here the grace of Christ; since none could demand his life of him, he laid it down of himself for our redemption. He offered himself to be the Saviour; Lo, I come. And the necessity of our case calling for it, he offered himself for the Sacrifice. He was both the offerer and the offering, so that his laying down his life was his offering up himself. From hence it is plain, that he died in the place and stead of men; to obtain their being set free from the punishment of sin, to obtain the pardon of their sin; and that his death should obtain that pardon. Our Lord laid not his life down for his doctrine, but for his sheep.
Commentary on John 10:19-21
(Read John 10:19-21)
Satan ruins many, by putting them out of conceit with the word and ordinances. Men would not be laughed out of their necessary food, yet suffer themselves thus to be laughed out of what is far more necessary. If our zeal and earnestness in the cause of Christ, especially in the blessed work of bringing his sheep into his fold, bring upon us evil names, let us not heed it, but remember our Master was thus reproached before us.
Commentary on John 10:22-30
(Read John 10:22-30)
All who have any thing to say to Christ, may find him in the temple. Christ would make us to believe; we make ourselves doubt. The Jews understood his meaning, but could not form his words into a full charge against him. He described the gracious disposition and happy state of his sheep; they heard and believed his word, followed him as his faithful disciples, and none of them should perish; for the Son and the Father were one. Thus he was able to defend his sheep against all their enemies, which proves that he claimed Divine power and perfection equally with the Father.