XXII. The Last Preaching Mission Begins
86. “I Am the Good Shepherd”
41And many came to him;a and they said, “John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true.”41Jesus said to them,b “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you claim that you can see, your sin remains.”
1“Every shepherd who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way, is a thief and a robber; 2but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the gatekeeper opens; the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers.”
6This parablec Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
(Jn. 10:41; 9:41; 10:1–6) (continued)
a “And many came to him”—Jesus and the apostles have hastened away from the jurisdiction of the Jewish authorities after the feast of Dedication. (See Ch. 85, Jn. 10:40.) They have journeyed north and west across the Jordan River to the province of Perea. (See map on page 16.) And in this province of Perea, Jesus now begins his last preaching tour before his arrest and crucifixion.
b “Jesus said to them”—Apparently a number of Jesus' enemies (the Jerusalem religious teachers and leaders) have followed him and make up a part of the crowd gathered about him. It is to them that he declares, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you claim that you can see, your sin remains.” (Jn. 9:41)
c “This parable”—In this parable of The Good Shepherd Jesus contrasts himself, the true shepherd, with a false shepherd (“a thief and a robber"). These false shepherds (the Pharisees and Jerusalem religious leaders) are a part of Jesus' audience, and in the parable Jesus depicts them as “strangers” whom the sheep (those who hunger for truth and thirst for righteousness) will not follow.
Jn. 9:41 no sin; (KJV) / no guilt; (RSV) • but since you claim (Ber) / but now that you say, (RSV) • that you can see (Rieu) / 'we see,' (RSV) • your sin remains.” (KJV) / your guilt remains.” (RSV)
Jn. 10:1 Every shepherd who / Truly, truly, I say to you, he who (RSV) • way, is / way, that man is (RSV)
Jn. 10:5 they know not the (KJV) / they do not know the (RSV)
Jn. 10:6 This parable Jesus (KJV) / This figure Jesus (RSV) (165:1–2/1817–8)
