In the Church, notwithstanding there are true pastors, as was the Apostle Peter, to whom Jesus had confided His sheep, as was Peter, such also were others. In our days they are rare, but we ought to pray the great Shepherd of the sheep that He would raise them up for the good of the Church. The wolf comes to destroy the sheep in the Church, but see the contrast in v. 12 and v. 28, the enemy can catch them and disperse them, but he cannot destroy them or snatch them from the hands of Jesus, who keeps them for heaven.
Many are the things which disperse the sheep, as false doctrines, hirelings, worldliness, &c.; as also Paul speaks of them, that after his departure grievous wolves shall not spare the flock. We have a beautiful example of the truth of the love of Jesus for His sheep when His enemies come to take Him, when He said these words, “I am he,” they fell to the ground, so that He could have gone away and left them confounded. But the Lord adds, “If, therefore, ye seek me, let these go their way,” in order that it might be fulfilled which He had said, “Of all that thou hast given me I have lost none.” The Good Shepherd thinks of His sheep, He defends them.
In v. 14 we are known by Christ as Christ is known by the Father, and Jesus is faithful and loving towards us as the Father is towards Him, and if we think of our weakness, we ought to think of Christ and the Father. The flock in v. 16 is the Church—not as a body of Christ, but looked at as individuals received into one flock. At vv. 17 and 18 we have His power, which He never uses to do His own will. He is always obedient. It was an obedience always voluntary. He always did the will of God, as we have seen in chap. 18, quoted above, where He shows indeed His power to terrify His enemies with His voice alone. At every step of His life He could have gone to heaven, but He had received a commandment from the Father, and that was to lay down His life, and He does it. How precious it is to study Christ! It is in this study only we learn to understand what is good; without Him there would be no knowing that there is such a thing as good.
In this Gospel the Jews are looked at as blind; and Jesus is not occupied with them, except in so far as He treats them as enemies, because their hatred against Him is open and systematic. “Ye believe not because ye are not of my sheep” (v. 26). But the more the Jews showed their hatred and enmity, the more His love is centered on His sheep.
At v. 28 there are three things—lst, What He gives them—eternal life; 2nd, If it is eternal life, they can never perish; and 3rd, No one can take them out of His hands, i.e., no external power can do it. The Father has given them to Jesus, who will present them at the last day according to the Father’s heart. The Jews knew very well that Jesus made Himself God, as we see in v. 31, and that was what incited them the more to desire His death. The sheep are held in the hands of the Father and of Jesus, who has broken the chains that bound them to Satan, has overcome the enemy and destroyed the power of death, so that there is no one who can snatch them out of His hands. He who has this power has become a Man, and died; descended into that death where man was, in order to take him out of it. This is marvelous to us, but natural to Him.
At v. 38 we have again the words of Jesus and the works, which are not only Works of power, but of goodness and blessing for men. When it is a question of the nature of God and man’s responsibility, God is spoken of as God, and when it is a question of grace, then the Father is spoken of because He has commissioned the Son to put the grace into effect. God is spirit and truth; in this case the nature of God and man’s responsibility is the subject treated of; but He who seeks worshippers is the Father. It is true that God is spoken of in chap. 3, “God so loved the world,” but it is to show that God is love in His nature, and that He is occupied with the salvation of men. In support of what we say we see another passage (1 John 4:7, 8, 147Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (1 John 4:7‑8)
14And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. (1 John 4:14)), where, speaking of the work, it is said, “ We bear witness that the Father sent the Son.” When He is revealed as Father, His love is in activity. We have already observed elsewhere that there are four names of relationship by which God is revealed: as Almighty to Abraham, to protect him in his pilgrimage; as Jehovah to Israel, to keep His promises; as Father to us Christians; and as Most High in the Millennium. The names of love and light are essential names.
Now in this chapter we come to an end of the whole history of the ministry of Jesus with the Jews.