Post by rmcdra on Apr 5, 2015 12:31:01 GMT -5
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.
In this section Jesus is describing how the Christ will appear. Christ being the perfect image of the Father-Mother is quite literally the door to seeing God. Those who try to claim to know God but do not know God's nature are to be regarded as thieves and robbers. An emphasis is put here on hearing the voice of the shepherd. This is due to the fact that appearances are deceptive and not everything is as it seems but you can test the spirits and know by the fruits that are produced. In this case the fruits are what is being said. They did not understand could be taken two ways. They didn't get the point of this parable or that they did not understand that Jesus is referencing 1 Enoch.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Here Jesus says plainly that he is the Christ. Seeing as John is a theological work, this is how the writers saw him. They saw Jesus as the perfect image of God and that all that came before him were thieves and robbers. Yes this means all the prophets, including Moses. The prophets did not care for the sheep, the people of God, but wanted to kill and destroy. This is a direct reference to the story of the 70 shepherds in 1 Enoch 89:59-90:42 with a tiny twist. Though he references this story, he leaves out the judgment and wrath of God that is told in this story. This is probably due to the writer of not seeing God as being angry and to be consistent with the fact that “God judges no one” as mentioned previous in John 5.
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Here he goes into more detail comparing the Son of God against the prophets. The prophets will flee when danger arises. They will hide behind the laws of “gawd” they laid down and allow the sheep to be destroyed by them. They are only concerned with propping themselves up. The good shepherd knows who his sheep are and he knows who the Father-Mother is. The author is being inclusive of Gentiles when he mentions sheep not of the the fold, the fold being Israel. Here Jesus says the Father-Mother loves Christ because Christ will lay down his life and take it again. This awkward wording makes sense when you understand that the word translated as “life” also is the Greek word for Soul. This is a layered verse not only talking about the resurrection but also about how to reunite with God. When you lay down your soul, who you think you are, the part of you that is a mix of matter and spirit, you can take up who really are because though the soul may die, only the matter part of it dissolves and what is left is the spirit, the part of yourself that is authentic. We are not commanded to do this meaning this is a choice we have to make. What is commanded is that we make the choice, there is not a middle ground on this. You crucify your soul so that it may be resurrected or you avoid testing. Keep in mind that this is a theological text so this interpretation so it is quite likely the author did think this deeply about it.
19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”
This small passage illustrates the disconnect between scripture/tradition and what the end results are. At this point, scripture and tradition is saying that this is madness and blasphemy but what they are seeing and hearing is true because they are actually experiencing it. Another double meaning here is “opening the eyes of the blind”. Tradition and scripture can blind us from seeing God because, being creatures of habit, things have to be a particular way. As my late mentor gave as an example to me, scripture says that the ocean is wide and deep but when you talk about all the water that is in the ocean, they want to know where the water is since the ocean is described as wide and deep, nothing is mentioned about water.
22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The Jews described here are caricatures of how early Christians saw the Pharisees. So blinded by their tradition that they were unable to see the image of God was in front of them. Jesus replied that he did not have to say who he was because his works said who he was. We are defined not by what we believe but what we do with our beliefs. By saying that they are not his sheep he's said that they are not followers of God. That no matter what works he does, they will be blinded by their traditions that they cannot hear the voice that is calling to them. Eternal is another one of those words that's translated from another word that has multiple meanings and the other meanings are a bit more meaningful than eternal. The word used is “aeon” which also has meanings of “fullness”, “completeness”. One could take away a meaning of “eternal life” but to me it's more meaningful to take away that by following Christ one is able to find a completeness, to find a meaningful life. It should also be noted that “aeon” is a theological terms for the emanations of God. While some take verse 30 to be proof of a trinity formula, this God math (thank you Jesse for that term), misses the point, as the next section will illustrate, that Christ is acting out the will of God because Christ is the perfect image of God's nature.
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.
The caricatures are wanting to kill Jesus because he is not conforming to their theological box. It doesn't matter that he is doing what is right what matters to them is that he is being “unlawful” in their eyes. He quotes scripture here not to prove that the scripture is right but to use their “weapon” against them. We are all the image of God but it is through our actions that we make that image come to life. We should not take what is at face value but at what is being done. In this example, if you don't believe what Jesus says, believe in the works being performed to you can come to know the nature of God. This is not advocating “salvation by works” as some may describe this but that you should be willing to pony up if called. Putting faith in something is not about blind belief but by what you experience and “hear”. It is trust in what is accomplished. This is laying down your soul and living a life in the fullness. The verse 39 in a pun. They were unable to grasp him, physically and what he was saying.
40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 Many believed in Him there.
Jesus returned to where he started. The Jordan is where he received the Holy Spirit when he was baptized by John. All will return to whence they came. The ending is always the beginning. The people mentioned trusted not because of signs or prophecy but because they could "hear his voice"
In this section Jesus is describing how the Christ will appear. Christ being the perfect image of the Father-Mother is quite literally the door to seeing God. Those who try to claim to know God but do not know God's nature are to be regarded as thieves and robbers. An emphasis is put here on hearing the voice of the shepherd. This is due to the fact that appearances are deceptive and not everything is as it seems but you can test the spirits and know by the fruits that are produced. In this case the fruits are what is being said. They did not understand could be taken two ways. They didn't get the point of this parable or that they did not understand that Jesus is referencing 1 Enoch.
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Here Jesus says plainly that he is the Christ. Seeing as John is a theological work, this is how the writers saw him. They saw Jesus as the perfect image of God and that all that came before him were thieves and robbers. Yes this means all the prophets, including Moses. The prophets did not care for the sheep, the people of God, but wanted to kill and destroy. This is a direct reference to the story of the 70 shepherds in 1 Enoch 89:59-90:42 with a tiny twist. Though he references this story, he leaves out the judgment and wrath of God that is told in this story. This is probably due to the writer of not seeing God as being angry and to be consistent with the fact that “God judges no one” as mentioned previous in John 5.
11 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15 even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18 No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.”
Here he goes into more detail comparing the Son of God against the prophets. The prophets will flee when danger arises. They will hide behind the laws of “gawd” they laid down and allow the sheep to be destroyed by them. They are only concerned with propping themselves up. The good shepherd knows who his sheep are and he knows who the Father-Mother is. The author is being inclusive of Gentiles when he mentions sheep not of the the fold, the fold being Israel. Here Jesus says the Father-Mother loves Christ because Christ will lay down his life and take it again. This awkward wording makes sense when you understand that the word translated as “life” also is the Greek word for Soul. This is a layered verse not only talking about the resurrection but also about how to reunite with God. When you lay down your soul, who you think you are, the part of you that is a mix of matter and spirit, you can take up who really are because though the soul may die, only the matter part of it dissolves and what is left is the spirit, the part of yourself that is authentic. We are not commanded to do this meaning this is a choice we have to make. What is commanded is that we make the choice, there is not a middle ground on this. You crucify your soul so that it may be resurrected or you avoid testing. Keep in mind that this is a theological text so this interpretation so it is quite likely the author did think this deeply about it.
19 A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them were saying, “He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?” 21 Others were saying, “These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?”
This small passage illustrates the disconnect between scripture/tradition and what the end results are. At this point, scripture and tradition is saying that this is madness and blasphemy but what they are seeing and hearing is true because they are actually experiencing it. Another double meaning here is “opening the eyes of the blind”. Tradition and scripture can blind us from seeing God because, being creatures of habit, things have to be a particular way. As my late mentor gave as an example to me, scripture says that the ocean is wide and deep but when you talk about all the water that is in the ocean, they want to know where the water is since the ocean is described as wide and deep, nothing is mentioned about water.
22 At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23 it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. 26 But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28 and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
The Jews described here are caricatures of how early Christians saw the Pharisees. So blinded by their tradition that they were unable to see the image of God was in front of them. Jesus replied that he did not have to say who he was because his works said who he was. We are defined not by what we believe but what we do with our beliefs. By saying that they are not his sheep he's said that they are not followers of God. That no matter what works he does, they will be blinded by their traditions that they cannot hear the voice that is calling to them. Eternal is another one of those words that's translated from another word that has multiple meanings and the other meanings are a bit more meaningful than eternal. The word used is “aeon” which also has meanings of “fullness”, “completeness”. One could take away a meaning of “eternal life” but to me it's more meaningful to take away that by following Christ one is able to find a completeness, to find a meaningful life. It should also be noted that “aeon” is a theological terms for the emanations of God. While some take verse 30 to be proof of a trinity formula, this God math (thank you Jesse for that term), misses the point, as the next section will illustrate, that Christ is acting out the will of God because Christ is the perfect image of God's nature.
31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33 The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34 Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? 35 If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken), 36 do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38 but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39 Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.
The caricatures are wanting to kill Jesus because he is not conforming to their theological box. It doesn't matter that he is doing what is right what matters to them is that he is being “unlawful” in their eyes. He quotes scripture here not to prove that the scripture is right but to use their “weapon” against them. We are all the image of God but it is through our actions that we make that image come to life. We should not take what is at face value but at what is being done. In this example, if you don't believe what Jesus says, believe in the works being performed to you can come to know the nature of God. This is not advocating “salvation by works” as some may describe this but that you should be willing to pony up if called. Putting faith in something is not about blind belief but by what you experience and “hear”. It is trust in what is accomplished. This is laying down your soul and living a life in the fullness. The verse 39 in a pun. They were unable to grasp him, physically and what he was saying.
40 And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41 Many came to Him and were saying, “While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true.” 42 Many believed in Him there.
Jesus returned to where he started. The Jordan is where he received the Holy Spirit when he was baptized by John. All will return to whence they came. The ending is always the beginning. The people mentioned trusted not because of signs or prophecy but because they could "hear his voice"
