The Gospel of John By J.C. ryle

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CHAPTER X JOHN 10:1-9 Jesus as the Good Shepherd "I tell you the solemn truth, the one who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens the door for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought all his own sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they recognize his voice. They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, because they do not recognize the stranger’s voice." Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, "I tell you the solemn truth, I am the door for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved, and will come in and go out, and find pasture. The chapter we have now begun is closely connected with the preceding one. The parable before us was spoken with direct reference to the blind teachers of the Jewish Church. The Scribes and Pharisees were the people our Lord had in view, when He described the false shepherd. The very men who had just said "We see," were denounced with holy boldness, as "thieves and robbers." We have, for one thing, in these verses, a vivid picture of a false teacher of religion. Our Lord says that he is one who "enters not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way." The "door," in this sentence, must evidently mean something far more than outward calling and commission. The Jewish teachers, at any rate, were not deficient in this point--they could probably trace up their orders in direct succession to Aaron himself. Ordination is no proof whatever that a man is fit to show others the way to heaven. He may have been regularly set apart by those who have authority to call ministers, and yet all his life may never come near the door, and at last may die nothing better than "a thief and a robber." 132 of 282
The true sense of the "door" must be sought in our Lord's own interpretation. It is Christ Himself who is "the door." The true shepherd of souls is he who enters the ministry with a single eye to Christ, desiring to glorify Christ, doing all in the strength of Christ, preaching Christ's doctrine, walking in Christ's steps, and laboring to bring men and women to Christ. The false shepherd of souls is he who enters the ministerial office with little or no thought about Christ, from worldly and self-exalting motives, but from no desire to exalt Jesus, and the great salvation that is in Him. Christ, in one word, is the grand touchstone of the minister of religion. The man who makes much of Christ is a pastor after God's own heart, whom God delights to honor. The minister who makes little of Christ is one whom God regards as an impostor--as one who has climbed up to his holy office not by the door, but by "some other way." The sentence before us is a sorrowful and humbling one. That it condemns the Jewish teachers of our Lord's time all men can see. There was no "door" in their ministry. They taught nothing rightly about Messiah. They rejected Christ Himself when He appeared-- but all men do not see that the sentence condemns thousands of so-called Christian teachers, quite as much as the leaders and teachers of the Jews. Thousands of ordained men in the present day know nothing whatever about Christ, except His name. They have not entered "the door" themselves, and they are unable to show it to others. Well would it be for Christendom if this were more widely known, and more seriously considered! Unconverted ministers are the dry-rot of the Church. "When the blind lead the blind" both must fall into the ditch. If we would know the value of a man's ministry, we must never fail to ask, Where is the Lamb? Where is the Door? Does he bring forward Christ, and give Him his rightful place? We have, for another thing, in these verses, a peculiar picture of true Christians. Our Lord describes them as sheep who "hear the voice of a true Shepherd, and know His voice;" and as "sheep who will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers." The thing taught in these words is a very curious one, and may seem "foolishness" to the world. There is a spiritual instinct in most true believers, which generally enables them to distinguish between true and false teaching. When they hear unsound religious instruction, there is something within them that says, "This is wrong." When they hear the real truth as it is in Jesus, there is something in their hearts which responds, "This is right." The careless man of the world may see no difference whatever between minister and minister, sermon and sermon. The poorest sheep of Christ, as a general rule, will "distinguish things that differ," though he may sometimes be unable to explain why. Let us beware of despising this spiritual instinct. Whatever a sneering world may please to say, it is one of the peculiar marks of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As such, it is specially mentioned by John, when he says, "You have an annointing from the Holy One, and you know all things." (1 John 2:20.) Let us rather pray for it daily, in order that we may be kept from the influence of false shepherds. To lose all power of distinguishing 133 of 282
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CTL.TODAY PRESENTS EXPOSITORY THOUG
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CONTENTS PREFACE - 5 I. JOHN 1:1-51
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theological views of the Reformers
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when matter was first created, and
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2:40.) This was the whole tenor of
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The main truth which this verse tea
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JOHN 1:15-18 John testified about h
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JOHN 1:19-28 The Testimony of John
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Salvation is within their reach; bu
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Last, but not least, Christ is a PE
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who have done most for Christ's cau
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Himself, and the agency of man seem
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son of Abraham--a Jew inwardly, pos
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is lightly esteemed. They who light
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JOHN 2:12-25 Cleansing the Temple,
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that are taught by parents to child
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CHAPTER III JOHN 3:1-8 Conversation
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(Rom. 8:7.) We come into the world
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We have in these verses the second
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when we die. Christ has been "lifte
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the Spirit sparingly. The Father lo
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The truth before us, is one of the
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inconsistent with the fact announce
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the people who worship him must wor
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feels its disease. Never does a man
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How much astonishment every fresh c
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JOHN 4:31-42 Workers for the Harves
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The words of Paul should never be f
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hours, while the old and feeble lin
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CHAPTER V JOHN 5:1-15 Healing a Par
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We are taught, lastly, the lesson t
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We learn, for another thing, from t
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the way to heaven. Until we know so
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scriptures thoroughly because you t
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JOHN 5:40-47 "But you are not willi
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doubts. Is it at all likely, probab
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something was amended or restored t
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Jerusalem, it was on a borrowed don
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The Lord Jesus, we should never for
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JOHN 6:28-34 So then they said to h
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Page 84 and 85: no restriction. The terms of the Go
Page 86 and 87: These things, no doubt, are deep an
Page 88 and 89: Let us next consider carefully, wha
Page 90 and 91: the idea of eating His flesh and dr
Page 92 and 93: sower, many "have no root in themse
Page 94 and 95: CHAPTER VII JOHN 7:1-13 The Feast o
Page 96 and 97: We should observe, lastly, in this
Page 98 and 99: Whatever some may say about their i
Page 100 and 101: is true. You do not know him, but I
Page 102 and 103: It is far too much forgotten that t
Page 104 and 105: one thing, that all who come to Chr
Page 106 and 107: God who knows anything of these thi
Page 108 and 109: CHAPTER VIII JOHN 8:1-11 A Woman Ca
Page 110 and 111: Conscience is a most important part
Page 112 and 113: seen from a different point of view
Page 114 and 115: him, and he may possibly return at
Page 116 and 117: JOHN 8:31-36 Abraham’s Children a
Page 118 and 119: captive by it. Liberty, like this,
Page 120 and 121: "By baptism," we are confidently to
Page 122 and 123: The true Christian in the present d
Page 124 and 125: CHAPTER IX JOHN 9:1-12 Healing a Ma
Page 126 and 127: will not be tied down to the use of
Page 128 and 129: works of mercy, in ministering to t
Page 130 and 131: God," he cries, "He could do nothin
Page 134 and 135: etween bitter and sweet is one of t
Page 136 and 137: hearer, would be singularly full of
Page 138 and 139: own words literally fulfilled--"I c
Page 140 and 141: doubtless make shipwreck forever, u
Page 142 and 143: inspiration are to be numbered by t
Page 144 and 145: us to our Bibles, and teaches us to
Page 146 and 147: ecover." (Now Jesus had been talkin
Page 148 and 149: main are led by one Spirit, and lov
Page 150 and 151: the only Savior is often all that w
Page 152 and 153: Weeping and mourning are sadly tryi
Page 154 and 155: of inward faith, that when our turn
Page 156 and 157: We should observe, for one thing, i
Page 158 and 159: flesh," but they do not tend to pro
Page 160 and 161: It is a comfortable thought, that t
Page 162 and 163: Let us thank God if we know anythin
Page 164 and 165: willing Savior at the right hand of
Page 166 and 167: find at length that he has lost eve
Page 168 and 169: on our Divine Substitute, and borne
Page 170 and 171: their graves, and appear before the
Page 172 and 173: to find unbelief among the hearers
Page 174 and 175: Another thing shown in these verses
Page 176 and 177: CHAPTER XIII JOHN 13:1-5 Washing th
Page 178 and 179: knowledge. To know things with our
Page 180 and 181: more remembered, and real humility
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The lesson is one of which we all n
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Jesus said to him, "What you are ab
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God. Let us watch jealously over ou
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every relation of life. Specially i
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elievers. They do not see clearly w
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deeds. Believe me that I am in the
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that cannot be mistaken. "If you ha
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they who never forget the words, "O
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ody is united to the head. So long
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Christ must always be attended by l
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find Him saying, "Peace I leave wit
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CHAPTER XV JOHN 15:1-6 The Vine and
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vain notion to suppose that we are
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to be, that fruitfulness in Christi
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sweeping condemnation. Sound views
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Facts, painful facts in every age,
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utterly without excuse." They had s
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CHAPTER XVI JOHN 16:1-7 "I have tol
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We never can tell what is before us
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The difficulty of rightly explainin
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and, ‘because I am going to the F
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We may well believe that up to this
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disciples--"The Father Himself love
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CHAPTER XVII JOHN 17:1-8 When Jesus
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with attention, and fail to see tha
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hypocrites, it is one which those w
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e entirely by grace, and not of wor
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CHAPTER XVIII JOHN 18:1-11 Betrayal
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just as willing to receive and pard
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oth remained unmoved, cold, indiffe
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etter man? If Peter's fall has made
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Our Lord's main object in saying "M
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understanding; if you do you seek h
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picture, it contains special points
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governors that a country can have.
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utterly unlike the kingdoms of this
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crucifixion, were inspired by Him w
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JOHN 19:38-42 After this Joseph of
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passage before us was meant to conv
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owed so much to Christ. None felt s
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JOHN 20:11-18 But Mary stood outsid
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was not the highest style of faith.
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infusion of grace and charity--to s
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The story of the unbelief of Thomas
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it go. Unless our Lord Jesus is ver
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We should observe, for one thing, i
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JOHN 21:15-17 Then when they had fi
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scattered throughout this sinful wo
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the sermons they preached, and all
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J.C. Ryle Bio and Resources: John C
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The Gospel of John By J.C. ryle

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