New Testament Survey essay

The passage John 10:22-30 contains the most important message of Jesus Christ; he revealed to the Jews that he is the Son of God, and sums up the message that he taught all through his public ministry. He addresses Jews with a message of the greatest importance that underscores the immense implication of how people should act in response to Jesus’ words.This passage from the Gospel according to John is a kind of "timeless" wisdom to be remembered in any case, as it reflects Jesus' self-understanding and how people should perceive Jesus.

In the passage, one can read that the Jews “assembled” around Jesus, A rather neutral word “assembled” is used in the translation, as if the crowd calmly came to listen to the well-known professor. However, the original text says that the Jews “encircled” Jesus. Saint John uses this verb to put emphasis on the threat to Jesus’ life.

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Jesus says he will not let the sheep that come to him to be pulled out of his hand. Jesus draws a clear picture of wolves descending on the weak sheep and wiping them out, he promises to be a good shepherd and protect his herd. When Jesus says that he and His Father are the one, this is a symbol of how a conversation that began with a conflict is finished with harmony. A sheep that comes to Christ comes to God, as Father and Son are the one.

The message of the passage fits what the literary context teaches the reader, in prophesying harmony in the world. Certainly today, a lot of attempts to retain harmony and unity in the society, are frequently thrown straight back to the peoples’ faces. So far the final promise of unity, clarity and hearing is still not realized.

Saint John tries to explain not only that Jesus’ words generated a schism among the Judaic hearers, but that he intended to speak to those  who had ears to listen and were able to distinguish the Lord’s voice speaking to them about harmony, unity, and salvation. Among million of voices in the whole universe calling the herd, every sheep of God will hear and respond only to the Jesus’ voice.