THE THIEF COMETH NOT BUT FOR TO STEAL, TO KILL, AND TO DESTROY

John 10:10(KJV)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It is important to note the audience in this passage.

John 10:19(KJV)

There was a division therefore again among THE JEWS for these sayings.

Jesus was speaking to Jews.

Now the Lord's words in this passage followed an event—he had just healed a man born blind (chapter 9) and the Pharisees interrogated both the man and his parents. Something worthy of note is that these Jews did not believe that Jesus is the Christ—meaning they did not believe he was the one the prophets prophesied about in the scriptures, that would come and save the world (note).

John 9:22(KJV)

These words spake his parents, because THEY FEARED THE JEWS: FOR THE JEWS HAD AGREED ALREADY, THAT IF ANY MAN DID CONFESS THAT HE WAS CHRIST, HE SHOULD BE PUT OUT OF THE SYNAGOGUE.

The Jews had been waiting for centuries and centuries for the Christ, the Son of God, who would come and save them (as the prophets had prophesied) BUT they didn't believe it was Jesus, a carpenter's son, born in a manger, and not to a royal family.

The man who got healed believed in Jesus.

John 9:35-38(KJV)

[35]Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, DOST THOU BELIEVE ON THE SON OF GOD?

[36]He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?

[37]And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee.

[38]And he said, LORD, I BELIEVE. And he worshipped him.

Follow closely

John 9:39-41(KJV)

[39]And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.

[40]And some of the PHARISEES which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also?

[41]Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

The Pharisees believed they could see, but Jesus inferred that they were blind.

John 10:1-2(KJV)

[1]Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that ENTERETH NOT BY THE DOOR into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, THE SAME IS A THIEF AND A ROBBER.

[2]But he that ENTERETH IN BY THE DOOR is THE SHEPHERD OF THE SHEEP.

So, the Lord continued by giving a contrast between A THIEF and THE SHEPHERD as an illustration he would go ahead to explain—unlike a thief, the shepherd enters by the door into the sheepfold.

John 10:3-5(KJV)

[3]To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth HIS OWN sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

[4]And when he putteth forth HIS OWN sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

[5]And A STRANGER will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

So he further described a thief as a stranger. Don't forget the use of "his own" to describe the sheep belonging to the shepherd.

John 10:6-9(KJV)

[6]This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

[7]Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I AM THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP.

[8]ALL THAT EVER CAME BEFORE ME ARE THIEVES AND ROBBERS: but the sheep did not hear them.

[9]I am the door: by me if any man enter in, HE SHALL BE SAVED, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

Now, in explaining, Jesus began to give personalities to his illustration (KJV uses the word "parable"). Don't forget, the illustration reflects a contrast between two groups of people: the true shepherd vs the thief (or thieves) i.e., Jesus vs those that came before him.

Jesus said he is the door of the sheep and everyone that came before him are thieves. He is the door—the only way through which man could be saved (verse 9). This implies that those he was referring to that came before him were those who claimed to be saviour—who claimed to be the Christ but apparently weren't.

John 10:10-12(KJV)

[10]THE THIEF cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I AM come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

[11]I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

[12]BUT HE THAT IS AN HIRELING, AND NOT THE SHEPHERD, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and THE WOLF catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

So Jesus, as the door, is the good shepherd. He used three words to describe the thief— robber, stranger, and hireling (hired worker)— those who had come before him and had claimed to be the shepherd.

We can find explanation for verse 10 in his further explanation, especially verse 12. So we can see that "to steal" by the thief is to claim ownership over the sheep that do not belong to him—"whose own the sheep are not" (verse 12).

"To kill and to destroy" is defined in the fact that when the wolf comes, the thief would abandon the sheep and they would perish.

So we can see that:

(1) Jesus here is referring to more than one person as thief, and

(2) The destruction is not done directly by the thief but by the wolf. The thief's participation in their destruction is abandoning them.

SO YOU SEE THAT THE DEVIL IN THIS CONTEXT IS NOT THE THIEF BUT THE WOLF. The thief would abandon the sheep because he cannot save them from the wolf, but the true shepherd would lay down his life to save the sheep from the wolf.

So how would Jesus save the sheep? By laying down his life for them. This, the thief cannot do. Why? He does not care about the sheep (verse 13). So he comes around to claim ownership for his own selfish interest, unlike the true shepherd.

John 10:16(KJV)

AND OTHER SHEEP I HAVE, which are NOT of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ONE FOLD, and ONE SHEPHERD.

Here, Jesus was referring to GENTILES—different from the Jews and strangers from the promise—for his coming was not for the Jews only but to save the whole world.

Now see

John 10:24-26(KJV)

[24]Then came the JEWS round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? IF THOU BE THE CHRIST, TELL US PLAINLY.

[25]Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me.

[26]BUT YE BELIEVE NOT, BECAUSE YE ARE NOT OF MY SHEEP, as I said unto you.

So who are his sheep? THOSE THAT BELIEVE IN HIM—that he is the Christ.

John 10:27-30(KJV)

[27]My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:

[28]AND I GIVE UNTO THEM ETERNAL LIFE; AND THEY SHALL NEVER PERISH, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

[29]My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

[30]I and my Father are one.

Back to verse 10

John 10:10(KJV)

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they (the sheep) might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

So who are the thieves? FALSE CHRISTS. Those who had come before the time of Jesus claiming that they were the ones the prophets prophesied about, only to lead many astray. They apparently would have been many, in different generations, but the Bible talks about two among them, and I want to show you.

Acts 5:35-39(KJV)

[35]And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.

[36]For before these days rose up THEUDAS, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.

[37]After this man rose up JUDAS of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.

[38]And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:

[39]But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.

Theudas and Judas of Galilee are notable leaders of different failed Jewish Messianic movements amongst others, the latter being around 6AD when Jesus was still a little boy.

So the thief (robber/stranger/hireling) in John 10 does not refer to Satan but false Christs. Christ means anointed (the chosen; sanctified one for the assignment—the fulfillment of the scriptures of the prophets).

There was and is only one Christ—JESUS the Son of God.

Victor Ibosiola © 2020.