"Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep."
- John 10:6,7
 
Jesus had finished with the parable of the sheep pen. He told it in order to illustrate His hard words to the Pharisees: "For judgment I have come into the world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind" 9:39 "So that the blind will see" means to see the work of God displayed in the work of Jesus.
 
The Pharisees had responded, "Are we blind too? Jesus had to tell them: "If you could admit to your blindness in this matter, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, and in your seeing you reject me, your guilt remains'
 
Shortly after that, Jesus . . .

"Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what He was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep."
- John 10:6,7
 
Jesus had finished with the parable of the sheep pen. He told it in order to illustrate His hard words to the Pharisees: "For judgment I have come into the world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind" 9:39 "So that the blind will see" means to see the work of God displayed in the work of Jesus.
 
The Pharisees had responded, "Are we blind too? Jesus had to tell them: "If you could admit to your blindness in this matter, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, and in your seeing you reject me, your guilt remains'
 
Shortly after that, Jesus spoke His hard judgment on the Pharisees, and so it was that the parable of the sheep pen came to be spoken.
 
A false teacher can live with it if his audience doesn't understand Christ. He or she is quite happy to substitute experience as the way to God's approval. Such self-authenticating teachers harm the flock of sheep at risk.
 
Does this, then, mean that Jesus fails as a teacher with some who hear Him? He dialed up the pressure with His next words: "I tell you the truth." Jesus taught some more. 'Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will" 2 Timothy 2:25,26
 
We love You, LORD Jesus, we often may say,
But are we as ready His will to obey?
Let's heed what God's Spirit would have us to do,
For that's how we show Him a love that is true.
 
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - After all that Christ has done for us, how can we do less than give Him our best?