I Am the Good Shepherd

John 9:1–42; John 10:1–42

A man born blind is healed on the Sabbath, and the celebration is short-lived — the Pharisees interrogate him, then throw him out of the synagogue for defending the man who healed him. Jesus finds him afterward, alone, and gives him something greater than sight. From there, Jesus paints a picture of a shepherd who calls his sheep by name, who lays down his life for them rather than fleeing like a hired hand, and who has other sheep not yet gathered into the fold. Months later, at the Feast of Dedication, the same argument resurfaces — is he the Christ, or is he blaspheming? — and Jesus makes one of the clearest claims of his ministry: he and the Father are one.

We are in a Mark-John Harmony. Today's episode covers: John 9:1–42, John 10:1–42 (the healing of the man born blind, his interrogation and expulsion from the synagogue, the Good Shepherd discourse, and the Feast of Dedication).