What does John 10:25 mean?
Jesus is standing in a specific area of the temple: the colonnade of Solomon, which blocks a person from leaving except through the temple itself. He is physically cornered there by local religious leaders with whom He's been in conflict. This encounter is neither polite nor subtle. These men don't merely approach Jesus; they are described using a Greek term related to siege warfare (John 10:24). Later verses speak of an attempt to stone Jesus, but this happens well inside the temple where stones aren't simply sitting around (John 10:31). They are already armed and prepared for violence. Like a gang of criminals, these men swarm around Jesus, trapping Him, holding weapons, and daring Him to repeat His former claims.Jesus does exactly that. In fact, as this conversation continues, He'll make a statement almost guaranteed to send them into a rage (John 10:30).
A recurring theme in Jesus' conversations with His critics is their willful obstinance. Jesus' life and teachings align perfectly with Scriptures these men know all too well. But they actively refuse to accept Him (John 5:39–40). Their main problem is an intent to disbelieve, not a lack of knowledge (John 7:17). Others have seen Jesus' miracles and properly interpreted them: as signs He is divinely empowered (John 3:1–2; 10:21). The men who threaten Him now have proven they're opposed to God (John 10:1–6) by crediting Jesus' miracles to Satan (Mark 3:22).
Jesus will continue to answer (John 10:26) by reiterating the first of His three shepherding-related analogies from this chapter. This puts His answer in plain terms: I already told you who I was, but you're not going to listen.