John 10:20 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?"

NIV: Many of them said, "He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?"

NASB: Many of them were saying, 'He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him?'

CSB: Many of them were saying, "He has a demon and he’s crazy. Why do you listen to him?"

NLT: Some said, 'He’s demon possessed and out of his mind. Why listen to a man like that?'

KJV: And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him?

NKJV: And many of them said, “He has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to Him?”

Jesus' public teachings are often controversial, to the extent they cause arguments among His audience (John 7:43). Most recently, Jesus has given sight to man born blind (John 9). That sparked a confrontation with local religious leaders which continued through into this chapter. Jesus has used shepherding analogies to explain Himself (John 10:1–14), including the idea that He is willing to die for the sake of His "flock." The truly provocative statement came when Jesus specifically claimed that He would willingly die and then willingly resurrect, thanks to special authority granted by God (John 10:18).

To some in the audience, this claim is so bizarre they think Jesus is crazy. This isn't the first time people have suggested He is mentally ill. At one point, His own family tried to bring Him home, thinking He had lost His mind (Mark 3:21). His critics sometimes accused Him of insanity—considered a form of demonic possession in that era—seeking to discredit Him (John 8:48–52).

Others point to Jesus' miracles and other signs to suggest He's telling the truth (John 3:1–2). The supernatural signs make it especially hard to accept the idea that Jesus is a raving lunatic (John 9:16).

These verses (John 10:21) only indicate the two main positions of the crowd; no resolution is given. After recording the basic response of the audience, John's gospel skips ahead several months to a different incident.

John 10:1–21 continues directly from Jesus' clash with local religious leaders after giving sight to a man born blind (John 9). Jesus' references to shepherds and shepherding are pointed barbs at these hypocritical, self-serving figures. Jesus creates three separate metaphors here. These are not meant to be understood as a single analogy. The first comes in verses 1 through 6, the second in verses 7 through 9, and the third in verses 10 through 18. In doing so, Jesus explains how He differs from the corrupt leaders He confronts. He also delivers His third and fourth ''I am'' statements, out of seven in this gospel.

This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him. He declares Himself the only means of salvation. He again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in a way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.

Starting in chapter 7, the gospel of John describes Jesus' preaching at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Through chapters 7 and 8, He debates with critics and attempts to explain spiritual truths. On the way out of the city, Jesus gives sight to a man born blind, as shown in chapter 9. That begins an extended debate which continues in this chapter. Jesus gives analogies of His mission using shepherding as a theme. Months later, He repeats those ideas when cornered by an aggressive mob in the temple. This sets the stage for His grandest miracle, the raising of Lazarus, seen in chapter 11.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.