John 10:28 - Printer Friendly

ESV: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.

NIV: I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

NASB: and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

CSB: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

NLT: I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me,

KJV: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

NKJV: And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.

In this verse, Jesus expands on the metaphors He used earlier in this chapter. Jesus explained that those who are "His" are like sheep—they only respond to the voice of their own shepherd. How a person reacts to Jesus proves whether they are, or are not, part of His "flock" (John 10:1–6). Jesus also claimed to be like the single opening in a sheep pen: "the door" which was the only means of finding rescue from danger (John 10:7–9). He also proclaimed Himself the "good shepherd," contrasting with selfish leaders such as those He speaks with in this passage (Ezekiel 34). He spoke of His willingness to die for the sake of those who are His (John 10:10–14).

Jesus speaks these words while being overtly threatened by His critics. They've cornered Him in an awkward spot in the temple and are daring Him to repeat His claims (John 10:22–24). Rather than simply repeat them, Jesus is expounding on them.

This statement is a crucial part of our understanding of the gospel. Jesus has already made it clear that there are only two categories of people, spiritually speaking: those who are "in," and those who are "out." These two groups are separated by Jesus Christ, who is "the door." Those who belong to Christ are safe from being taken away, as a wolf might grab a sheep in the wild (John 10:12). Here, Jesus uses the same Greek root word found in His description of a wolf who "snatches" a sheep: harpazo. Those who are part of Jesus' flock cannot be taken away.

Jesus also makes an unmistakable reference to the nature of the eternal life He offers: it is permanent and irrevocable. Jesus' literal words in Greek are ou mē apolōntai eis ton aiōna. Ou and mē are both negatives, and eis ton aiōna is somewhat like saying "all the ages," or "for all time." Apolōntai is a reference to loss, condemnation, or death. The eternal life granted by Jesus to His "sheep"—to true believers (John 3:16–18)—cannot and will not ever be stolen, revoked, or lost.

This same Greek phrase also echoes Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus (John 3:16). There, Jesus proclaimed an offer that those who believed would "never perish," which is translated from the same core Greek words: mē apolētai.

John 10:22–42 happens a few months after the controversy which began in chapter 9. Here, Jesus is cornered in an overt threat by the same religious leaders He has been castigating for years. He echoes metaphors about sheep and shepherds. Jesus points out that His teachings and miracles are all consistent with predictions of the Messiah. Yet these men refuse to accept Him. This culminates in another attempt on Jesus' life, which He somehow avoids. This represents the last time Jesus will publicly teach prior to His crucifixion.

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.