John 10:19-21, A Demon?

19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, "He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?" 21 Others said, "These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?" 

With Jesus, we must make a choice. Is he the Good Shepherd come from God? Or is he some crazy person under demonic influence? His words cause division, driving people apart. Therefore, we must ask if his words are true. Everything hinges on our response. We can also look at his miraculous works attested to by eyewitnesses. Even his detractors acknowledge his works. Their main disagreement regards the day on which he performs them! His works and his words actually go together, coalescing to fulfill Hebrew prophecies written hundreds of years before. To those open to the leading of the Holy Spirit, they will see him as Messiah described in God’s Word. To those closed to the Holy Spirit, they are getting closer and closer to the unforgivable sin, namely, “the deliberate, sustained closing of the heart to the clear witness of the Holy Spirit of truth” (Stott). 

The leaders of the Jews do not acknowledge him as Good Shepherd or the Light of the World. Instead, they turn from the light toward moral darkness to take the life of the Good Shepherd by manipulating Pontius Pilate into crucifying him. Jesus, however, sees himself as laying down his life for his sheep. He is in control. He knows what he is doing and what he is saying. He has come for his sheep and nothing and no one will hold him back. 

Almighty Father, you gave your only Son, the Good Shepherd, to die for our sins and to rise again for our justification, our right standing with you. Give us grace to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always serve you in pureness of living and truth. Sustain us by your Spirit who leads us into all truth, that we may honor the Good Shepherd in our words and in our actions and reflect his light into a world of moral darkness. Amen.