Organized "christianity" a work of the devil? John 10

In John chapter 9 we see the healing of the man born blind and the tension between Jesus and the religious elite climb a notch. Here we see Jesus take direct aim at the Pharisees and tell them what he thinks of them.

John 10:1 starts with:


"Very truly I tell you Pharisees"

He does not talk behind their back. He confronts them directly. Jesus is not a gossip.


"anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in some other way is a thief and a robber. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them."

At this point, if I were a Pharisee I would be feeling pretty good. I have been through the apprenticeship, and studied. I have done the hard yards and entered my profession correctly. The gatekeepers, the religious authorities have accepted me as one of there own. People listen to me, give me respect and honour. The good people, the sheep that is. As for the rabble they are not God's sheep so it is okay that they are not listening to me. Let me smugly relax, even my enemies compliment me!

This is a clever strategy. Get your audience onside before you hit them. Nathan does the same when confronting David.

Jesus has not finished with them yet however:


7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

The bit that hurts "all who come before me are thieves and robbers". Ouch! Is Jesus really calling the religious leaders of his time thieves and robbers? "but the sheep have not listened to them." Is he saying that those outside of the religious assembly, those who pay no attention to their teaching the real sheep, the real people of God?

Next Jesus identifies himself as the gate and the path to true life and blessing and compares himself to the thieves of organised religion.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
Now Jesus presses his point. He will die for his sheep. The hired hand will not. This is the problem with organised religion. They do it for money. As soon as money gets involved then there is the potential for divided loyalties. You cannot serve both God and money.

As for dogs attacking sheep have you seen it happen? The dog does attack all the sheep at once. Instead it selects one and puts itself between its target and the flock so that it can pick it off. The wolf tries to divide God's people, to cut them off from each other. If someone is getting singled out by gossip and being pushed out of the flock will a hired hand get involved on their behalf? Of course not he knows where his self interest lies and it is not taking on the wolf.

14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

Jesus speaks of his love for us and his sacrifice. Those of faith will listen to his voice. In these days if we look at organised religion do we truly see one flock with one shepherd. It is getting better the animosity between various brands of ungodly religion is reducing as Jesus' sheep recognise Christ in each other and ignore these traditional barriers.