John 10:10 (NKJV)

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Eisegesis: 

Beware the devil is coming to steal your joy and kill your purpose.

Exegesis:   

The thief in this verse is not a direct reference to Satan rather it is talking about the false prophets / teachers who were misusing their influential positions to mislead believers.

Context of this passage.

John 10 is commonly referred to as the “Good Shepherd” discourse. In this chapter, Jesus employs the metaphor of a shepherd and his sheep to describe His relationship with His followers. He contrasts the care and commitment of the true shepherd (Himself) with the neglect and harm of the hired hand or the thief.

According to this passage, Jesus claims to be the true “Shepherd” of Israel and compares Himself to the false religious leaders who were motivated by self-interest and did not care for the welfare of the flock.

What is the identity of the thief? Most people have interpreted this as referring to the devil, and yes absolutely, he is a thief, and his demonic hordes are undoubtedly behind human men who come as thieves.

However, as we read this verse in context, the use of the word thief isn’t primarily a reference to the devil, but rather of his human representatives.

Jesus makes this clear in John 10:8 by referencing”all those who came before Me,” not to the devil or demons, but to the false shepherds who preceded Him, including those listening to His words (the Pharisees).

Background of the text.

Prior to this chapter (in John 9), the Pharisees were angry with Jesus for treating a blind man on the Sabbath.

Jesus offers a harsh rebuke to the Pharisees in response to their spiritual blindness (John 9:39-41). He then uses the analogy of the sheep and the shepherd to illustrate His point, explaining that anyone who enters the sheep pen by a way other than the gate is a thief and a robber. In contrast, the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep (John 10:1-2).

In John 10, Jesus continued to talk about the gatekeeper and how a shepherd calls out his sheep who will only follow a shepherd they know (John 10:3–5). Next, Jesus says the following words, which lead us to our verse of concern:

John 10:7-10 (NKJV)

Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

According to Jesus, He is a good shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep. In contrast, the false teachers can be referred to as “hired hands” who have no ownership over the sheep.

Consequently, they abandon their sheep if they see a wolf or a threat approaching. This allows the wolf to attack and scatter the flock. As a hired hand, the false teacher has no concern for the sheep and runs away.

Based on this background, who are the players in this metaphor? Are there any references to Satan here? With the exception of the wolf, no. The thieves, robbers, strangers and hired hands refer to the Pharisees, the religious teachers of the day.

While Jesus taught that He himself was the gate, the path to salvation, the Pharisees, on the other hand, taught salvation by good works. They were so rigid in their dogmatism that they were willing to throw the healed man and his whole family out of the synagogue instead of rejoicing with him (John 9:18-34).

Explaining the word thief.

The Greek word for “thief” used in John 10:10 (kleptes) literally means “one who steals.” This same word is used in Matthew 6:19–20, where Jesus warns against storing up earthly treasures that can be stolen by thieves, emphasizing the fleeting nature of worldly possessions. In John 10:10, however, the term is used figuratively to describe false teachers who “steal” the truth from people by presenting a false path to salvation. These individuals bypass Jesus, the true gate, and mislead others, much like thieves robbing a flock of its safety and security. This connection highlights how false teachers harm believers by depriving them of the truth and leading them away from the gospel.

Anyone who claimed a way of salvation other than through Jesus was “robbing” the people of truth. Just as a thief clambers over the wall of the sheepcote, bypassing the gate, false teachers attempt to bypass Jesus. Similarly today there are many false teachers like the Pharisees who  put manmade requirements on people for salvation and are in effect “stealing” the people’s ability to see the true means of salvation.

Illustration of Steal and Kill and Destroy

The cult leader Jim Jones stole, killed, and destroyed under the guise of being a “shepherd” to his followers! Throughout Jones’ career, he purposely targeted other churches in order to enlarge his church (the People’s Temple). (STEAL)

In 1970, Jones visited San Francisco’s Missionary Baptist Church with 150 followers. After holding a faith healing revival meeting, Jones claimed to have healed a cancer patient; his followers later admitted that they had helped him stage the “healing”. At the end of the event, he attacked and condemned Baptist teachings and encouraged members to leave their churches and join him. The event was successful, and Jones recruited about 200 new members for the Peoples Temple.” Later in South America, over 900 members of this evil man’s organization were forced to commit suicide (KILL AND DESTROY). 

Applications for Believers

While this passage primarily warns against false teachers, there are broader applications for believers today:

• Discerning False Teachers:
  Christians must be vigilant, testing all teachings against Scripture (Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17). This ensures that they follow sound doctrine and avoid being misled by those who distort the truth.
• Abundant Life in Christ:
  Jesus contrasts the thief’s destruction with His promise of abundant life. This abundant life is not about material wealth or temporal comfort but about the spiritual fullness found in Him—peace, joy, and eternal security.
• Faithful Shepherding:
  This passage serves as a warning to ministers of the gospel to care for their flocks and not exploit or abuse them. Shepherds must guide believers to Christ, the true gate, rather than using their positions for personal gain.

Concluding on satan or false teachers

Satan undoubtedly bears us all nothing but ill will. But if we teach that this verse refers to him, we miss out on an important warning Jesus gives to ministers of the gospel—to watch over the sheep rather than exploit or abuse them.