Christ Still Isn’t
“A thief is only there
to steal and kill and destroy,”
he said.
“I came so they can have
real and eternal life,
more and better life
than they ever dreamed of.”
— John 10:10, The Message Version
Subtle doesn’t always work.
“I’ll be explicit, then,” Jesus says in John 10:7.
Having told a story, he starts to explain it. Oops.
Once upon a time, long ago and far away, I studied comedy. One of the classic masters of stand-up, Johnny Carson, loved to say that if you have to explain a story, don’t…you’ll only did a deeper hole for yourself.
But Jesus explained this story in John 10:1-18.
Because he wasn’t joking.
And he still isn’t.
joescheets 
Ummm, in NKJV, there isn’t any indication of explaining anything. I see him expounding on the ideas, but expounding (in this instance:” to make a detailed statement”) and explaining (in this instance: “a meaning or interpretation following the “a need to explain away”) are, though synonyms not the same here. (I have my own theories on why the Message was written and is not considered a “version”. Another time, another place!
Past the “explanation” part of our program, No, “he wasn’t joking and still isn’t”!!
(I had to mull this over, over the weekend)
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