27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
In the gospel of John, this passage occurs just after the Good Shepherd discourse, although, according to the chronology of the book, it is situated about three months later during the feast of the Dedication which we would call Hanukkah. In the previous verses, the Jewish leaders have asked him once again if he is the Messiah. They continually fail to listen to Jesus’ words and judge him by their own criteria (I suspect we’ve all been guilty of doing this).
In response, Jesus returns to the image of the Good Shepherd but this time he uses it to explain why some people cannot accept him. The leaders are simply not part of his flock and so fail to believe he is the Messiah. Those who are part of the flock can never be taken from him. They receive eternal life from the Father. Since no power is greater than that of God, the believer is assured of union with him.
In the final verse Jesus makes a remarkable claim that must have shocked the Jewish leaders. In effect, he insists that he is the visible presence of God. In the prologue to his gospel, John wrote of the Word who became flesh and dwelt among humans. Now Jesus announces that he has fulfilled this promise. God is fully present on earth and revealed to people through Jesus. This extraordinary assertion is what all Christians believe and the basis for our hope. It’s fitting that the Church reminds us of this in the Easter season.
St. Joseph's Paris: Bible Study Website 