<p>10:4- see on Mt. 16:22-25.</p><p><i>When he brings out all his sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice</i>- The personal knowledge of every sheep (:3) is stressed again by the &quot;all&quot;. The connections continue with the preceding chapter, as &quot;brings out&quot; translates the same Greek word translated &quot;excommunicate&quot; in 9:34,35. Unlike the false shepherds, the Lord doesn't drive out as punishment and leave the sheep alone. He leads His sheep out by going before them, and not by driving from behind or scaring them with sheepdogs. The image of the Lord going ahead with the disciples following Him connects with the idea of the Lord carrying His cross and bidding us follow Him on that last walk. John's Gospel concludes with the disciples following the Lord Jesus, focused upon Him solely. And the same image is used when He says that after His resurrection, He would &quot;go before them into Galilee&quot; (Mt. 26:32; 28:7).</p><p>John&rsquo;s record stresses that the key to following Jesus to the cross is to hear His word, which beckons us onwards (Jn. 10:4,27). All our Bible study must lead us onwards in the life of self-sacrifice. The Lord Jesus &ldquo;<i>putteth forth </i>his own sheep by name&rdquo; (Jn. 10:4); the same word is used by Him in Lk. 10:2 concerning how He <i>sends forth</i> workers to reap converts in preaching. Each of those He calls has a unique opportunity &ldquo;by name&rdquo; to gather others to Him.</p><p>The idea of &lsquo;following&rsquo; Jesus is invariably associated with the carrying of the cross. Why do this? Because of the voice / word of Jesus, of who He is, of His Spirit. This must be the ultimate end of our Bible study; a picking up of the cross. For there we see God&rsquo;s words made flesh.</p>