John 10:26 (DRB)

Passage

But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.

Nearby Context

John 10:24 The Jews therefore came round about him and said to him: How long dost thou hold our souls in suspense? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them: I speak to you, and you believe not: the works that I do in the name of my Father, they give testimony of me.

John 10:26 But you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice. And I know them: and they follow me.

John 10:28 And I give them life everlasting: and they shall not perish for ever. And no man shall pluck them out of my hand.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep" and "believe". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "sheep" and "believe", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "Jesus answered them I speak to you..." into verse 27's "My sheep hear my voice And I...", so "sheep" and "believe" belong inside that flow. In John context, the local focus is the identity of Jesus, new birth, eternal life, and belief and unbelief.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "sheep" and "believe" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.