John 10:26 (KJV)

Passage

But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

Nearby Context

John 10:24 Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father’s name, they bear witness of me.

John 10:26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.

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

John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "sheep", "believe", and "said". 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 told you and..." 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.