John 10:26 (LSB)

Passage

But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep.

Nearby Context

John 10:24 The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us openly.”

John 10:25 Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these bear witness 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 eternal life to them, and they will never perish—ever; and no one will snatch 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 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.