The Voice of a Stranger

"A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." (John 10:5 ESV) 

During Jesus' earthly ministry, the majority of the Pharisees had made clear their opposition to Him. They even cast out the formerly blind man–subjecting him to serious social stigma–simply because he would not deny the truth concerning what Jesus had done for him. Yet before Jesus' crucifixion and after Pentecost, despite the disapproval of the influential religious leaders, great crowds followed Jesus. Why? Many in the crowd were sheep of the true shepherd, and His teachings resonated with them in a way the Pharisees' never had.