Did Jesus Redeem Mankind? — Page 160
ان 160. ONE FOLD, ONE SHEPHERD. Here the Messiah makes it plain that these Jews lived in some foreign country, for, he says, "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold," i. e. , they are not of this country and are, on the contrary, living in another land and that, it is a matter settled and decreed for me, that I should bring them back; that these sheep have rejected me but "they shall hear my voice" and accept me. . Rejection of a prophet is not something extraordinary. . What the Messiah, however, means to say is that these people rejected him out of stubbornness, but they shall not so reject him on the contrary, they would readily believe in him "and shall be one fold, and one shepherd". These words also denote there that a large section of the people of Moses had abandoned the Mosaic law and God had willed that they all be brought back to the Mosaic faith through the Messiah so that He may make them all one people. . These references show that through preceding prophets, it was foretold about the Messiah's Mission that (1) he would deliver the message as much to the Jews of the eastern countries as to the Jews of Palestine. (2) According to the Messiah, while the sheep of Palestine believed in him but little, the other sheep will hear his voice with greater attention and believe in him readily and that (3) it was incumbent on the. Messiah to go forth to them and to deliver to them the message. . These three points emerge from these references: Firstly, there are some Jewish tribes outside the land of Jews to whom the Messiah would deliver his message; secondly, the Messiah's visit to them is not a matter left to his option: his visiting them and communicating the message to them are definite duties.