Townships had a sheepfold where the sheep would lodge for the night. Similarly, towns in the old west had livery stables where the horses would stay the night. Both were communal holdings for the stock of all the travelers. The sheepfold had one door and a hireling would guard all the flocks through the night. One might imagine the difficulty in dividing all the sheep in the pen, according to each owner. But, it was a very easy process that Jesus describes in these verses. In the morning, each shepherd would call his sheep and they heard his voice and followed him. In this way, each flock would be gathered around its own shepherd. Any sheep that was not part of the flock would not come out and follow because they neither recognize nor follow the voice of a stranger.
John tells us that this was a “figure of speech” in the same way that Jesus speaks of “seeing” in chapter nine. Neither physically seeing, nor physically hearing was involved in the two examples. And, as is often the case, the Pharisees did not understand what Jesus was saying. So, John 10:7-18 contains the explanation of the figure of speech in greater detail. Please, consider stopping here to read the text for yourself. Unlike the thieves or the hirelings who are only in it for the money, Jesus is the good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10:11, 15, 17-18).
In context, Jesus was describing his care and provision for his sheep. He lays down his life and gives them eternal life (John 10:10). Later during the feast, Jesus uses the same language. It reads, “Jesus answered them:
“I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.”
The statement that his sheep hear his voice and follow Him has nothing to do with Jesus promising to speak to all his sheep, individually. Their hearing him has everything to do with “salvation.” The formula is: His sheep hear his voice + they follow him = eternal life. Not only do they have eternal life, but no one is able to snatch them out of his hand. He is the door of the sheepfold and the good shepherd who willingly lays down his own life for them. This passage is not describing communication of a personal relationship but hearing or hearkening to the shepherd’s voice for salvation. The meaning of the figure of speech is that His sheep heed the call of the shepherd. He calls them unto himself by the gospel (2 Thess. 2:13-14). They answer the call of the shepherd by following Him. In contrast, verse 26 describes Jesus explaining to the Pharisees that they do not believe because they are not His sheep. They were not his and, therefore, did not heed His voice or follow him.
Instead of applying the “hearing of his voice” to some internal unction or impression that comes from the hand of God to direct your daily path, Jesus is simply saying that true sheep of the good shepherd heed His call to follow Him and our saved. The voice is the call to salvation, not the call of hearing His voice guide us in the daily decisions of life. The specific application is made to the Pharisees who do not heed His voice, nor do they follow Him. Why? Because they were not his sheep. Again, the emphasis is not on the saved hearing the shepherd’s voice, but the hearing of His voice that results in salvation. You may think I’m straining at a gnat, but the imagery does not teach that Jesus’s voice guides us in the decisions of daily life. You may believe it to be so, but using John 10 as a proof text is an abuse of the text. Jesus is talking about hearing his voice for salvation from sin and eternal life. One view has the sheep hearing his voice after salvation which is very personalized and private, while the other describes the hearing of His voice before salvation and in order to be saved. This supports the language of Matthew 28:18-20 which tells the Apostles to make disciples (sheep), baptizing them into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the work of salvation and gathering His sheep unto Himself (10:16).
In conclusion, Jesus is not talking about hearing the nudgings and promptings of His literal voice as Christians because John explains that he is giving (1) a figure of speech (2) concerning salvation that is not yet accomplished.