In understanding Jesus' teaching, it is a great help to notice the different ways in which he speaks. In today's passage from John's Gospel, Jesus' first words are an admonition, meant to help his listeners to understand more deeply their relationship with him and so with the Father, "I did tell you, but you did not believe." It is necessary to listen attentively, and so to believe. One cannot believe unless one has a close relationship with Jesus, like the sheep with the shepherd. Yet one must be willing and open-hearted enough to believe in order to have such a relationship. Jesus is thus engaged in teaching and instructing us so that we will be in no doubt about the importance of a strong faith relationship with Jesus, a relationship which must be a deeply personal one. Jesus breaks from instruction for a moment to make promises about the outcome of this relationship: "They shall never perish" and "No one shall snatch them out of my hand." Admonition, instruction, promise: Jesus' teaching is very rich; it is both enlightening through instruction and consoling through his promises.