​"I Am the Door" (John 10:1–10)

"I Am the Door" (10:1–10)

Jesus spoke to Jewish leaders after the beggar was expelled from the synagogue (John 9). He had talked to them for a short time about light and darkness, but now He changed the picture to that of a shepherd and his sheep. Why? A "shepherd" was any kind of leader to the Jewish mind, whether they were spiritual or political. People thought of the king and the prophets as shepherds. Israel was fortunate to be "the flock of the Lord" (Ps. 100:3). For context, read Isaiah 56:9–12; Jeremiah 23:1–4; 25:32–38; Ezekiel 34; and Zechariah 11.

Jesus began His sermon with a well-known example (John 10:1–6) that everyone in the crowd would have understood. The sheepfold was usually a pen made of rocks with a door opening. At night, the shepherd (or a porter) would lie across the opening to keep the flock or flocks safe. It wasn't uncommon for multiple flocks to share the same fold. The shepherds would come in the morning, call their sheep, and put their flocks together. Every sheep knew the voice of its master.

The real shepherd comes in through the door, and the doorman knows who he is. The thieves and robbers could never get in through the door, so they have to climb over the wall and trick people into letting them in. The sheep won't follow them, even if they get in, because they only heed their shepherd's voice. The false shepherds can't lead the sheep, so they have to steal them.

It is clear that the people who heard Jesus did not comprehend what He said or why He said it. The word that was translated as "parable" means "a dark saying, a proverb." The teachings of our Lord in John 10 differ from the parables found in the other Gospels. This lesson was about the beggar being kicked out of the synagogue (John 9:34). The false shepherds weren't concerned about this man; instead, they hurt him and threw him out. But Jesus, the Shepherd, arrived at him and took him in (John 9:35–38).

John 10:1 is often misused to say that the sheepfold is heaven and that anyone who doesn't go through Christ will fail. Acts 4:12 says that the teaching is true, but it isn't based on this verse. Jesus said clearly that the fold is the people of Israel (John 10:16). The Gentiles are the "other sheep" that don't belong to the fold of Israel.

He arrived at the nation of Israel in the way that the Scriptures said He would. God must call and send every real shepherd. If he really speaks God's Word, the sheep will "hear his voice" and not be afraid to follow him. The real shepherd will love and take care of the sheep.

Jesus used an example to explain what He meant (John 10:7–10) because people didn't understand His symbolic language. He said, "I am the door," twice. He is the Door of the sheepfold, and He lets the sheep leave the fold (Judaism) and join His flock. The Pharisees kicked the beggar out of the synagogue, but Jesus took him out of Judaism and into God's flock!

However, the Shepherd doesn't just lead the sheep out, but He also leads them back in. They join the "one flock," which is His church, not the "fold." He is the Door to salvation (John 10:9). Those who trust Him join the Lord's flock and can go "in and out" to find food. This picture becomes very real when you remember that the shepherd was the "door" of the fold.

Jesus is the Door that frees sinners from their chains and leads them to freedom. They are saved! This word "saved" means "delivered safe and sound." It was used to say that someone had gotten better after being very sick, gotten through a bad storm, survived a war, or been found not guilty in court. Some modern preachers want to get rid of the word "saved," which is an "old-fashioned" word, but Jesus used it!

Jesus was mostly talking about the religious leaders of the time (John 10:8). He was not condemning every prophet or servant of God who served before He arrived on earth. The phrase "are thieves and robbers" (not "were") makes it clear that He was talking about the current religious leaders. They were not real shepherds, and God did not approve of their work. They did not care about the sheep; instead, they exploited and harmed them. The incident involving the beggar was a good example of what the "thieves and robbers" could do.

The gospel makes it clear that the religious leaders of Israel only cared about taking care of themselves and keeping themselves safe. The Pharisees were greedy (Luke 16:14) and even took advantage of poor widows (Mark 12:40). They made God's temple a place for thieves (Matt. 21:13), and they planned to kill Jesus so that Rome wouldn't take away their rights (John 11:49–53).

The True Shepherd came to save the sheep, but the false shepherds use the sheep for their own gain. "The thief" (John 10:10) is probably a reference to Satan, who is behind these false shepherds. The thief wants to take the sheep from the fold, kill them, and get rid of them. We will see later that the Father and the Shepherd are keeping the sheep safe (John 10:27–29).

You get life and are saved when you go through "the Door." You have a lot of life in the Lord's rich pastures as you "come and go." His sheep are happy and free. Not only did Jesus sacrifice His life for us, but He is giving it to us right now!

This first part is mostly about "the door." Then, our Lord changed the focus to "the shepherd" and made a second statement.