John 10:2-5

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 

3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 

4 And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 

5 Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.”

Whoever enters the sheepfold through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Anyone who tries to get in another way is a thief. It is the same way with our houses. The owner of the house comes in through the door. A thief will try to break a window to get in another way. In verse 3, we see a doorkeeper. This doorkeeper will not open the door for anyone except the shepherd. The sheep will recognize the voice of their shepherd as He calls each of them by name. The sheep will follow the shepherd out of the sheepfold. The shepherd leads the sheep, and the sheep follow the voice of the shepherd. The sheep will not follow a stranger. They will run from a stranger, because they don’t recognize his voice. This is a beautiful analogy of us as we follow Jesus. We are the sheep, and Jesus is the shepherd. It was a known fact at that time that sheep only responded to their shepherd’s voice. If they were in a pen with sheep from another fold, and the other fold’s shepherd came to lead them out to pasture, only that shepherd’s sheep would follow him out of the pen. The others would stay in the pen until they heard the voice of their shepherd. That is what Jesus meant in verse 4 by saying, “the sheep follow him; for they know his voice”. 

Am I one of Jesus’ sheep? I am as long as I listen to Jesus and follow Him. How do I know that I am truly listening to the True Shepherd… the real Jesus? I’ll answer that question with another question. Do the words that I am listening to come from God’s Word? That is how I know if I am listening to the real Jesus. For example, if I am listening to a podcast, and the person speaking claims to be speaking the truth of the gospel of Jesus, but one of the things he says during the podcast is, “baptism is not for salvation”. Is this person the True Shepherd? Is that what the True Shepherd said in Mark 16:16 about baptism? No, it is not. Another thing he says in the podcast is, “choose the church that works best for you. It is your choice.” Is this what Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 when He said that He would build HIS church? This is how I know that the person speaking on the podcast is not speaking with the voice of the True Shepherd. It is the same analogy as those false lights that are out there in the world. Jesus is the True Light… the light of the world. Satan can make himself look like light… an angel of light, according to 2 Corinthians 11:14). Satan can pretend to be a shepherd, but he isn’t the True Shepherd. Jesus says in verse 5 that the sheep flee from a stranger’s voice. Since we are the sheep, we should flee from anyone’s voice except Jesus’. If something we hear is contrary to what the Bible says, then we need to turn away from it. If it doesn’t come from God’s Word, then it is not the voice of the True Shepherd. Notice that the shepherd doesn’t force or drive his sheep out of the sheepfold. The sheep heard his voice and followed him. They yield to the shepherd without having to be forced. Jesus isn’t going to force us to heed his voice and follow Him. We follow Him of our own free will.

In verse 3, Jesus says that the shepherd calls each sheep that belongs to him by name. Think about that for a moment. I am picturing that right now…..Jesus, the True Shepherd, using His beautiful, glorious voice to call my name, because I belong to Him. Can you imagine Jesus coming to the sheepfold and calling your name? Is He your shepherd today? 

God means for everyone to learn what the Bible teaches about being saved. It only takes an open heart for Jesus and a willingness to put away what we’ve been taught in the past, and truly read what God’s Word says for ourselves… and then accept what it says and obey it. If I can help you in any way, I would love to! Are you walking in the light? Are you in Christ? Are you saved? If you aren’t, or if you’re not sure if you are, I’d love to help you. Are you a member of the Lord’s church, but are struggling spiritually in your walk with Christ? If you are… believe me, I’ve been there many times, and I’d love to help you. If you have any questions, please reach out. 

I love God’s Word. It challenges me to be better… to do more in His service. It is interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat, wondering what will happen next. It gives me confidence and builds me up, and it brings me to my knees when my soul needs convicting! Thank you, Father, for the wonderful gift of Your Word!

God’s Plan of Salvation

Below is the plan God has outlined in His Word for humankind to receive His grace, which leads to salvation and an eternity with God in heaven. This plan is straight from the Bible. 

We have to hear His word. (Romans 10:17) 

Upon hearing the message of Jesus, we believe it. (Mark 16:16) 

Then, we confess Jesus’ name before men. (Matthew 10:32) 

Next, we repent of our sins. (Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19) 

Finally, we are baptized into Christ for the remission of our sins.  (Acts 2:38, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16, Romans 6:3-4, Acts 22:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 3:26-27) After baptism, God adds us to His church. (Acts 2:47)