John 10:6-9

6 Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 

8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 

9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.

“I Am the Door”

Is anyone surprised by verse 6? The Jews did not understand the things that He spoke to them. Let’s think back to what Jesus said in John 9:39. He said that He came to make people who think that they can see so clearly, realize that they are actually blind without Him. These Jews think they see things so clearly, but they are so very blind. So… Jesus continues to try to teach them. Do you know what is incredible to me? Jesus knew all along that these people would not accept Him, yet He continued to give them every opportunity to listen, believe, and obey Him. He tried every way possible to get them to understand. However, He was also teaching everyone else who was in earshot, and He knew that His Words would be recorded for us to read and study so many years later. Jesus said all of those things, not only to the people at that time, but to us as well. Sometimes I try to picture Him speaking the truth to these stubborn people who refused to listen, and I just can’t imagine what that was like to the ones standing around who believed in Him, and to His disciples who were fully invested in following Him. The Son of the living God that the Pharisees and Jewish leaders claimed to know so well was pouring His heart out to them, and they rejected every word that He said. 

In verse 7, Jesus used the example of the sheep again, but this time, instead of referring to Himself as the Shepherd, He refers to Himself as the actual door to the sheepfold. No one could get to the sheep, because Jesus was the door separating His sheep from the sheep on the outside. The sheep in the fold are protected, but the sheep outside the fold are vulnerable. We’ve all heard the phrase, “arc of safety”. When we are baptized into Christ, we pass through “the door”, and at that point we become Jesus’ sheep in His sheepfold. The sheepfold is His church. We belong to Him, and are safe inside His church as long as we continue to follow Him. If we leave the sheepfold to follow another shepherd who belongs to the world, then we are not safe anymore. A shepherd of the world can be anything. It could be a false teacher. It could be material things or riches. It could be our career or even recreational activities such as sports or vacations. If we follow after anything else and leave Jesus in the dust, then we lose the privileges of being His sheep. We could also look at this as going through the wrong door. There are many doors to choose from in the world. Do we recognize the right door? 

In verse 8, Jesus made a powerful statement. He says, paraphrasing, “All who came before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.” Jesus is talking about all the leaders who came before Him. The prophets also had a lot to say about the selfishness and evil deeds of the shepherds/leaders of Israel. In Jeremiah 23:1-2, it reads, “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord. Ezekiel 34:1-10 goes on and on about how irresponsible the shepherds were, how they didn’t feed the flock, but selfishly fed themselves, and how the flock was scattered and became prey for the wild beasts. Of course, we know that the shepherds were the leaders of Israel, and the flock was the children of Israel. The leaders were thieves and robbers. Now think about the leaders that Jesus is trying to teach in this passage. Were they responsible leaders of the flock of Israel? Not at all. They were selfish and greedy for power and prestige… aka… they were thieves and robbers. They were calling themselves the spiritual leaders of Israel, all the while rejecting the true spiritual leader… Jesus. These so-called leaders were trying to lead people away from salvation, aka… scatter the flock. But look at the second part of verse 8. It says, “but the sheep did not hear them.” Jesus’ sheep do not hear the thieves and robbers. For example, the blind man stood up to the Jewish leaders and was cast out. He was one of Jesus’ sheep because he did not listen to the Jewish leaders. He chose to follow and obey Jesus. The Jewish leaders who were claiming to be this blind man’s spiritual leaders didn’t care one thing about his welfare. They weren’t even joyful about his eyes being opened. One of the qualities of a leader is to care and show concern for every member of the flock. Where was the care and concern for this blind man? Let’s think about how this relates to leaders of the Lord’s church today. The elders of churches today will be judged on how well they cared for and guided the members who were under their leadership. We can see how seriously God took the shepherds’ performance of their duties in Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34. He takes the performance of the shepherds today just as seriously. 

In verse 9, Jesus again refers to Himself as “the door”. Then, He tells us the benefits of entering through that door. First, He says we will be saved. The only way to receive salvation is through Christ. Next, He says that we will be able to go in and out safely. We will be spiritually protected at all times as long as we belong to Jesus’ sheepfold or church. We may have physical hardships, trials, or earthly misfortune, but we will be spiritually safe for eternity. And last, we will “find pasture,” which means we will be fed and spiritually satisfied forever. Salvation, protection, and satisfaction! What more could we ever want? What a blessed life!  Psalm 1 says it beautifully, “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.” The prosperity referred to in these verses is not worldly. It is spiritual prosperity which is the very thing that Jesus is speaking of in verse 9… salvation, protection, and satisfaction. What else do I need? 

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)