The Door

John 10:1-10

 

INTRO: The teachings of chapter 10 are closely related to the story of the blind man healed in chapter 9.  The blind man whom the Lord had healed had been excluded from the synagogue because of his testimony concerning Jesus.  The blind man was cast out of dead ritualistic religion which led him into spiritual life (9:38).

To understand the passage before us, we need to realize that there are three doors spoken of in this passage:

1. Vs 1, “The door into the sheepfold.”

2. Vs 7, “The door of the sheep.”

3. Vs 9, “The door” of salvation.

 

I.        VSS 1-2, LAWFUL AND UNLAWFUL ENTRANCE INTO THE SHEEPFOLD

A.       Vs 1, Many different ideas have been given as to what the sheepfold represents.  The sheepfold is not heaven because thieves and robbers do not and cannot climb into it.  The sheepfold is not the church because the Shepherd doesn’t lead His sheep out of the church.

1. The sheepfold spoken of in Judaism is the nation of Israel.

a. A sheepfold is an enclosure of stones or thorn bushes.

b. The sheepfold had no roof and only had one door by which to enter.

2. Jesus said that anyone who did not come in by the door but entered in some other way was a thief and a robber.

a. Thieves sneak in.

b. Robbers use force to get what they desire.

c. The religious leaders of Israel were using their position to intimidate people who followed Jesus.  They avoided the door, the Lord Jesus, rejecting Him as Messiah and Lord.  They are thieves and robbers because they threatened the people with exclusion from the synagogue if they followed Jesus affecting their livelihood, family life, and social life.

B.       Vs 2, The Lord Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep because He came in legally.  He entered by the door not over the wall.  Jesus is the good shepherd who gives His life for the sheep (vs 10).

1. Jesus came in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.

a. He had been born of a virgin (Isa 7:14; Mt 1:21-23).

b. He was born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2; Mt 2:4-6).

c. He came in the fulness of time (Gal 4:4).

d. He came in the line of David according to prophecy (Lk 1:32).

2. Jesus has the credentials.  He came in through the door.

a. He was the right person born in the right place.

b. He arrived at the right time– “fullness of time.”

 

II.       VS 3, THE PORTER, JOHN THE BAPTIST

A.       The “Porter” is the door keeper.

1. John the Baptist was the one with authority from God to introduce Jesus to Israel.

2. John prepared the way for the Lord as forerunner.

3. John was sent to announce the coming of the Lord: “Behold the Lamb of God....”

B.       “The sheep hear his voice.”

1. The sheep recognize the voice of the true shepherd.  “H. V. Morton tells of a scene that he saw in a cave near Bethlehem.  Two shepherds had sheltered their flocks in the cave during the night.   How were the flocks to be sorted out?  One of the shepherds stood some distance away and gave his peculiar call which only his own sheep knew, and soon his whole flock had runt to him, because they knew his voice.  They would have come for no one else, but they knew the call of their own shepherd.”

2. The Pharisees were spiritually deaf; they refused to hear the Shepherd’s voice.

3. The true sheep respond when they hear the voice of the Shepherd.  The blind beggar who was “cast out” was actually led out by the Shepherd.  He was led out from the barren barnyard of Judaism to the lush pastures of Christianity.

C.      “He calleth His own sheep by name.”

1. They are His “own sheep” because they were given to Him by the Father (Jn 6:37).

2. Everyone of us likes to be called by our names.

a. The high priest carried the names of the tribes on his shoulders in the onyx stones– this represents a place of strength.

b. The high priest also carried the names of the tribes in the precious stones upon the breastplate on his heart.  This is a place of sympathy.

c. The high priest with his priestly garb carried the names of the tribes into the presence of God.

d. Jesus, our high priest, our Shepherd, knows each of His sheep by name and upholds us in strength and sympathy in the presence of God.  He will not forget His own.

e. Jesus knows my name, and one of these days, He’s going to call me out of this world.

1- He called me to salvation as He did Matthew who was sitting at the customs table, Zaccheaus who was up the tree, and Lazarus who was dead from the grave.  He led me out of s in.  He led me from death to life.

2- One day, He will call me home to glory.  He will lead me out!

 

III.      VS 4, THE SHEPHERD LEADS HIS FLOCK OUT.

A.       The Lord Jesus led His sheep out of the sheepfold of Judaism, out from the idea of salvation by works.

B.       His sheep heard His voice of grace, truth, mercy, and power.

C.      They followed Jesus out of Judaism’s barnyard.  This is what the blind beggar did.

D.      The Lord calls His sheep out by giving them ears to hear Him and Him alone (Pro 20:12).

1. The goats do not hear (Jn 10:26).

2. The Lord calls His sheep (Rm 8:29-30).

 

IV.      VS 5, THE SHEEP AND STRANGERS

A.       This is the mark of true sheep of the Lord.  They will not follow strangers.

B.       Sheep are not drawn to strangers.  They run from the.  “In Britain, the sheep are largely kept for killing, but in Palestine largely for their wool.  It thus happens that in Palestine the sheep are often with the shepherd for years, and often they have names by which the shepherd calls them.  Usually these names are descriptive, for instance, ‘Brown-leg’, ‘Black-ear’.  In Palestine, the shepherd went in front and the sheep followed” (Barclay 65).

C.      Sheep discern truth from error.  The voice of a stranger they do not know.

 

V.       VS 6, THE PROVERB NOT UNDERSTOOD.

A.       The blind and deaf Pharisees could not understand Christ’s teaching.

B.       The unsaved today cannot understand the things of God.  The Bible is a closed book to them (I Cor 2:14).

 

VI.      VSS 7-10, CHRIST THE DOOR OF SALVATION

A.       Vs 7, Christ is the door of the sheep.

1. Those saved out of Judaism had to go out through Him.  Any one who is saved must trust Christ.

2. Jesus is the way out of dead religion.

3. In Bible times, the shepherd many times became the door.

a. At night, he led his sheep into the fold where they could rest secure from wild beast.

b. In the morning, the shepherd stood aside and called his sheep out.  He counted them, examined them, and led them in the way He wanted them to go.

4. Jesus is the Shepherd who leads His sheep into wonderful spiritual experience.

B.       Vs 8, The true Shepherd came in God’s time.

1. Moses and the prophets never claimed to be the promised Shepherd.  The proclaimed that He was coming.

2. John the Baptist pointed to His coming, but plainly said he was not the Christ.

3. The religious leaders of Israel substituted tradition for truth.

a. The sheep did not hear the false teachers.

b. When Jesus came, His sheep knew His voice.

C.      Vs 9, Jesus is the “door” to the presence of God.

1. By nature, we are separated from God.  Through Jesus, we are brought nigh (Eph 2:13).

2. There is only one door (Jn 14:6).

3. The door is open to sinners.

a. Today is the day of salvation (I Cor 6:2).