Jesus, The Door

Minister:
Date: PM
Text: John 10:7-9
Psalters: 387, 101, 194, 221
  1. The meaning.
    1. The figure is of a sheepfold, i.e., where all the sheep are gathered together, especially during the night.
    2. The thieves and robbers are those religious leaders of the church who carry out their responsibilities in very wrong ways.
      1. They do their job either as an identification of who they are or as a means of income.
      2. They do not enter the sheepfold through the gate, nor do they teach the sheep to go through the door.
    3. Why and how can Jesus identify Himself as ?the door of the sheep.?
      1. He is this because He is the ?I am,? i.e., divine, very God of very God, the great Jehovah.
      2. As God, He entered into our flesh: God became man to save.
  2. The significance of being the door is the ability actually to save and sustain (nurture, shepherd) the sheep (9).
    1. The ?if? is not a condition, but ?since? and is an expression the viewpoint of the sinner (sheep).
    2. That the elect are seen as sheep emphasizes their need of salvation, their natural, sinful state.
      1. They are wandering sheep, sinners who do not naturally belong to the sheepfold.
      2. For such sinful sheep Jesus is the door, who sees to it that His sheep are brought to salvation!
    3. As the door, Jesus is the complete Savior, seeing to every aspect of their salvation from sin.
  3. With this door comes the responsibility to ?enter in? (9).
    1. Our text speaks of the conscious activity of the sheep when God?s grace is working them.
    2. Further, the activity of entering the sheepfold via the door is a repeated activity.
    3. Are you entering by the door, i.e., confessing your need for Jesus Christ only?
    4. Then we shall know we are saved, and that we are certainly and eternally secure!