I Am the Door of the Sheep

Have you ever tried to enter a building or your home (with good intentions) - but not through the doors?

In our old house in Rockville, we unfortunately go locked out a few times. We were young an inexperienced - but apparently we were good at locking the doors - but not the windows.

We had a walk up basement and Zack’s bedroom was right above that staircase. We learned that his window was unlocked so we carefully hoisted Zack through the window (he was less than 10 years old) and asked him to go open the front door.

In most situations, someone going in a house that way would be suspicious - but for us it was necessary.

When it comes to the Spiritual life and our lives with Christ, there is only one way - and that is through Jesus.

So far in our study of the “I Am” Statements in John, we’ve learned that Jesus is...

the I Am - divine - one with God

the Bread of life

the light of the world

Tonight, we’re going to learn about another of the I Am statements - the Door or the Gate of the sheepfold.

John 10:1–10 ESV

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

In this passage and in the verses that follow, Jesus uses the context of a sheepfold to describe a few different ways that He and others interact with the sheepfold. The metaphors certainly get mixed, to the point where Jesus seems to describe himself in relation to the sheep.

Illustration 1: The one who enters properly is the Shepherd (vs. 1-6)

known by the sheep

the sheep trust him

the sheep know his voice

What is the message Jesus is conveying here?

What role is Jesus playing in these verses?

If this happened at that same time that the events of chapter 9 happened, what is the context?

What is the response of his listeners?

In light of that, Jesus refines and extends the metaphor - placing himself in a specific role.

Illustration 2: The Door of the Sheep (vs. 7-10)

who does (or who do you think) Jesus refer to as those who came before?

what is the outcome of their actions?

What are the implications of Jesus being the door?

What does a door do?

entry/exit

protection

permission

In light of this, how should we pray?

Who should we pray for that needs entrance into the sheepfold?