The Blood and the Door
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John 10:1-18
John 10:1-18
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Summarize what we talked about last time
Last time I spoke, we were in Genesis chapter 37.
If you remember, in that chapter, Joseph was betrayed.
He was betrayed by his own brothers because they were jealous.
They were jealous of Joseph because he was given an expensive robe by their father.
They debated killing Joseph.
But instead, they decided to throw him into a pit.
The brothers then decide to sell Joseph into slavery.
Joseph was sold and taken to Egypt.
Because Joseph was no longer with them, they had to devise a plan to tell their father upon a return home.
They decide to tell their father that Joseph was killed by a wild animal.
They take Joseph’s robe and dip it in blood.
Remember, the robe symbolized authority. We talked about this last time.
The passing on of the robe symbolized the passing on of authority from the father to the son.
And now this symbol of authority was covered in blood.
These events are a foreshadowing of other events in our Bible.
I think I will focus on all of the connections between Joseph and Jesus in an upcoming sermon.
But for now turn to Exodus 12:1-13
Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. “Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. ‘Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. ‘Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ‘You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. ‘Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. ‘They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. ‘And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. ‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is the Lord’s Passover. ‘For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—I am the Lord. ‘The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
There is so much we could talk about in these verses.
I am not going to go into great detail this morning.
I am going to move quickly, in order to connect a few things to bring us to the point of the message this morning.
I see this message as stones in a creek.
This is the Lord’s instruction to the people dwelling in the land of Egypt.
Click #1 and #2
1. Egypt is often a metaphor for slavery to sin.
God is telling the people that He is going to deliver them.
2. God is going to provide a means of deliverance.
He is going to give them a sign.
This sign will give them confidence that they are saved.
Not only is the sign a means of assurance to those who know God, it also serves a a testimony of God’s glory to others.
God tells the people to take a lamb.
A perfect lamb.
They were to keep the lamb with them from the 10th to the 14th of the month.
They were to dwell with it.
They were then to take this innocent lamb that they took care of and slaughter it.
They were to roast the lamb and then eat it.
The consumption of the lamb reminded them of the deliverance offered by God.
They were to eat the symbol of the sacrifice that reminded them of salvation at the hands of God.
They also were to take the blood of the lamb.
They were to apply the blood to the door posts of their houses.
In the evening they were to enter and stay within their houses.
God tells them this because He is going to send judgement.
Click #3 and #4
3. Those who were covered under the blood found safety in God’s provision.
4. Those who refused the blood fell under judgment.
This is a picture of salvation.
In summary, God tells them that He wants them to dwell with a lamb.
I want you to dwell with a lamb.
Then on that day, the lamb will be slaughtered.
It will be slaughtered so that those who choose to dwell with it could be set free.
Click #5 and #6
5. The blood of the lamb served as a covering of authority.
6. The authority of God Almighty was given in the sign of the blood.
Those who choose to be covered by the blood were protected by the authority of God Himself.
The authority of the Father expressed in the sign of the blood.
As I said, passover is a picture of salvation.
It is a picture of the promise of salvation in the sending of the Lamb.
Those who choose to accept the Lamb into the doorposts of their heart will be passed over.
In other words, they will be saved.
They will escape judgment.
Because they are covered by the blood.
Turn to the book of John
“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
Who is talking?
What word does He use to open His statement?
Truly truly or verily verily I say to you.
Jesus is trying to get our attention.
He begins this way because what He is about to say if important.
The word in Greek translated as truly truly or verily verily is:
Include on screen.
ἀμήν (amēn): Semitic; ≡ DBLHebr 589; Str 281; TDNT 1.335—LN 72.6 truly, indeed, in formulas of certainty and solemnness “it is the truth,” formally transliterated, amen
When this word is used at the beginning of a statement it indicates that the following is firm.
There is no changing it.
No alternative interpretation.
It is firm as it is spoken.
It is true.
Jesus repeats the word suggesting that His teaching is firm, firm.
No questioning its authority.
When the word Amen is used at the close of a statement or prayer it means: so it is, so be it, may it be fulfilled.
Jesus goes on to talk about thieves trying to gain access to the sheep pen by avoiding the door.
They are trying to devise other ways to gain access.
But there is only one way.
That way if through the gate.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
The gatekeeper opens the door and allows the shepherd to enter the sheep pen.
The term gatekeeper is:
Click #7
7. The gatekeeper is the a watchmen who has the authority to allow access to the sheep.
The shepherd calls to His sheep and the sheep recognize His voice.
As Jesus speaks these words those who were listening, did not understand, so He gives them the meaning.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.
He begins the same way.
Very truly.
Verily, verily.
Truly, truly.
In other words this is firm.
Unchangeable.
This is a declaration of God Almighty that is unalterable.
Click #8 and #9
8. Jesus says He is the gate or the door.
He is the one who grants access to the sheep pen.
9. No one can enter unless they go through the door.
Unless the watchmen grants them access.
Skip middle part.
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
Jesus declares that He is the good shepherd.
He leads the sheep to safety.
He cares for and watches over the sheep.
Click #10 and #11
10. Jesus laid down His life for the sheep.
He laid it down by His own authority.
No one took the life of Jesus.
11. He laid it down of His own accord because He loves the sheep.
Not only is Jesus the good shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep.
Jesus is the gatekeeper who retains sole authority to allow access into the promise.
He is the good shepherd who leads the sheep.
The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
Thinking back to the account of Passover.
We can see that Salvation was God’s plan from the very beginning.
Click #12 and #13
12. God promised that He would send us a Lamb.
13. That Lamb would walk in the authority of the Father.
That Lamb would be sacrificed to offer Salvation.
The blood applied serves as a sign of Salvation.
The Lamb would be laid in the tomb or pit.
But in the morning, the Lamb would rise.
By His own authority the Lamb would take up His life again.
Delivered from the pit.
So that we can have hope in deliverance as well.
Click #14 and #15
14. Jesus is the Lamb.
15. Jesus is the blood and the door.
We are covered by His blood.
The authority of God Almighty was given in the sign of the blood.
Those who choose to be covered by the blood were protected by the authority of God Himself.
Jesus is also the door.
It is only through the door that we will finds safety under His authority.
This day we celebrate His resurrection.
We celebrate the authority of Jesus to save.
The authority of the Father expressed in the sign of the blood.
Think back to Joseph for a moment.
He was given a mantle by his father.
The mantle served as a sign of authority given from the father.
Josephs mantle was dipped in blood.
The covering of authority stained with blood.
Jesus walks in authority.
It is by His blood that we are Saved.
The sign of salvation, the color of blood.
16. The authority of the Father expressed in the sign of the blood.
Jesus is the blood and the door.
The way, the truth and the life.
Benediction: John 10:27-30
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one.”