John 10:1-10 Know the Door

Scripture reading: Ezekiel 34:1-10

Introduction and review: you can’t know John 10’s context without knowing the message of John 9. In our last week’s message we noted the spiritual blindness removal and the results if it was not removed.

What does that mean to this week’s message? The blind were leading the blind. The dangerous thing is that the leadership believed it could see! The imagery of the John 10 narrative paints the picture of God’s care of His people through the lens of a shepherd and his sheep.

The shepherd illustration of God is used through out scripture and is visibly evident in the Psalms. Psalms 23, 40, 80, 118 just to point out a few.

Jesus has pointed out what type of leaders the Jews are and he incorporates the imagery of the shepherd here. The Jews are false shepherds. They claim to see but are blind and practice and teach their sinful traditions to their flock. They didn’t lead the Jewish people to encounter and obey God they lead them away from God though empty rituals, they lead them to be religious and legalistic, and lead them away from and into works based belief.

They fleeced the sheep and then devoured them for their own gain. The ruled over them and drove them to bondage and fear induced rituals. They ravaged the flock to keep themselves in power and command of the Jewish religion.

They scattered the people who did not conform to their rigid rules and traditions. Jeremiah 23:1 ““Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord.”

Take the narrative we have been studying the last month. Blind beggar review. They disdained the healed man and hated and planned murder for the truth bringer. Why would you do that? Control and propagation.

Let’s dive in and see the familiar bible story unfolded. Read John 10:1-10.

Today I want us not to so much focus on the true shepherd but on the fold and the door. The door allows access to things correct? This doorway today will allow us to see what Jesus was offering to the Jews of the time.

First, they had to believe in His words because Jesus goes into His sheep. He brings truth in to the sheepfold. The people of Judaism, the people of Isreal. Read verses 1-2 again.

The true shepherd brings a true message for His people. Ezekiel 34:2–3 ““Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock.”

They did not have a true shepherd and He felt compassion for them. Mark 6:34 “When Jesus went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and He felt compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.”

He taught them truth and a showed them a proper path from God’s Word. Just like a shepherd should do.

2. Jesus knows His sheep. Verses 3-5. He comes through the door and calls them by name and they know His voice to be their shepherd. Part of knowing the shepherd is seeing come in the proper way. They knew what direction He would be coming from and they knew He would identify them immediately. They were His! They were His proprius. His priority.

They knew He would carry and lead them in the right way. Isaiah 40:11 “Like a shepherd He will tend His flock, In His arm He will gather the lambs And carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes.”

He will lead them out of the prison door with true words and identification to freedom is Christ. Colossians 4:3 “praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned.”

They knew that if He leads them out He will not lead them astray as they follow Him out the door of the fold. John 6:37 ““All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” He will not drive them out of the door, He will lead them. God the Father sent His Son to lead His people back to Himself. To redeem a fallen people, to restore that which was lost.

The sheep of God, His true sheep, know His voice and believe in what He says and teaches. Verse 6 and 7 give the statement of truth about following out of the door. His sheep will not be lead astray and they will learn to flee from strangers and dangers. Those who are not His sheep will not understand the call and will reject His leading.

The false shepherds had those who they had deceived completely. They could not be trusted. We have just seen this in the story of the blind beggar. The Jews had convinced the people that they were the only way to God was through them and their “good deeds”. And if they recognized any other way they would throw them out.

3. Verses 7-10. In contrast we see Jesus utter His third “I am” statement to help them identify who He was and what He offered them. He was the door. Jesus guards His sheep. He was the ultimate protection from these thieves and robbers who came in by improper ways with all intention of leading them astray for their own selfish purposes.

Jesus says, “I am the door.” The door to what? The door to salvation. The ultimate protection against false teaching and leading. Jesus guards them from the wolves in sheep’s clothing. These leaders and false prophets. He gives them an eternal security because of what He grants, and His is the only door that leads to green pastures, heaven. Look at Psalm 118:20 “This is the gate of the Lord; The righteous will enter through it.” He is the door to the Father. The only door! Ephesians 2:18 “for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”

Jesus saves, period. He saves His flock from certain death. Unbelief, denial, and a system of works based religion i.e., no grace, will only lead them to a false end. If they go through the wrong door only Hell will be waiting for them on the other side.

He also is the only door that leads to freedom. His flock can go out (very important) to the green pastures and can go freely. That in or out mentality.

The other door available from false shepherds will only cause them to scatter looking for what the desolation or lack of abundance it can offer. Isn’t funny we are in the world we are always wanting but when we are in the fold of God, His true sheep, we are content?

Being scattered in search of worldly treasures and goods only leads to death. Death is the ultimate scatter. Jeremiah 23:1–2 ““Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of My pasture!” declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning the shepherds who are tending My people: “You have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not attended to them; behold, I am about to attend to you for the evil of your deeds,” declares the Lord.”

Judgement waits those not in the fold. God’s judgement is wrathful and complete and Jesus is the only door that we can pass through that eliminates it. John 3:17 ““For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”

Finally, we see that Jesus guards us from the punishment set for sinners. Those sinners who hear the call and wander away as disobedient sheep. Those who reject the truth and fall victim to false teachers and religions. We see in Psalm 121:8 “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in From this time forth and forever.” That Jesus offers protection all the time we dwell here in this life.

Here we see in verse 10, is where the thief dwells. Jesus is the door out. Here the destruction is everywhere. Every worldly song, television show, celebrities and politicians lead us astray and promote evil as good. Jesus is the answer to that. The story was that the thief would break into the fold and kill the sheep and throw them over the wall. He would steal the joy of the sheepfold. He is still at work even this moment. Jesus is the door that leads to life and life abundantly. That word that means overflowing, beyond the normal amounts, extraordinary, superfluous!

We must know the door. It’s not a mystery. If you can hear my voice, I as your earthly shepherd are pointing you to Him. My position as a servant of God is to shepherd my flock. Ezekiel 34:12–15 ““As a shepherd cares for his herd in the day when he is among his scattered sheep, so I will care for My sheep and will deliver them from all the places to which they were scattered on a cloudy and gloomy day. “I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries and bring them to their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the streams, and in all the inhabited places of the land. “I will feed them in a good pasture, and their grazing ground will be on the mountain heights of Israel. There they will lie down on good grazing ground and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. “I will feed My flock and I will lead them to rest,” declares the Lord God.”

Next week we will see that Good Shepherd and what it means to follow Him through the door of salavation.

Let’s pray.