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John 10:9-10 KNOCKING ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

Intro: Imagine yourself following a long never-ending wall. You are on the outside of that wall and you
can here what is going on inside. You can hear happy people. Some are laughing, some are shouting
for joy, but all of them are very happy. More than anything, you want to get in there where they are
and see what it is they are so happy about. As you continue to follow this wall, eventually, you find
yourself at a door. This door is unlocked. All you have to do is go through it and you will be admitted
to the place where all those happy people are. What would you do when you reached that door?

You may say, "Preacher, that’s a foolish way to start a message!" Maybe so, but have you noticed
that millions of people all around us seem to be searching for something? I remember the days before
I got saved. I was around Christians who were excited and happy. All I knew was that I was miserable
and that I wanted just a little of what those people had in their lives. So, I spent a lot of time following
this imaginary wall, hearing their happiness and wanting to get in there where they were. Then one
day, I came face to face with the Door. When I did, I had a decision to make. I could either go in and
be with the others, or I could go on searching and remain outside. I’ll tell you, that when I came to that
Door, I wanted in so bad that I wasn’t about to walk away. When I entered the Door, I was forever
saved and I knew what all the excitement was about.

Now, it may be that some here today are still wandering around outside that wall looking for the Door.
Well, I have come this way today to tell you where to find Him. Before you leave here this morning,
you will have the opportunity to come through that Door and enter into that place of happiness that
every child of God enjoys.

In these 2 verses, Jesus reveals plainly who, what and where the Door is and He tells us who can
come in. Let’s look at these verses today and think together on the thought, "Knocking On Heaven’s
Door."

I. v. 9a THIS DOOR IS A PERSON

A. In bold language, Jesus declare Himself to be the door of the sheep.(Ill. The sheepfold was usually
a circular enclosure surrounded by stone walls. There was only one opening in this wall allowing
access into this enclosure and at night, when the sheep were all gathered in, the shepherd would lay
himself in that opening and in effect, he would become the door. Nothing could get in or out without
passing through the shepherd.)

B. Jesus is saying that He is the Door! No one gets into God’s flock without going through Him. Verse
1 reminds us that to attempt entry any other way marks one as a thief and a robber!

C. Simply stated, there is only one way to the Father and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ – John
14:6.

(Ill. Salvation only comes about through faith in Jesus. Baptism won’t do it, church membership won’t
do it, ritual and religious activity won’t get the job done. There is only one plan for man’s salvation and
that is through faith in the finished work of Christ at Calvary. Salvation is simple, it is just very
exclusive – Rom. 10:9-10; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Acts 4:12; Rom. 10:13!)

D. The big question is this, "Have you ever been through the Door?"
II. v. 9b THIS DOOR IS A PROPOSAL

(Ill. In this statement from the lips of Jesus, we find a tremendous offer given to sinners. In these
words, Jesus offers hope to everyone who is wandering in a life of sin. While Jesus wants to save
you, He will never force Himself upon you! However, He gives you opportunities to come to Him.
Notices what He proposes to fallen men this morning.)

A. The Scope Of It – "any man" – Salvation is not a club for an elite few saints, but it is an offer of
God to every man. No person alive today is beyond the reach of God’s saving love! (Ill. Rev. 22:17;
John 6:37!) Many feel that there is no hope for them, yet the Bible is clear that God loves all men,
John 3:16, and offers them salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ. You can be saved today if you are lost
in sin!

B. The Scheme Of It – "If any man enter in" – (Ill. A door serves one of two purposes. It can be a
barrier designed to keep people out, or it can be a means of access allowing people in.)(Ill. Salvation
is God’s gift to a fallen race! However, before this gift can be realized, it must be received! No one will
ever be saved unless they personally and consciously come to Jesus and receive Him into their heart
and life. What I am saying is this, God offers you salvation and He means it, but you will not be saved
until you come to Him by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!)

C. The Supply Of It – "he shall be saved." – When a person comes to Jesus for salvation, they find
themselves completely transformed and eternally saved! They are instantly liberated and made new
in Jesus.

(Ill. This is a very descriptive word and was used to describe a person who had recovered from a
serious illness, one who had survived a war, one who had come safely through a bad storm or
someone who had won at court. What is means for us is that we have, in a spiritual sense, dome all
of the above and now, we are rescued from all harm and danger. This one little word is a glorious
declaration of the security we enjoy in the Lord Jesus Christ – John 10:28!)

(Ill. Why fight eternal security? To me, it’s easier to believe that God saves and keeps that it is to
believe that He saves, loses, saves, loses, saves, loses…ad infinitum, ad nauseum. I know we don’t
deserve it, but we are eternally saved from the very instant of our salvation!)

We are liberated from:

1. The Penalty Of Sin – Ill. Rom. 6:23. However, in Jesus, the curse of death is removed and we are
set free from the awful wrath of God, Rom. 5:9

(Ill. The Prodigal Son – When he returned home, the Father ran out to meet him and fell upon him,
Luke 15:20. There are probably several reasons why the father did this. However, there is one
Biblical reason that we can be absolutely certain of, Deut. 21:18-21. In these verses, the townspeople
were instructed to stone a child who had disobeyed and dishonored his parents. When this father ran
and fell upon his son’s neck, he was placing himself between his son and anyone who would want to
kill him.

This is exactly what Jesus did for us when he died on the cross. He placed Himself between us and
the wrath of God. We deserved to die for our sins, but Jesus absorbed God’s wrath and paid the price
for us. Now, we are all free from the penalty of our sins! No saints of God need ever fear going to
Hell!)

 
2. The Power Of Sin – According to Rom. 6:14, Jesus breaks sins power in the life of the saint of
God. After we come to Christ, we are no longer slaves to the whims of the flesh and the devil, Eph.
2:1-3). We are made free in Jesus and are given the liberty to withstand temptation and to live for
God! (Ill. 1 Cor. 10:13) (Ill. One of the greatest wonders of salvation is the great change that comes
into the Christian’s life, 2 Cor. 5:17. It seems that we just don’t want many of the things we used to
think we couldn’t live without!)

3. The Presence Of Sin – One day, when we leave this world, we will forever be free from sin’s
presence. In heaven, it will not be allowed – Rev. 21:27. Not only that, but we will receive new flesh
and we will no longer have any desire toward sin – 1 Cor. 15:54; 1 Jn. 3:1-3.)

III. v.9c-10 THIS DOOR IS A PROMISE

A. A Promise Of Pasture – In this "Pasture" we find:

1. Rest – No longer are we searching for what we needed. We have found what our heart was
longing for and His name is Jesus. Now, we are permitted to rest in His grace and anticipate our
heavenly homecoming! (Ill. I’m not trying to be saved! Are you? I’m just resting on grace. It was grace
that sought me, grace that bought me and grace that will lead me home! After all, what did Jesus
say? Matt. 11:28!)

2. Refreshment – In Jesus, the saint of God finds all that his or her heart needs for absolute and
perfect contentment, Psa. 107:9. When we taste and find that the "Lord is good", Psa. 34:8, we loose
our appetite for other things!

3. Rejoicing – In Jesus, we find that fullness of joy that was lacking when we wandered out in sin. He
has promised us "fullness of joy", 1 Pet. 1:8; Psa. 16:11. Yes, the child of God has ample reason to
rejoice this morning – Luke 10:20. In His pasture, there is "fullness of joy."

(Ill. When we think of the Lord’s pasture, it reminds us that He is "The Sustainer", Psa. 23:2 and that
He is "The Satisfier", Psa. 107:9. If you don’t believe me, just come to Jesus and give Him a try for
yourself!) (Ill. John 4:29; Ill. John 9:25)

B. Of Plenty – (Ill. The false shepherd or the thief seeks nothing but his own selfish interests. He will
refrain from nothing, even the killing of the sheep to get his way. Jesus, on the other hand, did not
come to get, but to give! He came so that you and I might be delivered from sin in all its evil and
experience the best possible life imaginable. That life is simply His life lived through us day by day. It
is a new, eternal life lived in us, for Him and by Him. It is an abundant life."

(Ill. Child of God, we have eternal life right now, John 6:47. How abundant that life is depends on the
depth of your relationship to Jesus. Be sure that you are as close to Him as you can be.)

Conc: Where do you find yourself today? Are you wandering around outside the blessings and family
of God, but want to come inside where the blessings are? If that describes you, if you feel a lack of
something in your life, or if you know for sure that you are unsaved, then I invite you to come to Jesus
right now. If you will come to Him and confess yourself a sinner and receive Him as your Savior, then
He will save you right now and forever. Will you do what you need to do this morning?
https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/my-abandoned-life-for-your-abundant-life--2

My Abandoned Life for Your Abundant Life

We are a people who worship Jesus Christ. Let that sink in, for there are places in the
world where that will get you killed. We don’t just admire him, or follow him, or swear
allegiance to him. We worship Jesus. We worship him as the eternal, uncreated,
omnipotent, all-wise, Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe. He is God, one
with the Father and the Spirit. And we worship God the Father, God the Son, and God the
Spirit — one God, in three divine persons. We worship Jesus.

This is the context of John 10, and this is what Jesus intends for us to do in response to
what he says. As chapter 9 unfolded, the sight of the blind man, whom Jesus had healed,
became clearer and clearer. And the blindness of the Pharisees became darker and darker.
In John 9:24, the Pharisees tell the healed man, “Give glory to God. We know that this man
[Jesus] is a sinner.” But then look at John 9:38: “[The healed man] said, ‘Lord, I believe,’
and he worshiped him.” The division could not be deeper: blasphemy or worship. That’s
what it all comes down to. There is no fence-sitting in the end — not there, not where you
sit.
That’s where Jesus was taking the blind man — from blindness to the blazing deity of
Jesus. And that is where he is taking us again in chapter 10. Jesus is either insane in what
he is saying here, or he is God. Look at the conclusion in John 10:19–21:
There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. Many of them said, “He has a
demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” Others said, “These are not the words of one who is
oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

Divine or Deranged
That’s what it all comes down to — again. He is insane or he is God. And the reason I say
Jesus brought it down to his insanity or his deity again is because of the way he describes
his power in verses 17 and 18. This is either insane or divine. There is no middle way here.
Not then. Not now.

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may 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 I have
authority to take it up again. (John 10:17)

“Anyone can say, ‘I’ll lay down my life.’ Only Jesus can say, ‘I will take it up again.’”

Now a mere mortal man might be able to say, “I have authority to lay down my life.” I can
choose to commit a capital crime. I can choose to jump off a cliff. I can choose to step
between you and the bullet. But nobody can say, “ I have authority to take it up again .” If
you are dead, you don’t have any authority to be undead. You can’t undead yourself. But
Jesus said he could. So he’s either insane, or he is not a mere mortal man.
So I say it again, this is where Jesus is taking us again: he is either insane, or he is God.
That is where he is taking us in John 10:1–21. So let’s follow him there and listen with all
our heart and soul and mind and strength, because everything in your life depends on
where you end up after listening to him.
John 10:1–18 falls into three parts: verses 1–6, 7–10, and 11–18. Verses 1–6 put the
Pharisees to the test again with what John calls (verse 6) a “figure of speech” — a kind of
parable, or word picture. It’s very general with a sheepfold, sheep, a door, a shepherd, a
gatekeeper, and a stranger. Jesus does not identify himself with any of them explicitly. He
leaves that to the Pharisees, and to us.
Then in verses 7–10, he says, “I am the door” (verses 7 and 9), and he unpacks what that
means for us. Then in verses 11–18, he says, “I am the good shepherd” (verses 11 and 14),
and he unpacks for us what that means for us.

One way to sum up these three parts would be to say that in verses 1–6, Jesus is gathering
a flock — a people for himself from the Jewish fold. In verses 7–10, he is explaining why he
is gathering this flock — that they might have life and have it abundantly (verse 10). And in
verses 11–18 he is explaining how he is gathering and giving Life to this flock — by laying
down his life for them, and taking it up again. That’s the summary, but oh, so much more
is going on. Let’s follow him and listen carefully.

One True Shepherd

Remember, he is talking to the Pharisees. Others are listening too (we know from John
10:21), but he is speaking directly to the Pharisees. Look at the bridge between chapter 9
and 10. No, you can’t, because there isn’t one. You don’t need a bridge where there’s no
break. Look at 9:40–41 into chapter 10.
Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things and said to him, “Are we also blind?” Jesus said
to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt
remains. 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.”
There’s no break here. It is unmistakable. The Pharisees are the thieves and robbers. They
got to their positions of shepherd-like leadership without the blessing of the Gatekeeper.
They are not faithful shepherds. They are the “stranger” in verse 5: “A stranger they will
not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” The
sheep that belong to the true Shepherd (“his own,” verse 3) will not be controlled by the
Pharisees.

The legitimate shepherd comes into the fold with the blessing of the Gatekeeper, and when
he speaks he knows his own sheep and calls them by name, and they recognize his voice
and they follow him out. Verses 2–4:

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.
Even though Jesus never says in these verses that he is the shepherd, it is plain from the
context of what just happened in chapter 9. Jesus just called the blind man to himself and
made a worshiper out of him. But the Pharisees are heartless toward the man. They claim
authority, but have no care for this sheep. John 10:1–6 is a word picture of what has
happened in chapter 9.

Gathering a Flock
So the point of verses 1–6 is that Jesus is gathering a flock, a people, out from the fold of
Israel. “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (verse 3). That’s what Jesus
was doing then. That is what Jesus is doing today. That is what is happening in the room
where you sit — listening. You either hear the voice of an insane man or the voice of God.

In verse 6, John calls this word picture in verses 1–5 a “figure of speech.” Why did Jesus
tell this to the Pharisees? He was testing them. Giving them another chance to show if they
were really blind or not. Chapter 9 ended with Jesus saying to the Pharisees, “You say, ‘We
see.’ Do you? Here, I’ll draw you a picture with words. Tell me what you see.”

“Jesus was gathering a flock and he is still doing it today.”

Do they see? Are they blind? Verse 6: “This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they
did not understand what he was saying to them.” They did not know what he was saying.
This picture carried no meaning for them, because they were blind and guilty. Are you,
right now? What do you see?

How does Jesus respond to this blindness? Looked at one way, you could say, he keeps
explaining. Looked at another way, he makes himself sound foolish (insane). He’s done
this before in chapter 6. When he called himself the bread of life ( John 6:35) and they
murmured: How can he be bread from heaven? His words meant nothing to them, as here.
He went on and made himself look utterly grotesque: “Whoever feeds on my flesh and
drinks my blood abides in me” (John 6:56). And when they gagged on this saying (John
6:60–61) he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted
him by the Father” (John 6:65).
In one sense, Jesus was making things clearer, and in another sense, he was making things
more offensive. And that’s what he does here.

You don’t grasp my figure of speech about the sheep and door and shepherd and strangers
and thieves? Well, try this: I am the door and I am the shepherd. And the crowd divides.
They have always divided. They are dividing where you sit.

One group says, “That’s foolish. You can’t be a door and a shepherd.” And another group
says, “Oh Jesus tell us, tell us how you are a door and what it means for us. And tell us, tell
us how you are a shepherd and what it means for us.” To the willfully blind, he offers
foolishness. To those who are desperate to see, he offers hope.
Jesus the Door
So what does he say about his doorness and his shepherdness? First, his doorness. Tell us,
Jesus, what does it mean for us that you are a door for us? Verses 7–10:

Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and
robbers [there have been many who claimed to give what only I can give], 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.
Jesus is saying the same thing he will say in John 14:6: “I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” I am the door. If you believe in
me, and trust me to be the only path to God, I promise you two things ( John 10:9): You will
be saved; and you will go in and out and find pasture.
Particularly, you are saved from wolves and thieves that come to kill and destroy ( John
10:10). Safe from every enemy that would destroy you. Enter by me and you will be forever
safe. Saved.
But none of us wants to be merely safe. We were not created merely to be safe. The human
heart wants infinitely more than safety. Oh yes, safety is basic and necessary. We want to
be protected from what can destroy us. We want life. Life. But we want more than mere
life. We want abundant life. Overflowing life. Deep life. Weighty life. Joyful life. We don’t
just want to survive. We want to thrive at every level of our human being. We were made
for this.
And so Jesus says more: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved [yes, and
more, so much more] and will go in and out and find pasture.” The point of saying this is
that the sheepfold itself represents safety and protection. But sheep don’t want to stay
there. In fact, they will die if they stay in the safety of the fold. They want green pastures
and still waters.

And I think that when Jesus says in verse 10, “I came that they may have life and have it
abundantly,” he means, “I came that they might be saved and go out and come and find
pasture” — protection and plenty, solid safety and deep soul satisfaction. Abundant life is
not about having stuff. It’s about having peace, having joy, having God.

So thank you, Jesus, for being a door for us. We believe you are the only door to eternal
safety. The only door to soul-satisfying pastures. The only door to God. We enter. Thank
you.

Jesus the Shepherd

That’s what the doorness of Jesus means. Now, what about his shepherdness? That’s the
why? Now, what about the how? How are you gathering a flock of sinful sheep who have
eternal, abundant life? Tell us, Jesus, tell us how you are a shepherd and what it means for
us.
There is too much here in verses 11–18 to cover in the time that remains. So I planned to
focus next week on these verses again. What I want to do in the few minutes that remain is
simply to follow Jesus quickly to the end. We will leave some of the steps for next time,
especially verse 16, which is the verse that is written on the tombstone of the famous
explorer and missionary, David Livingstone, in Westminster Abbey (in the KJV): “Other
sheep I have, which are not of this Fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my
voice.” The verse is enormously important for world missions and the sovereignty of God.
It deserves a sermon to itself.

“To the those who are desperate to see, Jesus offers hope.”

But the short answer to the question what it means for Jesus to be our shepherd — and the
answer to the question, How is he gathering a people who have abundant life? — is that he
lays down his life for the sheep. John 10:14–15: “I am the good shepherd. I know my own
and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down
my life for the sheep.”
He is bound to his sheep, as he is bound to his Father. He can no more lose them than he
can lose the Father. And to save them he lays down his life. But God knows, and Jesus
knows, and you know that if a shepherd dies, the sheep are at the mercy of the wolves.
They will be scattered and they will die.

This is why Jesus says in verse 18: “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own
accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge
I have received from my Father.” The Father sent him to die for his sheep. And the Father
commanded that he not abandon his sheep, but rise from the dead. And he did.

Abundant Life
This is why we can go in and out with him. He died for our sins, so that we are forgiven
and have access to God. And he was raised to be the great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews
13:20–21). Today. Alive. Leading us again and again to protection and pasture — life and
abundant life.
And the apex of that abundant life is the worship of Jesus Christ. That’s where he has been
taking us. When he says I am the door; I am the Shepherd; I have authority to lay my life
down, and as a dead man, I have the authority to take it up again, he is either insane or he
is God.

And these things are written you may believe. I pray that you will. Come to him as your
Door, your Shepherd, your Life.
 John 10:7-9
I AM The Door

John 10:7-9

Sermon preached on October 09, 2016 by Laurence W. Veinott. © Copyright 2016. All rights reserved. Other sermons can be found at
http://www.cantonnewlife.org/.

Unless otherwise noted, quotations are from The Holy Bible: New International Version (NIV). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible
Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

The Monty Hall problem is a brain teaser, a probability puzzle based on the American television game show Let's Make a Deal and named after its
original host, Monty Hall. The puzzle is simple. You're a contestant on a game show and you're given a choice of three closed doors. Behind one
door is a great prize, like a car, and behind the other two doors are garbage prizes, like a goat. You're told to pick one door. Say you pick door
number 1. Then the game show host, who knows what's behind each door, opens one of the other doors, say door 2, one that contains a garbage prize.
He then asks you—do you want to stay with your pick of door 1 or do you want to change your pick to door 3? Is it to your advantage to switch your
pick? I'm not going to explain the logic of it, but you should change your pick. If you do, you'll have a 66 per cent chance of winning the good prize.
If you don't change, you'll have 33 per cent chance of winning the prize. It's to your advantage to change your pick.

In our text Jesus claims to be the door. It's like the Monty Hall game in that there's only one correct door. But it's different in that you don't have to be
in doubt about which door is the one to choose—

Jesus is the door to salvation.

This statement by Jesus is very important. It's one of the seven great "I am" statements of Jesus. Not only that, but it, along with, "I am the Good
Shepherd" and "I am the bread of life" are the only three of the seven statements that are repeated. Jesus said each of them twice. But this one, "I am
the door, is the only one of the seven sayings that has, "verily, verily" before it. So there are several things that point to the importance of this
statement.

But what does it mean that Jesus is the door?

First, it means that Jesus is the only way to life.

He is the only way to salvation. Verse 9 makes this clear.

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me

will be saved."

Jesus is the only way to God. He is the only way to eternal life.

How does one get to heaven? How does one get to dwell with God? The people of the world will give you many different answers to that. Many
people believe what R.C. Sproul calls,

"Justification by death."

They believe that all you have to do be made right with God is to die. Someone dies and what do they say?

"Rest in peace."

It doesn't matter what they believed or how they lived, they are expected to have peace in the afterlife.

I've also heard some people say that sincerity is the one thing that is needed. They will tell you that it doesn't matter what you believe as long as
you're sincere in what you believe. It's certainly true that sincerity is a good quality. But more is required than that. You need Jesus. You need to
believe in Him. If you reject Him you don't have life no matter how sincere you are about what you do believe. As the apostle John wrote in 1 John
5:10–12,

"Anyone who believes in the Son of God

has this testimony in his heart.
Anyone who does not believe God
has made him out to be a liar,
because he has not believed the testimony
God has given about his Son.
And this is the testimony:
God has given us eternal life,
and this life is in his Son.
He who has the Son has life;
he who does not have the Son of God
does not have life."

So you can be as sincere as possible about your beliefs but sincerity won't save you. For example, say someone doesn't believe that Jesus has come in
the flesh. They sincerely believe that. Here's what 1 John 4:2-4 says this about them.

"This is how you can recognize

the Spirit of God:
Every spirit that acknowledges
that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
is from God,
but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
This is the spirit of the antichrist,
which you have heard is coming
and even now is already in the world."

So even if someone is sincere in their belief that Jesus has not come in the flesh doesn't change the fact that they have the spirit of the antichrist. They
are opposed to Jesus. They do not have life. Without Jesus they will not find life.

Others think that you can get into heaven by being good, by trying hard, by being better than most other people, by doing more good things than bad
things. But again, the Bible says that is simply not true. In Romans 3:20 the apostle Paul said,

"Therefore no one
will be declared righteous
in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law
we become conscious of sin."

Then in Galatians 3:10 he wrote,

"All who rely on observing the law

are under a curse, for it is written:
'Cursed is everyone
who does not continue to do everything
written in the Book of the Law.' "

The door to salvation is not through good works, not though personal worth, not through giving money to the church. It is through Jesus.

The second thing about the door that leads to salvation is that

Jesus is the correct door.

In the Monty Hall game, if you knew how to play, you had a 66% chance of guessing the correct door. With Christianity, there is no doubt. It shows
you the correct door—it's Jesus.

Doors are often a way of identifying something. For example, when we lived in Edinburgh, we lived in what is called terraced housing. Sometimes
terraced housing is called 'row houses', but that name wouldn't have applied to where we lived because there were no houses. We lived in an
apartment building that went all around the block and there was an outdoor courtyard in the middle. The building had what were called 'stairs'. Every
few yards on the front of the building there would be a door that opened onto a stair, and in each stair there will be a flight of stairs and on that
stairway there would be 7 or 8 apartments, one on the first floor, and 2 on the second floor and so on. I think there were four or five floors in our
building. Most of the stairs had numbers by them. But our stair didn't have a number. But it had a very distinctive door. It was purple and had green
graffiti on it. That's how people could identify our door. If someone was coming to visit us, we'd tell him that there was no number but they would
know to pick the purple door with green graffiti.

Here we are told that Jesus is the door. In verse 9 Jesus said,

"I am the gate;

whoever enters through me will be saved."

Salvation is only through Him. Our text is similar to John 14:6 where Jesus said,

"I am the way and the truth and the life.

No one comes to the Father except through me."

Iain D. Campbell puts it this way, (I Am: Exploring the 'I AM' sayings of John's Gospel, Kindle Locations 411-412.)

"If you are looking for a salvation, but it doesn't have Jesus as the first point of contact, you are at the wrong door."

Christianity is the only religion that has the solution to the curse of sin. It's the only religion that deals adequately with that curse. The curse of sin is
death—death in all its fullness, both physical and eternal. In Revelation 20:14 the second death is defined as the lake of fire. That's the ultimate curse
of death.

How can such a curse be dealt with? How can such a curse be satisfied? The only thing that satisfies it is death. Death is required. Can good works
satisfy the requirement—no. They fall far short. Can sincerity satisfy the requirement—no, it comes up far, far short. Death is required.

The wonderful news of the gospel is that Jesus paid the price for the sins of all who come to Him. He who had no sin died for sinners. As 2
Corinthians 5:21 says,

"God made him who had no sin

to be sin for us,
so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God."

If you're in Jesus your sins have been paid for by death—by the death of Jesus. They have been washed away by His death.

Thirdly, we must note that it was not just an ordinary person who died in our stead.

The great "I am" is the door.

Jesus is and was a true human being. But He is also the great "I Am", the covenant God of the Old Testament. (John 8:58) He is the One who created
all things for His glory. As Colossians 1:16 says,

"For by him all things were created:

things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things were created by him and for him."

The great "I am" came to his earth to save us. In Acts 20:28 Paul put it in the boldest terms. He said to the Ephesians elders,

"Be shepherds of the church of God,

which he bought with his own blood."

Paul attributes the blood that saved us to God, because Jesus is God.

Another passage that shows the greatness of the Person who died in our stead is Acts 3:15. Peter say to the crowd,
 "You killed the author of life,
but God raised him from the dead."

Your sins have been paid for by the Author of life, who endured death for you. That's the glory of the gospel— that Jesus paid the price for your sins.
Only His death can save you. In the Garden of Gethsemane He asked the Father if it was possible for the cup to pass from Him. It was not possible.
There is no salvation any other way.

Jesus is the way of life. He is the Alpha and Omega. Salvation is only in Him.

How does one get rid of the curse of the law that is against him— Galatians 3:13 says,

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law

by becoming a curse for us…"

How does one know that he is in a right standing with God? It's through Jesus. In Galatians 2:16 the apostle Paul wrote,

"So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that
we may be justified by faith
in Christ and not by observing the law,
because by observing the law
no one will be justified."

How do we know that our sins have been washed away? It's because Jesus paid for them. In Revelation 7 John saw a great multitude in white robes
that no man could number, standing before the throne of God in front of the Lamb. The angel said that those in in white robes are the ones who,
(Revelation 7:14)

"they have washed their robes and made them white

in the blood of the Lamb."

How does one get the power to overcome the power of sin in his life—it's through Jesus. In 1 Peter 2:24–25 the apostle said of Jesus,

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,

so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness;
by his wounds you have been healed."

How does one get to heaven? It's through Jesus. Everything is through Jesus. Jesus died in our place, for our sins. Jesus is the only way of salvation.
We are saved by Him, by His work—by His life, His death and His resurrection.

Your sins have to be paid for by death—either your eternal death or by Jesus and His death.

Which will it be? You need to go to Jesus. If you don't have Jesus, the curse of sin remains over you. You'll be lost forever unless you go to Jesus.
You should go to Jesus now.

The wonderful thing about Jesus as that door is that

He is a door that is easy to enter.

In Matthew 11:28–30 Jesus said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,

and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Jesus invites you to Himself. He invites you to enter into life through Him. In John 6:37 He said,

"All that the Father gives me will come to me,

and whoever comes to me I will never drive away."
In other words, He will welcome people with open arms. He will admit them into the sheepfold. The shepherd will accept all who come.

James Montgomery Boice writes, (Those Who Received Him [John 9–12], Boice Expositional Commentary 17; p. 744-745)

"If Jesus had compared himself to a wall we should have to climb over, it might be hard work. If he had compared himself to
a long, dark passageway, we should have to feel along it; some might be afraid to try. But he is not a wall or a passageway.
He is a gate, and a gate can be entered easily and instantly."

In Jesus' day there were two kinds of sheep pens. One was in or near the towns or villages. It was large and shared by several shepherds. The other
was out in the countryside, and was an enclosure consisting of an a wall of stones, an area where the sheep were protected. There was one opening
and that was the door. The sheep would enter though the opening. But there was no actual gate. At night the shepherd would sleep in the opening. He
was not there to keep the sheep out, but to protect them from predators. If a shepherd didn't realize that a sheep lagged behind and a little later that
sheep came up to the sheep pen, the shepherd would not refuse to let it in. Of course not. The gate is open to the sheep.

Thus when Jesus said that He was the door and gave invitations to all to enter, it is clear people should come to Him. Literally, he became the gate.

Some people have difficulty with the fact that Jesus said those that the Father has given Him will come. They know that the Bible says that God has
chosen His people before the foundation of the world, that only those who are the elect can go to him. We see this in Jesus' words in John 6:44. He
said,

"No one can come to me

unless the Father who sent me draws him,
and I will raise him up at the last day."

These people wonder if they're of the elect. That's a barrier to belief for them. But it shouldn't be. The command from God is for them to believe. In
his sermon on this text James Montgomery Boice urged people to believe, while they listened to him preaching. He said they could believe instantly.
He said, (Those Who Received Him [John 9–12], Boice Expositional Commentary 17; p. 744-745)

"Let me demonstrate how instantly by this story. A number of years ago a woman sat in a pew in the Tenth Presbyterian
Church in Philadelphia, which I now serve as pastor. At the time, the pastor was Donald Grey Barnhouse. He was talking
about the cross and of the need to believe on the Christ who died upon it. The woman I am talking about was not a
Christian. She had been raised in a religious home and had heard about Jesus. She had heard about the cross. But she did
not understand these things and therefore obviously had never actually trusted in Jesus for her salvation. In order to make
clear that for salvation only belief in Jesus Christ is necessary Barnhouse said, 'Imagine that the cross has a door in it. All
you are asked to do is to go through. On one side, the side facing you, there is written an invitation: 'Whosoever will, may
come.' You stand there with your sin upon you and wonder if you should enter or not. Finally you do, and as you do the
burden of your sin drops away. You are safe and free. Joyfully you then turn around and see written on the backside of the
cross, through which you have now entered, the words 'Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.' ' Barnhouse then
invited those who were listening to enter."

Boice continued,

"The woman later said that this was the first time in her life that she had really understood what it meant to be a Christian
and that in understanding it, she had believed. She believed right there—in that church at that moment. She entered the
door. Moreover, the rest of her life bore witness to the fact that a great change had occurred and that she was God's child. I
am certain of the facts of this story because that woman was my mother."

Now for those of you who are Christians,

you need to make sure that you're trusting in Jesus and not your works.
It's easy for us to deceive ourselves in this regard. We know the correct doctrine, but we actually have to apply it to our life. Have you really put your
trust in Christ?
Matthew Meade (1629– 1699), was a Puritan and contemporary of John Owen, Bunyan, and Richard Baxter, who lived in a time when Protestantism
had spread quickly and hypocrisy was rampant. In order to get professing Christians to examine themselves, he asked,

"Now therefore, hath the spirit of the Lord been at work in your souls? Have you ever been convinced of the evil of sin, of
the misery of a natural state, of the insufficiency of all things under heaven to help, of the fullness and righteousness of
Jesus Christ, of the necessity of resting upon him for pardon and peace, for sanctification and salvation? Have you ever been
really convinced of these things? O then, as you love your own souls, as ever you hope to be saved at last, and enjoy God
for ever, improve these convictions, and be sure you rest not in them till they rise up to a thorough close with the Lord Jesus
Christ, and so end in a sound and perfect conversion. Thus shall you be not only almost, but altogether a Christian."

The last thing that Jesus being the door means is that

once you enter you are safe.

You are safe forever. It's interesting that in verse 9 Jesus said,

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.

He will come in and go out, and find pasture."

The sheep are safe once they go through the door, they are safe inside the sheep pen, they are safe outside. Safety is measured by the strength of the
door, to keep you safe inside. With Jesus, you are always safe, no matter where you are. In John 10:27–29 Jesus said,

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish;
no one can snatch them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand."

And Ephesians 1:13–14 says,

"Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal,

the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his
glory."

If you go to Jesus, you are safe forever. Go to Him today.

https://www.stephensizer.com/2008/10/sermon-of-the-week-i-am-the-gate-john-101-10/

Sermon of the Week: “I am the Gate” (John 10:1-10)

Last month in midtown Manhattan, time stood still – literally. After the US debt surpassed $10 trillion, the marquee-
sized debt clock in Times Square, which has kept a running tally of the U.S. national debt for nearly 20 years, ran
out of digits. Time magazine said, “For a nation already struggling with a bleak economic reality, it was a less-than-
reassuring display” With the global slide in share prices this week, it has perhaps become a sign of how the entire
world is struggling with the new economic reality. Something more than a change of President in two weeks time is
going to be needed. We have got to learn to live and work together more collaboratively and today’s gospel story
may give us some clues. Last week I was in Jordan with Church leaders addressing a different kind of crisis. The
slow but progressive haemorrhaging of the indigenous Church. They are leaving the Middle East due to attacks by
Islamists from Sudan to Iraq, from Afghanistan to Egypt. To flee or to emigrate has always been a natural response
to economic necessity as much as religious oppression. And in the light of the last couple of weeks, if you work in
the City, maybe you have felt like fleeing also. You may not have thought of emigrating to Australia but perhaps the
thought of a simpler, slower lifestyle in the countryside, working on the land or with animals instead of people, is
rather appealing.

One of the places I am tempted to retreat to is Palestine and the scenery between Jerusalem and Jericho. In times
past it has been a favourite place for prayer and contemplation with many monasteries. This road cuts a giant gash
through the Judean Wilderness. The hillsides are covered with open fields, bare, dry and parched, dotted with herds
of sheep and goats, and lonely shepherds leading their flocks. As the road descends with dozens of hairpin bends
from 1000 feet above sea level to nearly 1000 feet below you catch a glimpse of many Bedouin encampments just
off the main road on the hill sides. Their life style has changed little in a thousand years.  They look very poor, little
different to the residents of the Palestinian refugee camps nearby, large rickety marquee tents, made of old sacks,
animal skins and cardboard. so poor. Actually many of them are very wealthy.

You can tell by the size of their herds. We might think it odd measuring wealth in terms of animals. But they would
probably think we are strange, measuring wealth in quantities of little pieces of coloured paper. You can’t eat bank
notes… Sheep and goats provide them with nourishing drink, with food, with clothing, and even with friendship….
But if you are thinking of giving up commuting for the farming life, let me read you some advice from an official
Australian Guide to Sheep Rearing. First the advantages.

1. The Advantages

1. Herding Instinct. Sheep tend to stay together.

2. Reproduction. Sheep are quick growing and multiply easily.

3. Obedience. Sheep can be trained to obey.

2. The Disadvantages

1. Sheep are not adapted to heat and dryness.

2. Sheep can’t survive without adequate food.

3. Sheep are fragile. Their rough appearance is deceptive.

4. Sheep are naturally defenseless.

5. Sheep are susceptible to parasites

6. Sheep must be watched continually.

7. Sheep need protection at night.

8. Sheep are short sighted. They can only see 6 feet ahead.

Perhaps we can begin to understand why Jesus says we are like sheep and he is our shepherd.  However, we need
to realize there is very little similarity between Palestinian and British shepherds.

In Britain sheep are reared largely for their meat. In Palestine they are kept mostly for their milk and wool. That
means they tend to live a whole lot longer. It also means a personal relationship develops between shepherd and
sheep.  The sheep are given names and respond to his call.  If you’ve watched sheep trials you will know how
difficult it can be to get sheep to go in the right direction.  That’s because British shepherds tend to drive their sheep
from behind.  That is a bit like pushing a bicycle down the road backwards. It is hard to keep it in a straight line.

In Palestine it is a lot easier because the shepherd leads his sheep from the front.   H. V. Morton in his book The
Steps of the Master has a moving description of the way in which the Palestinian shepherd leads his flock.
“On the hills behind Jericho no sooner had the shepherd spoken than an answering bleat shivered over the herd
and one or two of the animals turned their heads in his direction. But they did not obey him. The herd gave a
laughing kind of whinny. Immediately a goat with a bell round his neck stopped eating, and, leaving the herd, trotted
down the hill, across the valley, and up the opposite slopes. The man accompanied by this animal walked on and
disappeared round a ledge of rock. Very soon a panic spread among the herd. They forgot to eat. They looked up
for their shepherd. He was not to be seen. They became conscious that the leader with the bell at his neck was no
longer with them. From the distance came the strange laughing call of the shepherd, and at the sound of it the entire
herd stampeded into the hollow and leapt up the hill after him.”

It may be that as Jesus conversed with the crowds he turned His eyes to the hillside of the Mount of Olives and saw
the familiar sight of shepherds busy, as the afternoon waned to evening, folding their flocks preparing for the
evening. This may have been the setting, the visual aid, Jesus used to teach another lesson about himself and his
mission. This week and next we shall stay in John 10 and consider two more of the great “I am” statements of
Jesus. Today we shall consider his claim “I am the Gate” (John 10:1-10).  Next week we will consider his claim “I am
the Good Shepherd” (John 10:11-39). In the passage before us today, let us observe:

1.      Who Jesus is “I am the Gate” (John 10:9)

2.      Why Jesus came “that they may have life” (John 10:10)

3.      How we Follow Him “listen to his voice” (John 10:3)

1. Who is Jesus? “I am the Gate”

“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.  He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9)

At first reading this may sound a rather unusual analogy for Jesus to use. So lets take a step back and consider the
context.

As we pick up the story from John 9, Jesus has just encountered the man born blind. He heals the man by the
power of his spoken word.  When the religious leaders demand an explanation and the man testifies to Jesus, they
throw him out of the Temple.

Rejected by the religious leaders he becomes a follower of Jesus.

So Jesus introduces the illustration of the shepherd and the sheep. Jesus is building his flock, finding and saving
“the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). But he is also calling sheep from all nations into his flock. “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.” (John 10:16)

The sheep pen, then as now, is an enclosure open to the elements and the scrutiny of the owner. It is not covered in
or roofed over like a barn or shed, it has no door either, just an opening. Its walls are open to the sun, the sky, rain
and wind.   They are often made of rough stones with a layer of thorn brush along the top. They can be quite dirty,
smelly places but their main purpose is to provide protection. At night, after the sheep are in, the shepherd just lays
down in the doorway.  He becomes the gate.

There is no legitimate access to the sheepfold except through him.  So anyone who tried to climb over the wall to
get in was obviously up to no good.  If a predator tries to enter, the shepherd would be disturbed.  The shepherd
therefore puts his life at risk to protect his sheep in becoming the gate. A hired hand won’t but the owner will. The
people would have been familiar with the many occasions in the Hebrew scriptures where the Lord God describes
himself as a shepherd.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.” (Psalm 23:1)

“He tends his flock like a shepherd:  He gathers the lambs in his arms  and carries them close to his heart;  he gently
leads those that have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
“He who scattered Israel will gather them and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.” (Jeremiah 31:10)
“As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep…  I myself will tend
my sheep and have them lie down,  declares the Sovereign LORD. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays.
I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy.  I will shepherd the flock
with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:12-16)

So if this imagery would have been familiar to those listening to Jesus, where was he headed?    “Jesus used this
figure of speech but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.” (John 10:6). Because they hadn’t
got the picture yet, Jesus goes for the jugular – he becomes direct and explicit, “I am the Door” and “I am the Good
Shepherd”. In quick succession he takes the name of God to himself. He takes the role of God upon himself.

Suddenly the whole illustration makes sense with devastating clarity. Amidst the storms of life, Jesus is saying He is
the only one through whom we can be safe and secure. Any other religious leader who does not follow Jesus is
really a predator and should be avoided. Jesus is “the” Gate – the gateway to heaven. Jesus is the only way to God.
Who is Jesus? “I am the Gate.”

2.      Why did Jesus come? “that they may have life”

“All who ever came before me  were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever
enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill
and destroy; I have come that they may have life,  and have it to the full.” (John 10:6-10)

Within the metaphor of the sheep and the shepherds, Jesus’ main purpose is to show that he alone brings salvation.
It is Jesus who saves. No one else. He is not referring to Abraham or Moses or the prophets when he speaks of
those who came before him – rather the false shepherds of his day. The religious leaders of his day who were self-
seeking, self serving. Like the blind man, they expelled those who challenged their authority.  Jesus welcomes the
lost sheep into his flock. He is literally the door to heaven, the way into God’s flock.   Jesus defines ‘life’ in terms of
free access to good pasture, protection from harm at night and fullness of life – life everlasting. Provision by day,
protection by night. Under his care and by his gift we can experience the very best, life can offer. Jesus gives a
whole new meaning to living because he provides full satisfaction, perfect guidance, and eternal security. “whoever
enters through me will be saved.” Says Jesus. Have you entered? Do you have the assurance of being saved? Who
is Jesus? “I am the Gate” Why did Jesus come? “that they may have life”

3. How do we follow Him?  “listen to his voice”

“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.” (John 10:3-5)

Three simple applications on how to follow Jesus.

3.1 Listen to Jesus
“the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (John 10:3)  Have you heard his
call in your life? He calls you by name. He knows everything there is about you. Knowing everything he still cares for
you. Your friends might not but Jesus does. Do you recognize his voice speaking to you as you read the Scriptures?
Do you hear him call you daily? Get to know him well, obey his voice and you will never be afraid of the unknown.
Listen to Jesus.
3.2 Run from Strangers
Jesus says, “But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize
a stranger’s voice.” (John 10:5)

We have so much to learn from sheep on this point. God has built into their instinct the ability to discern between
voices. That is why they run from strangers and will not follow them. Children are the same. As we grow up we
suppress this instinct. As Christians we have inherited the idea that being broadminded and tolerant of those who
reject Jesus and the authority of the Bible is somehow mature, or loving and charitable. You wouldn’t let someone
who was known to abuse children look after yours would you? So why let someone who is not following Jesus teach
your children about faith and morals? Do you monitor the books they read or the programmes they watch? Which is
more loving to say yes or no? Why do we tolerate religious leaders who have rejected Jesus? Why read their
books? Why let them mess with your minds and confuse your souls?  We take great care in the selection of the
books we promote in our church bookstore.

The primary test is simple. Are they following Jesus?  Last Tuesday our Church Council passed three important
resolutions in solidarity with the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans and the Jerusalem Declaration. If you want to
read more see here. The Jerusalem Declaration is simply a restatement of biblical orthodoxy. It contains one
controversial statement:

“We reject the authority of those churches and leaders who have denied the orthodox faith in word or deed. We pray
for them and call on them to repent and return to the Lord.”

The reason the Church of England is in the mess it is because some of our leaders have failed to discipline those
who have gone astray. That is all Jesus is saying here. We must not listen to or follow the teachings of religious
leaders who are not following Jesus. The Apostle John who wrote this Gospel, also wrote several letters. In his
second, he applies this teaching of Jesus by insisting,

“If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.  Anyone
who welcomes him shares in his wicked work.” (2 John 1:9-11)
The apostle Paul says the same thing.  “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that,
have nothing to do with him.  11 You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned.” (Titus
3:10-11) To the Romans he insists:  “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put
obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.  Keep away from them. 18 For such people
are not serving our Lord Christ,  but their own appetites.  By smooth talk and flattery they deceive  the minds of naive
people.” (Romans 16:17-18)

Yes – we have much to learn from sheep. What must we do? Listen to Jesus. Run from Strangers.

3.3 Stay Together

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his
voice.” (John 10:4)

We are to stay together. This is implicit. Jesus is speaking about his flock. We are his sheep – plural. Lone sheep
don’t survive in the wild. Goats yes, sheep no. Lost sheep are dead sheep.

They can’t survive alone. That is why Jesus chose this analogy to describe his Church. We need each other. As we
follow Jesus together, he will provide all we need to care for one another – whatever happens this year. Some of
you may be made redundant. We will do our best to support you and your families. Some of you may be expected to
take a pay cut or work less hours to stay in your job. Some will find your pension won’t go as far as you hoped.
That’s OK too. God knows.

One of the speakers at the Middle East Consultation I attended in Jordan last year was a psychologist called Naji
Abu Hashem. He has observed some of the reasons why Christians in the Middle East have survived under
pressure.

1.      Family and friends provide a strong bond in adversity.

2.      Eat meals together.

3.      Share together – do plenty of talking, expressing, discussing.

4.      Visit one another – spend time together.

5.      Show solidarity with one another.

6.      Have fun together in recreation and games.

7.      Care for one another in practical ways – baking, gifts.

8.      Participate in worship together.

I believe this year we will all come to value our membership of Christ’s Church more than ever before. We must
learn to use our God given gifts and talents to look after one another because we are members of Christ’s flock in
this place. Three simple principles we can apply as we face an uncertain future together.  Listen to Jesus. Run from
Strangers. Stay Together. Lets pray.

http://www.rayfowler.org/sermons/john/jesus-the-gate-for-the-sheep/

Jesus: The Gate for the Sheep

John 10:1-10

INTRODUCTION: One of the most beautiful expressions Jesus used to describe himself was that of the Good

Shepherd of the sheep. We are going to take a couple weeks to look at Jesus’ teaching on this as found here in John

10. Today we will look at Jesus as the gate for the sheep, and next week we will look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd

of the sheep. (Read John 10:1-10 and pray.)

—————-
How’s your life? How would you describe your life today? Pop quiz – describe your life in twenty words or less – what

would you say? How would you describe it? Great? Lousy? Exciting? Dull? Everything in order? A total mess? Empty?

Fulfilling? Moving forward? Going nowhere? I like the way one person described their life: “If my life were a movie,

this is where I would go out and buy popcorn!” Not much happening there.

Some people would say their life is not all that bad, but if you pressed them they would probably admit it’s not that

great either. Too many frustrations and failures and disappointments along the way. Others would describe their life

as dull, boring, or routine. We all face frustration and failure and disappointment in life. And we all face periods of life

that seem dreary and dull. That’s a given. Jesus himself said, “In this world you will have trouble.” But he also said,

“Take heart, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus spoke about rising above the disappointments and failures of life, rising above the dullness and dreariness that

so many experience. Jesus spoke about finding a life of true satisfaction and fulfillment. He spoke about living life to

the fullest, abundant and free. We’re only given one life to live here on planet earth. And it might seem a long time to

you, but in the light of eternity life is really quite brief. It would be a shame not to live the short life we are given to

the fullest.

So how do you do that? Where do you find true satisfaction in life? Certainly not from material things or riches or

wealth. We all know people who have plenty of material things but still lead miserable lives. So where is this full,

abundant life found?

Jesus sought to answer that question in the passage we have just read. And he used the illustration of sheep in a

sheep pen to provide the answer. Most of us have probably never taken care of sheep, and so we need to explore this

illustration more closely in order to understand Jesus’ answer more fully. So let’s begin by looking at Jesus’ illustration

of the sheep pen.

I. The Illustration of the Sheep Pen (1-6)

Look at verse one: “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some

other way, is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1) Notice Jesus begins this series of teachings by saying, “I tell you the

truth.” Jesus often used this phrase to alert his listeners to the importance of what he was about to say. I find it

interesting that the Old Testament prophets always said, “Thus saith the Lord.” But Jesus says, “I tell you the truth.”

So what is a sheep pen? A sheep pen is a very simple structure with a very simple purpose – to keep the sheep safe

at night. A sheep pen has no roof, only four walls and a gate, similar to a corral used for horses. You could make the

walls from a variety of materials – stone, brick, mud or wood. Stone walls were probably the most common in Israel,

and the shepherds would often spread thorns or briers along the tops of the walls in order to discourage thieves or

wild animals from trying to get in. Sometimes the sheep pen was attached to the owner’s house; sometimes it was

constructed out in the open field. But no matter where it was located or how it was constructed, it was basically the

same type of structure – four walls, no roof, and one door or gate. In other words there was only one way in or out of

the sheep pen. This was to keep the sheep from escaping at night and also to control who goes in or out.
Now obviously it would be a lot easier to enter the sheep pen by the gate than by climbing over the wall. Anyone with

the right to enter would use the door. If someone was trying to climb in by some other way, then that was a sure sign

they were not supposed to be there. Think about your own neighborhood. If you saw someone trying to get into a

house through the window rather than the door, what would you think? You would say something’s wrong here, and

you would check it out in case someone was breaking into your neighbor’s house. In the same way Jesus identifies

this one climbing over the wall as a thief and a robber. The very fact that he doesn’t use the gate betrays the fact that

he is up to no good.

In contrast, look at verse 2: “The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep.” (John 10:2) The

shepherd is not about to be climbing the walls to enter his own sheep pen. He is naturally going to use the gate.

Verse 3 says that: “The watchman opens the gate for him.” (John 10:3) The word here is literally, “watcher of the

door.” That was his function. The shepherd watched the sheep. The watchman only had to watch the door – to make

sure that no sheep went out, and that only the shepherd came in. Shepherds needed to sleep at night too. So often

several shepherds would place their flocks in the enclosure together and hire a nightshift watchman to guard the

flocks until morning. The watchman would only open the gate for one of these shepherds.

The watchman opens the gate for him, and verse 3 goes on to say: “The sheep listen to his voice.” (John 10:3) The

sheep know the voice of their own shepherd. Why? Because they hear it everyday. They spend all day long listening

to their shepherd as he speaks to them and guides them and cares for their needs. The shepherd “calls his own sheep

by name and leads them out.” (John 10:3) Remember, the shepherds often mixed their flocks together. Once all the

sheep from the various flocks are mixed together, how is the shepherd supposed to find his own sheep? He calls to

them, and they follow because they recognize his voice. Even today shepherds in the Middle East are able to separate

their flocks out simply with the sound of their voice.

Notice also that he calls them by name. Personal care and attention is given to each sheep. The shepherds often

named the individual sheep in their flock, often after some trait or recognizable characteristic of the animal. So the

sheep with the slight limp might be “hop-along” or the one with the goofy grin, “dimples” and so on.

When we had dogs we used to take them walking down at the doggie park here in Plantation. (Don’t take your cat

there). It’s a great park, all fenced in where the dogs can run free and unleashed. All the dogs run around and get

mixed up together, but when it’s time to go, we just call our dogs and they come running. Why? They know the sound

of our voice, and we call them by name.

Verse 4 says: “When the shepherd has brought out all his own sheep, he goes on ahead of them, and the sheep follow

him.” (John 10:4) Notice the shepherd does not move on until he has brought them all out. He knows them by name,

and he knows their number. He does not leave any behind. He waits until he has all of the sheep out, and then he

goes on ahead of them. In other words, he leads them. This is the Eastern method of shepherding. Here in the West,

the shepherds tend to drive the sheep. They chase them along with a sheep dog nipping at their heels, but in the

Eastern world shepherds lead their sheep. And so this creates a beautiful picture of discipleship. The shepherd goes on
ahead. Wherever the sheep go, the shepherd has stepped first. He goes ahead, not simply to point the way, but also

to make sure that the way is steady and safe.

Now apparently this works great with sheep, but not so well with preschoolers. I remember when Rosi and I were first

married, and we volunteered to do children’s church. We led the children out to children’s church and when we turned

around to talk to them they were scattering every which way. We soon learned with preschool kids you need to go

before and after them.

But sheep are different. The sheep follow the shepherd. Why? “Because they know his voice.” (John 10:4) It all comes

back to knowing, recognizing and trusting the shepherd’s 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.” (John 10:5) There is no worry about a

stranger leading them away. The sheep will not follow a stranger. In fact, not only will they not follow, they will run

the other way. Why? Because they do not know the stranger’s voice.

And so Jesus shares this illustration about sheep and shepherds, thieves, robbers and strangers. Verse six tells us that

“Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.” (John 10:6) Now that

doesn’t mean that they did not understand the illustration itself. They were very familiar with sheep and shepherds

and sheep pens. Everything Jesus said made perfect sense to them. They just didn’t know what he meant by it all.

Clearly Jesus was not just telling them about sheep. He was trying to teach them something. But what? So Jesus goes

on to explain his meaning.

II. What Prompted the Illustration

But before we look at Jesus’ explanation, it would be helpful to know what prompted Jesus to share this illustration in

the first place. What happened that caused Jesus to share this illustration about the sheep, the shepherd, and the

sheep pen, and about thieves and robbers climbing over the walls? When you look back at John chapter 9 you find

that Jesus had just healed a man who had been born blind. This is an amazing miracle, one that should have

confirmed to everyone that Jesus was indeed the Christ who has been sent by God. But the Pharisees didn’t want

anything to do with it. They were unable to deny the miracle, but they still refused to acknowledge that Jesus had

come from God. And so instead of rejoicing with the blind man who could now see, they actually threw the man out of

the synagogue.

As the religious leaders of their day, they were supposed to be shepherds for the people of Israel – caring for them,

feeding them, and pointing them to true spiritual life in God. Instead we find them threatening, intimidating, and

harassing the people. And they refused to recognize Jesus as the one who had come from God to bring light and life to

all. And so these are the circumstances that prompted the illustration of the sheep pen. Jesus healed the man who

was born blind. And the religious leaders continued to reject Jesus. Now we can go ahead and look at the meaning of

the illustration in verses 7-10.

III. The Meaning of the Illustration (7-10)

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were

thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved.

He will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:7-9)

Remember the sheep pen? Four walls, no roof, one door. Here Jesus says: “I am that door. I am the gate for the

sheep.” Not one gate among many, but the gate, the one and only. When Jesus proclaims himself the gate for the

sheep he claims exclusive rights to that title. There is no other gate but Jesus. In the Bible sheep were a common

reference to God’s people. And Jesus says that he is the gate for the sheep.

   A. True spiritual leadership comes through Jesus alone. (John 9:30-38)

Jesus draws three parallels between himself and the gate in these verses. The first parallel is this: “Anyone who tries

to enter the sheep pen by any means other than the gate is a thief and a robber.” In the same way, anyone who tries

to lead God’s people apart from Christ is a thief and a robber. True spiritual leadership comes through Jesus alone.

The Pharisees refused to acknowledge that Jesus came from God. Therefore they had no legitimate spiritual leadership

in the people’s lives. By using this illustration Jesus was saying to the Pharisees: “Yes, I do come from God. In fact I

not only come from God, I am the one true gate for the sheep. So when you reject me who is the only way to God,

you disqualify yourselves as proper shepherds of God’s people.”

Jesus’ words are strong: “All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers.” Jesus is not speaking about the

Old Testament prophets or John the Baptist or anyone else who came legitimately pointing the way to God. But he is

talking about the Pharisees here and anyone else who would try to offer people spiritual life apart from Christ. There is

no true spirituality apart from Jesus. He is the gate for the sheep. And anyone who tries to go around Jesus shows

that they belong to the category of thief and robber rather than shepherd. They are climbing over the wall; they are

rejecting the true gateway to life.

Notice Jesus also said: “but the sheep did not listen to them.” Going back to chapter nine, the blind man did not listen

to the religious leaders. When the Pharisees said they didn’t know where Jesus came from, the blind man responded:

“Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not

listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man

born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at

birth; how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out. Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he

found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may

believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said,

“Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:30-38)

The blind man did not listen to the Pharisees; rather he listened to the voice of the shepherd. He listened to Jesus.

The Pharisees had rejected Jesus. Therefore, anyone who listened to them showed that they did not belong to God’s

flock. Remember, one of the characteristics of God’s people is that they listen to him. Those who truly know God and

seek after him will not listen to anyone who directs them away from Jesus. He is the gate for the sheep. Those who
follow after any teaching about God that does not center on Jesus show that they do not belong to God’s sheep. The

sheep will not listen to the thief or robber; rather, they will run the other way.

   B. Salvation comes through Jesus alone. (Psalm 118:20; John 14:6)

The second parallel Jesus makes is this: Just as there is only one way into the sheep pen, so there is only one way

into the kingdom of God. Look at verse 9 where Jesus says: “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be

saved.” (John 10:9) Jesus repeats the phrase: “I am the gate,” but this time with the sheep in mind rather than the

Pharisees. In verse 8 the Pharisees had to come through the gate in order to be shepherds of the flock, that is, true

spiritual leadership comes through Jesus alone. In verse 9 the sheep must come through the gate in order to be

saved. In other words, salvation comes through Jesus alone.

There are many religions in the world. There are many supposed ways to God. But there is only one gate. Salvation is

found in no one else except Jesus Christ. He is the gate for the sheep. Psalm 118:20 says: “This is the gate of the

LORD through which the righteous may enter,” and that gate is Jesus. Jesus said the same thing when he said: “I am

the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by me.” (John 14:6) These are not popular words in a

diverse culture such as our own. But they are the truth. Jesus is the one way to the Father. He is the gate. Only those

who enter through Christ will be saved.

Why is Jesus the only way to salvation? Because we are all sinners and the wages of sin is death. Only Jesus offers

the solution for sin. He died on the cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins, so that we could know

forgiveness and salvation through him. There is no other way. As Paul writes in the book of Galatians, if there was any

other way to be saved, then Christ died for nothing. But Christ did not die for nothing. He died for you, so that you

may be saved. He is the gate for the sheep. Salvation comes though Jesus alone.

   C. Full, abundant life comes through Jesus alone. (John 10:10)

Now back to verse 9, Jesus goes on to say this about the person who comes to Jesus for salvation: “He will come in

and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9) Some people get confused at this part of the illustration. If Jesus is the

gateway to salvation, what does he mean by going in and out through the gate? Is he talking about gaining and losing

your salvation, going in and out of the kingdom of God? And the answer is no, Jesus is drawing a third parallel here.

1) True spiritual leadership comes through Jesus alone. 2) Salvation comes through Jesus alone. 3) Full, abundant life

comes through Jesus alone.

“Coming in and going out” does not refer to eternal life but rather to the quality of life you experience through Christ.

It’s not a picture of gaining and losing your salvation but rather of freedom of movement. “Coming in” refers to the

safety that the sheep experience as they enter the sheep pen for the night. “Going out” refers to the nourishment that

the sheep experience as they go out to the pasture during the day. Those who come to salvation through Christ find

both safety and blessing in life. You cannot know the safety of the sheep pen unless you come in through the gate.

And you cannot know the goodness of the pasture unless you go out through the gate. Jesus is the gate for the sheep.

When you come through him, your life is secure, and he will lead you to good pasture. Christ is the door to both

safety and blessing in life.

In verse 10 Jesus sets up one final contrast between himself and the thief: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and

destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10) Who is the thief? Some would say

Satan, and he is certainly included. Satan indeed comes only to steal and kill and destroy. In fact those are some of

his names. He is the great deceiver who seeks to steal everything good from your life. He is the destroyer who wants

only to take life or destroy life. So Satan is included here. But the thief also represents anyone or anything that seeks

to pull you away from Jesus as the gateway to salvation and life. Remember, the thief is the one who does not enter

through the gate but by some other means. The thief refuses to come through Jesus and wants to pull you away also.

The thief steals, kills and destroys. The words are progressive in nature. First he steals. Your life belongs to God. God

created you, he sustains you, he loves you, he sent his son to die for you. He longs to give you abundant life – life to

the full. The thief comes to take that away. Your life belongs to God, and you will only know fullness of life when you

give your life fully to Him. Secondly, the thief kills. The word translated “kill” here carries the meaning of “killing for

food.” In other words there is a selfish motive applied to the thief. He kills for his own benefit. He takes from your life

in order to feed his own. Thirdly, the thief destroys. All that is beautiful, all that is good, all that is in harmony with

God’s righteousness and peace – the thief takes and kills and destroys. If left unchecked the thief will leave nothing

good remaining in your life.

Notice the word “only” in verse 10: the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. The thief never comes for your

benefit. He has only evil intentions. Now God in his sovereignty may overrule the thief’s intentions and take those

things which he intended for evil and work them for good in your life, but that is never the thief’s objective when he

comes. He never has your welfare in mind. He comes only to bring harm and destruction into your life.

Who or what is the thief in your life? Who or what has been pulling you away from Jesus? For some of you the thief

has been working overtime in your life, climbing over every wall imaginable, stealing, pillaging and destroying until

you feel there’s not much left. I have good news for you this morning. Jesus is the gateway to life. The thief comes

only to steal and kill and destroy, but Jesus said, “I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly, to the

full.”

Do you see the difference? The thief comes to take, but Jesus comes to give. The thief comes to kill, but Jesus comes

to give eternal life. The thief comes to destroy, but Jesus comes to heal and restore. Jesus has come that you may

have life abundant and free, life to the full. The word translated “full” here is a word which means “beyond measure,

over and above, more than is necessary, superior, extraordinary, having a surplus.” Jesus came that you may have

life and not just mere existence. But you have to come through the gate. You have to come through Jesus. Then you

may come in and go out and find pasture. For those who come through the gate, Jesus offers life to the full, abundant

life, full and rich and free, safe and secure, showered with the blessing and favor of God.

CONCLUSION: Do you know this life beyond measure, over and above, abundant? Or are you just marking time on

earth? Just squeaking by? Jesus offers you extraordinary life, life beyond that which is merely necessary for survival.

Jesus offers you life with meaning and purpose. He offers you surplus of life. That doesn’t mean it will always be easy

or trouble free. But Jesus will be with you every step of the way, and that makes all the difference.
Bottom line. Jesus is the gate for the sheep. Don’t let anyone point you elsewhere. True spiritual leadership comes

through Jesus alone. Salvation comes through Jesus alone. Full, abundant life comes through Jesus alone. So I invite

you this morning. Come to Jesus and know true life through him. Come to know love, peace, joy, forgiveness. Bring

your burdens to Jesus and let him give you his life – life everlasting, life that is full and abundant and free.