Rev Joshua Yong

John 10:7 ^“Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”

The third “I Am” saying of Christ is, “I am the door of the sheep.”

In ancient times, sheep were often kept in a stone enclosure. This provided safety and protection for the sheep. The unique thing about these enclosures or sheepfolds is that they have only one entrance and no physical door. The shepherd would lie across the opening of the sheepfold at night. In this manner, the shepherd becomes the “door” of the sheep. The shepherd then becomes the only means of access into the sheepfold. No one can enter the sheepfold without first passing through the shepherd.

The people in those days were very familiar with such a practice, and it was in light of this common practice that the Lord Jesus Christ declared, “I am the door of the sheep.”

1)  The Door unto Salvation

In the context of John 10, the Lord Jesus Christ had just healed the man who was born blind. Instead of recognising what the Lord Jesus Christ had accomplished, and because the man confessed Christ, the Pharisees cast the man who was healed out of the synagogue. This showed their rejection and disdain for Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ then gave them this discourse on the good shepherd.

In John 10:8, the Lord Jesus Christ referred to these Pharisees as “thieves and robbers”. They were called thieves and robbers because they bound the people with their own traditions and man-made laws. These Pharisees were corrupt and hypocritical. They did not believe in Christ and His salvation. Like thieves and robbers, they “robbed” the people of salvation and access to God.

In contrast, the Lord Jesus Christ is the door of the sheep because as the entrance He gives those who come unto Him access to salvation and unto God. The Lord Jesus Christ did not say that he is “a” door but “the” door. This means that salvation is found in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. The Lord Jesus Christ was not just teaching the way to salvation, He was saying that He is the only means of salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ says that if any man enters the sheepfold through Him, “he shall be saved”. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

A person can enter into salvation through Jesus Christ because of what He had accomplished on the cross. While the Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, He perfectly fulfilled all of God’s laws. He is the perfect Son of God and Son of Man who went to the cross bearing all our sins, who suffered and died. He fully satisfied the divine justice of God, in that all who sin must die. God raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead on the third day after He died. God the Father accepted the finished work of Christ in that all who seek salvation from their sins must receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, i.e. enter through Christ who is the door.

There may be some who have been coming to church but have never entered through Christ. Church attendance or being born to Christian parents does not equal salvation. Salvation is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ.

2)  The Door of Security 

In ancient times, sheep faced many dangers. There were not only thieves and robbers, but also wild beasts. The shepherd who lies across the opening of the sheepfold would guard the entrance to the fold and would not allow thieves or wild beasts to snatch away the sheep. The sheep knew that the shepherd was guarding the entrance to the fold and could rest peacefully at night.

The teaching of the Pharisees instilled fear. The people thought that in order to be saved from their sins they had to maintain good works by keeping their laws.  The people lived in great fear and uncertainty, not knowing whether their good works would ever be good enough.

In contrast, the Lord Jesus Christ as the door of the sheep gives Christians safety and protection. Those who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ can rest in safety because nothing can snatch them away from Christ. While the devil is not able to rob us of our salvation, he will try to rob us of the assurance of salvation. Christians who live in constant doubt and fear regarding the security of their salvation will be ineffective in service. They must rest in the security that Christ gives. Christians can rest in the assurance that no one can snatch them out of the fold of Christ.

3)  The Door of Satisfaction

The Lord Jesus Christ did not just promise salvation and safety to all God’s children, He also promised an abundant life which is a life that is complete. Sheep depend on the shepherd to lead them to green pastures and still waters. The Lord Jesus Christ says that those who are of His fold can “go in and out, and find pasture” (John 10:9). To “go in and out” does not mean that we will leave the fold of Christ; rather, going “in and out” is for the purpose of enjoying the green pastures that the Lord will lead us unto. In ancient times, the shepherd, as the door, would direct the sheep to graze in green pastures during the day, providing them with nourishment, and would bring them back to the fold at night so they might rest in safety.

To “go in and out” therefore describes both the safety of rest and the satisfaction of provision. Even as the sheep go in and out of the fold, they will always be in the presence of the shepherd. The sheep can graze freely without fear. They depend on the shepherd to guide them to green pastures. If they are left to themselves, they may consume poisonous grass or fall into danger.

The Lord Jesus Christ says that His sheep will “find pasture”. As the door of the sheep who are God’s children, the Lord Jesus Christ will make sure that we receive both spiritual rest and satisfaction. Christians must enjoy the abundant life that Christ has given. We can enjoy a life of contentment and joy. An abundant life is not a life of material wealth, but a life lived in the presence of Christ.