John 10:1-10

THE DOOR OF THE SHEEP

Text 10:1-10

1

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

2

But he that entereth in by the door is the (or, a) shepherd of the sheep.

3

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

4

When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

5

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

6

This parable (or, proverb) spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

7

Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

8

All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

9

I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture.

10

The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.

Queries

a.

Why does Jesus use this particular figure (The Door) to teach at this particular time?

b.

Is Jesus referring to Himself as both the Door and the Shepherd in the first two verses?

c.

Does the salvation of John 10:9 and the pasture have any connection with the life. abundantly of John 10:10?

Paraphrase

I assure you most solemnly that the one who does not lead the sheep into the sheepfold through the Door, but enters deceitfully by climbing into the fold some other way, that one is a thief and a robber. But the one leading the sheep through the Door is a true shepherd of the sheep, Unto him the door-keeper opens the door and the sheep heed his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out, When he has firmly started all of his own on the way to pasture, he goes in front of them leading them and the sheep follow him because they recognize him as a true shepherd. They will never follow a stranger, but to the contrary, they will flee from him because they do not want to know or give heed to the voice of strangers. This allegory Jesus told them, but they did not understand what He was saying to them. So Jesus said again to them, I assure you most solemnly, I Myself am the Door of the sheep. All others who come elevating themselves before me in eminence are thieves and robbers, but the true sheep heed them not. I Myself am the Door. If anyone enters into the sheepfold through Me he shall be saved, and he shall go in and out freely enjoying peace and security and he shall find pasture upon which to feed his soul. The thief comes only in order that he may steal and kill and destroy; I came that the sheep may have life and that they may have it in overflowing abundance.

Summary

Jesus first hints that those claiming to be shepherds of Israel are not entering by the Door and are thus not true shepherds but strangers, thieves and robbers. Then He states plainly that He is the Door and those entering the fold through Him shall be secure and find substance.

Comment

The figures (Shepherd, Sheep, Sheepfold, Hireling) used by Jesus in these allegories should have been familiar enough to the Jews. Read these Old Testament references for yourself to see why Jesus could expect the Jews to understand His allegory: Numbers 27:17; 1 Samuel 17:34-36; 2 Samuel 12:3; 1 Kings 22:17; Psalms 23:1-6; Psalms 79:13; Psalms 80:1; Psalms 95:7; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 23:1; Ezekiel 34:1-31; Zechariah 10:2; Zechariah 11:17; Zechariah 13:7, and others to be found in your concordance.

There are a number of reasons why we believe Jesus was not referring to Himself as The Shepherd in these first ten verses of Chapter 10. First, the main idea is to show that those rulers who had excommunicated the beggar (chapter 9) were not, as they claimed to be, true shepherds of God's flockbecause they refused to lead the sheep through the true Door! Secondly, as the marginal note of the A. S. V. text shows, the definite article the (John 10:2) before the word shepherd may be supplanted by the indefinite article amaking John 10:2 to read ... he that entereth in by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. In fact, the definite article is omitted in the best Greek manuscripts. Thirdly, Jesus makes a point of referring to Himself as the Door in John 10:1 through 10 and then makes a point of emphasizing Himself as The Shepherd in John 10:11 through 21.

Usually the sheepfolds were community edifices wherein each shepherd of the community would shelter his flock by night. They were large enclosures walled by stone walls and sometimes large briars or thorns were secured to the top of the wall to fend off thieves. These folds were protected by a strong door of which only the porter (doorkeeper), who was either paid or took turns with other shepherds, held the key. The porter knew the various shepherds and would immediately open the door for the shepherds who has led their sheep in through the door. Each shepherd knew each of his own sheep by nameand all his sheep knew their shepherd's voice from any other! The true shepherd, then, must first lead the sheep into the fold by the door; the true shepherd is also recognized by his own sheep. The one who proposes to get into the fold by some other way than the Door is very evidently a stranger, thief and robber. He is both crafty and violent, and the sheep flee from him. Sometimes there were sheepfolds of a less imposing structure out in the fields and upon the hills. They had lower walls and were without doors. The shepherds themselves lay down across the entrance gap at night and literally became the door of the sheep. The point, we reiterate, is this: there is no rightful access into the fold except by the door, and any who enter any other way are strangers and have no intention but to steal or destroy.
Jesus had for two years boldly presented Himself as the Way to Godthe Way to Life. The Pharisees and rulers of the Jews who claimed to be the spiritual shepherds of God's people violently rejected Him and deceitfully went among the flock stealing and destroying. A prime example of such rejection of the Door was just experienced by Jesus when the blind beggar was excommunicated because he dared to confess Jesus as one sent from God. The beggar was manifestly one of the true sheep for he saw through the hypocrisy and false shepherding of the Phariseeshe knew not their voice, for they, with one voice, contradicted plain evidence of Jesus-' Divine nature.

Thus as Jesus speaks to the crowds at the Feast of Tabernacles, He distinguishes both the true shepherds and the true sheep, The true shepherds of God's flock go before the flockthat is, they leadthey do not drive, However, as is intimated in John 10:4, it is sometimes necessary for the shepherd to be firm with unwilling sheep for the sheep's own good.

The sheep, on the other hand, are to recognize the shepherd's voice and follow him, They are also to beware the false shepherd and robber and are to flee from him.

Now this writer believes that definite application may be made of these allegories to both the elders of the New Testament church and the members of the church. A quick survey of the duties and responsibilities of both elders (Acts 20:28-32; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-11; Hebrews 13:17) and the responsibilities of the members of the church toward the elders (Hebrews 13:7; Hebrews 13:17) will substantiate this application. The elders must, to be true shepherds of God's flock, lead the people into the fold through the Door. True elders should take individual interest in each member, knowing them by name and by need. He should be firm with the sheep when necessary. The members are to willingly submit to the leadership of the shepherds because they know them and trust them.

The people standing about Jesus as He taught did not understand His allegory, so He said plainly, I, Myself, am the Door of the sheep. He is, indeed, the only access men have to the Father's fold. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but through Him (cf. John 14:6). Through Him we have access unto the Father (cf. Ephesians 2:18; Ephesians 3:12; Romans 5:2).

In John 10:8 there is no reference to Moses or the Prophets as being thieves simply because they came before Jesus in the matter of time, for they believed in the Christ and sought to lead men to faith in the Christ (cf. Hebrews 10:24-27; 1 Peter 1:10-12). Jesus is naming all those who make themselves and their schemes pre-eminent to Him as thieves and robbers. The Lord is primarily aiming this condemnation toward the self-seeking, materialistic, self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees who sought to intimidate the sheep and destroy the flock and all this by climbing up some other way than through the Door.

We cannot agree with Lenski that John 10:9 refers only to the shepherds entering in, finding salvation and going in and out to pasture. In the first place, Jesus says, If any man enter in. Secondly, in the sentence immediately preceding John 10:9, Jesus is concerned with the safety of the sheep (John 10:8).

And so Jesus assures His listeners that if any man will come to the Father through Him, that man shall be saved. He will be given life and that presently and in abundance. In his everyday goings in and goings out such a man will be led into green pastures and beside the still waters. The poor beggar had just been cast out of the synagogue and deprived of spiritual security, but Jesus was showing him and others the new and living way. The thieving shepherds come to steal, kill and destroy the sheep, but Jesus came as the Door of the sheep to bring life and more than lifelife overflowing. The word used for abundantly is perisson and is related to the word used in John 6:13 to speak of the abundance left over from feeding of the five thousand. Barnes explains it this way, They shall not merely have lifesimple, bare existencebut they shall have all those superadded things which are needful to make life eminently blessed and happy. Hendriksen comments, These sheep receive freedom from the guilt, the misery, and the punishment of sin. Abundancethe love of God shed abroad in their hearts, the peace of God that passes all understandingis their portion, here in principle, by and by in perfection. See our comments on John 5:24 concerning the enjoyment of eternal life in this present world (Gospel of John, Vol. I, page 188). Remember the Beatitudes for the promises of happiness and blessedness for those who come to God on Jesus-' terms (cf. Matthew 5:1-12).

Quiz

1.

What lapse of time occurs in chapter 10?

2.

What is an allegory and what is the biggest danger in interpreting one?

3.

Give at least three Old Testament references to the figure of shepherds and sheep and give the gist of each reference.

4.

How do we know that Jesus is not referring to Himself as the shepherd in these first ten verses?

5.

What is the great contrast presented by this first allegorythe Door?

6.

What application may be made of this allegory to the N.T. church?

7.

What is the meaning of ... have life, and have it abundantly?