Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
Jesus is the only entrance into God's fold of grace, and whoever enters through Him is saved and finds freedom and nourishment. From the earliest times God's people have come to Him only through Christ as revealed in symbols, prophecy, teaching and miracles, with no ceremony or religious system able to give justification and peace, and all who claim that place or offer another way are thieves and robbers whom the true sheep do not follow. In contrast to the thief who comes to steal and destroy and the hireling who flees and leaves the flock to be scattered, He came to give abundant life, knowing His own as intimately as the Father knows Him and laying down His life of Himself in obedience to the Father to take it again. He spoke this against the leaders of Israel who claimed authority while leaving the flock unfed and who had cast out of the fold a man He was drawing to Himself. His sheep recognize His voice and press close to follow where He leads, and those who serve Him must likewise win and attract, guard the lambs, seek the straying, and keep the entrance open to every repentant one who pleads for another chance.
Words and Setting
Jesus presents himself as the entryway for the flock before he goes on to present himself as the caring shepherd. The background is a clash with the unworthy caretakers of Israel, for the Pharisees had cast a man out of the fold at the very time the true Shepherd was drawing that man to himself. Scribes and Pharisees claimed rightful authority yet behaved as thieves and robbers and left God's flock unfed, so mere religious office is not true guidance when it fails to care for and feed the people.
The saying belongs to his use of the familiar, everyday sight of shepherd and sheep to teach enduring truth, a picture full of deep meaning that helped hearers remember his lessons and drew spiritual instruction out of an ordinary feature of daily life. Teaching in this way from common life and experience interests every mind and appeals to every heart. It turns daily work from mere toil into a constant reminder of the spiritual and unseen, joining what is seen to what is unseen and making the events of life a means of divine teaching that expresses God's love and wisdom.
Only Door to Salvation
Jesus is the only door into the sheepfold, the sole entrance into God's fold of grace through whom all who return to God must enter and not by any other way. By Him if any enter they shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture, and the open doors of the heavenly Canaan stand inviting all to come in through Him. God's children from the earliest times have entered through Him as He was revealed in symbols and prophecy and in teaching and miracles. No ceremony or religious system or other substitute can bring justification and peace with God, and all who came claiming that place for themselves or offering another way are thieves and robbers whom the true sheep did not hear.
The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy, but Jesus came that they might have life and have it more abundantly. He alone has the qualifications of the true Shepherd who knows His sheep and leads them and gives His life for them, while false leaders who enter by another way act as thieves. Unlike the hireling who does not own the sheep and flees when the wolf comes, leaving them to be caught and scattered because he cares not for them, He is the good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.
As the good Shepherd He knows His sheep and is known by them, even as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father, and He lays down His life for them. He has other sheep who are not of this fold whom He must bring to hear His voice, so that there shall be one fold and one shepherd. The Father loves Him because He lays down His life that He might take it again, having power to lay it down and power to take it again, and no man takes it from Him, in obedience to the commandment received from His Father.
Even the scribes and Pharisees can be saved only through faith in Him, coming to Christ on the same terms as other sinners to enter the sheepfold.
Following and Caring for Sheep
The pastoral picture sets out the relation of Jesus to believers as that of shepherd to sheep who are helpless and dependent, and the faithful human shepherd points those in his care to Christ. His sheep follow the True Shepherd in the way literal flocks understand where the shepherd wants them to go and press close together following him. They are led without whip or dog, and when a sheep strays he recalls it with a peculiar sound of his mouth that every sheep understands, calling them to press close together and follow where he desires them to go. The sheepfold image also lays upon those who serve Christ the work of winning and attracting rather than driving people away, guarding the sheep and lambs and seeking those who stray, with Christ Himself supplying the grace and strength for this work of saving the lost.
The door is not to be closed against the hope of one who has confessed her wrongs and pleaded for another chance, for Christ would open the door and receive her into the fold. To enter the fold under friendly pretenses to take away workers trained at the Rural Health Retreat is the act of a thief, in contrast with the shepherd's rightful care for the sheep. Such conduct exposes the claim to be acting conscientiously as inconsistent with the actions themselves.
Jesus is the only entrance into God's fold of grace, and whoever enters through Him is saved and finds freedom and nourishment. From the earliest times God's people have come to Him only through Christ as revealed in symbols, prophecy, teaching and miracles, with no ceremony or religious system able to give justification and peace, and all who claim that place or offer another way are thieves and robbers whom the true sheep do not follow. In contrast to the thief who comes to steal and destroy and the hireling who flees and leaves the flock to be scattered, He came to give abundant life, knowing His own as intimately as the Father knows Him and laying down His life of Himself in obedience to the Father to take it again. He spoke this against the leaders of Israel who claimed authority while leaving the flock unfed and who had cast out of the fold a man He was drawing to Himself. His sheep recognize His voice and press close to follow where He leads, and those who serve Him must likewise win and attract, guard the lambs, seek the straying, and keep the entrance open to every repentant one who pleads for another chance.
Words and Setting
Jesus presents himself as the entryway for the flock before he goes on to present himself as the caring shepherd. The background is a clash with the unworthy caretakers of Israel, for the Pharisees had cast a man out of the fold at the very time the true Shepherd was drawing that man to himself. Scribes and Pharisees claimed rightful authority yet behaved as thieves and robbers and left God's flock unfed, so mere religious office is not true guidance when it fails to care for and feed the people.
The saying belongs to his use of the familiar, everyday sight of shepherd and sheep to teach enduring truth, a picture full of deep meaning that helped hearers remember his lessons and drew spiritual instruction out of an ordinary feature of daily life. Teaching in this way from common life and experience interests every mind and appeals to every heart. It turns daily work from mere toil into a constant reminder of the spiritual and unseen, joining what is seen to what is unseen and making the events of life a means of divine teaching that expresses God's love and wisdom.
Only Door to Salvation
Jesus is the only door into the sheepfold, the sole entrance into God's fold of grace through whom all who return to God must enter and not by any other way. By Him if any enter they shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture, and the open doors of the heavenly Canaan stand inviting all to come in through Him. God's children from the earliest times have entered through Him as He was revealed in symbols and prophecy and in teaching and miracles. No ceremony or religious system or other substitute can bring justification and peace with God, and all who came claiming that place for themselves or offering another way are thieves and robbers whom the true sheep did not hear.
The thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy, but Jesus came that they might have life and have it more abundantly. He alone has the qualifications of the true Shepherd who knows His sheep and leads them and gives His life for them, while false leaders who enter by another way act as thieves. Unlike the hireling who does not own the sheep and flees when the wolf comes, leaving them to be caught and scattered because he cares not for them, He is the good Shepherd who gives His life for the sheep.
As the good Shepherd He knows His sheep and is known by them, even as the Father knows Him and He knows the Father, and He lays down His life for them. He has other sheep who are not of this fold whom He must bring to hear His voice, so that there shall be one fold and one shepherd. The Father loves Him because He lays down His life that He might take it again, having power to lay it down and power to take it again, and no man takes it from Him, in obedience to the commandment received from His Father.
Even the scribes and Pharisees can be saved only through faith in Him, coming to Christ on the same terms as other sinners to enter the sheepfold.
Following and Caring for Sheep
The pastoral picture sets out the relation of Jesus to believers as that of shepherd to sheep who are helpless and dependent, and the faithful human shepherd points those in his care to Christ. His sheep follow the True Shepherd in the way literal flocks understand where the shepherd wants them to go and press close together following him. They are led without whip or dog, and when a sheep strays he recalls it with a peculiar sound of his mouth that every sheep understands, calling them to press close together and follow where he desires them to go. The sheepfold image also lays upon those who serve Christ the work of winning and attracting rather than driving people away, guarding the sheep and lambs and seeking those who stray, with Christ Himself supplying the grace and strength for this work of saving the lost.
The door is not to be closed against the hope of one who has confessed her wrongs and pleaded for another chance, for Christ would open the door and receive her into the fold. To enter the fold under friendly pretenses to take away workers trained at the Rural Health Retreat is the act of a thief, in contrast with the shepherd's rightful care for the sheep. Such conduct exposes the claim to be acting conscientiously as inconsistent with the actions themselves.