Every day each of us will likely go in and out of various doorways. Throughout our homes there are several doorways. Then as we go out for our day we go in and out of office doors, store doors, even our car doors. We need to be careful that each of these doors are the correct ones. We wouldn’t want to accidentally try to go through the wrong apartment or house door, or the wrong car door! That might get us into trouble! As important as it is to choose the correct doors in our life, it is even more important that the door we go through as we enter eternity is the correct one! Our Scripture today from the Gospel of John speaks of the door that we need to make sure that we enter through. Let’s see what door that is.
A common theme throughout the Bible is that of representing people as sheep with a shepherd looking after them. The kings of Judah were sometimes spoken of as shepherds guiding the flock of God’s people. King David was both a literal shepherd in his youth, and then a figurative one as king. The prophets throughout the Old Testament were frequently referred to in Scripture as a type of spiritual shepherd, guiding the flock of God’s people into His ways. Just like in life, there were good shepherds that genuinely cared for the sheep, and then there were bad shepherds who didn’t. There were good kings and good religious leaders who led the people in following God, and bad ones who led the people astray into idolatry and false teachings.
Just prior to the beginning of our Scripture Jesus had healed the man who had been born blind, and the Pharisees in protest, cast him out of the synagogue for believing in Jesus, and then proceeded to challenge Him. Jesus began to teach the people about false shepherds who lead the flock astray, as that is what the Pharisees were doing. Sheep were kept in a fenced-in sheepfold overnight, which had a gate or doorway to enter. There was only one proper way to enter the sheepfold, and that was through the gate, and anyone who tried to enter another way, was up to no good, he was a thief (vs. 1). The flock was God’s people, and the proper door was God’s appointed way to eternal life which His proper shepherds were to lead to. False spiritual leaders who claim authority but do not lead by God’s appointed ways, are thieves and robbers. God alone determines the correct spiritual way. Any leader who chooses some other teaching besides the Bible is a false shepherd.
A true, God-appointed shepherd will come through God’s appointed means (vs. 2). Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and the prophets of the Old Testament and true godly priests and preachers of today come through God’s approved way. The Chief Shepherd calls the sheep by name. Just like sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd, genuine believers will recognize the voice of the Shepherd Jesus (vs. 3). He personally cares for His sheep, His children, and knows them each intimately, knowing their name.
Shepherds in the Middle East during Biblical times would always lead their flock from the front, not from behind (vs. 4-5). That is the way that Jesus leads His sheep, by His example, not by coercion. His sheep will follow Him because they can trust Him, they know His character, and recognize His voice. True believers have spiritual discernment. They may be temporarily confused, but they will not ultimately follow false doctrine or false teachers. Some of the people listening, including the Pharisees, refused to accept Jesus’ words (vs. 6). They were spiritually blind, closing their hearts and minds to Him.
Jesus is not only our Shepherd, He is also the Door through whom we must enter to come to God’s Kingdom (vs 7). Access to God is exclusively through Him, and salvation is only through Him. This is consistent with John 14:6, where Jesus said He is the Way, and no one can come to the Father except through Him. All of the false messiahs, the corrupt religious leaders, and self-appointed spiritual authorities, both then and now, are thieves and robbers (vs. 8). They steal, taking what is not theirs. They kill by destroying spiritual life, leading to eternal ruin. How many of today’s false preachers continue to take money to live their lavish lifestyle, and preach their false messages which send their followers to eternal doom?
However, those who follow Jesus, going through His door, will be saved, finding spiritual nourishment (vs. 9-10). He is not merely the beginning of salvation, He is the ongoing source of spiritual life. The thief destroys, but Jesus gives eternal life more abundantly.
Whose voice are you following, that of Jesus or some other religious leader or philosophy? Jesus is the only Door. No other religion, ritual, or leader can replace Him. True under-shepherds will lead those in the flock they are looking after through His Door, His way. They won’t try to climb in some other way, which leads to destruction. There is only one safe and true Door. When we walk through the door of Jesus, we are promised eternal life.
