Jesus is the door (gate) for the sheep (John 10:1-30)
By Rev. Katherine Liu Bruce
Christian Arts Ministries: Biblical precepts
& Gospel music; pastoral ministry & counseling
Scriptures reading :John 10:1-30
“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. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and 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.”(John10:1-5) Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore, Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate (door) for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.(vv.7-8) I am the gate, whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. (v.9). The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. (v.10) I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (vv.11).
The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So, when he sees the wolf
coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock
and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing
for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me
(John10:12-14) Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father and I lay down my life for
the sheep. 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. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay
down my life-only to take it up again. (vv.15-17)….
At that time the Feast of the Dedication occurred in
Jerusalem, and it was winter (v.22)….the Jews gathered around him, saying, “How
long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly. Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but
you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father’s name speak for me, but you
do not believe because you are not my sheep. (vv.24-26) 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. (v.28). My Father who has given them to me, is greater than all; no
one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.
(v.29-30).
Verse 9 Jesus said, “I am the door (gate). Christ is the door (gate) not only for God’s elect to enter into the custody of the law, as did Moses, David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah in the Old Testament time, before Christ came, but also for God’s chosen people, such as Peter, John, James, and Paul, to come out of the fold of the law now that Christ has come. Thus, the Lord indicated here that He is the door not only through which God’s elect may go in but also through which God’s chosen people may go out.
The pasture here signifies Christ as the feeding place for the sheep. When the
pasture is not available (in the wintertime or at night), the sheep must be
kept in the fold. When the pasture is ready, there is no further need for the
sheep to remain in the fold. To be kept in the fold is transitional and
temporary. To be in the pasture enjoying its riches is final and permanent.
Before Christ came, the law was a ward, and being under the law was
transitional. Now that Christ has come, all God’s chosen people must come out
of the law and come into Him to enjoy Him as their pasture (Gal.3:23-25;4:3-5).
This should be final and permanent. Because they did not have such a
revelation, the leaders in Judaism considered the law, on which Judaism was
based, as permanent. As a result, they missed Christ and could not participate
in Him as their pasture.
Verse 11 Jesus said, I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. Greek. Psuche, soul., soul-life and so in the succeeding verse. As a ma, the Lord has the psuche life, the human life, and as God, He has the zoe life, the divine live. He laid down His soul (His psuche life, His human life), to accomplish redemption for His sheep (vv.15,17-18) that they may share His zoe life, His divine life (v.10b), the eternal life. (v.28), by which they can be formed into one flock under Himself as the one Shepherd. As the good Shepherd, He feeds His sheep with the divine life in this way and for this purpose.
Verse 16 Jesus mentioned about the other sheep are the Gentile believers (Acts 11:18). The one flock signifies the one church, the one Body of Christ (Eph.2:14-16;3:6) brought forth by the Lord’s eternal, divine life, which He imparted into His members through His death (vv.10-18). The fold is Judaism, which is of letter and regulation, and the flock is the church, which is of life and spirit.
Verse 22 the Feast of the Dedication occurred in Jerusalem, and it was winter. From 170 B.C. to 168 B.C. Antiochus Epiphanes, king of Syria, invaded Jerusalem and looted the temple. Moreover, on December 25, 168 B.C., he sacrificed a sow (pig) on the altar and set up an image in the temple, thus defiling and damaging the temple. Three years later, in 165 B.C., Judas Maccabeus, a strong man of Judah, purified and restored the altar and the temple. He set December 25 the day on which the altar and the temple had been defiled as the beginning of a sacred feast that was to have eight consecutive days of rejoicing to celebrate the great achievement of the purification and restoration of the altar and the temple. This sacred feast is the Feast of the Dedication mentioned here. It called the Feast of Light and Hanukkah.
Bibliography,
Lee,
Witness. The New Testament (R.V.) Anaheim, CA: Living Stream Ministry, 1985.
Ryrie, Charles C. The Ryrie Study Bible (NIV).Chicago,
IL: The Moody Bible Institute, 1986.
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