Beyond Common Sense

—John 10:7-9 Jesus is the door/gate

BACKGROUND: 1-5

• Thief and robbers crawl through the window. (false teachers trying to steal souls away from the truth of God’s Word)
• “into the sheepfold–the sacred enclosure of God’s true people.”
• Climbs up some other way—wanting heaven but not entering in God’s way. OUCH!
• Other ways? Works, philosophies, religions
• One door—One shepherd (tolerance?)

V 3: The porter opens (Jesus has the right by His own blood to be admitted as the only True Shepherd).

• The sheep hear.
• He calls them by name.
• He leads them. PTL!

V4: He takes them out to pasture. They follow!

V5: They WILL NOT follow a stranger but flee!

V6: The disciples did not understand. (We’re in good company when the truths of the Word are unclear!)

In verse 7, Jesus calls Himself the door of the sheep. “This simple creature [the sheep] has this special note among all animals, that it quickly hears the voice of the shepherd, follows no one else, depends entirely on him, and seeks help from him alone–can not help itself, but is shut up to another’s aid” [Martin Luther].

V 9: Jesus states again that He is the Door.

COME THROUGH JESUS (the Door)=SALVATION

Go in and out and find pasture (The Shepherd is responsible for feeding as well as caring in every way for the sheep). This is fellowship!

APPLICATION:

• Am I His sheep?
• Am I following?

  

• Am I eating?
• Am I resting in Him?
• Am I pushing at the fence?