Jesus was the door

JESUS WAS THE DOOR
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
John 10:9 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me
will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find
pasture.
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be
saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
Pulpit Commentary Homiletics
Christ The Door
John 10:9
J.R. Thomson
A homely and simple metaphor; yet how full of meaning, how precious, how
suggestive, to every hearerof the gospel!There may be a door to a sheepfold,
to a house, to a palace, to a fortress. There may be a door to a dungeon, to a

church, to a torture-chamber, to a royal treasury. A door may be of material
as weak as wicker, oras strong as oak, iron, or brass. The door may be
opened by a latch which a child may lift, or it may be securedby bolts and
bars that may resistthe blow of a battering-ram. It may stand always open, so
that every passer-bymay enter by it; or it may be locked, so that only such as
have the keyor the passwordcangain entrance.
I. MAN'S SPIRITUAL CONDITION IS SUCH AS TO MAKE A DOOR
LIKE THIS MOST DESIRABLE, A door presumes a "within" and a
"without." If those on the outside are exposedto want, to danger, to misery;
and if those within enjoy all the advantages whichthe excluded wanderers
lack - in such a case, the interest attaching to the door of ingress is manifest.
Now, the spiritual state of sinful men is pitiable and distressing. In God is all
good;apart from God no true goodis accessible to man. The way to God is,
then, to us a matter of vital importance. Christ declares himself to be such a
Way. He is the Door;by which, translating the language from that of poetry
to that of theology, we understand he is the "one MediatorbetweenGod and
man."
II. CHRIST IS THE DOOR BY WHICH MEN MAY ENTER IN AND
ENJOYTHE GREATEST BLESSINGSPROVIDED BYGOD.
1. The door of the fold admits the sheep to Divine pasture; and they who
acceptChrist's mediation find at their disposalall the provision of God's
spiritual bounty. That the soul as well as the body needs food, is plain. The
knowledge ofGod, the favor of God, the gracious help of God, - without such
provision the soul is starved. The way by which these blessings may be
attained is that pointed out in the text. Christ is the Door, by which if any man
enter in he shall find pasture.
2. The door of the fold admits the sheep to Divine security; and they who
shelter themselves in Christ are safe from every harm and every foe. If the
flock are left unprotected, they are exposedto dangers of two kinds; they are
likely to wander among the precipices ofthe dark mountains, and they are
liable to be attackedby ravening wolves and other beasts of prey, or to
become the spoil of robbers and marauders. Similarly, it should be impressed

upon the minds, especiallyof the inexperienced, that this life is full of perils to
all the children of men, that temptations and spiritual enemies abound. There
is no securityout of Christ. But whilst those without the door are exposedto
death, Christ secures to his flock the blessing of life, and that in abundance.
3. The door of the fold admits the sheep to Divine society;and through Christ
his people partake the hallowedand happy fellowship of all who are his.
Without are the enemies;within are the friends. The fellowship of the flock is
among the choicestprivileges to which Christians are introduced; but it is
Christ himself who introduces them. Only through the door can this societybe
reachedand enjoyed. Those who gatherwithin the fold are togetherpartakers
of the love and care of the Shepherd. Theirs is the congenialcompanionship of
God's blessedhome.
III. CHRIST, AS A DOOR, HAS CERTAIN QUALITIES WHICH MAY
AWAKEN OUR GRATITUDE.
1. He is a strong Door. His strength is used to resistthe incursion of any
invader or foe, and thus to protect the members of the fold. Christ is to his
people a bulwark againstevery, evil.
2. He is to those who wish to enter into the enjoyment of spiritual blessings an
open Door. Sometimes a door is used for excluding those without, in a spirit of
churlishness. There is nothing like this in the posture, the bearing, of the Lord
Jesus. This door is indeed shut to unbelief and hardness of heart, but is ever
open to the lowly, faithful, and contrite.
3. He is the only Door. Those who seek anotherentrance are like such as climb
over the wall. There is none other Name whereby we canbe saved.
IV. FOR WHOSE ADMISSION CHRIST, THE DOOR, IS INTENDED. Two
classesare mentioned in the context, as contemplated in the benefits of this
Door.
1. The under-shepherds, or those who are engagedin the spiritual tuition and
guidance of their fellow-men. These are bound to enter in by the Door into the
sheepfold. Spiritual pastors must find Christ before they can truly feed the
sheep.

2. The sheep themselves enter by this Door, and by this only, into the fold of
God. These are they whom the good Shepherd came to seek and find, when
they were lost in the wilderness. These are they for whom the Shepherd laid
down his precious life.
APPLICATION. Those who have entered by the Door, and are within the
fold, should rejoice with gratitude. Those who are without should seek atonce
to enter by this Door. - T.
Biblical Illustrator
Therefore they sought againto take Him.
John 10:39-42
And went awaybeyond Jordan
W. L. Watkinson.
A model ministry: —
I. The ministry of John was LOCAL.
1. There are specialtrials and temptations about a fixed and restricted sphere
of service. The localminister is apt to feel that his work is monotonous and
disappointing — there is little variety in it, little stimulation. He often frets
like an eagle in a sack, and sighs to spread his wings.
2. let there need be no disappointment or disgust with a ministry in narrow
bounds. A large, varied field of action appeals to the imagination, but faithful
service in an obscure corner tells far and wide, deep and long. How often have
we heard writers regretwith our poetthat so many brilliant flowers are born
to blush unseen, "and waste their sweetnessonthe desert air?" But this is
exactly what they do not do. The scientistcorrects the poet, for he tells us how
the date trees of the Nile, the magnolias of the Susquehanna, the
rhododendrons of the Himalayas, the myrtles of Cashmere, the aromatic
forests of the Spice Islands, the blooms of untraversed prairies and woods, all
contribute to vitalize the common air of our daily life. So men whose life is

pure and useful in one place are sweetening the air of the whole world. "The
Word of God is not bound." Localbrother, be comforted. The tree is fixed, it
cannot move howeverit may tug at its roots, but the fragrance is borne away
on every breeze;the lamp is fixed, swaying to and fro as if vexed by the
narrow bondage of its chains, but its beams shine afar into the darkness;the
fountain flows in a narrow, obscure basin, and the living, sparkling waters
seemto fret againstthe stones, but the streamat last fills distant valleys with
fruit and beauty. Be faithful, and it will be found some day that the fixed star
has been as useful as the wandering star.
II. The ministry of John was MODEST.
1. "Did no miracle." He came in the power of Elijah, without the mantle of
Elijah. People were disappointed. So now, we are disappointed in men if they
do not work miracles — if they are not brilliant, surprising, extraordinary in
one way or another.
2. "All things that John spake of this Man were true." He was a faithful
witness to Christ. The glory of John was here; he witnessedto his Master, his
miracle was in his message.So with us now. When Winstanley built the first
Eddystone lighthouse, he built it firmly as he thought; and then proceededto
add as many ornamentations as if the building had been designed for a
summer house; it is said to have been quite a picturesque object, like a
Chinese pagoda, with open galleries and fantastic projections. Now, many
people would have greatly admired such a lighthouse, they dearly love a
pagoda;they would have pronounced it lovely, surprising, a thing to visit on
summer seas fora picnic. But, after all, the value of a light. house is in the
light that it sends forth in the night of storm and darkness;and when
Winstanley's lighthouse perished, it was felt that a pagoda was not the best
form for a light beaconon the deep. Many people today are running after
miracles in the religious world, miracles of preachers, miracles of ceremonies,
miracles of architecture, music, and method; they are anxious to turn the
Church of Christ into a pagoda;but our grand duty is not to amuse, or
astonish, or delight, we are to hold forth the Word of Life that souls may be
savedfrom shipwreck, and severe simplicity best befits the Church of Christ
as it does the beaconof the seas.

III. The ministry of John was EFFECTIVE. Notimmediately successful, but
indirectly and ultimately so. No true work for Christ fails. It may be done
silently, softly, and seemof little effect, but in the wide view and the long view
it will be seento avail much. In Southport the other day, I noticed a
monument which has been erected there, in one of the public streets, to the
founder of the town. The inscription sets forth that this gentlemancame to the
place when it was only a sandy waste;he saw the possibilities of the situation,
and built the first house, which was knownas his "Folly." But, despite the
ridicule, the place grew into the eleganttown that it is today, with its many
mansions, museums, galleries, gardens, temples. Suchis the history of many a
flourishing cause in our Church today The genesis ofit was feeble indeed; it
grew up an obscure mission stationnursed by a localministry, but it has
grown into power, a centre of life and blessing.
(W. L. Watkinson.)
A seasonofretirement
T. Whitelaw, D. D.
I. OLD SCENESREVISITED (ver. 40). Bethany, beyond Jordan, the scene —
1. Of His baptism by the Forerunner.
2. Of His consecrationby the Father through the voice of the Dove.
3. Of His showing unto Israelas the Lamb of God.
4. Of his first acquisition of adherents in Andrew, John, Peter, James, Philip
and Nathanael.
II. ACCUSTOMED LABOURS PURSUED (ver. 41).
1. With disinterestedzeal. Though Christ needed rest, He could Hot resistthe
silent invitation of the people who flockedtowards Him.
2. With unwearied diligence. He neglectedno opportunities of doing His
Father's work.

3. With practicalbeneficence. He performed miracles.
III. FRESHTESTIMONIES GAINED (ver. 41).
1. That He was greaterthan John the Baptist. He did signs which John did
not.
2. That John's witness concerning Him had been true (chap. John 5:33-35).
IV. NEW DISCIPLES SECURED (ver. 42).
1. Numerous — "many."
2. Intelligent — actuatedby conviction.
3. True. They believed on Him as the Messiah.Lessons —
1. Grateful remembrance of past experiences.
2. Diligent employment of present opportunities.
3. Hopeful expectationof future vindication.
(T. Whitelaw, D. D.)
A cheering incident at Bethabara
C. H. Spurgeon.
1. BecauseourSaviour's reasoning was unanswerable, "thereforethe Jews
sought againto take Him." When men cannot answerholy arguments with
fair reasonings theycan give hard answers with stones. He who hates the
truth soonhates its advocate.
2. When our Lord found that there was nothing to be done He went away. He
knew when to speak and when to refrain. Oppositionin one quarter is
sometimes an intimation to labour elsewhere. Butthough our Lord left the
obstinate He never ceasedto do good. Many despair under similar
circumstances. Butthe flight of Christ from men in one place may cause the
flight of souls to Him in another. Though Jesus withdrew from the stones

which filled the hands of the angry Jews, He went to the place where John had
said, "Godis able with these stones to raise up children unto Abraham."
I. IT IS VERY PLEASANT TO KNOW THE PLACE WHERE MEN
BELIEVED. Not that this is essential. A man may live and yet not know
where he was born, although we may be glad to know our birthplace. And so
the main question is, Are you born again? Still it is a help to know the place,
and some of us know it to a yard. What was there particular about this place?
It was the place —
1. Where Divine ordinances had been observed. Where the Lord is obeyedwe
may hope to see Him revealed. In keeping His commandments there is great
reward, although the outward ordinance of itself cannot secure a blessing.
2. Where faithful preaching concerning Jesus hadbeen heard.(1)John
preachedthe gospelof repentance, and where that is the case men will come to
believe in Jesus. The plough must lead the way, and then it is goodsowing.(2)
He testified that Jesus was "the Lamb of God," etc. No wonder that men
believed when the savourof such a ministry lingered in men's minds! What an
encouragementto the faithful preacher;though dead, he will yet speak.
3. Where God had borne witness to His Son. The Holy Ghost is wont to go
where He has gone before;and where the Father has borne witness to Christ
once we may expect Him to do so again.
4. Where the first disciple had been won. To visit the place of their own
spiritual birth would cause a renewalof their vows, and actas an
encouragementto persevere in winning others. Where solid stones have been
quarried, there remains more material which may yet be brought forth.
5. In what place cannot Jesus triumph? He needs no temple: nay, in its porch
He finds cavillers, but yonder by the willows of the Jordan He finds a people
that believe on Him. So in all times and now.
II. IT IS INSTRUCTIVE TO NOTE THE TIME WHEN MEN ARE LED TO
FAITH. Some cannot, and it is not essential, yetit is blessedto those who can.

1. It was after a time of obstinate opposition. The Saviour could make nothing
of the cavilling Jews;but no soonerdoes He cross the river than many believe
on Him. Opposition is no sign of defeat. When the devil roars it is because his
kingdom is being shaken.
2. It was a time of calm, unbroken quietude. Those who came were prepared
to hear thoughtfully. Some persons may be convertedby those who strive and
cry to make their voice heard in the streets, but solemn considerationis the
healthiestfor gospelpreaching.
3. It was a time of greatdesire for hearing "many." You cannot catchfish
where there are none; but when they come swarming up to the net we may
hope to take some of them. When men are as eagerto enter the house of
prayer as to go to a theatre, we may hope that God means to bless them.
4. It was a time of which nothing else need be said, but that many believed.
The happiest days are when many believe; this is the most honourable record
for a Church.
III. IT IS CHEERING TO OBSERVE THE FACT ITSELF.
1. It was a greatrefreshment to the Saviour's heart. "There He abode." He
seemedat home there. When the polished citizens rejectedHim, when the wise
Jews would not hear Him, the plain rustics of Peraea stoodlistening with
delight. This was to be an oasis ofcomfort before the burning desert of the
passion.
2. It was the fruit of John's word. Goodwork never dies.
3. It was more directly the result of our Lord's own presence. Theyfirst saw
what He did, and comparedit with what John had testified, and then drew the
conclusionthat all that John said was true.
4. The faith produced was —(1) Decided. They did not promise to try to
believe, to think about it, etc.;they believed on Him there.(2) Prompt. Christ
had preachedwithout result for years to some others; but to these He spoke
only for a short time, and they believed on Him.(3) Solid. They could give a
reasonfor it.(4) Widespread"many." We should look for numerous

conversions since Christ gave His life a ransom for many.(5) What Christ
lived and died for, what we preach for, what the Bible was written for, what
churches are built for.
IV. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A SECOND
EDITION OF IT.
1. Many are here.
2. Christ is here.
3. The witness borne here is more abundant than that borne at Bethabara.
(C. H. Spurgeon.).
STUDYLIGHT RESOURCES
Adam Clarke Commentary
I am the door: by me if any man enter, etc. - Those who come for salvationto
God, through Christ, shall obtain it: he shall be saved - he shall have his sins
blotted out, his soul purified, and himself preservedunto eternal life. This the
scribes and Pharisees couldneither promise nor impart.
Go in and out - This phrase, in the style of the Hebrews, points out all the
actions of a man's life, and the liberty he has of acting, or not acting. A good
shepherd conducts his flock to the fields where goodpasturage is to be found;
watches overthem while there, and brings them back againand secures them
in the fold. So he that is taught and called of God feeds the flock of Christ with
those truths of his word of grace whichnourish them unto eternal life; and
God blesses togetherboth the shepherd and the sheep, so that going out and
coming in they find pasture: every occurrence is made useful to them; and all
things work togetherfor their good.
Albert Barnes'Notes onthe Whole Bible

By me - By my instruction and merits.
Shall be saved- See John5:24.
Shall go in and out … - This is language applied, commonly to flocks. It meant
that he shall be wellsupplied, and defended, and led “beside the still waters of
salvation.”
Coffman's Commentaries on the Bible
I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out and find pasture.
I am the door ... has here a different meaning. In John 10:8, it referred to the
access ofthe Lord to his flock;here it refers to the accessofmen to salvation,
or, in terms of the metaphor, accessto the sheepfold. Here is the mixing of the
metaphor and the reality for which it stands in the same sentence. Sheepdo
not find salvation, and Christians do not find pasture; but both concepts are
in this verse. Remarkably, the same mixed metaphor is in the Old Testament,
"So we thy people and sheepof thy pasture will give thee thanks for ever"
(Psalms 79:13). Of course, sheepdo not give thanks; but it was part of the
genius of inspiration that metaphors were mingled in both testaments.
Attention to such details as this is prerequisite to understanding this
remarkable passage.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible
I am the door,.... Of the sheep, as before, see John10:7. The Ethiopic version
reads, "I am the true door of the sheep";which is repeated for further
confirmation, and for the sake ofintroducing what follows:
by me if any man enter in; into the sheepfold, the church,
he shall be saved;not that being in a church, and having submitted to
ordinances, will save any, but entering into these, at the right door, or through
faith in Christ, such will be saved, according to Mark 16:16;such shall be

savedfrom sin, the dominion of it, the guilt and condemning power of it, and
at last from the being of it; and from the law, its curse and condemnation, and
from wrath to come, and from every evil, and every enemy; such are, and for
ever shall be, in a safe state, being in Christ, and in his hands, out of which
none can pluck them:
and shall go in and out; in allusion to the sheepgoing in and out of the fold:
not that those who come in at the right door, shall go out of the church, or
from among the saints again;but this phrase rather denotes the exercisesof
faith in going unto Christ, and acting upon him, and in coming forth in the
outward confessionofhim, and the performance of goodworks;or in going
unto him, and dealing with his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, andcoming
out of themselves, and all dependence on their own righteousness;or it may
regard the conversationof the saints in the church, their attendance on
ordinances, their safetythere, their free and open communion one with
another, and with Christ, in whose name and strength they do all they do,
coming in and out at this door:
and find pasture; greenand goodpasture; pasture for their souls; the words
of faith, and gooddoctrine; the wholesome words ofChrist Jesus;the
ordinances, the breasts of consolation;yea, Christ himself, whose flesh is meat
indeed, and whose blood is drink indeed: the Persic versionrenders it, "and
shall a pastor", or "shepherd";see Jeremiah3:15.
Geneva Study Bible
3 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall d go in
and out, and find pasture.
(3) Only Christ is the true Pastor, and those only are the true Church who
acknowledge him to properly be their only Pastor:opposite to him are thieves
who do not feed the sheep, but kill them: and hirelings also, who forsake the
flock in time of danger, because they feed it only for their own profit and
gains.

(d) That is, will live safely, as the Jews usedto speak (see (Deuteronomy26:6-
10)), and yet there is a specialreference to the shepherd's office.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
by me if any man enter in — whether shepherd or sheep.
shall be saved — the greatobjectof the pastoraloffice, as of all the divine
arrangements towards mankind.
and shall go in and out and find pasture — in, as to a place of safety and
repose;out, as to “greenpastures and still waters” (Psalm23:2)for
nourishment and refreshing, and all this only transferred to another clime,
and enjoyed in another manner, at the close ofthis earthly scene (Revelation
7:17).
John Lightfoot's Commentary on the Gospels
9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
[Find pasture.] How far is the beasts'pasture? Sixteen miles. The Gloss is,
"The measure of the space that the beasts go when they go forth to pasture."
A spacious pasture indeed!
People's New Testament
By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Christ is at once the door, the
shepherd and the pasture. His pasture is the bread of life and the waterof life.

Robertson's WordPictures in the New Testament
The door (η τυρα — hē thura). Repeatedfrom John 10:7.
By me if any man enter in (δι εμου εαν τις εισελτηι — di' emou ean tis
eiselthēi). Condition of third class with εαν — eanand secondaoristactive
subjunctive of εισερχομαι — eiserchomaiNote proleptic and emphatic
position of δι εμου — di' emou One cancall this narrow intolerance, if he will,
but it is the narrowness of truth. If Jesus is the Sonof Godsent to earth for
our salvation, he is the only way. He had already said it in John 5:23. He will
say it againmore sharply in John 14:6. It is unpalatable to the religious
dogmatists before him as it is to the liberal dogmatists today. Jesus offers the
open door to “any one” (τις — tis) who is willing (τελει — thelei) to do God‘s
will (John 7:17).
He shall be saved(σωτησεται — sōthēsetai). Future passive of σωζω — sōzō
the greatword for salvation, from σως — sōs safe and sound. The sheepthat
comes into the fold through Jesus as the door will be safe from thieves and
robbers for one thing. He will have entrance (εισλευσεται — eisleusetai)and
outgo (εχελευσεται — exeleusetai), he will be at home in the daily routine (cf.
Acts 1:21) of the shelteredflock.
And shall find pasture (και νομην ευρησει — kai nomēn heurēsei). Future
(linear future) indicative of ευρισκω — heuriskō old word from νεμω — nemō
to pasture. In N.T. only here and 2 Timothy 2:17 (in sense of growth). This
same phrase occurs in 1 Chronicles 4:40. The shepherd leads the sheepto
pasture, but this phrase pictures the joy of the sheep in the pasture provided
by the shepherd.
Wesley's ExplanatoryNotes
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in

If any one — As a sheep, enter in by me - Through faith, he shall be safe -
From the wolf, and from those murdering shepherds.
And shall go in and out — Shall continually attend on the shepherds whom I
have sent; and shall find pasture - Food for his soulin all circumstances.
The Fourfold Gospel
I am the door1; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and go out, and shall find pasture.
I am the door. The door is here spokenof with reference to the "sheep", and
hence becomes a symbol of the entrance into protection and shelter, or exit to
liberty and plenty.
Calvin's Commentary on the Bible
9.If any man enter by me. The highest consolationofbelievers is, that when
they have once embracedChrist, they learn that they are out of danger; for
Christ promises to them salvationand happiness. He afterwards divides it into
two parts.
He shall go in and out, and find pasture. First, they shall go safely wherever
they find necessary;and, next, they shall be fed to the full. By going in and
out, Scripture often denotes all the actions of the life, as we say in French,
aller et venir, (to go and come,)(287)which means, to dwell These words,
therefore, present to us a twofold advantage of the Gospel, that our souls shall
find pasture in it, which otherwise become faint and famished, and are fed
with nothing but wind; and, next, because he will faithfully protect and guard
us againstthe attacks ofwolves and robbers.
James Nisbet's Church Pulpit Commentary

CHRIST THE DOOR
‘I am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out, and find pasture.’
John 10:9
It is an open question whether the text refers to priests only, or to priests and
people alike. The latter seems preferable.
I. The fullness of the Christian life.
(a) Security. ‘He shall be saved.’Salvation placedin the forefront as the very
beginning of the Christian life, from which all else in it must start and find its
guarantee of permanence.
(b) Freedom. Safety is not dependent on isolationor close confinementto the
fold; on physical separationfrom the world out of which men come; on a
vigorous system of restraints and prohibitions. The believer has the run of
God’s house, freedom to come and go, the right of accessand exit as a child or
friend. This does not imply oscillationbetweenthe Church and the world, but
does imply freedom under Christ’s care. There is no real liberty till a man
enters the fold of Christ and becomes a sheep of His pasture. Genuine
independence lies in dependence on Christ. Out of Christ men are slaves, in
peril, hampered by guilty fears, mechanicalrules, and suspecteddangers;are
creatures of mere petty details, instead of having to rule themselves by great
principles.
(c) Sustenance. The exercise offreedom gives pasturage. Notonly within, but
also without the fold, the saved soul, acting out freely its new instincts, derives
nourishment from all worldly things, learns to extract the good, to refuse the
evil, to turn all things to spiritual profit. The visible becomes a parable of the
invisible, full of rich suggestions ofDivine truth. He has not only safetyand
freedom, but sustenance;not only life, but abundance. Finding implies
seeking. Seek, thatyou may find what you need. Despise nothing that cangive
pasture.

II. The fullness of the Christian life is open to all.—There is a door of entrance
and egress;but the door is open, open for ‘any man’ who choosesto enter. No
class ofsocietyor race has a monopoly. Christ has no favourites, places no
restrictions, makes no exceptions. No one, then, need think regretfully that
this fullness is beyond his reach.
III. The sole condition of possessing this fullness is entrance into the Fold.—
Christ lays down no other. This entrance is not merely into the visible Church,
but into the invisible Church, the mystical body of Christ, in living
communion with Him. It is to come out from the world and be separate from
it; to enter into Christ by faith. Very simple is the condition. The open door
invites you to comply with it.
IV. The entrance into the enjoyment of this fullness depends on Christ
alone.—He is the Door. There is no use climbing overthe wall or breaking
through the fence. Christ has the exclusive right of giving access. There is no
other door admitting to the privileges of the fold. Men try to fashion doors for
themselves when they do not care to climb the wall, such as the door of their
own merits, their religious observances,their charities, etc.;or they make
doors of the under-shepherds, and think that they have entered rightly, if
these have not barred their passage.But personaldealing with Christ is
essential.
Illustration
‘“He shall go in and out.” What is the meaning of this expression? In the
literal interpretation of the allegoryof the GoodShepherd there is no doubt
on this point. We see the fold reared in the midst of the pasture. Into it the
sheepenter, and from it they go forth, according to the desire of each;nothing
bars their going out or their coming in. But what is the interpretation of this
image in spiritual life? Very many answers have been given to this question,
and yet I cannot but think that the meaning is plain when we remember that
the expression, “to go out and to come in,” is one of very frequent use in the
Old Testamentand the Apocrypha. You will find it, for instance, in these
passages:Numbers 27:15-17;Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy28:6;
Deuteronomy 31:2; 1 Samuel 18:13;Psalms 121:8;Jeremiah37:4; Zechariah

8:10; 1 Maccabees15:25. It is also used by St. Peterof our Lord’s public life
in Acts 1:21. If you will refer to these passages, youwill see that in every
instance they point to us one living in the peace of liberty, for they show us one
who is either able or unable to live before men a life freed from all conditions,
physical or spiritual, which hinder men from living the life of obedience to
duty. In other words, they show us a condition of life in which men can live
true to conviction, aspiration, and resolve, as they live in the glorious liberty
of the children of God. Hence our Lord says that as the sheepis free in life, as
it passes from fold to pasture, and from pasture to fold, so they who are living
under His care in His Church are set free to live a rightly regulatedlife.’
John Trapp Complete Commentary
9 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
Ver. 9. And shall go in and out, &c.]That is, shall live securely, and be fed
daily and daintily, as David shows, Psalms 23:1-6, where he sweetlystrikes
upon the whole string through the whole hymn.
Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible
John 10:9. By me if any man enter in,— "If any man believeth on me, he shall
become a true member of God's church on earth, and, if faithful, shall from
time to time receive such instructions as shall nourish his soulunto eternal
life." Our Lord here seems to allude to the common pastures, and to the
method of grazing sheepin the East. They were confined in the folds by night,
to secure them from wolves and other wild beasts;but were let out to graze in

the day time, when the dangerfrom those animals was not so great. See 1
Samuel 18:16.
Copyright Statement
These files are public domain.
Text Courtesyof BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.
Bibliography
Coke, Thomas. "Commentaryon John 10:9". Thomas Coke Commentaryon
the Holy Bible. https:https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/tcc/john-
10.html. 1801-1803.
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Charles Simeon's Horae Homileticae
DISCOURSE:1662
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
John 10:9. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and
shall go in and out, and find pasture.
THE importance of sound doctrine cannotbe too strongly insisted on. Error,
especiallyin the fundamentals of religion, is as destructive as vice. In
innumerable instances, it brings both those who propagate, and those who
receive it, into eternal ruin: hence St. Paul denounced anathemas againstany
one, even though he should be an angelfrom heaven, who should blend
Judaism with Christianity. Our Lord himself also spake offalse teachers with
indignation. The Pharisees, while they rejectedhim, taught the people to look
for salvationto their own ritual or superstitious observances;Jesus therefore
declaredthem to be only as “thieves and robbers,” who, instead of belonging
to the flock of God, soughteventually their destruction, and, in opposition to
their false doctrines, affirmed [Note: The affirmation is exceeding strong, ver.

7 and it is repeatedin the text.] himself to be the only door of admissioninto
the fold of God.
We shall consider,
I. The metaphor by which Jesus represents his own character—
He had been delivering “the parable” of “the GoodShepherd [Note:ver. 6,
11.];” in elucidating which, he speaks ofhimself as “the door of the
sheepfold.”
The Church of God is here comparedto a sheepfold—
[All men in their natural state are wandering at a distance from God [Note:
Isaiah53:6.]: they neither acknowledgehim as their Shepherd, nor feed in his
pastures;they are strangers to that flock which is under his immediate care
[Note:Ephesians 2:12.]. But in every age Godhas had “a chosenand peculiar
people:” in the days of Moses he brought them into a visible fold; till the time
of Christ all his sheepwere kept within the pale of the JewishChurch. But our
Lord announced his purpose to introduce the Gentiles also into his fold [Note:
ver. 16.]. Now all who name the name of Christ are calledhis sheep. All
howeverwho are nominally his, are not really so [Note: Romans 2:28;
Romans 9:6.]. It is to be fearedthat his sincere followers still form but “a little
flock;” but the truly upright, of whateverdenomination they be, belong to
him: they are indeed often ready to castout eachother as aliens;nevertheless
they are equally the objects of his superintending care.]
Of this fold Christ is “the door”—
[Parts of Jud ζa were probably still infested with wolves:the sheepfolds
therefore were better securedthan ours: perhaps the entrance into them was
guarded by a door. Now, what that door was to the fold, that is Christ to the
Church: every sheep must enter into it by faith in him [Note: Galatians 3:26.].
We are expressly saidto have accessunto God through him [Note:Ephesians
2:18.]; nor indeed has there ever been any other way into the fold [Note:John
14:6.]. It was the blood of the sacrifice whichprocured admissionfor the high-
priest within the vail [Note: Hebrews 9:7; Hebrews 9:25.]. Through that, all
believers, from the very beginning, were brought nigh to God [Note:

Revelation13:8. with Ephesians 2:13.]; and, through that, we also have
boldness to enter into the holiest[Note: Hebrews 10:19-20.]. Some, it is true,
have “climbed up into the fold some other way [Note: ver. 1.]:” they profess to
be his without having ever believed in him; but they are regardedby him only
as thieves and robbers; nor will they ever be admitted into the fold above.]
This description of Christ is of greatimportance.
II. The benefit of receiving him under that character—
There is no benefit which can accrue to a well-attended flock, which does not
arise to those who believe in Christ—
1. Security; “He shall be saved”—
[Protectionis of unspeakable benefit to a defenceless sheep:but who can
estimate the value of salvationto an immortal soul? Yet, such is the portion of
those who enter into the fold aright: they shall be rescuedout of the jaws of
the devouring lion [Note:2 Timothy 2:26. 1 Peter5:8.]: they shall be freed
from the curse and condemnationof the law [Note:Romans 8:1.]: death itself,
disarmed of its sting, shall have no power to hurt them [Note:1 Corinthians
15:55-57.]:every kind and degree of penal evil shall be averted from them. He
that is empowered, is also engaged, to “save them to the uttermost:” and this
benefit he bestows, becausethey“come unto God by him [Note:Hebrews
7:25.].”]
2. Liberty; “He shall go in and out”—
[A sheep left to wander on the mountains infested with wolves, might boast of
its freedom from restraint; but it would soonfind what little reasonthere was
to glory in such a privilege: its truest liberty is to submit itself to the direction
of the shepherd. Thus they, who live without God in the world, may boastof
their liberty; but their very freedom is, in fact, the sorestbondage:[Note: 2
Peter2:19.] and every moment they are in dangerof everlasting destruction
[Note:Psalms 7:12-13. Deuteronomy32:35.]. It is far otherwise with those
who have entered into the fold by Christ. Whether at large by day, or enclosed
by night, they feel no restraint. Through Christ they have all the liberty which

their souls can desire [Note: John 8:36.]. Secure of God’s favour, “they go in
and out” before him in perfect peace [Note:Psalms 25:13.].]
3. Provision;“He shall find pasture”—
[Goodpasture comprises all the wants of a highly favoured flock:and how
rich, how abundant is that, which the sheep of Christ partake of! There are
“exceeding greatand precious promises,” onwhich they feed. It is utterly
their own fault if ever they experience a dearth [Note: Psalms 23:2.]. David
from his personalknowledge atteststhis truth [Note:Psalms 22:26.];and God
confirms it by an express promise to all his people [Note:Ezekiel34:14.]. This
privilege too, no less than the others, is the consequenceofentering into the
fold by the appointed door [Note: John 6:35.].]
Address—
1. Those who are wandering at a distance from the fold—
[Perhaps, like the silly sheep, you are insensible of your danger; but the more
confident you are of safety, the more certainis your ruin. If they only, who
enter in by the door, are saved, what canyou expect? O consider, that the loss
of bodily life, is not to be compared with the doom that awaits you; nor do you
know how soonthat doom may be inflicted upon you. Blessedbe God,
however, the door is yet open to all who come, and the Saviour’s declarationis
yet sounding in your ears [Note:John 6:37.]— He is even now desirous to
bring you home on his shoulders rejoicing [Note:Luke 15:4-6.]. Stay not then
till the door be for ever closedupon you. Let the caution given by our Lord
stir you up to improve the presentmoment [Note: Luke 13:25.]—]
2. Those who are desirous of returning to God—
[It has been already shewn, that they only are saved who enter in at the door.
Now our proud hearts are extremely averse to be savedin this way. We would
rather come into the fold by some less humiliating means. But our self-
righteous attempts will be of no avail. We must come unto God by Christ, or
not at all: salvation never was, nor can be, obtained through any other name
than his [Note: Acts 4:12.]. Seek then, and that with earnestness, to enter in at

the strait gate [Note:Luke 13:24.], and then you shall have that promise
fulfilled to you [Note:Isaiah 45:17.]—]
3. Those who are dwelling in the fold of God—
[What debtors are ye to the grace which brought you to the knowledge of
Christ! and what inestimable blessings are you now made to enjoy! Yet these
are only an earnestof the blessings that awaityou hereafter. Rich as your
present pastures are, they are not to be comparedwith those above. Let
nothing tempt you then to wander from the fold to which you are brought.
Follow not those who are but “goats,”or“wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Let it
be your delight to hear your Shepherd’s voice, and to follow his steps:then
shall you be separatedfrom the goats in the day of judgment [Note:Matthew
25:33.], and receive from the Chief Shepherd the portion reservedfor you
[Note:1 Peter 5:4.].]
Heinrich Meyer's Critical and ExegeticalCommentaryon the New Testament
John 10:9. ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ θύρα] τῷ διπλασιασμῷ τοῦ ῥητοῦ βεβαιοῖ τὸνλόγον,
Euth. Zigabenus.
διʼ ἐμοῦ] emphatically occupying the front place, excluding every other
mediation.
εἰσέλθῃ] namely, to the sheepin the fold. Comp. John 10:1; John 10:7. The
subject is therefore a shepherd ( τὶς), who goes in to the sheepthrough the
door. Others, on the contrary (Chrysostom, Euth. Zigabenus, Maldonatus,
Bengel, and severalothers;also Fritzsche, Tholuck, De Wette, B. Crusius,
Maier, Baeumlein, Hengstenberg, Godet, and severalothers), regard the
sheepas the subject, and the θύρα as the gate for the sheep. But there is no
ground for such a change of figure, seeing that both the word εἰσέρχεσθαι in
itself after John 10:1-2, and also the singular and masculine τὶς, can only refer
to the shepherd; besides, another mode of entrance than through the door is
for the sheepquite inconceivable;consequently the emphatic words διʼ ἐμοῦ,
so far as the ἐγώ is the door, would be without any possible antithesis.

σωθήσεται]is not to be understood directly of the attainment of the Messianic
redemption (compare especially1 Corinthians 3:15), as Luthardt and older
commentators suppose, after1 Timothy 4:16, for that would be foreign to the
context (see what follows);but means: he will be delivered, i.e. he will be set
free from all dangers by the protecting door;—the interpretation of the figure
intended by Jesus does undoubtedly signify safetyfrom the Messianic
ἀπώλεια, and the guarantee of future eternalredemption. This happy
σωθήσεται is then followedby unrestrained and blessedservice, whichis
graphically setforth by means of the words εἰσελ. κ. ἐξελ., as in Numbers
27:17, as an unhindered entering in and going out of the fold, at the head of
the flock, whilst engagedin the daily duty of tending it; and by νομὴν εὑρήσει,
as the finding of pasture for the flock ( ποιμνίωννομάς, Soph. O. R. 760;
compare Plat. Legg. iii. p. 679 A: νομῆς γὰροὐκ ἦν σπάνις). That this νομή in
the interpretation of the allegoryis ψυχῆς νομή (Plat. Phaedr. p. 248 B), which
works for the eternallife of those who are fed through the evangelicalgrace
and truth which they appropriate (comp. John 10:10), does not need further
urging.
Johann Albrecht Bengel's Gnomonof the New Testament
John 10:9. δἰ ἐμοῦ, through Me) the Christ knownby the sheep, and calling
them,—who am the Door. Comp. after thee [“I have not hastenedfrom being
a pastor to follow Thee.” Hebr. after Thee], Jeremiah17:16.— τίς, any man)
as a sheep [and a shepherd.—V. g.]— σωθήσεται, he shall be saved) Secure
from the wolf. Salvation and pasture are joined, as presently after life and
abundance, John 10:10, “Thatthey might have life, and have it
abundantly.”— εἰσελεύσεται καὶ ἐξελεύσεται, shall go in and go out) By this
Hebraic phrase, there is denoted a continual intimacy with the Shepherd and
Master. Comp. Acts 1:21, “These men which have companied with us all the
time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” Septuag. Numbers 27:17;
Numbers 27:21 [ ὄστις ἐξελεύσεται καὶ ὄστις εἰσελεύσεται,— καὶ ὅστις
ἐξάξει— καὶ εἰσάξει αὐτούς:ἐξελεύσονται— καὶ εἰσελεύσονται, Engl. Vers.
“Which may go out before them, and which may go in, and lead them out and
bring them in;—At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come

in”].— εὑρήσει, shall find) whether he enters in, or goes out: whereas the
pasture is unknown to all others. Comp. Exodus 16:25, etc., “Eatthat to-day:
for to-day is a Sabbath unto the Lord; to-day ye shall not find it in the field.”
Matthew Poole's EnglishAnnotations on the Holy Bible
Our Saviour here lets us know, that he meant by the door, in the former verse,
the door of salvation;the way by which every man must enter into life that
findeth life; not the door only by which every true pastormust enter into the
church, but by which every soul that shall be savedmust enter into heaven;
which is the doctrine which he before taught, John 3:16,18,36.And he, who so
believeth in me, shall be so guided, and governed, and taught, that he shall be
secure, and want nothing for the managementof his whole conversationin the
world. Under the notion of pasture here, are signified all goodthings that the
soul can stand in need of: it is much the same promise with that John 6:35, He
that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never
thirst; and with that Psalms 84:11;as also with the Psalms 23:1-6;to which
Psalmour Saviour is thought in this parable to have a specialreference.
Alexander MacLaren's Expositions ofHoly Scripture
John
THE GIFTS TO THE FLOCK
John 10:9.
One does not know whether the width or the depth of this marvellous promise
is the more noteworthy. Jesus Christ presents Himself before the whole race
of man, and declares Himself able to deal with the needs of every individual in
the tremendous whole. ‘If any man’-no matter who, where, when.
For all noble and happy life there are at leastthree things needed: security,
sustenance, anda field for the exercise ofactivity. To provide these is the end

of all human societyand government. Jesus Christ here says that He can give
all these to every one.
The imagery of the sheepand the fold is still, of course, in His mind, and
colours the form of the representation. But the substance is the declaration
that, to any and every soul, no matter how ringed about with danger, no
matter how hampered and hindered in work, no matter how barren of all
supply earth may be, He will give these, the primal requisites of life. ‘He shall
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.’
Now I only wish to deal with these three aspects ofthe blessednessofa true
Christian life which our Lord holds forth here as accessible to us all: security,
the unhindered exercise ofactivity, and sustenance orprovision.
I. First, then, in and through Christ any man may be saved.
I take it that the word ‘saved’ here is rather used with reference to the
imagery of the parable than in its full Christian sense of ultimate and
everlasting salvation, and that its meaning in its present connectionmight
perhaps better be setforth by the rendering ‘safe’than ‘saved.’At the same
time, the two ideas pass into one another; and the declarationof my text is
that because, stepby step, conflict by conflict, in passing danger after danger,
external and internal, Jesus Christ, through our union with Him, will keepus
safe, at the last we shall reach eternaland everlasting salvation. ‘He will save
us’ by the continual exercise ofHis protecting power, ‘into His everlasting
kingdom.’ There is none other shelter for men’s defenceless heads andnaked,
soft, unarmed bodies except only the shelter that is found in Him. There are
creatures of low grade in the animal world which have the instinct, because
their own bodies are so undefended and impotent to resistcontactwith sharp
and penetrating substances, thatthey take refuge in the abandoned shells of
other creatures. You and I have to betake ourselves behind the defences of
that strong love and mighty Hand if ever we are to pass through life without
fatal harm.
For considerthat, even in regardto outward dangers, union with Jesus Christ
defends and delivers us. Suppose two men, two Manchestermerchants, made
bankrupt by the same commercialcrisis;or two shipwreckedsailors lashed

upon a raft; or two men sitting side by side in a railway carriage andsmashed
by the same collision. One is a Christian and the other is not. The same blow is
altogetherdifferent in aspectand actual effectupon the two men. They endure
the same thing externally, in body or in fortune. The outward man is similarly
affected, but the man is differently affected. The one is crushed, or
embittered, or driven to despair, or to drink, or to something or other to
soothe the bitterness; the other bows himself with ‘It is the Lord! Let Him do
what seemethHim good.’
So the two disasters are utterly different, though in form they may be the
same, and he that has entered into the fold by Jesus Christ is safe, not from
outward disaster-thatwould be but a poor thing-but in it. For to the true
heart that lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ, Sorrow, though it be dark-
robed, is bright-faced, soft-handed, gentle-hearted, an angelof God. ‘By Me if
any man enter in, he shall be safe.’
And further, in our union with Jesus Christ, by simple faith in Him and loyal
submission and obedience, we do receive an impenetrable defence againstthe
true evils, and the only things worth calling dangers. Forthe only real evil is
the peril that we shall lose our confidence and be untrue to our best selves,
and depart from the living God. Nothing is evil exceptthat which tempts, and
succeedsin tempting, us awayfrom Him. And in regardto all such danger, to
cleave to Christ, to realise His presence, to think of Him, to wearHis name as
an amulet on our hearts, to put the thought of Him betweenus and temptation
as a filter through which the poisonous air shall pass, and be deprived of its
virus, is the one secretof safetyand victory.
Realgift of powerfrom Jesus Christ, the influx of His strength into our
weakness,ofsome portion of the Spirit of life that was in Him into our
deadness, is promised, and the promise is abundantly fulfilled to all men who
trust Him when their hour of temptation comes. As the dying martyr, when he
lookedup into heaven, saw Jesus Christ ‘standing at the right hand of God’
ready to help, and, as it were, having started from His eternalseaton the
Throne in the eagernessofHis desire to succourHis servant, so we may all
see, if we will, that dear Lord ready to succourus, and close by our sides to
deliver us from the evil in the evil, its powerto tempt. If we could carry that

vision into our daily life, and walk in its light, when temptation rings us
round, how poor all the inducements to go awayfrom Him would look!
There is a powerin the remembrance of Jesus to slay every wickedthought;
and the things that tempt us most, that most directly appealto our worst
sides, to our sense, ourambition, our pride, our distrust, our self-will, all these
lose their powerupon us, and are discoveredin their emptiness and
insignificance, when once this thought flashes across the mind-Jesus Christ is
my Defence,and Jesus Christ is my Pattern and my Companion.
Oh, brother! do not trust yourself out amongstthe pitfalls and snares of life
without Him. If you do, the real evil of all evils will seize you for its own; but
keepclose to that dear Lord, and then ‘there shall no evil befall thee, neither
shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.’ The hidden temptation thou wilt
pass by without being harmed; the manifest temptation thou wilt trample
under foot. ‘Thou shalt not be afraid for the pestilence that walkethin
darkness, nor for the destruction that wastethat noonday.’ Hidden known
temptations will be equally powerless;and in the fold into which all pass by
faith in Christ thou shalt be safe. And so, keptsafe from eachdanger and in
eachmoment of temptation, the aggregateandsum of the severaldeliverances
will amount to the everlasting salvationwhich shall be perfected in the
heavens.
Only remember the condition, ‘By Me if any man enter in.’ That is not a thing
to be done once for all, but needs perpetual repetition. When we clasp
anything in our hands, howevertight the initial grasp, unless there is a
continual effort of renewedtightening, the muscles become lax, and we have
to renew the tension, if we are to keepthe grasp. So in our Christian life it is
only the continual repetition of the act which our Lord here calls ‘entering in
by Him’ that will bring to us this continual exemption from, and immunity in,
the dangers that besetus.
Keep Christ betweenyou and the storm. Keep on the lee side of the Rock of
Ages. Keep behind the breakwater, forthere is a wild sea running outside;
and your little boat, undecked and with a feeble hand at the helm, will soonbe
swamped. Keep within the fold, for wolves and lions lie in every bush. Or, in

plain English, live moment by moment in the realising of Christ’s presence,
power, and grace. So, and only so, shall you be safe.
II. Now, secondly, note, in Jesus Christ any man may find a field for the
unrestricted exercise ofhis activity.
That metaphor of ‘going in and out’ is partly explained to us by the image of
the flock, which passes into the fold for peacefulrepose, and out again,
without danger, for exercise andfood; and is partly explained by the frequent
use, in the Old Testamentand in common conversation, ofthe expression
‘going out and in’ as the designationof the two-sidedactivity of human life.
The one side is the contemplative life of interior union with God by faith and
love; the other, the active life of practicalobedience in the field of work which
God provides for us. These two are both capable of being raisedto their
highest power, and of being dischargedwith the most unrestricted and joyous
activity, on condition of our keeping close to Christ, and living by the faith of
Him.
Note, then, ‘He shall go in.’ That comes first, though it interferes with the
propriety of the metaphor, since the previous words alreadycontemplate an
initial ‘entering in by Me, the Door.’That is to say, that, given the union with
Jesus Christ by faith, there must then, as the basis of all activity, follow very
frequent and deep inward acts of contemplation, of faith, and aspiration, and
desire. You must go into the depths of Godthrough Christ. You must go into
the depths of your own souls through Him. You must become accustomedto
withdraw yourselves from spreading yourselves out over the distractions of
any external activity, howsoeverimperative, charitable, or necessary, and live
alone with Jesus, ‘in the secretplace of the MostHigh.’ It is through Him that
we have accessto the mysteries and innermost shrine of the Temple. It is
through Him that we draw near to the depths of Deity. It is through Him that
we learn the length and breadth and height and depth of the largestand
loftiest and noblest truths that concernthe spirit. It is through Him that we
become familiar with the inmost secrets ofour own selves. And only they who
habitually live this hidden and sunkenlife of solitary and secretcommunion
will ever do much in the field of outward work. Christians of this generation
are far too much accustomedto live only in the front rooms of the house, that

look out upon the street; and they know very little-far too little for their soul’s
health, and far too little for the freshness of their work and its prosperity-of
that inward life of silent contemplationand expectant adoration, by which all
strength is fed. Do not keepall your goods in the shop windows, and have
nothing on your shelves but dummies, as is the case withfar too many of us to-
day. Remember that the Lord said first, ‘He shall go in,’ and unless you do
you will not be ‘saved.’
But then, further, if there have been, and continue to be, this unrestricted
exercise through Christ of that sweetand silent life of solitary communion
with Him, then there will follow upon that an enlargementof opportunity, and
powerfor outward service such as nothing but emancipationby faith in Him
can ever bring. Howsoever, by external circumstances, you and I may be
hampered and hindered, howeveroften we may feel that if something outside
of us were different, the development of our active powers would be far more
satisfactory, andwe could do a greatdeal more in Christ’s cause, the true
hindrance lies never without, but within; and it is only to be overcome by that
plunging into the depths of fellowship with Him. And then, if we carry with us
into the field of work, whetherit be the commonplace, dusty, tedious, and
often repulsive duties of our monotonous business;or whether it be the field of
more distinctly unselfish and Christian service-ifwe carry with us into all
places where we go to labour, the sweetthought of His presence, ofHis
example, of His love, and of the smile that may come on His face as the reward
of faithful service, then we shall find that external labour, drawing its pattern,
its motive, its law, and the powerfor its discharge, from communion with
Him, is no more task-work nor slavery;and even ‘the rough places will be
made smooth, and the crookedthings will be made straight,’ and distasteful
work will be made at leasttolerable, and hard burdens will be lightened, and
the things that are ‘seen and temporal’ will shimmer into transparency,
through which will shine out the things that are ‘unseen and eternal.’
Some of us are constitutionally made to prefer the one of these forms of
Christian activity; some of us to prefer the other. The tendencies of this
generationare far too much to the latter, to the exclusionof the former. It is
hard to reconcile the conflicting claims, and I know of no better way to hit the
just medium than by trying to keepourselves always in touch with Jesus

Christ, and then outward labour of any sort, whether for the bread that
perishes or for His kingdom and righteousness, will never become so
absorbing but that in it we may have our hearts in heaven, and the silent hour
of communion with Him will never be so prolongedas to neglectoutward
duties. There was a demoniac boy in the plain, and therefore it was impossible
to build tabernacles on the Mount of Transfiguration. But the disciples that
had not climbed the Mount were all impotent to castout the demoniac boy.
We, if we keepnear to Jesus Christ, will find that through Him we can ‘go in
and out,’ and in both be pursuing the one uniform purpose of serving and
pleasing Him. So shall be fulfilled in our cases the Psalmist’s prayer, that ‘I
may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of ray life, to behold His
beauty, and to inquire in His Temple.’
III. Lastly, in Jesus Christany man may receive sustenance.‘Theyshall find
pasture.’
The imagery of the sheepand the fold is still, of course, presentto the
Master’s mind, and shapes the form in which this great promise is setforth.
I need only remind you, in illustration of it, of two facts, one, that in Jesus
Christ Himself all the true needs of humanity are met and satisfied. He is ‘the
Breadof God that came down from heaven to give life to the world.’ Do I
want an outward objectfor my intellect? I have it in Him. Does my heart feel
with its tendrils, which have no eyes at the ends of them, after something
round which it may twine, and not fear that the prop shall ever rot or be cut
down or pulled up? Jesus Christ is the home of love in which the dove may
fold its wings and be at rest. Do I want {and I do if I am not a fool} an
absolute and authoritative command to be laid upon my will; some one ‘whose
looks enjoin, whose lightest words are spells’? I find absolute authority, with
no taint of tyranny, and no degradation to the subject, in that Infinite Will of
His. Does my conscienceneedsome strong detergent to be laid upon it which
shall take out the stains that are most indurated, inveterate, and ingrained? I
find it only in the ‘blood that cleansethfrom all sin.’ Do my aspirations and
desires seek forsome solid and substantial and unquestionable and
imperishable goodto which, reaching out, they may be sure that they are not
anchoring on cloudland? Christ is our hope. For all this complicatedand

craving commonwealththat I carry within my soul, there is but one
satisfaction, evenJesus ChristHimself. Nothing else nourishes the whole man
at once, but in Him are all the constituents that the human system requires for
its nutriment and its growth in every part. So in and through Christ we find
‘pasture.’
But beyond that, if we are knit to Him by simple and continual faith, love, and
obedience, then what is else barrenness becomes full of nourishment, and the
unsatisfying gifts of the world become rich and precious. They are nought
when they are put first, they are much when they are put second.
I remember when I was in Australia seeing some wretchedcattle trying to find
grass on a yellow pasture where there was nothing but here and there a brown
stalk that crumbled to dust in their mouths as they tried to eat it. That is the
world without Jesus Christ. And I saw the same pasture six weeks after, when
the rains had come, and the grass was high, rich, juicy, satisfying. That is
what the world may be to you, if you will put it second, and seek first that
your souls shall be fed on Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, will what is else
waterbe turned by His touch and blessing into wine that shall fill the great
jars to the brim, and be pronounced by skilled palates to be the goodwine. ‘I
will feed them in a goodpasture, and upon the high mountains of Israelshall
their fold be. There shall they lie in a goodfold, and in a fat pasture shall they
feed upon the mountains of Israel.’
Cambridge Greek Testamentfor Schools andColleges
9. There is a very clearreference to this verse in the Ignatian Epistles, Philad.
9: αὐτὸς ὢν θύρα τοῦ πατρός, δι' ἧς εἰσέρχονται Ἀβραὸμ κ. Ἰσαὰκ κ. Ἰακὼβ κ.
οἱ προφῆται κ. οἱ ἀπόστολοι κ. ἡ ἐκκλησία. In the messageto the
Philadelphian Church (Revelation 3:8) we find ἰδοὺ δέδωκα ἐνώπιόν σου
θύραν ἀνεῳγμένην. For other early adaptations of this image comp.
Hegesippus (Eus. H. E. II. xxiii. 8), τίς ἡ θύρα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, Hermas III. Sim. ix.

12, ἡ πύλη ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστί, and Clem. Rom. I. xlviii. see on John 3:8,
John 4:10, John 6:33, John 8:28-29.
δι' ἐμοῦ. Placedfirst for emphasis; ‘through Me and in no other way.’ The
main point is iterated again and again, eachtime with greatsimplicity and yet
most emphatically. “The simplicity, the directness, the particularity, the
emphasis of S. John’s style give his writings a marvellous power, which is not
perhaps felt at first. Let his words seemto hang about the reader till he is
forcedto remember them. Eachgreattruth sounds like the burden of a strain,
ever falling upon the ear with a calm persistencywhich secures attention.”
Westcott, Introduction to the Study of the Gospels, p. 250.
ἐάν τις. If anyone: there is no limit of sex or nationality. Comp. John 6:51,
John 8:51, John 3:15, John 11:25, John 12:46.
σωθήσεται. It is interesting to see how this has been expanded in the
Clementine Homilies (III. lii.); Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ πύλη τῆς ζωῆς· ὁ δι' ἐμοῦ
εἰσερχόμενος εἰσέρχεται εἰς τὴν ζωήν. ὡς οὐκ οὔσης ἑτέρας τῆς σώζειν
δυναμένης διδασκαλίας. SeeonJohn 10:27 and John 9:1. These passages
place the reference to the Fourth Gospelbeyond a doubt. Σωθήσεται and
νομὴν εὑρήσει seemto shew that this verse does not refer to the shepherds
only, but to the sheepalso. Although ‘find pasture’ may refer to the
shepherd’s work for the flock, yet one is inclined to think that if the words do
not refer to both, they refer to the sheep only.
εἰσελεύσεται κ. ἐξ. These words also are more appropriate to the sheepthan
to the shepherds; but comp. Numbers 27:17;1 Samuel 18:13;2 Chronicles
1:10. ‘To go in and out’ includes the ideas of security and liberty (Jeremiah
37:4). The phrase is a Hebraism, expressing the free activity of life, like
versari (Deuteronomy28:6; Deuteronomy28:19; Deuteronomy31:2; Psalms
121:8;Acts 1:21; Acts 9:28).
PeterPett's Commentary on the Bible
“I am the doorway. By me if any man enter in he will be savedand will go in
and out and find pasture.”

‘I am the doorwayof the sheep’ (compare John 10:7). Jesus is both the good
shepherd and the doorway. All who would come to the Father must do so
through the doorway. And those who do come through Him will be saved. As
mentioned very often this would be literally true of a Middle Eastern
shepherd. Once his flock were safelyin the sheepfoldhe would lie across the
entrance acting as the protecting door and guarding the doorway. But he
would not be the doorwayand the main stress in Jesus’illustration is on the
doorwayas being the only way in and out. That is here the crucial point. That
doorwayis on the way of holiness (Isaiah 35:8). and those who would walk on
that road must use that doorway constantly. They must walk along it by
following Jesus. There is no other name under Heaven given among men
whereby we canbe saved(Acts 4:12), although later He will refer to the
shepherd as One Who acts as protectorand gives his life for the sheep(v. 11).
Indeed the way He describes it, ‘the doorway of the sheep’ rather than of the
sheepfold, stressesthe personal nature of His attentions. He is their doorway,
their way in and out and their personalprotector, their shepherd.
Those who respond to God, coming through Jesus Christ, will find a saving
welcome. Theywill become acceptableto God through Him.
‘Go in and out and find pasture’ - once they have first entered through the
doorwayand now go in and out by it, they can freely enjoy the benefits and
protection provided by their Shepherd. For Jesus is their doorwayand their
shepherd, their entry to God and their guidance on the way of holiness, as
they walk among the waiting people of Israel. He is the bread of life and the
waterof life.
Whedon's Commentary on the Bible
9. The door—The way of accessto the fold of the justified; and so the way,
access,ormediator betweenman and God. The Pharisees rejectedthis way;
and yet, undertaking to play the shepherd by a false route, became
interlopers, usurpers, persecutors, and destroyers. If any man…saved—For
even the under shepherds are, under another view, sheepof the great
Shepherd, and need to enter in and be saved.

Pasture—Seenote on John 10:3.
Expository Notes ofDr. Thomas Constable
Jesus describedHimself as a passageway(cf. John 14:6). His sheepcould enter
and leave the sheepfold through Him. Obviously the sheepfoldhere does not
refer to Israel as it did previously ( John 10:1-5). People couldnot go in and
out of Judaism at will through Jesus. It probably represents the securitythat
God provides, and the pasture outside stands for what sustains their spiritual
health and growth. Jesus provides for His people"s securityneeds and for all
of their daily needs24hours a day.
Schaff's Popular Commentary on the New Testament
John 10:9. I am the door: by me if any one have entered in, he shall be saved,
and shall enter in, and shall go out and find pasture. From the thought of the
‘thieves and robbers,’Jesus turns to mat of ‘a shepherd of the sheep.’ And as
entering by the door has been mentioned (John 10:1) as the first mark of a
true shepherd, He emphatically repeats His former saying, ‘I am the door.’ In
John 10:7, however, as John 10:8 shows, it is of the release ofthe flock from
the fold that we must chiefly think (and therefore the words ‘of the sheep’
were naturally added). The repetition here introduces the other application of
the thought. Whoeverhas entered through this Door(Christ) shall be saved,
and shall enter in (to the fold), and shall go out and find pasture (for the flock
over which he is placedin charge). The repetition of ‘enter,’ it will be seen,
involves no tautology: first the shepherd passes throughthe door, then goes
into the heart of the enclosure to call to him his sheep. He goes in for the
purpose of coming out to find pasturage for the flock that follows him from
the fold. The chief difficulty lies in the interpretation of the words ‘he shall be
saved.’The sudden introduction of this thought in the very midst of figurative

language mostconsistentlypreserved (the door, enter in, go out and find
pasture) at first appears strange. But the very place which the words hold
supplies a key to their interpretation. We cannot contentourselves with saying
that the whole parable is instinct with the thought of salvation in its general
sense, and that what is presentin every part may surely be expressedin one. It
is true that in our Lord’s parables we sometimes find a rapid transition from
the signto the thing signified; but such an intermixture of fact and figure as
(on that supposition) is found here, we meet with nowhere else. Whatever
difficulty may arise, the words must connectthemselves with the imagery of
the parable. The chapters of Ezekieland Zechariah, referred to in the note on
John 10:1, show at once how this is possible. We have before seen(see chap.
John 3:3, John 7:39, John 8:33, etc.)how suddenly our Lord sometimes
removes His hearers into a familiar region of Old Testamenthistory or
prophecy. To the teachers ofthe law, who were the hearers of most of the
discourses relatedby John, the letter of the Old Testamentwas wellknown;
and, moreover, it is very probable that in the discourses as deliveredother
words may have been added, not necessaryto the completeness ofthe thought,
but helpful to the understanding of the hearers. One of the connecting links
betweenthis chapter and the last is the evil wrought by unworthy and false
shepherds; in this word suddenly introduced in the portraiture of a true
shepherd we have vividly brought before us all that the prophets had said of
the fate of the unworthy. Those shepherds who had no pity on the flock, but
said, ‘Blessedbe the Lord, for I am rich,’ the soulof the prophet ‘loathed,’
and he gave them to destruction (Zechariah 11:5; Zechariah 11:8; Zechariah
11:17). From all such penalty of unfaithfulness shall the true shepherd be
‘saved.’That He whose love to His flock assigns this punishment to the
unworthy will reward the faithful, may not be expressedin the figure, but in
the interpretation it holds the chief place: to such a shepherd of souls will
Jesus give salvation.—Itshould perhaps be said that (probably in consequence
of the difficulty which the words ‘he shall be saved’ seemto present) this verse
is usually understood as relating to the sheepand not to the shepherds. It
seems impossible, however, to compare the language here used with that of
John 10:1-2 without coming to the conclusionthat all the three are identical in
subject.

The Expositor's Greek Testament
John 10:9 ἐγώ … εὑρήσει. With emphasis He reiterates:“I am the door:
through me, and none else, if a man enter he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out find pasture”. Meyer and others supply “any shepherd” as the
nominative to εἰσέλθῃ, which may agree better with the form of the parabolic
saying, but not so well with the substance. Jesus is the Doorof the sheep, not
of the shepherd; and the blessings promised, σωθήσεται, κ. τ. λ., are proper to
the sheep. These blessingsare three: deliverance from peril, liberty, and
sustenance. Forthe phraseologysee the remarkable passageNumbers 27:15-
21, which Holtzmann misapplies, neglecting the twenty-first verse. To “go out
and in” is the common O.T. expressionto denote the free activity of daily life,
Jeremiah37:4, Psalms 121:8, Deuteronomy28:6.
E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes
I am = I represent. See note on John 6:35.
if, &c. A contingencywhich would be proved by the result. App-118. Not the
same word as in John 24:33, John 24:37, John 24:38.
any man = any one. App-123.
and out = and shall go out. The two expressions being the idiom used for life
in general.
find = shall find.
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
I am the door: by me if any man enter in - whether shepherd or sheep,

He shall be saved- the greatobjectof the pastoraloffice, as of all the divine
arrangements towardmankind.
And shall go in and out and find pasture. He "shallgo in," as to a place of
safetyand repose;and he "shallgo out," as to greenpastures and still waters"
(Psalms 23:2), for nourishment and refreshing; and all this only transferred to
another clime, and enjoyedin another manner, at the close ofthis earthly
scene (Revelation7:17).
The Bible Study New Testament
Whoevercomes in by me will be saved. The "door" allows the sheep to enter,
and therefore is symbolic of coming in to protectionand shelter; and going out
to freedom and life. [Christ is at the same time the door, the shepherd and the
pasture. He is the bread of life and the waterof life.]
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(9) By me if any man enter in.—He returns to the thought of the door,
through which every true shepherd must himself enter the fold. The thought is
parallel to that of the “straitgate” and “narrow way,” in Matthew 7:13-14,
and with St. Paul’s thought in Romans 5:2, and Ephesians 2:18. No one can
really enter the fold and become a shepherd of the flock who does not seek to
do so through the characterand life and death of Christ—i.e., to devote
himself in entire self-sacrifice to the sheep whom he seeks to lead; to live in
unfailing prayer to and communion with God, whose the sheepare; to find for
himself as for them “the accessthrough Christ Jesus by one Spirit unto the
Father.” We may not narrow the door to the fold, nor yet may we widen it. He
is the Door. No shepherd may enter unless through Him.
He shall be saved.—The words referprimarily to the dangers without the fold
from which he shall be delivered. (See the striking parallelin 1 Corinthians
3:15, and Note there.) But in the wider thought they include the salvation

from sin which is in this life to be realised, and is a necessaryqualificationfor
the pastor’s work.
And shall go in and out, and find pasture.—The fold will ever be open to him
who enters by the Door. He will have perfect freedom to enter, whenever
storm or dangeror night approaches. He will lead out and find pasture for his
flock. In the devotion of his service, and in communion with God, he will daily
have an increasing knowledge oftruths new and old, and the truths which he
learns he will give as food for the souls of men.
the door
1,7;14:6; Romans 5:1,2; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 10:19-22
and shall
Psalms 23:1-6;80:1-3; 95:7; 100:3,4;Isaiah40:11; 49:9,10;Ezekiel34:12-16;
Zechariah 10:12
Commentary by J.C.Philpoton selecttexts of the Bible
John 10:9
"I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in
and out, and find pasture."— John10:9
There is a finding pasture in PROVIDENCE. Asweetand healthy pasture
indeed this is—to watchthe Lord"s providential dealings with us spread
through a long series ofyears. It is seeing the Lord"s providential hand which
makes the commonesttemporal mercies sweet. Everynibble of grass or lock
of hay which we canbelieve to be speciallyprovided for us by the hand of that
goodShepherd becomes therebydoubly sweet.
But O what pastures in GRACE has God provided for his hungry sheep! Look
at the promises and declarations, the sacredtruths and heavenly consolations
scatteredup and down the Scriptures of truth.

But of all spiritual pasture thus provided for the flock, the chief is the flesh
and blood of the Lord Jesus. This is his owndivine declaration—"Formy
flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed" ( John 6:55). And every
communication of grace to the soul out of the fullness of Christ, every promise
applied with a divine power to the heart, every truth which drops with
heavenly savor, every seasonofencouragement;in a word, every part of
God"s word which the soul caneat and feedupon is spiritual pasture. Thus
the prophet found it of old—"Your words were found, and I did eat them;
and your word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; for I am called
by your name, O Lord God of hosts" ( Jeremiah 15:
Ver. 9. "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall
go in and out, and find pasture."—"Iam the door" returns with strengthened
emphasis after the wolves in sheep's clothing have been repelled,—those
wolves who had pretended to be themselves the door. By going out and in,
Deuteronomy 31:2, Ps. 131:8 , or, as it less frequently occurs, in the inverted
order, Deuteronomy 28:6, Jeremiah37:4, Acts 1:21, the phraseologyofthe
Old Testamentdescribes the whole commerce of life as it moves in the two
spheres of the householdand publicity. The unrestrictedness ofthe going out
and in, points to the fact that, through their relation to Christ, the
development of life has a free course openedbefore it. Jesus, assuring this
unrestricted freedom by His guidance and guardianship, exhibits Himself as
the true Joshua, according to Numbers 27:16-17;as the true David, 1 Samuel
18:16;as the true Solomon, 2 Chronicles 1:10, where Solomonsays to the
Lord, "Give me now wisdomand knowledge, that I may go out and come in
before this people." Finding pasture is afterwards explained by having life,
and more abundantly. We may comp. Ezekiel 34:14, "I wall feed them in a
goodpasture;" Isaiah40:11. All that the verse contains belongs, according to
the unforced interpretation of the passage,notto the shepherd, but to the
sheep.

PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BARCLAY
He began by saying: "I am the door." In this parable Jesus spoke abouttwo
kinds of sheep-folds. In the villages and towns themselves there were
communal sheep-folds where all the village flocks were shelteredwhenthey
returned home at night. These folds were protectedby a strong door of which
only the guardian of the door held the key. It was to that kind of fold Jesus
referred in John 10:2-3. But when the sheepwere out on the hills in the warm
seasonanddid not return at night to the village at all, they were collectedinto
sheep-folds on the hillside. These hillside sheep-folds were just open spaces
enclosedby a wall. In them there was an opening by which the sheepcame in
and went out; but there was no door of any kind. What happened was that at
night the shepherd himself lay down acrossthe opening and no sheepcould
get out or in exceptover his body. In the most literal sense the shepherd was
the door.
That is what Jesus was thinking of when he said: "I am the door." Through
him, and through him alone, men find accessto God. "Through him," said
Paul, "we have accessto the Father" (Ephesians 2:18). "He," said the writer
to the Hebrews, "is the new and living way" (Hebrews 10:20). Jesus opens the
way to God. Until Jesus came men could think of God only as, at best, a
strangerand as, at worst, an enemy. But Jesus came to show men what God is
like, and to open the way to him. He is the door through whom alone entrance
to God becomes possible for men.
To describe something of what that entrance to God means, Jesus uses a well-
known Hebrew phrase. He says that through him we can go in and come out.
To be able to come and go unmolested was the Jewishway of describing a life
that is absolutely secure and safe. When a man cango in and out without fear,
it means that his country is at peace, that the forces oflaw and order are
supreme, and that he enjoys perfect security. The leader of the nation is to be
one who canbring them out and lead them in (Numbers 27:17). Of the man
who is obedient to God it is saidthat he is blessedwhen he comes in and

blessedwhen he goes out (Deuteronomy 28:6). A child is one who is not yet
able by himself to go out and to come in (1 Kings 3:7). The Psalmist is certain
that God will keephim in his going out and in his coming in (Psalms 121:8).
Once a man discovers, through Jesus Christ, what God is like, a new sense of
safetyand of security enters into life. If life is knownto be in the hands of a
God like that, the worries and the fears are gone.
Jesus saidthat those who came before him were thieves and robbers. He was
of course not referring to the great successionofthe prophets and the heroes,
but to these adventurers who were continually arising in Palestine and
promising that, if people would follow them, they would bring in the golden
age. All these claimants were insurrectionists. They believed that men would
have to wade through blood to the goldenage. At this very time Josephus
speaks ofthere being ten thousand disorders in Judaea, tumults causedby
men of war. He speaks ofmen like the Zealots who did not mind dying
themselves and who did not mind slaughtering their own loved ones, if their
hopes of conquestcould be achieved. Jesus is saying:"There have been men
who claimed that they were leaders sentto you from God. They believed in
war, murder, assassination. Theirway only leads for ever farther and farther
awayfrom God. My way is the way of peace and love and life; and if you will
only take it, it leads ever closerand closerto God." There have been, and still
are, those who believe that the golden age must be brought in with violence,
class warfare, bitterness, destruction. It is the message ofJesus thatthe only
way that leads to God in heaven and to the golden age on earth is the way of
love.
Jesus claims that he came that men might have life and might have it more
abundantly. The Greek phrase used for having it more abundantly means to
have a superabundance of a thing. To be a followerof Jesus, to know who he
is and what he means, is to have a superabundance of life. A Roman soldier
came to Julius Caesarwitha request for permission to commit suicide. He
was a wretcheddispirited creature with no vitality. Caesarlookedathim.
"Man," he said, "were you ever really alive?" When we try to live our own
lives, life is a dull, dispirited thing. When we walk with Jesus, there comes a
new vitality, a superabundance of life. It is only when we live with Christ that

life becomes reallyworth living and we begin to live in the real sense ofthe
word.
THE TRUE AND THE FALSE SHEPHERD (John 10:11-15)
10:11-15 "Iam the goodshepherd; the goodshepherd gives his life for the
sheep. The hireling, who is not a real shepherd, and to whom the sheepdo not
really belong, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and runs away;and
the wolfseizes them and scatters them. He abandons the sheepbecause he is a
hireling, and the sheepare nothing to him. I am the good shepherd, and I
know my own sheep, and my own sheepknow me, just as the Father knows
me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep."
This passagedraws the contrastbetweenthe good and the bad, the faithful
and the unfaithful shepherd. The shepherd was absolutelyresponsible for the
sheep. If anything happened to a sheep, he had to produce some kind of proof
that it was not his fault. Amos speaks aboutthe shepherd rescuing two legs or
a piece of an earout of a lion's mouth (Amos 3:12). The law laid it down: "If it
is torn by beasts, let him bring it as evidence" (Exodus 22:13). The idea is that
the shepherd must bring home proof that the sheephad died, and that he had
been unable to prevent the death. David tells Saulhow when he was keeping
his father's sheep, he had the battle with the lion and the bear (1 Samuel
17:34-36). Isaiahspeaksofthe crowdof shepherds being called out to deal
with the lion (Isaiah 31:4). To the shepherd it was the most natural thing to
risk his life in defence of his flock. Sometimes the shepherd had to do more
than risk his life: sometimes he had to lay it down, perhaps when thieves and
robbers came to despoil the flock. Dr W. M. Thomsonin The Land and the
Book writes:"I have listened with intense interestto their graphic
descriptions of downright and desperate fights with these savage beasts. And
when the thief and the robber come (and come they do), the faithful shepherd
has often to put his life in his hand to defend his flock. I have knownmore
than one case where he had literally to lay it down in the contest. A poor
faithful fellow last spring, betweenTiberias and Tabor, instead of fleeing,
actually fought three Bedouin robbers until he was hackedto pieces with their
khanjars, and died among the sheephe was defending." The true shepherd
never hesitated to risk, and even to lay down, his life for his sheep.

But, on the other hand, there was the unfaithful shepherd. The difference was
this. A realshepherd was born to his task. He was sent out with the flock as
soonas he was old enough to go; the sheepbecame his friends and his
companions;and it became secondnature to think of them before he thought
of himself. But the false shepherd came into the job, not as a calling, but as a
means of making money. He was in it simply and solelyfor the pay he could
get. He might even be a man who had takento the hills because the town was
too hot to hold him. He had no sense of the height and the responsibility of his
task;he was only a hireling.
Wolves were a threat to a flock. Jesus saidof his disciples that he was sending
them out as sheepin the midst of wolves (Matthew 10:16);Paul warned the
elders of Ephesus that grievous wolves would come, not sparing the flock
(Acts 20:29). If these wolves attacked, the hireling shepherd forgoteverything
but the saving of his own life and ran away. Zechariah marks it as the
characteristic ofa false shepherd that he made no attempt to gather together
the scatteredsheep(Zechariah11:16). Carlyle's father once took this imagery
causticallyto his speech. In Ecclefechanthey were having trouble with their
minister; and it was the worst of all kinds of such trouble--it was about
money. Carlyle's father rose and saidbitingly: "Give the hireling his wages
and let him go."
Jesus'point is that the man who works only for reward thinks chiefly of the
money; the man who works for love thinks chiefly of the people he is trying to
serve. Jesus was the goodshepherd who so loved his sheepthat for their safety
he would risk, and one day give, his life.
We may note two further points before we leave this passage. Jesusdescribes
himself as the goodshepherd. Now in Greek, there are two words for good.
There is agathos (Greek#18)whichsimply describes the moral quality of a
thing; there is kalos (Greek #2570)which means that in the goodnessthere is a
quality of winsomeness whichmakes it lovely. When Jesus is described as the
goodshepherd, the word is kalos (Greek #2570). In him there is more than
efficiencyand more than fidelity; there is loveliness. Sometimes in a village or
town people speak aboutthe gooddoctor. They are not thinking only of the
doctor's efficiencyand skill as a physician; they are thinking of the sympathy

and the kindness and the graciousness whichhe brought with him and which
made him the friend of all. In the picture of Jesus as the GoodShepherd there
is loveliness as well as strength and power.
The secondpoint is this. In the parable the flock is the Church of Christ; and
it suffers from a double danger. It is always liable to attack from outside, from
the wolves and the robbers and the marauders. It is always liable to trouble
from the inside, from the false shepherd. The Church runs a double danger. It
is always under attack from outside and often suffers from the tragedyof bad
leadership, from the disasterof shepherds who see their calling as a career
and not as a means of service. The seconddanger is by far the worse;because,
if the shepherd is faithful and good, there is a strong defence from the attack
from outside; but if the shepherd is faithless and a hireling, the foes from
outside canpenetrate into and destroy the flock. The Church's first essentialis
a leadership basedon the example of Jesus Christ.
THE ULTIMATE UNITY (John 10:16)
10:16 "But I have other sheep which are not of this fold. These too I must
bring in, and they will hear my voice;and they will become one flock, and
there will be one shepherd."
One of the hardest things in the world to unlearn is exclusiveness. Once a
people, or a sectionofa people, gets the idea that they are speciallyprivileged,
it is very difficult for them to acceptthat the privileges which they believed
belongedto them and to them only are in fact open to all men. That is what
the Jews neverlearned. They believed that they were God's chosenpeople and
that God had no use for any other nation. They believed that, at the best,
other nations were designedto be their slaves, and, at the worst, that they
were destined for elimination from the scheme of things. But here Jesus is
saying that there will come a day when all men will know him as their
shepherd.
Even the Old Testamentis not without its glimpses of that day. Isaiahhad that
very dream. It was his convictionthat God had given Israelfor a light to the
nations (Isaiah42:6; Isaiah49:6; Isaiah 56:8) and always there had been some

lonely voices which insisted that God was not the exclusive property of Israel,
but that her destiny was to make him known to all men.
At first sight it might seemthat the New Testamentspeaks withtwo voices on
this subject; and some passagesofthe New Testamentmay well trouble and
perplex us a little. As Matthew tells the story, when Jesus sentout his
disciples, he said to them: "Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no
town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lostsheep of the house of Israel"
(Matthew 10:5-6). When the Syro-Phoenicianwomanappealedto Jesus for
help, his first answerwas that he was sentonly to the lost sheepof the house of
Israel(Matthew 15:24). But there is much to be seton the other side. Jesus
himself stayedand taught in Samaria (John 4:40); he declaredthat descent
from Abraham was no guarantee ofentry into the kingdom (John 8:39). It
was of a Roman centurion that Jesus saidthat he had never seensuch faith in
Israel(Matthew 8:10); it was a Samaritan leper who alone returned to give
thanks (Luke 17:18-19);it was the Samaritan traveller who showedthe
kindness that all men must copy (Luke 10:37); many would come from the
eastand the westand the north and the south to sit down in the Kingdom of
God (Matthew 8:11; Luke 13:29);the command in the end was to go out and
to preach the gospelto all nations (Mark 16:15;Matthew 28:19);Jesus was,
not the light of the Jews, but the light of the world (John 8:12).
What is the explanation of the sayings which seemto limit the work of Jesus to
the Jews?The explanation is in reality very simple. The ultimate aim of Jesus
was the world for God. But any greatcommander knows that he must in the
first instance limit his objectives. If he tries to attack on too wide a front, he
only scatters his forces, diffuses his strength, and gains successnowhere. In
order to win an ultimately complete victory he must begin by concentrating
his forces atcertain limited objectives. That is what Jesus did. Had he gone
here, there and everywhere, had he sent his disciples out with no limitation to
their sphere of work, nothing would have been achieved. At the moment he
deliberately concentratedon the Jewishnation, but his ultimate aim was the
gathering of the whole world into his love.
There are three greattruths in this passage.

(i) It is only in Jesus Christthat the world can become one. EgertonYoung
was the first missionary to the Red Indians. In Saskatchewanhe went out and
told them of the love of God. To the Indians it was like a new revelation.
When the missionary had told his message, anold chief said: "Whenyou
spoke of the greatSpirit just now, did I hear you say, 'Our Father'?" "Yes,"
said EgertonYoung. "That is very new and sweetto me," said the chief. "We
never thought of the greatSpirit as Father. We heard him in the thunder; we
saw him in the lightning, the tempest and the blizzard, and we were afraid. So
when you tell us that the greatSpirit is our Father, that is very beautiful to
us." The old man paused, and then he went on, as a glimpse of glory suddenly
shone on him. "Missionary, did you say that the greatSpirit is your Father?"
"Yes," saidthe missionary. "And," said the chief, "did you say that he is the
Indians' Father?" "I did," said the missionary. "Then," said the old chief, like
a man on whom a dawn of joy had burst, "you and I are brothers!"
The only possible unity for men is in their common sonship with God. In the
world there is division betweennation and nation; in the nation there is
division betweenclass and class. There cannever be one nation; and there can
never be one class. The only thing which can cross the barriers and wipe out
the distinctions is the gospelof Jesus Christ telling men of the universal
fatherhood of God.
(ii) In the King James Version there is a mistranslation. It has: "There shall
be one fold and one shepherd." That mistranslation goes back to Jerome and
the Vulgate. And on that mistranslation the RomanCatholic Church has
basedthe teaching that, since there is only one fold, there can only be one
Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and that, outside it there is no salvation.
But the real translation beyond all possible doubt as given in the Revised
Standard Version, is: "There shall be one flock, one shepherd," or, even
better, "They shall become one flock and there shall be one shepherd." The
unity comes from the fact, not that all the sheepare forcedinto one fold, but
they all hear, answerand obey one shepherd. It is not an ecclesiasticalunity; it
is a unity of loyalty to Jesus Christ. The factthat there is one flock does not
mean that there can be only one Church, one method of worship, one form of
ecclesiastical administration. But it does mean that all the different churches
are united by a common loyalty to Jesus Christ.

(ii) But this saying of Jesus becomesvery personal;for it is a dream which
every one of us can help Jesus to realize. Men cannothear without a preacher;
the other sheepcannot be gatheredin unless someone goesout to bring them
in. Here is set before us the tremendous missionary task of the Church. And
we must not think of that only in terms of what we used to call foreign
missions. If we know someone here and now who is outside his love, we can
find him for Christ. The dream of Christ depends on us; it is we who can help
him make the world one flock with him as its shepherd.
BRIAN BILL
John 10:1-10
The Door
Brian Bill on Feb 22, 2016
A mixed metaphor combines images that don’t always make sense. Here are
some of my favorites:
• Running around like a chickenchasing its tail.
• Stick your neck out on a limb.
• We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it.
• That’s about as funny as a screen door on a submarine
While these metaphoricalmix-ups won’t make an English teacherhappy, they
can be very effective because they stick in our minds. We shouldn’t feel too
badly if we struggle to comprehend our passagetodaybecause John10:6says,
“This figure of speechJesus usedwith them, but they did not understand
what he was saying to them.” Part of the challenge is that the word “door” is
used four times with severaldifferent meanings in John 10:1-10. Follow along
as I read:

Truly, truly, I sayto you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but
climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who
enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper
opens. The sheephear his voice, and he calls his own sheepby name and leads
them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the
sheepfollow him, for they know his voice. 5 A strangerthey will not follow,
but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6
This figure of speechJesus usedwith them, but they did not understand what
he was saying to them. 7 So Jesus againsaidto them, “Truly, truly, I say to
you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and
robbers, but the sheepdid not listen to them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters
by me, he will be savedand will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief
comes only to stealand kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and
have it abundantly.
Doors are some of the most common things in the world, present in some form
in all societiesandcultures. Here are a few from Dublin takenby Patty Steele
and a couple from the Dominican Republic takenby our daughter Emily.
Don’t you love how Jesus takes whatis common in order teachus profound
truth about His worth and His work?
We’ve already seenthat He takes ordinary bread and declares Himself to be
the extraordinary Bread of Life. Last week we learned that the qualities of
light reflectthe kind of Savior He is when He said in John 8:12, “I am the
light of the world. Whoeverfollows me will never walk in darkness, but will
have the light of life.”
BTW, there was a coolshoutout on Facebookthis week from a guestwho
came to one of our services lastweekend:“…Ijourneyed to the distant land of
Rock Island, braving snow and impatient drivers to attend EdgewoodBaptist
Church…the coolestthing was coming out of the service and seeing the
members of the congregationcleaning off other people’s cars.”
Let’s make a few observations.
1. This “I AM” phrase is both personaland powerful. Like He does with the
other MessiahMetaphors, Jesusstates strongly:“I, even I, and only I, am the

door.” His listeners would have immediately thought of Exodus 3:14: “I AM
WHO I AM.” This is a staggering statementof His sovereignsupremacy.
When Jesus declares Himself to be the door, passageslike Psalm78:23 come
to mind: “Yet he commanded the skies above and opened the doors of
heaven.” They would have also thought of Genesis 28:17, whenJacobhad a
dream of a stairwayto heaven: “How awesome is this place! This is none
other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.”
2. Jesus is contrasting himself with the phony Pharisees. In particular, He is
referencing the events of chapter 9 in which He gave sight to a man who was
born blind. Becauseofan unfortunate chapter break, it’s easyto think that
chapter 10 is a different conversation. The Pharisees ostracizedthis new
believer and according to 9:34, “they casthim out.” Because ofthis, Jesus
subsequently accuses themof being thieves and robbers in 10:1.
3. The setting is a normal day for sheepand a shepherd. In verses 1-5, it’s
morning and the shepherd is forming his flock. In verses 7-10, the time moves
to midday and the shepherd is feeding his flock. Shepherding was not only an
important role in that society;the metaphor itself was employed time and
againin the Scriptures to show God’s loving heart toward His lambs. Psalm
100:3:“Know that the LORD, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheepof his pasture.”
Let’s think for a moment about what a door does. Go aheadand shout out
what a door is designedto do.
• To provide an entrance.
• To provide an exit (BTW, we have two doors on either side of the platform
that are fire exits. We also have fire exit doors in eachof our children’s
classrooms so if there is ever an emergencyparents do not need to go down
and gettheir kids. Our teachers have been trained to take your children
outside to safety).
• To provide a noise and weatherbarrier

Jesus was the door

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Jesus was the door