I AM the Door of the Sheep

Last week, Carl talked about Jesus healing the man that was born blind and how the Pharisees threw the blind man out of the temple.   Today, I want to pick up where that story left off in John chapter nine after the blind man that Jesus healed was thrown out of the temple by the Pharisees.

Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when He found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said, “You have now seen Him; in fact, He is the one speaking with you.” Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped Him. Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, so that the blind will see and those who see will become blind.” Some Pharisees who were with Him heard Him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?” Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains. – John 9:35-41

The Pharisees were acting as a door to God and deciding who had access and who did not.  This blind man was a perfect example of this.  He had been born blind and he had been healed by Jesus.  This was an obvious miracle performed by Jesus.  However, that did not fit their political play book because they were trying to portray Jesus as a sinner and a friend of sinners and telling people that they should not follow Him.  So they threw this former blind man out of the temple.  They wanted people to know that they (the Pharisees) were the door/gatekeepers to God and they would decide who had access to the temple (and to God) and who didn’t.  That is why Jesus goes directly into a metaphor about a door/gate to the fold of the sheep in John 10:1.  

Realize that these chapter and verse separations did not exist in the original Bible.  Chapter numbers were added in the early 13th century AD and these were later subdivided in to verses in the mid-16th century AD. 

So before the 13 century there was no break between what is known today as John Chapter 9 and what is known today as John chapter 10.  

So with that in mind we go directly from Jesus telling the Pharisees that because they claimed that they were not blind, their guilt remains and we move into the next series of verses about sheep and a gate/door.

Let’s begin with Chapter 10 verse 1:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”  – John 10:1

What is the fold of the sheep or what is often called the sheep fold?  It is a corral with one door, where in the evening the shepherd would herd the sheep in for their protection.

“The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” – John 10:2-3

Either the shepherd or a watchman/doorkeeper would lie across the door opening where he would sleep for the night.  If a thief or a wild animal comes to steal a sheep at night the shepherd or the watchman/gatekeeper would hear the commotion, he would rise and protect the sheep. 

Shepherds would sometimes even share a sheep pen and put all their animals in this enclosure. All of the village sheep would be in one fold which was the place of protection for the night.

In the morning each of the shepherds would call his sheep by name and they would recognize his voice and their name and they would come to the door and follow their shepherd to pasture for the day.

“When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” – John 10:4-5

Obviously Jesus is referring to himself here going ahead of the sheep.  Verse 6 says:

Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. – John 10:6

Now Jesus wanted there to be no mistake that He was referring to himself here.  So verse 7 begins:

Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.” – John 10:7b

Since the blind man wasn’t healed in the way that the Pharisees expected God to heal and on a day that they expected God to heal, they determined that the healing couldn’t be valid.

Instead of rejoicing that the blind man had experienced a miracle from God, they decided they would act as a block or obstacle to access God. This action implied that they were trying to be the gatekeepers to God.

This is why Jesus then replies in John chapter 10, “I am the gate for the sheep.”

The NASB version translates this verse as:

So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” – John 10:7 NASB

Jesus is essentially saying to the Pharisees “I am the gate or door, not you. I am the one who decides who comes in and who goes out, and who experiences God.

When Jesus refers to himself as the gate or door of the sheep, he’s using a familiar metaphor for his listeners. It would’ve been commonplace to see shepherds and sheep wandering around following their shepherd and them putting the sheep down for the night.

“All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.” – John 10:8

Here Jesus is not only referring to this blind man who is responding with his worship but to all the crowds who would hear His voice and follow Him.

“I am the gate [rendered door in the NASB]; whoever enters through Me, he will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. – John 10:9

Jesus gives instruction to His sheep entering the gate/door in similar passages in Matthew chapter 7 where He says:  

“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” – Matt. 7:13-14

In today’s culture there is a prevailing theme that all religions are alike and that we all pray to the same God or Supreme Being.  Don’t buy into this lie.  This lie was created and propagated by Satan the father of lies. This lie is the broad road that heads to destruction that Jesus is talking about here.  

Jesus goes on to say: 

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” – John 10:10

The NASB version translates the second half of this verse 10 as:

I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10b NASB

In the corresponding passage in Matthew 7 Jesus gives instruction to watch out for these false prophets.  

“Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. – Matt. 7:15 NASB

Now false prophets in our day would also include those who misinterpret true prophecies and try to persuade others that their interpretation is correct.

Jesus also goes on in this passage to tell us how we can recognize these people dressed in sheep’s clothing.  He says:

“By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” – Matt. 7:16-20

Now it is obvious here that Jesus is not only talking about the words of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law and the false prophet’s words.  No. Here He is also talking about their spiritual fruit.  

The late Herschel Martindale who was instrumental in starting our church here in Clemson back in the early 70’s would say if you want to know if a person is being led by God “check the fruit”.

Paul describes this fruit in Galatians 5 where he describes the fruit of the spirit.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. – Gal. 5:22-23 

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were pretending to be sheep led by God but their fruit was obviously bad.

The false prophets of our day pretend that they know the true interpretation on prophecies and that they are being led by God.

If we check the fruit of their lives we will find it obviously bad.

There are three takeaways you should remember from today’s message:

1. Jesus is both the gatekeeper and the gate. He is on duty day and night leading and guarding His followers.
   
   
2. He gives us instructions on how to recognize the messages of the false prophets and the false teachers from His message and the men and women who truly follow it.
   
   
3. The followers of His message will produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  The followers of the false prophets and false teacher’s messages of our day cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit because they are not being led by the Holy Spirit.