Ques. Please explain John 10:1- 2.
Ans. It is the door into the sheepfold for the Messiah. He came, fulfilling all that the Word of God foretold about Him. He was the woman's seed (Gen. 3:15); the virgin's Son (Isa. 7:14, 9:6); born in Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2), etc. The scribes, rulers, and some who pretended to be the Messiah, were the thieves and robbers, who took upon themselves authority that did not belong to them. They cast the healed man out. (chapter 9:34). Jesus was Israel's true and good Shepherd.
Verse 3. The Porter is God working in spite of man's wickedness (Acts 2:23), so that through His death and resurrection He could lead His sheep out of the fold, that is, from under the law and ordinances. He calls His own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. No Jew could get out from under the law until Christ died and rose again. He goeth before them,
In verse 7, He says, "I am the door of the sheep." He is their authority for leaving all that belongs to Judaism. He bore the curse of the law. (Gal. 3:13). The law put Him to death, and the converted Jew, like Paul, can say, I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ. The law has nothing to say to a dead man. But now Paul lives: "Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." (Gal. 2:19-20). So now believers are outside this fold, which is Judaism.
Verse 9 is Christianity; not the fold at all. "I am the door: by Me, if any man (Jew or Gentile) enter in, he shall be saved," (this is salvation, and it was not known in the fold of Judaism), "and shall go in and out" (this is liberty to "go in" to the presence of God to worship and be strengthened, and to "go out" to serve and follow Him), "and find pasture." (No pasture grew in the sheepfold). Christ is our food. He leads us in green pastures and by the still waters. His fruit is sweet to our taste.
Verse 16. "Other sheep I have which are not of this fold" (they were Gentiles before their conversion, and were not put under the law by God), "them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock, and one Shepherd." The word is "flock" in the original in this last instance; a fold is an enclosure, a flock is a company. So now God has a flock, but no fold. (Acts 20:28-29; 1 Peter 5:2-3).