This chapter emphasizes another aspect of the transition from Judaism to Christianity; it focuses on the new principle on which God would gather His people together in the new dispensation.
The Lord announced that He was going to take His sheep (Jewish believers) out of the Jewish "fold" and bring them into the glorious liberty of His "flock" in Christianity (vs. 16). A fold and a flock represent two contrasting principles of gathering. Both keep the sheep together, but in an entirely different way. A fold (a corral) is a circumference without a center, but a flock is a center without a circumference. In a fold, the sheep are kept together by the fence around them. It speaks of the restricting principles of the legal system in the old dispensation holding Israelites together in a position of separation from the nations around them. With a flock, there is no need for a fence; the sheep have an attraction to the Shepherd in their midst and are drawn to Him. Hence, they are kept together, but on an entirely different principle. It depicts God's principle of gathering in Christianity (Matt. 18:20). Christians in this new order come together for worship and ministry, not because they are forced to by legal commands, but because they want to be where Christ is.
Since the Jews naturally would take umbrage with someone coming into their fold and leading away some, the Lord stated that one had to be qualified to do so. He recognized that an imposter ("a thief and a robber") could come without having the God-ordained qualifications, but His sheep would "not follow" them because they would not know "the voice of strangers" (vss. 1, 5). An example of such, are "Theudas" and "Judas" (Acts 5:36-37).
Notwithstanding, the Lord came by the God-appointed way, which He called, "the door" (vs. 2). This door of entrance into the sheepfold, by which the Messiah must come, is outlined in the Old Testament Prophets.
• The time of His coming into the world (Dan. 9:26 with Psa. 102:24).
• The place of His entrance into the world (Micah 5:2).
• His virgin birth (Isa. 7:14).
• His heralding (Isa. 40:3; Mal. 3:1).
• The manner of His life (Isa. 53:3).
• The character of His ministry (Isa. 42:1-3).
• His ability to bring in "the powers of the world to come" and thus give Israel the kingdom (Heb. 6:5; Luke 7:22; Isa. 33:24; 35:5-6; Psa. 65:6-7; Psa. 89:9; Psa. 132:15; Psa. 146:7-8).
• His humble presentation to the nation (Zech. 9:9).
The Lord came into the Jewish sheepfold (the Judaic system instituted by God through Moses) according to these exact specifications. There could be no mistake that He was the Messiah of Israel—the true "Shepherd of the sheep" (Psa. 23:1; Psa. 77:15; Psa. 78:67; Psa. 80:1; Psa. 95:7; Psa. 100:3; Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:31; Zech. 11:7-9; 13:7). The Spirit of God ("the porter") fully identified Himself with the Lord by "descending from heaven like a dove" (John 1:32-34; 6:27; 1 Tim. 3:16) and abiding on Him. Thus the Spirit bore witness ("openeth") that the Lord Jesus was indeed the true Shepherd of Israel (vs. 3). Therefore, the Lord, being who He was, had the right to bring about this dispensational change.
The Lord's work in the sheepfold, upon being rejected (John 1:11), was to attach the hearts of the sheep to Himself, calling them "by name" (which speaks of the intimacy of communion), and then He would “lead them out” of it (vs. 3). In leading His own out, the Lord was indicating that He was about to leave that whole order and take His sheep with Him. This would be after His resurrection. Hebrews 13:13 tells us that His present position in Christianity is now "outside the camp" of Judaism altogether—to whom believers are exhorted to go. Then, the Lord mentioned that He would use another means to take His own out of the fold of Judaism—"He putteth forth His own sheep" (vs. 4). This implies pressure—being pushed out. The blind man in the previous chapter had this experience. He was "cast" out of the fold; the leaders of the nation "excommunicated him" (chap. 9:34 – marginal reading in the KJV). In one way or the other, the Lord was working and His sheep were being taken out of the Jewish fold.
Those who heard the allegory did not understand the meaning of it (vs. 6). This is because they were still in the Jewish fold, and there is a certain degree of dullness connected with being in that system (Heb. 5:11). This led the Lord to speak of a second "door." He said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep" (vs. 7). He was the door of deliverance by which a person is brought out of the Jewish sheepfold. By making this statement, He was granting to every believing Jew a warrant to leave Judaism. Prior to this, no Jew had the authority to leave that God-ordained religion, but now God Himself in the Person of the Son was opening the door and granting deliverance from that system.
The Lord then spoke of a third "door." This is a door into Christian blessing and privilege. Entrance into these things would also be by Him. He said, "I am the door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture" (vs. 9). These distinctive Christian blessings and privileges are:
• Salvation of the soul (vs. 9a).
• Liberty—going "in and out" for worship and service (vs. 9b).
• Spiritual food in the Christian revelation of truth—"pasture" (vs. 9c).
• Enjoyment of the abundant "life"—life eternal (vs. 10).
• Shepherding care and protection (vss. 10-15).
• Unity of Jew and Gentile in "one flock"—fellowship (vs. 16).
• Eternal security—"they shall never perish" (vss. 28-29).
Verses 10-15—Being set free from the confines of Judaism, the sheep would be without the protection of the fold, but this does not mean that they would be without protection. The "hireling" (a careless shepherd) will leave the sheep when trouble arises, and a "wolf" (a false prophet – Matt. 7:15) will divide and scatter the sheep (Acts 20:29-30). But the Lord promised that those sheep whom He led out of the fold would be cared for and protected. As "the good Shepherd," they would be placed under His divine care. His love and devotion to the flock was such that He would lay down His life for the sheep, and thus protect them at all costs. The inference of careless shepherds and false prophets troubling the flock indicates that there would be many evil workers in the Christian profession that would attempt to prey upon Christians. As we look at Christendom today, we see many leaders, who have been set up after the "hireling" order, making merchandise out of the service of God (2 Cor. 1:17 – "a trade"). We also see many "false teachers" of the "wolf" character (2 Peter 2:1). The Lord does not hide the fact that His sheep would be tested by these persons in the Christian setting, but in true Christianity, where Christ is in the midst of His flock, He will protect them from all such assaults.
Verse 16—The Lord had "other sheep" which He was going to gather in. There is no mention that these would be taken out of the fold, because they were never in it. These are believing Gentiles. They, with His sheep whom He led out of the fold, would be "one flock" of believing Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 2:13-18).
Hence, there are three doors in this passage that indicate a dispensational change:
• The door of prophecy concerning the Messiah by which Christ came into the Jewish sheepfold (vs. 2).
• The door of deliverance out of Judaism through which Christ led His own out of the sheepfold (vs. 7).
• The door into Christian blessing and privilege wherein Christ's sheep would live and serve God (vs. 9).