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. 18:2020For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (Matthew 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 5:36-3736For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. (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.
• His heralding (Isa. 40:33The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. (Isaiah 40:3); Mal. 3:11Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)).
• His ability to bring in "the powers of the world to come" and thus give Israel the kingdom (Heb. 6:55And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, (Hebrews 6:5); Luke 7:2222Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. (Luke 7:22); Isa. 33:24; 35:5-624And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity. (Isaiah 33:24)
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. (Isaiah 35:5‑6); Psa. 65:6-76Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power: 7Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. (Psalm 65:6‑7); Psa. 89:99Thou rulest the raging of the sea: when the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them. (Psalm 89:9); Psa. 132:1515I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread. (Psalm 132:15); Psa. 146:7-87Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners: 8The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous: (Psalm 146:7‑8)).
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. 23:11<<A Psalm of David.>> The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1); Psa. 77:1515Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. (Psalm 77:15); Psa. 78:6767Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: (Psalm 78:67); Psa. 80:11<<To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim-eduth, A Psalm of Asaph.>> Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth. (Psalm 80:1); Psa. 95:77For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. To day if ye will hear his voice, (Psalm 95:7); Psa. 100:33Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. (Psalm 100:3); Isa. 40:1111He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young. (Isaiah 40:11); Ezek. 34:3131And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 34:31); Zech. 11:7-9; 13:77And I will feed the flock of slaughter, even you, O poor of the flock. And I took unto me two staves; the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Bands; and I fed the flock. 8Three shepherds also I cut off in one month; and my soul lothed them, and their soul also abhorred me. 9Then said I, I will not feed you: that that dieth, let it die; and that that is to be cut off, let it be cut off; and let the rest eat every one the flesh of another. (Zechariah 11:7‑9)
7Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. (Zechariah 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; 6:2732And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:32‑34)
27Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27); 1 Tim. 3:1616And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 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 1:1111He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (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 13:1313Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. (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. 5:1111Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. (Hebrews 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. 7:1515Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. (Matthew 7:15)) will divide and scatter the sheep (Acts 20:29-3029For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (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. 1:1717When I therefore was thus minded, did I use lightness? or the things that I purpose, do I purpose according to the flesh, that with me there should be yea yea, and nay nay? (2 Corinthians 1:17) – "a trade"). We also see many "false teachers" of the "wolf" character (2 Peter 2:11But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. (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.
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).