John 10:9-219I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. 10The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. 11I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. 17Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. 18No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father. 19There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings. 20And many of them said, He hath a devil, and is mad; why hear ye him? 21Others said, These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind? (John 10:9‑21)
The Lord Jesus told the Jewish men how to know the true Shepherd sent by God to His people, and it is plain He was Himself their true Shepherd, and He told them something more,
“I am the door of the sheep.”
“By Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture.”
“I am the good Shepherd: the good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.”
It was only by giving His life that the Lord Jesus could be the “door” or way for any to enter God’s “fold”. “To enter in,” a man must believe Him. There is no other “door” or way.
And it had been written by one of the prophets that the Shepherd would be struck as though by an enemy’s sword:
“Awake, o sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man that is My Fellow (Companion), saith the Lord of Hosts: smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” Zech. 13:77Awake, 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).
Jesus told those men, “I lay down My life for the sheep.” That meant He willingly gave His life to save all who would “enter in”, or believe Him. He also said that He knew “His sheep” and that He was “known of them.”
These words were said to men of Jerusalem and we might think the words about the Good Shepherd giving His life for the sheep could not be for us now, but Jesus told them,
“And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.”
From those words it is plain He thought of others besides the people, or “flock” of Israel, who had been chosen by God, because the other nations were, worshiping idols. But the Lord knew there were many in the nations then who were tired of idols and ready to believe God. After Jesus had given, His life and “taken it again”, as He said (v. 18), He told those who loved Him to go to all nations, and these words about the Good Shepherd have been told many times, over and over so His “voice” has been heard, many have believed.
There is only one “Door”, or way to enter, Christ, the Shepherd, Who gave His life for the “sheep”.
“All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Isa, 53:6.
ML 10/20/1946