The True and Only Door
John 10:1 – 10
Introduction:
“Doors. Why do there have to be doors?” This is the first line of a sad love song sung by Michael Johnson where the singer laments about the existence of doors in the first stanza because it was through a door that his girlfriend walked out of his life. At the end of the song, the singer is hoping that his girlfriend would come back through the same door that she used earlier. While the question being asked in the song sounds rhetorical, I think we sometimes take our doors or gates for granted.
So, what is a door? I'm sure that the word itself conjures images that we are familiar with, such as the door to our homes or the door to our business establishment. The same is true with the word gate, it evokes images of the huge gates of our homes or the gates of our school building. Now, according to the Oxford American Dictionary, a door is a hinged, sliding, or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building, room, or vehicle, or in the framework of a cupboard. A gate is a hinged barrier used to close an opening in a wall, fence or hedge. Both function in the same way, although our semantics or our way of using words will make a certain degree of distinction in the way we use the two words. For example, we tend to use the word door when we are referring to the barrier between rooms in a building or the barrier between the inside of a building and the outside surroundings. Gate on the other hand, is used to refer to the barrier that separates the street from the compound or outer surroundings of the building.
A door or a gate basically has three functions. First of all, it functions as an entrance. You enter inside your house using the door. You come inside this sanctuary using the doors. You enter inside a restaurant using the door. You enter the toilet or restroom using the door. Related to this is the second function: A door functions as an exit. The same door or gate that you used to enter into a building or room is the same door or gate that you will use when exiting. Of course, there are some doors that you will never use unless there is an emergency such as a fire exit inside a hotel or a theater; but basically, doors function as exits. A third important function of a door or a gate is that of protection. Our gates and doors all have locks that we activate when needed and these serve as protection for our property as well as for our lives.
Currently, we are looking into the series of “I AM” statements Jesus made regarding himself and it is fascinating to note that Jesus made the claim that he is the door or the gate. We may be wondering as to what Jesus meant when he declared himself as the door or the gate and this morning we are going to dissect this short and yet profound phrase and understand how this particular statement of Jesus should impact the way we follow Jesus Christ.
While we will be paying attention to just one statement that Jesus made as found in our text, this saying is very closely related to another saying of Jesus. In John 10:1 – 21, Jesus made two statements regarding himself, one about his being the good shepherd and the other about his being the door or the gate. Both statements are closely interrelated to each other, but each statement's analogy can stand on its own and can be interpreted on its own.
Context:
Before we discuss about today's passage, we need to set the context as to why Jesus declared himself as the true door or gate as well as being the good shepherd. In John 9, we find the story about a blind man who was healed by Jesus. The man was very grateful for what Jesus had done for him but this caused great displeasure to the Pharisees because Jesus performed this miracle during a Sabbath and so, they questioned the former blind man regarding his healing as well as making a nasty accusation against Jesus (“He is a sinner”). When the man defended Jesus by saying “If this man were not from God, he could do nothing”, the Pharisees accused the man of being a terrible sinner and then threw him out of the synagogue, having excommunicated him, barred from entering that synagogue ever again.
When Jesus heard that this man was thrown out of the synagogue, he sought for him and when he found the man he revealed himself as the Messiah and the man responded by believing and worshiping Jesus. The Lord Jesus responded by saying, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” The Pharisees who happened to be around when all this was happening felt slighted or insulted, because Jesus was saying that they were the real blind men. They had seen the miracles of Jesus and had heard his powerful teaching and yet they refuse to believe that he was the Messiah. Thus, although they had seen with their own eyes, yet they were spiritually blind to the reality that was before them.
This now leads us to John 10 and to his two “I AM” statements, and for today's study, the statement about his being the gate or the door. Now, we need to understand that John 10 was, in a way, an attack on the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law because, instead of caring for and helping the blind man, they had judged him as a sinner and threw him out of the synagogue. So, when Jesus was talking about thieves and robbers who were out to attack the flock of sheep, he was implicitly referring to the religious authority of his time who were not interested in the welfare of the people but only in their own self-promotion; supposed leaders of God's flock who were not doing their jobs but instead, were leading people far from God.
When Jesus talked about a gate or a door, two images would come to mind for a typical Jew living during that time. The first was a wooden gate. Shepherds aren't always out in the fields but, at times, they are in town and they would have their flock be kept safe in large corrals or public sheep pens where other shepherds entrust their flock to a caretaker or a gatekeeper who keeps watch over the gate and guards the sheep at night. These large corrals have a wooden gate and they serve as the main entrance into the corral. By morning, the shepherd would come to the pen and the gatekeeper, recognizing the shepherd, would open the gate and the shepherd would then lead his flock out simply by calling out instructions or by calling each member of the flock by name.
The second picture of a door was none other than the shepherd himself. When a shepherd and his flock are in the open country and are far from the town where the corral is located, what a shepherd would usually do at night is to herd his flock inside a cave; once inside, the shepherd then lies down at the cave entrance. He becomes the door that keeps the flock inside as well as prevents thieves, robbers and predators from entering in and attacking the flock. When a sheep attempts to go out, he would have to step over the shepherd and the latter would immediately be alerted and prevent it from happening. If a thief or robber or even a wolf attempts to enter and steal from or attack the flock, the shepherd would be alerted and would defend the flock, sometimes even laying down his life for the flock. If you are familiar with the expression, “over my dead body”, which is an expression of defiance, well, the shepherd's action of lying down over the door is a very literal way of saying that expression, as he is making it clear to all intruders that, for them to attack the flock, they have to kill him first! According to some scholars who visited the Holy Land and have interviewed Middle Eastern shepherds, the respondents affirmed that not a few shepherds have died defending the flock from thieves and robbers.
No matter what kind of door is being referred to, what we must note is that the flock enters in and exits through that same door. There is no other entrance or exit to speak of.
So, we have set the background and we are now aware about the concept of doors and gates, especially in what Jesus was referring to, there are three important lessons Jesus taught regarding his being the gate.
I. Jesus is the Gate of Salvation (v. 9a)
First and foremost, Jesus is the gate that leads to salvation. Check out the first part of verse 9. Here we read, “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” I believe that statement is clear enough for us to see that Jesus is the way to salvation. In another section in the Gospel of John, we read a familiar passage that affirms that Jesus is the way to salvation. In John 14:6 we read, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Jesus did not say that he is one of many ways but the verse simply means he is the way or, he is the only way to approach the Father, the only way to attain salvation. Just as there is no other gate or door to the corral or sheep pen by which the sheep may enter, there can be no other way to enter into heaven and to attain salvation unless it is through faith in Jesus Christ.
Biblical Christianity has often been accused of being an exclusivist religion because it teaches that no one can be saved unless a person has faith in Jesus Christ, and in Jesus Christ alone. I confess that the accusation against Biblical Christianity is true and I am unashamed to say that it is true. The Scripture clearly teaches that there is only one way to salvation and that is by having faith in Jesus Christ. By faith, we are not just talking about head knowledge but we're talking about trusting that what Jesus did for us on the cross was sufficient to pay for our sins and that his resurrection from the dead is our assurance that there is eternal life and there will be a future resurrection. Jesus himself is an exclusivist; after all, he was the one who said that there can be no other way by which people can be made right with God except through him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus used the same analogy, the door or gate, and said that we must enter by the narrow gate for the way that leads to destruction is easy and many make the mistake of taking the easy way, any which way but Jesus Christ (Matthew 7:13, 14). Even the apostles affirmed the exclusivism of the Christian faith when they proclaimed, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Paul wrote that there is only one mediator between God and man, and that is the Lord Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5) The Bible is very clear – salvation comes only through Jesus Christ. It comes by having faith in Christ and not by our trying to perform to God's standards. If we think that we can perform to God's standards, we are dead wrong. God demands sinless perfection. We can't attain that on our own strength. Only Jesus could do it for us because he was the sinless Son of God who came to earth as a human being to die for our sins.
While the claim of Jesus is an exclusive claim – that he is the only way to salvation - we need to realize that his invitation is an inclusive invitation. When Jesus died on the cross, he died for the sins of the entire world and not just for the sins of a few people. Furthermore, he commissioned his disciples to go and make disciples of every nation and not just to a few, select group of people. In Matthew 11, we read Jesus clearly saying to the people, “Come to me all you who are weary and heavy ladened, and I will give you rest.” He invited everyone to believe in him. Biblical Christianity is not an elite membership club where only the well-behaved are saved; instead, Christianity is for all people, for all who are willing to accept the exclusive claim of Jesus Christ and to turn their backs on their sins. It doesn't matter if a person is rich or poor, male or female, a criminal or an upright citizen; everyone needs Jesus and the offer of salvation is given to all.
Before I proceed to the next point, I want to ask you all this question: Have you already passed through the narrow door that leads to eternal life? Have you sincerely repented of your sins and trusted Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior? There is no other way to salvation nor can you earn your way to salvation. God is giving salvation as a gift to us, we need only accept that gift by putting our faith, our trust in Jesus alone. Have you done that already? If you haven't, why not make that decision today? You can approach any of our pastors or church leaders and they can share with you more clearly how you can enter through the gate of salvation.
II. Jesus is The Gate of Protection
The second lesson we can learn about Jesus being the gate is that he is the gate of protection. It is apparent from our understanding about doors and gates is that these serve to protect those things that we deem valuable, especially the life of the people we love. Without doors and gates, our homes become vulnerable to thieves and robbers who intend to steal whatever valuable possessions we have. We also become susceptible to people who have intentions to harm us physically as they have easy access whenever there is no door or gate to keep them out.
Because Jesus is the gate, he is the protector of the flock. As we've learned a moment ago, the shepherd served as the door to the sheep pen when the flock is camped out in the open. For any predator to successfully attack the flock would entail passing and overcoming the shepherd. Satan is the predator who is out to attack God's people. He is described as being a roaring lion who prowls and seeks for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is also named as the accuser of the brothers who, without ceasing, is attacking the church. How does Satan attack us? He attacks us through temptations. He attacks us by using other people who would cause us either physical or emotional harm. He use false teachers and false prophets to lead us astray spiritually. He brings charges against us before the throne of God in his attempt to take away our salvation.
However, Jesus is our protector and he will not allow us to become easy prey to Satan. In fact, the Lord Jesus will enable us to be victorious. When we are tempted, he enables us to either resist the devil (James 4:7) or to successfully flee from the temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). He will also give us the strength and the grace in order to bear up to Satan's attacks that come from other people. He gives us discernment through the Holy Spirit in helping us to know and embrace the truth while renouncing the lie. He gives us the assurance that we will never be separated from God's love (Romans 8).
Jesus is our protector and he is able to protect us completely. However, we do need to do our part. Just as the sheep who stays within the sheepfold will be safe from predators, the believer who stays within the will of God will find safety. How do we stay within the will of God? We stay within the will of God when we are careful in reading the Word and then obeying it without question. We stay within the will of God by spending time to pray and listen to God's voice. We stay within the will of God when we are constantly in fellowship with God's people and we build each other up through accountability and encouragement. By being in the center of God's will, we will find true protection. Is Jesus your protector? Are you keeping yourself within his fold and not straying away? Are you keeping yourself within the will of God?
III. Jesus is the Gate of Satisfaction
Finally, the Lord Jesus is the gate that leads to real and lasting satisfaction. If we look at verse 9, we see Jesus stating that he, as the gate, not only gives salvation and protection, but he is also the gate that leads to pastures or rich feeding ground for the sheep. Here, Jesus is using the picture of Psalm 23:2 where we read that God makes the flock lie down in green pastures and leads them beside quiet waters and he is declaring that he is God himself and that he is the one who will constantly be leading his people to experience real satisfaction. Here, we also find a fulfillment of the OT prophecy where Ezekiel wrote, “I will feed them with good pasture, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing land. There they shall lie down in good grazing land, and on rich pasture they shall feed on the mountains of Israel” (Ezekiel 34:14).
Jesus further elaborated on this point in verse 10, a verse that we are all familiar with - “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Jesus didn't come just to give us eternal life in the future and then leave us like destitute or poor people; instead, Jesus also gives us an abundant, meaningful life right now. Now, abundance doesn't necessarily mean material blessings, although God does give those things to us; instead, abundance means that our life here on earth becomes purposeful or meaningful. We go beyond just existing to actually enjoying life when we have Jesus in our lives and we continually cultivate our relationship with him.
Brothers and sisters, are you enjoying abundance in your life right now because of your growing relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you finding that there is meaning in what you do every day because of Jesus? The key to experiencing the abundant life is to let Jesus lead you – to give him control of your life. We simply need to surrender our desires, thoughts and ambitions to him and ask him to give us the directions we should take. Without surrendering ourselves to Jesus, I doubt that we will ever experience the abundant life that he intends for us to have. For the sheep to find green pastures, it must follow where the shepherd is going. It must follow the shepherd through the door where the shepherd enters and exit. Likewise, we must follow Jesus carefully and completely in order to experience real, lasting abundance.
Conclusion:
Jesus declared, “I am the Door” and we have learned that Jesus is the door to salvation. If we do not believe in him, we cannot be saved from our sins. He is the door of protection; in Him we are safe from the attacks of the enemy and our salvation is sure. Finally, he is the door of satisfaction, the one in whom we find real and lasting abundance.
Have you acknowledged Jesus to be the door by personally accepting him as your Lord and Savior? Have you continuously surrendered your life to him and kept yourself in the center of his will? I pray that Jesus will truly be the Door in your life because, apart from him, there is no real, lasting joy and security.
