Reading for Sept 18: John 10:7-10

7 Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

My comments:

In this passage Jesus changes the metaphor somewhat, now He is saying that not only is He the shepherd that is calling out the sheep that belongs to Him, but He is also the door. A door is the thing that allows you to go from one place to another. In this passage Jesus is saying that He is the way to get from one place, the fold (representing Israel as a whole) to another place, the pasture (representing the presence of God). Verse 9 in a very important verse and deserves more than just a glance. I recommend that you spend some extra time today meditating and praying over this verse. Here are some things that jump out at me:

• "the door" – the fact that there is a door suggest that there is something separating, or keeping apart the inner part where the larger group resides from the pasture, that is the presence of God. What is it that separates the world form God? Our sin is the only answer. This fact must be realized by the lost before they can become saved. One must understand that there is a separation before a passage through that separation is ever sought. If you do not know that there is a separation then you do not know about, or need, a door.
  
• "If anyone enters" – the invitation through the door is made to everyone, but the invitation isn't enough, the action of going through the door must take place before "he will be saved".
  
• "by Me" – the way that a sinner who is completely spiritually dead can even think about entering the door is "by Me". The "Me", of course (since this is Jesus talking), is Jesus. Man cannot under their own initiative search out God, for that to happen a Divine act must take place. It takes supernatural power to raise someone from the dead, that includes spiritual death. Take a look at the well known Psalm 23, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters…" and you can continue in that Psalm looking at who is doing the action. Salvation is not a human act but a Divine accomplishment.
  
• "he will be saved" – not he might be, or could be, will be if he does "XYZ"; he will be. God's sovereign will is accomplished no matter what. To say any other thing is to say that God is unable to bring His desires to completion and we all know that that is not true.
  
• "will go in and out" – the phrase "go in and out" suggest freedom. A freedom to "access God's blessings and protection, and never fearing harm or danger" (MacArthur). See Psalm 23 again!
  

So these past two days have shown Jesus as the one who calls out His sheep from the group and as the way those called out access the Father. This is good stuff, isn't it?!?!?