Originally posted 3/25
The third “I AM” statement is “I am the door”. John 10:7 states, “So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” It is repeated in John 10:9, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”
Like the other statements, Jesus is pointing out his divine nature. It is worth noting that the passage does not say, I am “a door”. It says “the” door. There is only one door. There isn’t another way. We find this echoed in John 14:6, “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Sheep are interesting creatures. Most would say that sheep are not smart animals. Herds of cattle are led from behind guiding them in the correct direction. Sheep are not able to do that. Sheep spend their days with their heads down eating and wandering. They do not know their way home and often get lost. Sheep are oblivious to their surroundings. Sheep do not have any ability to fend out attackers. They are totally dependent on their shepherds.
Shepherds lead them from the front. Shepherds continually talk to their sheep. The sheep will follow the voice of the shepherd. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” This would have resonated with the original audience who knew and understood the nature of sheep.
Shepherds protected their flocks, especially at night. Shepherds corraled the sheep in a pen and rocks formed the boundary. The shepherd guarded the entrance by lying across the entrance. The shepherd literally became the entrance or door. He guarded his flock with his life.
Macarthur states in the Macarthur Study Bible–”Here, he changes the metaphor slightly. While in 10:1–5 he was the shepherd, here he is the gate. While in vv. 1–5, the shepherd led the sheep out of the sheepfold, here he is the entrance to the fold (v. 9) that leads to proper pasture. This section echoes Jesus’ words in 14:6 that he is the only way to the Father. His point is that he serves as the sole means to approach the Father and partake of God’s promised salvation. As some Near Eastern shepherds slept in the gateway to guard the sheep, Jesus here pictures himself as the gate.”
The Hebrew word for “door” is “petah”. It means an opening, doorway, or entrance. Scripture supports the idea that Jesus is the door. He is the only way that a person can access the kingdom of heaven. It is by faith in Jesus alone.
In www.gotquestions.org, we read, “In this context, Jesus is telling us that He is not only the shepherd of the sheep, but also the door of the sheep. In doing so, He is vividly contrasting Himself with that of the religious leaders of His time whom He describes as “thieves and robbers” (John 10:8). When Jesus says, “I am the door,” He is reiterating the fact that only through Him is salvation possible. This is far removed from the ecumenical teachings popular in today’s liberal religious circles. Jesus makes it clear that any religious leader who offers salvation other than the teachings of Christ is a “thief” and a “robber.”
One who believes the gospel (Hebrews 11:6) and repents of sin (Luke 13:3) is assured of being in “the fold” and of having entered by “the door.” As followers of Christ, Jesus is both our Shepherd and the Door to the sheepfold who provides for all our needs. Knowing that the world is full of predators whose sole intent is to destroy us (1 Peter 5:8), we are always under His protection. More importantly, we are fully confident that “when the Chief Shepherd appears, [we] will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away” (1 Peter 5:4).”
We are like sheep. We don’t see dangers lurking around us. We have an enemy who is constantly seeking to destroy us. We need a shepherd to fend off our enemies.
Other I Am Statements:
I Am the Resurrection and the Life
I Am the way, the Truth, and the Life
I Am the way, the Truth, and the Life
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