ONE WORLD DOOR
John 10:7 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
This world of ours is one great sheepfold or pen. In this worldwide sheepfold of humanity we mill around from day to day without any way of escape. The walls of the sheepfold hinder us from escaping to green pastures. These walls of hindrance are formed of sin and create an inescapable boundary. Every sheep or soul within these walls is destined to live and die in misery and despair without realizing the abundant life beyond sin’s barrier. This is no mystery. How can the imprisoned know freedom? Where can we gain access to green pastures? Each person dreams of a better life; longs for a more fulfilling existence, but continues in the daily routine of gazing with blank eyed stares at each other and scratching every itch on sin’s rough pickets. Where is our hope; our escape and salvation?
Many read this parable and imagine Jesus is the door into the sheepfold, or the door in the protective, surrounding, pen which shields us from the world without. Yet, the Bible is always specific in language, nuance, and description. The sheepfold isn’t the place of protection and security but is the place of threat and hazard. The sheepfold holds the sheep, or humanity, of the world. The sheep in the sheepfold seek freedom and escape. We’re sinful sinners of the sheepfold. Many have claimed to be savior and standing on the boundary fence extends to humanity various religions, gods, and philosophies to steal the glory of rescue from Christ. These poor souls that find themselves deceived by every thief and robber claiming a different gospel soon die like every other sin-bound soul. There is one great shepherd to lead us out of bondage. As Israel was led from Egypt so too can we be led from this world.
“…he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” John 10:2. God created the way. God the Father and Spirit are the porter of the door; one door, one way of salvation. God provided the way for Jesus to be the door of the sheep. It was Jesus the Son that entered the door which God had made accessible and available. By the remission of sin, the atonement of our souls was made for each and every one. Jesus, the great shepherd, did not steal or rob his way into our salvation, but is our salvation. Every porter knows the resident of a building. A good porter allows access to only those with right of access. In this case Jesus first had access, being God’s only begotten son. Through Jesus the porter grants access to those that heed Christ’s call. We have God the Father which made the way and promise, God the Son who is the way and sacrifice, and God the Spirit to light the way and usher the lost and dying to pass through. Somewhere in this perfection God has granted those who’ve already passed through the door of life in Christ to serve in gathering and tending the sheep.
Are you getting the picture yet? Jesus Christ is the door and the shepherd all rolled into one. Christ first entered the door of God’s salvation plan as the good shepherd and became the door for every bound soul. Notice that Jesus did not pass through the door, but is in the door and is the door. He stands and calls from the door of God’s salvation plan to those inside the sheepfold. The sheep once bound by the world; this parable’s sheepfold; are granted escape and access to green pastures through Jesus Christ. “…the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.” John 10:3,4. Jesus went to the threshold of the world and died for our sin, to be buried, resurrected and to lead His sheep into abundant and everlasting life.
Once bound and of the world the believer can now move out of the world through the saving grace of Jesus Christ. “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19. Why does the world hate Jesus and the believer? It is because the world has rejected Jesus’ gospel and envies the believer’s salvation. Why would they rather scratch against sin’s pickets or “kick against the pricks” than hear the gospel of Christ? For that matter, why did the believer at one time reject the voice of Christ? We all know the reason or reasons for denying the gospel of Christ. We do think so much of ourselves!
The world loses its hold on the believer. Are we to frolic around the outside periphery of the world and act as we did on the inside? We may exhort and direct the sheep within toward the shepherds call and point the way to the door of Christ from without the barrier, but should we scratch an itch on this side of the pickets? In the hustle and bustle of the world we may brush up against sin, but it shouldn’t be the place to scratch the occasional itch. We certainly shouldn’t attempt to climb back over to the other side and inadvertently become as thieves and robbers of the gospel through our ruined testimony. Every believer becomes an under-shepherd of sorts to the world. We have a responsibility to preach the gospel of Christ to every creature; every sheep. The world is all penned up with nowhere to go. Shouldn’t we show the way? Sharing the gospel with the world is like shooting fish in a barrel. Where will they go but to Christ?
“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9. Many confuse entering in as entering into the sheepfold. Jesus is talking about entering in the door. Whether we are on one side of a door or the other, each time we go through a door we must first “enter in” the door. We might go through the door, into the pen, and be saved. We might go through the door, in and out of the pen, and be saved. But, we will never go through the door and find pasture in the pen. In effect we first enter in through the out door. On the outside of the pen is pasture. The going in and out can be read two different ways or both ways. We enter in at the door of Christ and out of the door on the other side where we find pasture. When a body passes through a door it enters in and exits out of the same door. So, we are free from the sheepfold to find or discover the pasture waiting for us. It can also read to mean to go in and out of the world, being in, but not part of the world. The grace of Christ makes us free to traipse about the world without worry of escape or rescue; the way is already open to us. Seen as a way to evangelize and lead others to Christ it can be a compelling image. On the other hand it makes us vulnerable to the wiles of Satan and the mischief of the world. In this aspect our testimony can suffer through our contact in the world.
This parable is about salvation. It is descriptive of prison and the only way out.
Have we stopped to listen to the voice of the calling shepherd?
There is one world order; the order of a corralled and penned-in humanity.
And there is one world door; one way out; the door, Jesus Christ.
