If you have a computer, and if you use email, then from time to time you get spam advertisements. I got one of those, trying to entice me to buy someone’s specialty mats to put at our front door. Their gimmick was in the interesting logo’s printed on them. The first one had the eye-catching words: “Come Back with a Warrant.” The next had a round button with an arrow pointed towards the words “You are here.” Another was supposed to be backward, facing the house; it read – “Keys, Wallet, Phone.” Some of the others said things like: “I’m really glad to see you, but of course I lie like a rug.” “If you want to see these people again, bring a 5 pound roast in a brown paper bag, signed ‘the dog.’” “Please stay on the mat. Your visit is important to us. Your knock will be answered in the order in which it was received.” “Ask not for whom the dog barks. It barks for thee.” And perhaps the most appropriate for our house was a mat professionally torn to shreds but still bearing the words: “A cat lives here.”
What have these got to do with the scripture before us? John 10 begins with Jesus’ words about doors, and verse 9 could make a very good doormat logo. “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” When is someone going to make a doormat with those words on it? I think I’d probably buy and use it. There is no door quite like the door of this text, and the mat in this doorway is exceptional.
What the Lord Jesus was saying here relates to the way that the Jewish shepherd cared for his sheep. We need to know that context in order to fully understand our Saviour’s words. The shepherds of Israel, often camped out with their animals, not going home for long periods of time. And at night it was customary to use centuries-old sheepfolds – special sheep “corrals.” Sometimes these were in box canyons and sometimes they were caves. But more often they were small fields surrounded by walls of rock – four, six and even eight feet tall. Rarely was there ever a swinging gate or door to such sheepfolds – they were unnecessary. Usually the sheep, once in-side, didn’t leave. They felt secure there. And when there were several flocks and several shepherds, they didn’t have any problem with all going into single sheepfold. Then one of the men, would lay down in the narrow doorway, becoming a human door. He might go to sleep, or he might not, but laying there he kept the sheep in and the predators out. In a sense he rested in the door-way, like one of those doormats. The unwritten logo on his shirt carried a coiled snake with the words: “Don’t Tread on Me.” His jacket might have had printed on it: “Don’t enter this fold, or I will beat you to death with my staff.” Or perhaps – “I have a Beretta 9mm shepherd’s staff.” Of course, I’m joking – ancient shepherds didn’t have a logo on their shirts or jackets. But the shepherd did become a living doorway for the sheep by laying in the opening between them and any wolves or thieves. Then in the morning, the shepherd would call or whistle his own special signal, and those sheep which were his would follow him out the narrow door into the pasture he had chosen for them. Each flock knew their own shepherd, and they would follow him; never anyone else.
I have a very simple message for you this morning, and it is simple because the Lord Jesus makes it easy. May God grant His blessings as we look at verse 9 – one of the great single verses of the Bible. May Jesus Christ be uplifted and glorified this morning.
We begin with that SIMPLICITY – Jesus said “I am the door.”
More often than not, people put too much stress on details of the Bible’s parables. They try to make every little nuance of the illustration mean something important, when actually it is nothing more than color or background. On the other hand, sometimes the meaning of a parable is somehow missed by neglecting a point or two.
For example in this case, we must remember that Christ is talking about a flock, a group of creatures which belong to Him, and, in a sense, which have fellowship with Him. They were His sheep. And this means that He is talking about animals He has removed and separated from others. Our Saviour is speaking about who have received forgiveness of sin and who fellowship with God through Him. So the meaning here is same as in John 14:6 – “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me.” Christ is the doorway to the Father – through Him we have access by one Spirit unto God. Isn’t this a concept that any child can understand? Isn’t a door relatively simple?
When my family was still living in Calgary, Alberta, the city was preparing for the 1988 Winter Olympics by destroying some old, down-town buildings in order to build the park where the medals would be presented. At least one of the neighboring buildings was going to remain and only be renovated to some degree. Before the improvements were made, there had been a door connecting the old building to one that was demolished. It was funny to drive by and see an exterior door on the 5th or 6th floor going nowhere. If someone had opened it and stepped out, he would have met nothing but air – and gravity. Doors are supposed to accommodate the traveler and actually lead to somewhere important.
Have you ever noticed how many doors there are in airports, bearing a sign telling the common man to stay out? But then every once in a while it opened and an airport employee stepped out. Have you ever sat there, with almost nothing to do, wanting to know where those doors went? Many other doors are locked, and some, like the door of a vault, are not only locked, but very complicated. Some doors are extremely heavy for one reason or other. And some doors are too small for an average adult to pass through. But Christ, the most important of all doors, is the right size for every person who desires to enter.
There is one exception to that however, the doorway to the sheepfold was most often very narrow. Even if Jesus was talking about a cave, there were usually rocks which narrowed the entryway. That was on purpose: to assist the shepherd, the door was often only one-sheep wide. If he needed to count his flock, this narrow door made the job easy. And if he needed to keep out predators, this narrowness was again important. In many places there are things that I used to call turnstiles. They are gates with a central pole with 4 horizontal arms, forcing people to pass through one at a time. Often there is an automatic counter collecting data, and sometimes they don’t move if someone hadn’t paid the necessary entry fee.
And in application to the Saviour when we enter His narrow gate, not everything can get through. Have you ever been carrying a big box when you had to pass through a regular-sized doorway? Have you ever torn your knuckles trying to squeeze through a door with something almost too large? Christ, the door, can be entered by anyone – but there is no room for the superfluous or sinful extras. There is no room for pride, self-importance or self-righteousness. Baptismal regeneration and christening certificates won’t pass through this door. Our unrepented sins must be left outside, and so must our self-saving good works. Thank God that Christ’s door is simple enough for me to figure out – it is the God-man, Jesus Christ. And I might add that it is the incarnate Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
As we think about this door, after we note its simplicity we recognize its EXCLUSION – “By Me.”
Do you recall the story of the ancient city Troy – the City of Helen and the Trojan horse? I didn’t verify this, but I have been told that the city had only one gate – one doorway. If you came from the south and the door was on the north, you had to walk a few extra miles to get in. That sort of thing was relatively common in average-sized, ancient, walled cities.
In like fashion there is only one door into the blessings of Heaven and God’s grace. Christ Jesus is “THE Door” – the only door. Acts 4:12 – “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” Mohammed is not another doorway to God, nor is Buddha, Oprah Winfrey, or some angel. To ask Mary to beg Christ to redeem you is nothing short of idolatry. Peter and his associates were not the doorway to heaven. Christ said, “I am the Door.” No, I admit that He didn’t use the word “heaven” in this context, but that is clearly the implication of His thought. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only doorway into Heaven. He is the only way to be saved and delivered from the penalty for your sins.
Notice verse 8 – “All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them.” Jesus was not referring to Moses, John, Ezekiel or Isaiah, because these men didn’t claim to be the door – they just pointed toward Him. Here Christ speaks of thieves, and by implication – the multitudes of imitators and door imposters. To follow a liar who calls himself “the door” or even “A door” is to prove yourself to be a goat – not a sheep
Verse 1 teaches us that some will climb over the wall, but they will soon be discovered. Many will cry unto the Lord in the day of judgment, “Lord, we have done great things for your religion.” They will all be turned away, because the question is no about what they have done. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” As sheep we must enter the door, look into face and meet the Doorkeeper – the Saviour – or be cast out. Matthew 22 speaks about a man who came to a wedding improperly attired – and he was retired.
This door means exclusion – But it also means INCLUSION.
“If any man enter in, he shall be saved.” There is no restriction on who may enter this door. The Jews once thought that only they could enjoy the blessings of Jehovah. Others thought that only the wealthy, or only the free, only men could walk right in and set right down. But to let the Lord speak – if ANYONE enters, “they shall be saved.”
Why is it that more people don’t take advantage of this offer? Why don’t they enter? It is a combination of sin, self and Satan. Outside this sheepfold, the night has fallen and dark-wolves are howling. But that is exactly what most of the world delights in – spiritually speaking. “Men love darkness, rather than light because their deeds are evil.” That is why so many people attend gospel churches so infrequently. Those places expose them. And “the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them that believe not, lest the light of gospel of Christ should shined unto them.” This scripture invites the world to come to the Saviour. But the natural sinful soul will not come – it rebels against that thought. “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God.” Thank the Lord for the regenerating work of a loving and patient Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “No man can come to me except the father draw him and I will raise him up in the last day.” Christian, you have the responsibility to pray that God will plant a thirst for righteousness in your lost friends and loved ones. Then we, like shepherds, should call into the darkness – “Here is the door, here is safety.”
Practically and humanly speaking, there is no one who is excluded from this door. Don’t try to make God your excuse for not going through the gate. He’s not a bouncer at the gate. The only hindrance to entry is the depravity of the sinner’s own heart.
But there is a condition attached – It is NECESSARY that souls actually ENTER.
No one is safe outside the sheepfold; outside the door. Not only are there the soul’s natural predators – Satan, heretics and other apostates. But it is impossible to stop the death angel or to somehow prevent the judgment of God for our sins. Therefore we must enter that door.
It is certainly possible to admire doors without entering them. I have seen and heard doors which mightily impressed me. I love the deep click of a solid wood door that is perfectly crafted as it slowly shuts. Some car doors sound safer than other car doors. Then there are those tinny screen doors with torn webbing that are almost repulsive. But admiring good doors and refusing to enter ugly ones, doesn’t get anyone anywhere.
I’ve met people who study the Bible, study Christ and even attack heresy, but who are outside the sheepfold. I know many who have an high opinion of Christ, but they do not actually trust Him for their salvation. We’ve not been invited to paint or polish this door – our job is to enter. The door of which I’m speaking this morning is already perfect – it needs no adornment. Don’t gawk at it, stare at it, or simply study it – open that door and enter by faith. It is not our task to repair or put in windows; or to be content to knock. People need to forget about pleading – “God save me, forgive, deliver, receive me.” Prayers are not wrong – but it is not through prayer that we enter this doorway. A person enters by a simple step, an act of faith as the Holy Spirit invites us.
To enter this door one must acknowledge the authority of Christ to save and to provide access to the Father. It is not necessary to explain or define the door – just realize that this door is the Saviour and step through. He can save because He is God, and because as a sinless sacrifice, He died for sin. Entry requires faith – a simple trust. We enter that strait door, when we put our dependence upon Him as Saviour. When we commit our souls to His keeping, trusting Him to cleanse and make us fit for Himself. When we throw ourselves at his feet as His willing subjects and servants.
Next comes the CERTAINTY – the word used is “SAVED.”
How often have you seen a door that doesn’t go anywhere? Probably, not very often. A door presumes that there is an inside and an outside. There is a children’s chorus which some of you know – “One door, and only one, and yet its sides are two. Inside and outside; on which side are you?” On the inside of this door is salvation and on the outside is destruction.
And what do I mean by salvation? It is a Biblical term which refers to “deliverance.” Among other things, the Child of God has been “saved” from the wrath of God for his sin – from “Hell.” But let’s continue with the symbolism – The sheep’s greatest enemy in Palestine was the wolf, and in the early years, the lion. Both of these are used to picture Satan. “Be sober, vigilant, because your adversary, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour.” Satan would love to keep you from trusting Christ. Also outside the fold were natural calamities – injury, freezing, lostness and confusion. It is the natural calamity that the soul must be concerned with first, even before considering Satan. It isn’t Satan who says that “the wages of sin is death.” As sinners, the greatest predator of the soul, is the demand of God’s law against us – the second death.
This Door is the only escape from this disastrous end, while insider is protection.
There is one other thing to mention, but only in passing – the PROVISION – pasturage.
Some people look at Christianity as though it is made with chains, locks and bars – a prison. To those people, I point to verse 10 where the Saviour says “I give life, real, abundant life.” And the Lord provides His sheep with freedom and provision. “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.”
What the Lord provides His sheep requires an entirely different message, so let me stop this morning with the Door. Have you entered Christ at any time during your life? Generally speaking, those who have, know it; most can even remember where they were and when they entered. Can you? We have entered that door when we recognize by faith that Christ has delivered us from danger and darkness of sin. We enter Christ’s salvation, when we trust Him in humble repentance.
You are standing before the Door this morning. You need admission because to stay where you are – in your sins – is the judgment of God. You need admission. Won’t you go in? Simply and humbly put your faith in the Saviour who gave His life as a ransom for many. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.”