The Sheep and the Door of their Fold

John 10:7-10: Here, Jesus changes his metaphor a bit. He still calls us his sheep who trust in him. But now he is identified as the door of our fold, the place where we are safe.

Just like in the previous metaphor, everyone else who came before Jesus and tried to lead the sheep were thieves and robbers. And once again, Jesus tells us that those who are his true sheep do not listen to or follow the voice of thieves.

 Jesus is our door, the way by which we pass from the fold to  safe pasture and then back to the fold. We can only be safe if we pass through it, following it. In this way, this metaphor is parallel to the previous one. We have security only if we pass through Jesus, the door, just as we know where we are going only if we follow the voice of Jesus, the shepherd. And in this passage, Jesus assures us that his sheep do indeed pass through the door and follow his voice.

Then Jesus contrasts his purpose and motive with those of the thief. The thief, anyone who tries to lead us in Jesus’ place, only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Although it seems that the thief offers us a good deal in the moment, what he offers us always leads us to a great loss in the end.

But Jesus has come so that we may have life. While the thief came and continues to come to rob us, Jesus has come only once and for all. Hebrews 10:10. His work is done. So even though it may seem like we only suffer death right now, in reality, after his death, Jesus was resurrected, now lives forever, and gives us his eternal life. Life in abundance is the resurrected eternal life of Jesus, who lives through us. We can only enter it through the door, Jesus Himself, and only if we are His sheep.

Link to the entre context: John 10.

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