Welcome back to Week 4 of our discovering Jesus series. Jesus is the greatest name in all of history—even those that try to deny his divinity recognize that this man named Jesus existed—there is no denying this—there is just too much physical evidence related to Jesus, but many still deny the entirety of who Jesus is. We know from scripture that there will be a day when no one will be able to deny the truth of Jesus-- 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:10-11) But for many when that day comes it will be too late to recognize who Jesus really is.
In this series we are learning who Jesus said he is through the ??? ??µ? I, I am…I am he…This emphatic phrase is used 7 times to explain more of the character of Jesus in his own words with different imagery. So far we looked at Jesus, as the timeless Great I am…using the same wording that is used in the Old testament. Then we looked at Jesus as the Bread of life. This phrasing to each his flesh is better understood by us today in reference to communion, but to the original audience it was shocking and cause many to turn away. Then last week we talked about Jesus as the Light of the World. A call for us to follow him as he heals our spiritual blindness and brings us into his glorious kingdom. This week we are looking at another I am Statement. Turn with me to John 10.
As you turn, let me remind you of the background of this passage. We are picking up right where we let off last week. Jesus is talking with the pharisees after he healed the man who was born blind. In John 9:38, the blind man believes in Jesus as the Son of God and his spiritual eyes are open, but the pharisees remain spiritually blind and their sin remains…
Read John 10:1-10
This passage starts with two pastoral images of Christ. The first one we are looking at is Jesus saying “I am the door”. In verse 9, but there is so much more for us to understand about our relationship to Jesus as the Shepherd and the door. When Jesus brings us to the Father, he calls himself the door, when he cares for us, he calls himself the shepherd. Jesus is both the pathway to the father and the good shepherd. Next week we will focus on Jesus as the good shepherd, but this week we will look the significance of Jesus as the door to the sheep.
The imagery of the door is significant when we look at the fact that there is a thief…an enemy. Jesus as the door of the sheep signifies
1. In Jesus there is safety
At night in the middle east, the sheep would enter into the fold at night. This was to keep the sheep safe from robbers, wolves and other dangers. It is also to keep the sheep from wondering off. There was a door that kept them safe and a doorkeeper that would only open the door to the shepherd. No matter where the shepherd and the sheep were there was always a fold set up at night for the sheep either a permanent one on the shepherd’s own land or a temporary one where the sheep would remain safe. Jesus as the door projects us from attacks of robbers and keeps us safe.
Flip over to Psalm 91, 1-2, 9-11
When the sheep enter the fold, they are safe from all attack. Jesus is our refuge and fortress. A fortress is a place that cannot be penetrated it is a stronghold where we are safe. Psalm 46:1-2a “God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear.” When we trust in Jesus, he becomes our safe haven that keeps us sheltered and secure, but he is not talking about physical safety, after all nearly all of his original disciples were brutally martyred, so if he is not talking about physical saftey to what is he talking to? Jesus keeps our minds and spirit safe from those that would want to steal kill and destroy. Because…
2. There is a thief that wishes to destroy us!
Thieves and Robbers do not care for the sheep, they only want to exploit the sheep while the Shepherd truly cares for them. Thieves, who would have no right of access by the gate, used other means to gain entrance. The shepherd entered by the gate, the lawful method of entry. Jesus was contrasting himself with the false messiahs and teachers who by pretense or violence were attempting to gain control of the people. He came as the legitimate heir and claimed to be the fulfillment of the Old Testament revelation. False Messiahs and teachers use deceitful methods to pull followers of Jesus—The Sheep away from the shepherd. They come in many shapes and size, some today say that there are many methods and ways to heaven, but Jesus here is the only way, he is the door, the way we enter into the Kingdom of God.
I believe Jesus is referring to two types of thieves. 1) The false messiahs, teachers and Pharisees… in other words, Humans who through their own logic and reason try to deceive people into false thought and beliefs. As we read this passage, we have to remember his audience. He is talking with the pharisees who he just called blind and now he is talking to them as the false shepherds…the thieves trying to lure the sheep away from the truth
2) The enemy, Satan himself and the dominions of darkness. The enemy may influence or use men to deceive, but he is the chief thief who desires to pull sheep out of the fold for one purpose…vs 10, the thief does not come except to steal, kill and destroy. This shows the deeper meaning of the thief, if we were only concerned with the pharisees then there would be no concern, but the true thief, the chief of all thieves, Satan is the true enemy who has one desire and that is to steal, kill and destroy. He tries to lure sheep away, that is why it is important to know Jesus, so that we can recognize his voice and are not pulled away by false teachings and those wishing to destroy our very souls.
3. The door is for the sheep and the shepherd only.
The thief doesn’t use the door, the door is for those that belong to Jesus—the sheep that are his followers. We are those sheep, we listen to his voice, we follow where he leads, and he brings us into protection with him.
Read Psalm 118:19-26
The psalmist understood that in the midst of calamity, God was with him. God promised to guard and cherish His people forever
We can live in assurance and calm. Despite troubles around us, if we love and trust God, He will be with us. We have nothing to fear if we put our trust in Jesus for we are His children—His sheep!
Only the righteous—those made righteous by the blood of Jesus—can enter through the gate. We praise him because of the Love he has showed for us—because he is our protector. Just like the builders reject the cornerstone—Which is Christ, there are those that refuse to enter into the sheep fold—into his safety for they do not want to come ine through the door. They want the goodness of heaven, the peace of the Lord, but they refuse to enter through the gift that Jesus has provided for us. Right now, the door is open for all who wish to walk through, but there will be a time when that door is closed—night will come. When are able to take refuge within him when we believe in him.
Ephesians 2:18-22
18 For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. 19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
Through Jesus we have access to the Father…he is the only way to gain entry. Together with Jesus, we the church…the whole body of believers are being built into the Holy temple of the Lord, together we are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit. It is a marvelous image. We are of one Spirit, one body, all belonging to one Lord and savior—Jesus Christ. That is why love among the body is paramount. Love must reign supreme because we are all of one Body, flowing in the Love from the Father who sent us the way, so that through the shedding of Jesus’ blood we are saved and gain access into the kingdom of God.
4. Jesus came to give us life more abundantly—Life to the fullest
John 10:10b. He is not talking here about life here on this earth. If he were, the disciples would have become Kings and Lords on earth, rather He is talking of eternal life…life with him. The Greek word here is pe??ss??. It translates as superabundance, excessive, overflowing, over and above, more than enough, profuse, extraordinary, more than sufficient. He is talking of life with him. Our safety in him means life more abundantly, here on the earth we have the Joy of living with him. We have peace beyond understanding—even when we face trials of every kind we can still rejoice.
We can experience love—true love that loves us without judgment that loves us just as we are. It is the love that leave the 99 to find us, it is the love that will never stop pursuing us…it is the love that world is truly searching for that thieves and robbers have told people that love lies in desires of the flesh, When people truly experience the Love of the Father, the fleshly perversions, the homosexual tendencies, the sexual immorality fails to compare, and they miss out on the true love of the Father that is only available when we enter through Jesus—that is life more abundantly…and that is just the life we have here on this earth! Then there is the super abundant joy of what will follow. We do not have to fear what will happen after this body passes for we know that when we have entered into relationship with the father through the door—Jesus, we join him in the inheritance of the Kingdom of God.
Where are you in running after the Love of the Father? Are you going after all that He has for you? Are you allowing truly Loving others as you love yourself for we all belong to the same spirit, the same body, the same holy temple of the Lord. Are you living your life in Christ as life to the superabundance in Him? Has He saturated your entire being, do you have anything that you are still holding onto that you have not allowed to be his. Because until you give that over you will never have the type of life that he wants for you to have.
Altar: As we close this morning take some time to examine yourself, ask the Lord to show you where you need to grow in him and what you need to lay down at his feet today in order for you to fully experience the type of life He desires for you to have.
SONG
Thank you for join us today. I want to close today with the priestly blessing out of Numbers 23:
‘May the Lord bless you
and protect you.
25 May the Lord smile on you
and be gracious to you.
26 May the Lord show you his favor
and give you his peace.’
Next we will explore the next I am statement of Jesus: I am the Good Shepherd. Have a great week!
