The Shepherd is the door

John 10:7-16

7 Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. 12 But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. 13 The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own. 15 As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

Point to ponder:  Often we focus on the image of Jesus being the good shepherd.  Today I want to focus on Him being the door.  In the days of old the shepherd slept with the sheep in the field.  When they made a shelter for the sheep, the shepherd slept in the door to the shelter - watching over the sheep and protecting them from anything that tried to come in to harm them.  When Jesus uses the image of the door, He is speaking from that point of view.  He speaks about being the One who guards the door to our life, but also guards the door to eternal life.  The sheep could not enter into the fold unless they passed through the door - but so could the enemy also not enter the fold either, because The Shepherd would protect the sheep from harm coming to steal, kill, and destroy. In verse 16 we also read the amazing hope that Jesus is the Shepherd of all people - not just of the Jews, but also of the Gentiles.  He has sheep which are not of 'this fold' that He wants to bring in.  Have you entered through the door which is Jesus and are you part of His fold?  What an amazing image to keep in mind - the Shepherd guarding the door - and what is there under the sun, that will come past this Shepherd?  

 Have a look at what such a sheepfold may have looked like in the Bible's time: