Well, amen and good morning. Please take your copy of God's Word and join me in John chapter 10.
Well served. Before I do, let me pray for God's blessing on our time.
Father God, we thank you this morning for your inspired, infallible, authoritative, sufficient Word.
We pray, Father, this day you will help us by your Spirit to trust it,
that you will empower the preaching of your Word and the hearing of your Word,
our understanding and application of it.
Certainly our very best of attempts are feeble, apart from your intervention.
So we ask that you would help us as we take up your Word together this day.
And I pray this in Christ's name. Amen.
All right, John chapter 10, beginning in verse 1.
Jesus says,
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in by another way,
that man is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
To him the gatekeeper opens.
The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.
A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So Jesus again said to them,
Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers.
But the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
He who has a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep,
sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees,
and the wolf snatches them and scatters them.
He flees because he has a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd.
I know my own and my own know me.
Just as the Father knows me and I know the Father,
and I lay down my life for the sheep.
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold.
I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.
So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
For this reason, the Father loves me,
because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
No one takes it from me,
but I lay it down of my own accord.
I have authority to lay it down,
and I have authority to take it up again.
This charge I have received from my Father.
Oh, in the case that you were just joining us in our study of John's Gospel,
or that you, like me, easily forget details,
I will remind you where we find ourselves in this narrative of Jesus' life.
In chapter 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind.
This causes confusion and commotion.
So the man is brought before the Pharisees
and put through a series of examinations.
At the conclusion of his interrogation,
the man says, and this is chapter 9, verse 33 and following,
the man says,
Jesus said,
I believe,
and he worshipped him.
Jesus said,
For judgment I came into this world,
that those who do not see may see,
and those who see may become blind.
Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things
and said to him,
Are we also blind?
Jesus said to them,
If you were blind,
you would have no guilt.
But now that you say we see,
your guilt remains.
So Jesus,
having healed a blind man of his physical disability
and then,
and more importantly,
of his spiritual disability,
uses the sight language
to expose the prideful Pharisees.
He speaks here with great irony.
It is the men who think they see
who are truly the blind ones.
And it is into this context
that Jesus goes on in chapter 10.
He is speaking to the Pharisees,
blind men who have thrown out of the synagogue
a seeing man,
and he switches from sight language
to hearing language
and a rich shepherding metaphor.
This all is meant to be an indictment
of these men.
Our text last week concluded with verse 6.
I'll just read that again.
This figure of speech Jesus used with them,
but they did not understand
what he was saying to them.
Verse 7 begins,
So Jesus again said to them.
And this transition demands
just a bit of our attention this morning.
Some have suggested that verses 1 through 5
are a parable,
and that the remainder of the chapter
is the explanation of those verses.
Jesus certainly goes on
as a response to their confusion,
but if we try to read all of chapter 10
back into verses 1 through 5,
we will have to force a lot of connections
that I don't believe Jesus or John
meant to communicate.
So we're going to be careful
as we proceed through,
and you may see me not do some things
you'd like for me to do,
because I don't think that's what
they intended for us to do.
Rather, we should read the chapter
as an unfolding metaphor.
The very best, in my opinion,
Greek scholarship on this chapter
suggests that this is the most faithful way
for us to proceed.
So Jesus presses on.
Jesus again said to them
by using a different metaphor
related to what he has just said.
It's not a total departure
to what he's just been speaking about,
but now he's communicating
something additional.
First, he has the shepherd
leading his sheep out
from amongst the other sheep
in the sheepfold.
Now, he is the door
to the sheepfold.
Now, whatever you may think
of Jesus this morning,
whether you understand him
to be the Christ or not,
when he makes such statements
as this,
he demands your attention.
He's saying something
incredibly stark.
Do what you will
with these declarations,
but don't just tune out.
Behold Jesus.
Deal with him honestly,
and I earnestly hope,
accept him on his terms.
Now, to help us do that this morning,
I have a simple outline.
It's three points.
I've tried to make it four.
I hate always being
a three-point preacher.
It seems like I most often am,
but it just didn't work.
So, three points this morning.
Number one,
Jesus, the only door of salvation.
Number two,
Jesus, the exposer of false saviors.
Number three,
Jesus, the way of eternal security
and abundant life.
Number one,
Jesus, the only door of salvation.
We see this in verse seven.
pick up a little bit of verse nine.
So,
Jesus again said to them,
truly, truly,
I say to you,
I am the door of the sheep.
And then verse nine,
he says,
I am the door.
If anyone enters by me,
he will be saved.
In verse seven,
Jesus makes the third
of his seven
I am statements
that John records.
First,
he says,
I am the bread of life
in chapter six.
Then,
I am the light of the world
in chapters eight and nine.
And now,
I am the door
of the sheep
or gate of the sheep.
Your translation may prefer.
These statements
are extraordinarily significant
because the I am phrase
declares Jesus' deity
in relation to God's name
as revealed to Moses
in Exodus chapter three.
Don't miss it.
His hearers totally understood
what he was doing.
We might read right past it.
But that is exactly
what he is doing.
He is declaring
that he is God.
And then,
he's adding some quality
of his deity
to the statement.
He tells us,
I am the door
of the sheep.
The sheep hold up
a place
where a group of families
would bring their flocks
in at night
for protection.
This is most regularly
the case.
A wealthy man
would not have needed
to partner together
to accomplish this.
But most regularly,
little flocks
were brought together
into a safe place,
a common courtyard
or a fenced-in area,
pen, etc.
Last week,
we thought together
about the man
who would be hired
to watch over them
throughout the night,
the gatekeeper
that the shepherd
comes to
to gain admittance
to the sheep.
The gatekeeper
only lets the shepherd
in to take his sheep out.
The sheep hold
would have had
one way in
and that same way
would have served
as the way out.
The common construction
of these structures.
Everybody hearing
Jesus speak
knows exactly
what he means.
As Jesus,
metaphorically,
now presents himself
as that way
in
and that way
out.
Notice that he does not say,
I know where the door is,
nor does he say,
I can show you the door.
He says,
I am the door.
In our previous metaphor,
I spoke about
the sheep being led out
to good pasture
and brought back
into safety
at night
by the shepherd.
This imagery
would have been vivid
for Jesus' listeners,
both because
of their daily experience
in an agrarian economy
and because
their familiarity
with their Bibles.
More importantly,
this is what Jesus
is doing.
doing.
Remember,
these are religious leaders
that Jesus is directly
confronting
and they would have been
familiar with
a text like
Psalm 23.
So last week,
that's what we read
in our scripture reading.
We did it again
this morning.
We're going to do it again
next week.
I intend to do it
all the way through
chapter 10
unless our elders
tell me no.
So you'll be made aware
if that's what happens,
if they tell me no,
which they do
from time to time.
First three verses,
Psalm 23,
The Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down
in green pastures.
He leads me
beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me
in paths of righteousness
for His name's sake.
That's what He's laying
before them
in the opening verses
of chapter 10,
but they don't understand Him,
we saw in verse 6.
So now He presents Himself
as the only way
to good pasture
and safe rest
with another metaphor
drawn from the Old Testament.
Jesus is just preaching
the Word to these men.
Psalm 118,
I think you'll appreciate
going there with me
and I'll give you
just a quick second
if you'd like to join me
in verse 19.
Psalm 118,
verse 19
and following,
we read,
Open to me
the gates
of righteousness
that I may enter
through them
and give thanks
to the Lord.
This is the gate
of the Lord.
The righteous
shall enter through it.
I thank you
that you have answered me
and have become
my salvation.
Now,
if we stop right there,
you might go,
how in the world
does that connect
to anything
that Jesus
is saying here?
So let me show you
by continuing
to read.
I hope this
causes connections
to fire off
in your brain.
Verse 22 says,
The stone
that the builders
rejected
has become
the cornerstone.
This is the Lord's
doing.
It is marvelous
in our eyes.
This is the day
that the Lord
has made.
Let us rejoice
and be glad in it.
I think those verses
are likely
very familiar to you.
Verses 22 through 24,
they're applied
to Jesus.
Matthew 21,
verse 42,
2 Peter 2,
and verse 7.
So Psalm 118
is presenting
this rejected stone
by these builders
as the gate
or door
to enter into
the presence
of God.
these men
should have
gotten
this.
Jesus is the gate
of Psalm 118.
There is no
alternative entrance,
no side gate,
no secret passage.
You can't come
tumbling over the wall
and be considered
part of
the flock.
One door,
one means of access.
Jesus says
that He
is
the access.
Every blessing
of God
comes
through Him.
Every promise
of God
comes
through
Him.
2 Corinthians
chapter 1
and verse 20,
Paul says,
for all the promises
of God
find their
yes
in Jesus
Christ.
We take up
the word
in any measure
and read
any of God's
promises
and discard
Jesus as the Christ.
None of them
are sure.
If we believe
that Jesus
is the Christ,
then all of them
are sure.
They find
their
yes
in Him.
Every hope
of eternal life
comes through
Jesus.
Every sinner
who enters
God's kingdom
enters
through
Him.
No
other
way.
God
this is
a
God
takes
a bit
of time
to think
about.
Our
culture
hates
exclusivity,
hates
absolute
truth claims.
The world
wants us to
think that
all roads
lead to God,
that every
religion is
equally valid.
the world
says that
sincerity
is
enough.
And so
people
make for
themselves
all sorts
of paths
to God
and all
sorts
of
gods.
Everyone
worships
something
or
someone
and the
tide of our
day
mostly rises
to the
worship
of
self,
a bend
toward
self-identity
and self-authority.
my friends,
this
is not
the door.
It's a
wide path
that leads
to destruction.
The way
is narrow
that leads
to eternal
life,
meaning it's
defined.
There's a
way
to God.
Jesus
says
there's
one door
and it's
him.
He is
the entrance
to God.
The
modern
mind
calls
that
narrow.
Jesus
called it
truth.
He just
makes the
claim.
So you
have to
deal with
him and
you have
to deal
with him
on
his
terms.
He's
going to
say later
in
John's
gospel,
chapter 14
and verse
6,
I am
the way
and the
truth
and the
life.
No one
comes to
the Father
except
through
me.
Peter
will
preach
in Acts
chapter 4
and verse
12,
there is
salvation
in no
one
else.
Paul
will
write
in
1 Timothy
chapter 2
and verse
5,
there is
one
mediator
between
God
and
men,
the
man
Christ
Jesus.
The
testimony
of
scripture
is
unmistakable.
There's
one
savior,
one
mediator,
one
redeemer,
one
door,
and that
door
is
Christ.
And
perhaps
someone will
say,
why must
there be
only
one
way?
The
answer is
because
there's
only one
savior,
only one
who fulfilled
God's
law,
only one
sinless
substitute,
only one
who bore
divine
wrath,
only one
who conquered
death,
only one
who rose
from the
grave.
the
New
City
Catechism
question
this
week,
it's
found
in
your
bulletin,
meant
for the
children
really,
but
adults,
we
would
do
well
to
know
these
questions
and
answers.
Question
and answer
21,
why must
the
redeemer
be
truly
human?
And
the
answer
is
that
in
human
nature
he
might
on
our
behalf
perfectly
obey
the
whole
law
and
suffer
the
punishment
for
human
sin.
If
there
were
another
door,
there
would
need
to
be
another
savior,
another
cross,
another
resurrection.
Our
problem
with
God,
our
failure
to
keep
his
commands
and
the
death
that
is
due
our
failure
is
only
solved
by
faith
in
the
person
and
work
of
Jesus
Christ.
We
need
double
imputation.
We
need
Jesus'
righteousness,
his
perfect
law
giving,
given
to
us,
that
we
would
fulfill
God's
commands
in
him
and
we
need
the
penalty
due
our
sin
taken
away
by
Christ,
our
sinfulness
given
to
him,
he
suffered
and
died
for.
This
is
the
only
way
to
be
brought
back
into
the
presence
of
God.
If
this
presents
to
you
as
an
unfair,
just
consider
that
what
would
be
truly
fair
would
be
the
destruction
of
all
mankind,
immediate
and
final.
There
is only
one way,
but there
is a
way,
praise
be
to
God.
This
should
motivate
faith
in
Jesus
and
it
should
motivate
evangelism
to
the
very
ends
of
the
earth.
Our
God
is
not
unfair,
our
God
is
merciful.
He
has
given
a
message
in
the
personal
work
of
Jesus
Christ
that
we
might
believe
it
and
we
might
share
it
with
others
that
they
might
believe
it
as
well.
One
door
standing
open
come
and
enter
all
who
may.
Jesus
is the
only
door
of
salvation.
Secondly,
Jesus
is the
exposer
of
false
saviors.
We see
this in
verse 8
and I'll
take up
a little
bit of
verse
10.
Verse
8
says
all
who
came
before
me
are
thieves
and
robbers
but
the
sheep
did
not
listen
to
them.
Why
did
they
not
listen
to
them?
Because
the
sheep
belong
to
the
shepherd.
They
know
his
voice
and
they
follow
him.
And
then
verse
10
says
the
thief
comes
only
to
steal
and
kill
and
destroy.
The
language
in
these
verses
certainly
carries
forward
from
Jesus'
previous
metaphor.
To
whom
is
Jesus
referring
to?
We
should
immediately
exclude
some
who
came
before
him.
He
says
all
who
came
before
me
but
some
who
came
before
him.
Like
Moses
or
Isaiah
or
Jeremiah
or
John
the
Baptist
comes
to
my
mind.
Elsewhere
are
commended
by
them
for
their
faithfulness.
So
not
them.
So
who?
Who is
it that
he's
talking
about?
Those
all
who
came
before
him?
Last
week I
suggested
that he
is drawing
on
imagery
employed
in
Ezekiel
chapter
34
to
speak
of
leaders
who
should
have
been
caring
for
the
sheep
but
instead
cared
for
their
own
gain.
Like
spiritual
leaders
who
were
exploiting
God's
people
and not
serving
them.
So
those men
to be
sure.
Perhaps
he is
suggesting
those who
had made
messianic
claims
before
him.
If you
know your
history,
others had
come and
said they
were the
Christ
and led
insurrections
and were
put down
by the
Romans
who
showed
themselves
not
to
be
the
Christ.
So
perhaps
them,
they,
of course,
were seeking
their own
advantage.
But all
of this
language
is aimed
at the
Pharisees
he is
presently
addressing.
Those
he is
speaking
to
here
most
certainly
are
included
in
this
number.
In
Matthew
chapter
23,
the
list
of
woes
to
the
Pharisees,
there
are
seven
of
them.
And the
first
one
says
this
beginning
in
verse
13,
but
woe
to
you
scribes
and
Pharisees
hypocrites
for you
shut the
kingdom of
heaven
in people's
faces
for you
neither
enter
yourselves
nor
allow
those
who
would
enter
to
go
in.
Woe
to
you
scribes
and
Pharisees
hypocrites
for you
travel
across
sea
and
land
to
make
a
single
proselyte
and
when
he
becomes
a
proselyte
you
make
him
twice
as
much
a
child
of
hell
as
yourselves
false
shepherding
not
leading
people
to
God
leading
them
rather
astray
so
Jesus
is
making
a
stark
contrast
here
between
himself
and
the
false
shepherd
false
shepherds
take
Christ
gives
false
shepherds
consume
Christ
saves
false
shepherds
destroy
Christ
restores
what an
indictment
Jesus
is making
against
these
Pharisees
now
the
danger
for
us
is
no
longer
first
century
Judaism
but
false
shepherds
do
still
exist
any
religious
leader
who
diminishes
Christ
is a
thief
and a
robber
any
system
that
adds
human
merit
to
grace
is a
thief
and a
robber
any
church
that
substitutes
moralism
for the
gospel
is leading
people
astray
the
prosperity
preacher
promising
earthly
riches
as the
essence
of God's
blessing
is a
thief
and a
robber
in most
cases
quite
literally
the
liberal
theologian
denying
Christ's
deity
is a
thief
and a
robber
the
secular
voice
insisting
that
fulfillment
is found
apart from
God
is also
a thief
and a
robber
they come
to steal
and kill
and destroy
they do
this under
the command
of their
father
the father
of lies
the devil
who prowls
around looking
for someone
to devour
every
false
savior
makes promises
it cannot
keep
our age
seems obsessed
with looking
for doors
that do
not exist
people seek
salvation
through politics
through wealth
through education
or personal
success
through family
pleasure
self
discovery
yet
every
substitute
ultimately
collapses
you hold
up Christ
to any
of these
things
and he
exposes
them
as
false
our
hearts
were made
for the
worship
of God
you will
worship
you were
designed
to be
a worshiper
you can
worship
self
you can
worship
others
you can
worship
stuff
we were
made
to worship
God
and only
Jesus
grants us
access
to that
worship
Augustine
famously
said
quote
our hearts
are restless
until they
find their
rest
in thee
you're
missing
satisfaction
for your
heart
it's found
in God
through Christ
so Jesus
is the only
door of
salvation
Jesus
is the
exposer
of false
saviors
and thirdly
Jesus
is the
way
of
eternal
security
and
abundant
life
this of
course
plays off
of the
fact
that he's
the only
door
of
salvation
we see
in verse
nine
and then
the last
part
of verse
ten
he says
I am
the door
if anyone
enters
by me
he will
be saved
and will
go in
and out
and find
pasture
verse ten
the thief
comes only
to steal
and kill
and destroy
and then in
juxtaposition
he says
I came
that they
may have
life
and have
it
abundantly
if we
place our
faith
in Jesus
the door
if we
enter
by him
note
note what
it says
we
the text
says he
will
be
saved
we come
through
Jesus
there's a
promise
here
we
will
be
saved
Paul
states
it
similarly
in Romans
chapter
ten
verse
nine
if you
confess
with your
mouth
that Jesus
is Lord
and believe
in your
heart
that God
raised him
from the
dead
you
will
be
saved
and having
been saved
you will
go in
and out
and find
pasture
there are
phrases
in this
chapter
that just
deserve a
lifetime
of
meditation
you will
go in
and out
and find
pasture
to borrow
from the
previous
metaphor
the security
of the
sheep
rests
not in
the sheep
fold
but in
the shepherd
this is
what makes
them safe
the phrase
go in
and out
communicates
safety
and it
communicates
freedom
in the
ancient
world
security
was
precious
I know
the men
in our
church
we think
about
securing
our
homes
we put
in
measures
for that
we have
lights
and
doorbell
cameras
and
munitions
nearby
nothing like
they had to
think about
though
wild animals
are not
breaking
into our
homes
we don't
have
bands
of
marauders
coming
on their
camels
to
raid our
camp
security
was
precious
this
idea
of
safety
in the
sheep
fold
because
the
shepherd
is
caring
for
them
was
a
big
deal
it would
do well
to
stop
and
meditate
and
think
about
what it
means
to
truly
be
safe
and not
just
temporally
I mean
spiritually
to move
freely
without
fear
was a
great
sign
of
peace
good
pasture
and
secure
rest
is what
is offered
by faith
in Jesus
the door
of the
sheep
the sheep
will go
in and
out
and they
will
find
pasture
sustenance
for their
souls
Jesus
promises
that as
people are
safe
under
his
care
not
safe
from
hardship
loss
suffering
persecution
but
safe
from
ultimate
final
destruction
safe
from
condemnation
secure
he calls
the sheep
out
the sheep
know his
voice
they go
through the
door
they belong
to him
eternally
secure
but not
only are
we safe
we are
also
given
abundant
life
the language
here suggests
life that
is overflowing
it's beyond
measure
with goodness
but I've just
said that we are not
safe from hardship
or loss
or suffering
or persecution
so
by what
standard
by what
standard
is our
life
abundant
to answer
that question
I think
we will be
helped
by first
hearing
Jesus'
definition
of eternal
life
John records
this in
chapter 17
verse 3
this is
eternal
life
significant
all of our
minds go to
time
we go to
span
when we
think about
eternal
life
but this
is what
Jesus
says
this is
eternal
life
that they
know you
the only
true God
and Jesus
Christ
whom you
have sent
life now
and forever
more
knowing
and being
known
by the
God
that
is
eternal
life
now
and forever
knowing
and being
known
by God
so
abundant
life
is the
daily
experience
of the
promises
and power
and presence
of God
himself
being his
sheep
he's being
led
in and
out
to the
safety of
the sheep
fold
and to
good
pasture
it's
abiding
with him
this is
the offer
of the
good news
of Jesus
Christ
the only
door of
salvation
who exposes
false
saviors
that by
trusting in
him
we would be
eternally
secure
and have
him
as our
eternal
reward
in closing
I want to
read to you
a brief
quote from
D.A.
Carson's
commentary
on this
text
he said
quote
within the
metaphorical
world
life
abundantly
suggests
fat
contented
flourishing
sheep
not
terrorized
brigands
which is a
word means
part of the
game
not terrorized
brigands
outside the
narrative world
it means
that the
life
Jesus'
true
disciples
enjoy
is not
to be
construed
as more
time to
fill
catching that
not
not merely
talking about
everlasting
life
not to be
construed
as more
time to
fill
but
life
at its
scarcely
imagined
best
I like that
phrase
but life
at its
scarcely
imagined
best
experience
and the
promises
and power
and presence
of God
himself
life
to be
lived
end quote
let's pray
together