April 8, 2020
Enter by the Door, Know the Shepherd, Enjoy the Savior
John 10:1-21
Staci Shelton
Central Truth
The God and Creator of the universe made Himself the Good Shepherd of His sheep so that through His sacrifice we could enjoy being fully known and loved by Him forever.
Key Verse | John 10:14-15
"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."
John 10:1-21
I Am the Good Shepherd
1 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. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to 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 comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is 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. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 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. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 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.”
19 There was again a division among the Jews because of these words. 20 Many of them said, “He has a demon, and is insane; why listen to him?” 21 Others said, “These are not the words of one who is oppressed by a demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”
Dive Deeper | John 10:1-21
There's a common longing inside every human heart: a longing to be known and loved. We also have another thing in common: our flesh seeks to satisfy this longing in the wrong ways. Relationships, substances, possessions—whatever it is—all of us have chosen at times to worship the gifts rather than the Giver, falsely believing these gifts can satisfy that longing.
This is the heart condition Jesus is stepping into in John 10. Jesus begins teaching the blind man he just gave sight to and the Pharisees he just rebuked in the previous chapter. Think about this contrast for a moment. A blind man is given his sight, the one thing he has probably convinced himself he needed in his life to fill the longing in his heart; while the "seeing" Pharisees blindly pursue the same fulfillment through law-keeping and legalism (John 9:28-29). The Pharisees think keeping a bunch of rules will make God love them more.
So, Jesus steps into this contrast in John 10 to say, "I've got something better. I am the satisfying Savior your heart craves." He doesn't just give the blind man sight. He gives him a Savior to save his soul (John 9:38; 10:11). He gives him a Shepherd who knows him and cares for him (John 10:9, 14). And even amid his rebuke of the Pharisees, Jesus extends the same invitation to them in John 10:9, saying, "If anyone enters by me, he will be saved . . . ." What grace!
The Good Shepherd offers the same to us today. Even though we've all strayed from Him, He alone perfectly loves and cares for us, goes before us, and provides us the only way to eternal life. He is the door to eternal life (John 10:9). He is the Lamb who was slain for his sheep (John 10:11; Revelation 5:12). He came that we would have abundant life right here, right now (John 10:10). How amazing it is to be satisfied in the love of the Good Shepherd!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you know the Shepherd? Have you entered His pleasant pasture by the door of His sacrifice? If not, there is nothing more important you could do in this life than to receive God's grace for you right now.
2. What is keeping you from trusting Jesus' precious promises in this passage?
3. What do you think Jesus means when He says that He came so that we "may have life and have it abundantly"? What does that look like practically for you?
4. Which of these verses impacts you the most? Why? Share and discuss with your community and in the comments below.