I am the Door

I Am the Door

John 10:9 (ESV)

10 “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.

Jesus begins to describe himself as the door of the sheep. It worth mentioning He is talking to the Pharisees or the religious order of the day.  In their own eyes the Pharisees considered themselves the pastors of the church. (or the door of the sheep) Jesus did not get permission from them to be teaching the people. In their minds Jesus was an intruder. They were not happy with the fact that this Jesus fellow was speaking to their people.

Jesus brilliantly begins to describe the relationship between the sheep and the shepherd. Implying that sheep will know the voice of their shepherd and will not follow anyone else but will flee from the voice of a stranger.  We could imply that the multitudes knew the voice of Jesus and therefore followed Him. While leaving the voice of strangers such as the Pharisees.
But they still did not get it so Jesus breaks it down for 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.

Jesus clearly takes out the guessing by saying that He was the door and that those who came before him were thieves and robbers.

What does it mean that Jesus is the door?
We first must realize that doors grant access. Doors could give access to a number of things such as a house, pantry, closet, car, plane, salon, gym, doctor office etc…In most cases if you have permission to walk through a particular door you then have access to what is inside. When I go to the gym I open the door, swipe my card and I have access to use any of the gym equipment that I choose.

When a person goes to the doctor’s office they can’t just walk right on in to the examination room, they have to wait in the waiting room. There is a door, usually with an electronic closing device, that prevents anyone from entering uninvited. However, when your name is called they then open the door and you now have access to where they lead you.

John 6:44  No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.

There is no access to the father unless the spirit draws a person. There is no access but through Jesus.  But when your name is called, and you go through the door (then you have access to the kingdom of heaven)  Many other religions will tell you their way is the way to heaven. Jesus clearly says there is no other way. If you want access to all of Heaven then you have to go through the door. You have to go through Jesus. You go in according to His standards.

There are 3 truths about a door that will help us to better understand what Jesus is saying when He says “I am the door.”


A door provides an invitation
Let’s suppose my wife had cooked an amazing meal and we were throwing the biggest party ever. I mean epic proportion and you and your family were invited to come to the pastor’s house for this epic celebration. Everything is going great until you get to our house and discover at the door there is a sign that says please take your shoes off before entering.  Well that is too much to ask you think so instead of taking your shoes off you decide to take your family elsewhere and miss out on the biggest epic party that ever was.  You would have had complete access to food, games, music, entertainment, friends, and cash prizes you name it. It was there, remember it was an epic party. But because you did not like the owner’s standards you decided to lead your family astray.

A door is the way invited guests enter into a home. Jesus declares himself to be the door. He sends out the invitation to come. He wants you to be included in the kingdom of heaven.
However He is the door to heaven. Heaven will be an epic party, and if we want heaven to be our home it will be by His standards, there is no other way in. We have to choose, will we walk through the door or will we lead our family astray.

Acts 4:12(ESV) And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Will you accept the invitation?

A door provides separation
Although we buy doors that look nice, we buy doors to separate us from unwelcome company. Imagine we didn’t have doors and salesman would just walk right into your living room. There has to be a separation. Thank God for doors.

He (Jesus) is the door that separates us from the world.  When we accept the invitation to follow Jesus, we are now a part of the sheepfold. There is a distinction between those that are on the inside of the sheepfold and those who are on the outside. In the parable Christ had made a distinction between robbers and shepherds.

To be on one side of a closed door means to be separated, or cut off, from those on the other side. You cannot be on both of the inside and outside of a closed door.  You cannot experience the world and the goodness of Christ at the same time.  You cannot be living for Christ and yourself at the same time. You are on one side of the door.

Which is it for you?  Perhaps you need Jesus to be a separation between you and the world.  Will you allow the separation?

A door provides safety
Shepherds had their sheepfolds within the outer gates of their houses, for the safety of their flocks. So that no one could get to them unless the gatekeeper opened the gate or the master of the house gave the keys to open it.


The shepherd was the means of protection for the sheep in the fold. The shepherd kept the wolves, thieves and robbers away from the sheep.  When Jesus called Himself the door, He was offering protection for the lost, a place of refuge for those who need a Savior. He also offers nourishment for the flock.

His character distinguishes Him as the rightful owner of the sheep, the one who has a concern for the sheep, and cares for them: He enters in by the door, as one having authority, and he comes to do them good, to fix up those that are broken, and strengthen those who are sick.
What greater security has the church of God than that of the Lord Jesus, in all of his wisdom, power, and goodness, combating the forces of His enemies?

Being in the sheep fold we have protection from our enemy. The enemy comes to steal, to kill and destroy.  He wants to steal your peace, your joy, your reason to praise, he wants to kill your dreams, kill your potential, kill your testimony, and he wants to destroy your hope, destroy your family and destroy your future.

But let me remind you that we have access! Jesus came so that we can have life and have it abundantly.  Abundantly-Over and above more than is necessary  This abundant life and sense of safety is only found when we come to Jesus Christ as the door.  Notice in verse 9 that Jesus says if we will enter through Him we can go in and out and find pasture. Sheep need pasture for nourishment

There is no other way around it. You have to come through Him.  Will you trust in his safety?

On what side of the door are you on? If you die today, or if Jesus comes back today, are you in the house, if not, then you are on the outside, you are risking being on the outside when the door closes.  Jesus has the door open for you, but it will not always be open, the door closes for you when you die or whenever Jesus returns.

Revelation 3:20-21(ESV) 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Are you willing to walk through the door Jesus has opened for you? You are welcome to come in.  Do you need Jesus to be the separation between you and the world?  Do you need Jesus to be your safety today?