JESUS IS THE DOOR (2)

“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh;” – Hebrews 10:19-20

Jesus used the word ‘sheepfold’ to describe a courtyard where sheep were herded, with only one door that was guarded by a door-keeper. During the time of Christ the sheep were herded in a walled enclosure, with briars and long thorny vines growing on top, mostly open to the sky, but providing protection from thieves and wolves at night. Picture the sheep with their shepherd inside the stone enclosure at night, with no door of any kind in these enclosures. In place of the door there was just an open space. After the shepherd called in his sheep and herded them into the fold, the shepherd himself would lay down across the opening and entrance into the sheepfold. The shepherd was the door. No sheep could get out and no enemy could come in except over his body. Literally, the shepherd was the door. There was no way in or out except through him.

Jesus said if a man does not enter by the door, but climbs over the wall, he has evil intentions, and is castigated as a thief and a robber. A ‘thief’ uses deception to lure the sheep; he steals cunningly or by sneakiness. A ‘robber’ is eager to engage in violence to plunder the sheep. The thief and robber steal, either by deception or by violence.

The Good Shepherd enters by the door, Himself being the Door! He is recognized as the legitimate shepherd. It is His right to enter because He owns the sheep. When the shepherd arrives before dawn, he calls out his sheep by name and not in general. They hear His voice, respond to his call, and follow Him out to pasture. The Palestinian shepherd had a distinct call for each of his sheep. The individual sheep knew their shepherd’s voice and recognized his call to each of his own. The Good Shepherd goes in through the door as opposed to the thief who climbs over the walls to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).

While the Pharisees were climbing over the walls of religiosity to steal, plunder and destroy God’s fold, the man that was born blind heard the voice and responded to the call of the Good Shepherd.

Jesus is alone the Door…the door to all the blessings of eternal life.

Jesus is the one and only Gate into heaven; the sole Way to God. There is no other way. We deserved to die for our own sins, but the perfect Son of God who was without sin – the holy and righteous One – came to save us from our sins. He came and died as our substitute. By means of His death for our sins and His resurrection He became the Door or Gate by which sinful people can come into the presence of the thrice holy God. He is the “new and living way” (Heb. 10:20), and it is “through Him we . . . have access . . . to the Father” (Eph. 2:18).

He declares of Himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

There is only one Door and Christ Himself is that Door! “And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).