I am the Door

 

 

 

 I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  John 10:9

 

As noted in a previous article “Yahweh: The Great I AM” God revealed himself to Moses, at the burning bush, as I AM, THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14).

 

Jesus used the same name for Himself in His seven, great I AM statements found in the Gospel of John.  In our July/August 2014 Tulip Gems Issue, we examined John 6:35, where Jesus said, I am the bread of life.

 

In our September/October 2014 Issue, we studied John 8:12, where Jesus said, I am the light of the world.

 

Now, if the Lord wills, we’d like to take a closer look at our Lord’s third great I AM statement, found in John 10:9,  I am the door.

 

To better understand our Lord’s statement, it might be good to read it in context.

 

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

 

But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

 

To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

 

And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.

 

And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.

 

This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.

 

Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

 

All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.

 

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

 

The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

 

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 

John 10:1-11

 

 

Our Lord Jesus is here contrasting false Messiahs to the true Messiah.  Those deceivers who came before Jesus, claiming to be the Messiah, are likened to thieves and robbers.  God’s elect believers are likened to sheep.

 

Jesus the Messiah is likened to the shepherd of the sheep.  As a shepherd stands at the entrance to the sheepfold, so Jesus stands, calling each of his elect sheep by name.

 

No wolf can enter into the sheepfold when the Good Shepherd is standing at the entry way.  Neither can any wolf in sheep’s clothing enter in, nor can any goat.

 

When the shepherd stands at the entrance to the sheepfold, he is, in effect, acting as the door to the sheepfold.  Jesus clearly tells us, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  This is a claim to Deity.

 

As pointed out in a previous article, when we read a claim like this, we have only three (3) choices.  Either Jesus is liar, lunatic or LORD of all.  His many miracles of healing were signs that He was, in fact, the promised Messiah.

 

These miracles of the coming Messiah were foretold by the Hebrew Prophet Isaiah in passages such as Isaiah 35:4-6 and Isaiah 61:1-2.

 

Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.

 

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

 

Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.  Isaiah 35:4-6

 

 

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

 

To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD . . .   Isaiah 61:1-2

 

 

Isaiah also foretold Messiah’s Substitutionary Death, in our place, for our sins, in Isaiah 53.

 

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

 

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

 

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.  Isaiah 53:4-7

 

 

This is what our Lord was referring to when he said,

 

I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

 

(God willing, we hope to expound more fully on this verse in our next issue of Tulip Gems Ezine).

 

King David, among others, foretold the physical, visible, bodily resurrection of the Messiah in Psalm 16:10, 11.

 

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

 

Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.  Psalm 16:10,11

 

 

Many of his disciples went to prison and death, rather than deny His Deity.  They had entered into life through faith in Him, the Door of the sheep.

 

They knew that He had risen from the dead the third day, according to the Scriptures.  They also knew that they would rise in the resurrection of life.

 

My friend, how about you?  Have you put your faith in Jesus as your Lord and only Saviour?  There is no other way to be saved or enter into eternal life.  There is no other way to find spiritual pasture.

 

Jesus said, I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  John 10:9

 

How say you?  Is Jesus a liar?  Is Jesus a lunatic?  Or is Jesus LORD of all?

 

As for me, He is the Door.  He is YAHWEH—The Great I AM.

 

 

 

I am the Good Shepherd