The Good Shepherd and the Door – John 10:1-18

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) have produced several video depictions of Biblical passages, and they have one on Jesus’ discourse on the Good Shepherd.  They don’t have the Pharisees there at the beginning, giving the wrong context for the discourse, and Jesus looks too Caucasian.  But it is amazing to see how stark his claims are as he says these famous words.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who does not come in through the door into the enclosure for the sheep, but enters another way, that one is a thief and a robber.  But the one who comes in through the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  The doorkeeper opens to this one and the sheep hear his voice and his own sheep he calls by name and leads out.  When all the sheep that belong to him have come out, he goes before them and his sheep follow him, because they know his voice.  They will not follow a stranger, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  Jesus spoke proverbially to them and they didn’t know what he was saying to them.

Then again he said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.  Everyone who has come before me is a thief and a robber, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the door.  If anyone enters through me he will be saved and will go in and out and  find pasture.  The thief does not come except to steal and slaughter and destroy.  I have come in order that they might have life and have it abundantly.”

“I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand, who isn’t the shepherd, to whom the sheep do not belong, when he sees the wolf coming he leaves the sheep and flees – and the wolf snatches and scatters them – because he is a hired hand and has no concern for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd and I know my own and they know me, even as the Father knows me and I know the Father, and I lay down my life for the sheep.  And I have other sheep not of this enclosure.  I must lead them also and they will hear my voice and they will become one flock, with one shepherd.”

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life, so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have authority to lay it down, and authority to take it up again.  I received this commandment from my Father.  (John 10:1-18)

We may presume that Jesus is still talking to the Pharisees who challenged his assertion that they were blind.  The man healed of blindness may still be there, as well.  But Jesus’ remarks are a direct challenge to the Pharisees, who should have been faithfully shepherding Israel.  Though the people had great respect for the Pharisees it was more a fearful respect than a loving one.  Many Pharisees treated those who struggled with sin as deplorable people not worthy of their company.  Jesus is a shepherd whose sheep know him and follow him without any fear of danger.

The enclosure that held sheep often had a gatekeeper to prevent theft of sheep.  Or the gatekeeper could sit in the doorway to the enclosure as the gate, in effect.  Jesus likens himself to that gatekeeper, that door on the spiritual plane through whom we must enter to have abundant life.  His commitment to us as his sheep leads him to lay down his life for us, unlike the hired help who would run at the sign of danger.  Jesus’ other sheep are the Gentiles, to whom his apostles and other followers will go after Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. 

Jesus makes a claim to deity when he says that he has authority to take up his life again, the life that he voluntarily lays down.  Even though he does this under the Father’s authority, his ability to restore his own life is a divine ability.

If we are not experiencing the abundant life Jesus is talking about it could be because we are not his sheep, not saved.  But we could be his sheep and be in the process of experiencing his life growing in ours and growing toward abundant life.  Every true disciple has times that don’t feel so abundant.  But Jesus calls us to recognize him as our shepherd who loves us, and find joy in that, despite the circumstances of our lives.

Discussion Questions

1. What do you know, or think you know, about sheep and shepherding?
2. Why do you think Jesus is speaking proverbially or parabolically to the Pharisees?
3. What two metaphors does Jesus use of himself and why do you think he uses both of them?
4. Who are the thieves and robbers Jesus is referring to and how do we see them in our day?
5. What is Jesus’ main point about being the good shepherd?
6. Who are you shepherding?