Knowing Him: The Door of the Sheep

There is nothing greater than knowing Christ. Seven times in the book of John, Jesus offers us profound insight into His nature and character. In this series, we seek to guide the reader into a deeper understanding of these “I Am” statements, and the rich hope and comfort that can be found in Christ in the midst of grief.

I went to a funeral today. A funeral for a baby. Another baby.

We celebrated.

We didn’t celebrate the death of a baby, but we celebrated the life she was living with Christ. We gathered with tears in our eyes and joy in our hearts, and worshiped the God of hope in the midst of our sorrow.

How? How could we celebrate?

We could celebrate because of the hope we have in Christ as our Savior.

“So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.  I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
John 10:7-11

The door of the sheep? What does that even mean, and how does it offer hope to those of us who have lost children? It is hard for most of us to understand since most of us haven’t been around sheep very much. I know I haven’t. Here’s what I do know:

Sheep are not very smart animals. They are followers to the point of following the lead sheep off of a cliff. If they fall in a stream with rushing water, they will drown instead of swim. If a wild animal attacks them, they won’t run. Instead, they will huddle together. Therefore it is easy for their prey to slaughter them. They will graze all day and never look up, so they often become lost. Not very smart.

One positive thing about sheep is they know their shepherd’s voice. There can be several flocks mingling together, but when their shepherd calls, they leave the other flocks and follow their shepherd’s voice.

In ancient times, the shepherds would stay with the flocks at all times to protect and guide them. The sheep would graze in pastures during the day, but at night the shepherds would put them in some sort of a pen. Often, the pens in the pastures were a circle of large rocks with an opening for the sheep to enter and exit. At night, the shepherd would lie down across the opening of the pen to keep the sheep in and the prey out. The shepherd literally became the gate or door in order to keep the sheep safe.

The shepherd laid his life down for his sheep. He became the door of life for his sheep.

In these verses in John, Jesus is painting a picture of Himself being the door for His sheep—those who follow Him. He is our Savior.

“If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and
will go in and out and find pasture.”
John 10:9

Jesus is the door of our salvation. When He died on the cross for our sins, He laid His life down for us just like a shepherd did for his sheep. The shepherd became the door for his sheep in order to keep them safe, and Jesus became the door of salvation for us.

But wait, that isn’t all. The passage also talks about the thief.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
John 10:10

The sheep were not only in danger from wolves. There were also thieves who tried to steal the sheep. In the same way, Satan tries to kill and destroy, not just our children, but also our joy, hope, and peace. Jesus came to give us abundant life. Not only did He become the door of our salvation, but He also longs to give us an abundant life.

“I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”
John 10:11

Because Jesus, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life for us, those of us at the funeral today, who have called Jesus our Savior, were able to rejoice in the hope of knowing the grieving parents would one day see their daughter again. It hurts beyond measure they have to wait a lifetime to be with their daughter, but there is hope. Always hope.

Momma, do you know Jesus as the one who was willing to lay His life down for you? Is He “the door” to you? If not, today would be a great day to ask Him to be your door of salvation. If you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can pray something like this:

Jesus, I do believe You are the Son of God
and that You died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin.
Forgive me. I turn away from my sin
and choose to live a life that pleases You.
Enter my life as my Lord and Savior.
I want to follow You and make You the leader of my life.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Amen.

If you chose today to accept Jesus as your Savior, would you let us know? We would love to help you get to know the Shepherd.

Shelly D. Templin is an author, speaker and blogger that shares a message of hope—with humor. She has three daughters, a son-in-law, and a granddaughter. Shelly lives in Texas with her husband, Jack, of 29 years and their two dogs.

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