Read:

John 10:1-3

¹ 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.  ² But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.  ³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.

1 Peter 2:25

²⁵ For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

Exhortation:

He comes through the proper entrance (vv. 1–2):

The shepherd who has a right to the sheep does not need to sneak into the fold or climb over the wall. He can enter through the door. So Christ could come to His people because He had the right to them as their Messiah. The Old Testament prophecies pointed to Him alone, and to none else. He was born of a virgin, as Isaiah had foretold (Isa 7:14). He possessed the right to the throne of David from Joseph, his legal father (Matt 1:1). When Jesus came to the nation of Israel, He came the appointed way, just as the Scriptures promised.

He is received by the porter (v.3a):

The porter or doorkeeper was the person who was in charge of the fold until the shepherd came. He would wait for the true shepherd to arrive. This seems to point to John the Baptist, the one who officially introduced this Shepherd to the nation (1:26–34).

He calls his sheep by name (v.3b):

Many flocks were kept in a Palestinian fold but would be separated by their own shepherds, who would call them by their name. So when Christ came to the nation of Israel, not every Jew recognised him as Messiah. Though most gave allegiance to the religious system of Judaism, they were not all the true spiritual flock of God. Those who were His true flock had been waiting for the redemption of Israel. Some examples of such Israelites are Zacharias, Elisabeth, Simeon, Anna, Mary, and Joseph. They recognised the voice of Christ, the Messiah, and gladly followed Him. Another example in the immediate preceding context of this passage would be the blind man. When the true Shepherd came, he recognised His voice.

Like Jesus, the Good Shepherd, every true under-shepherd (pastor) must be called of God and sent by God. If he truly speaks God’s Word, the sheep will “hear his voice” and not be afraid to follow him.

Thought:

Christ is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls.

PRAYER

O Loving Shepherd, make me hear Your gentle voice every day.