Read:

John 10:3-10

³ To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.  ⁴ And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.  ⁵ And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.  ⁶ This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.  ⁷ Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.  ⁸ All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.  ⁹ I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.  ¹⁰ 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.

Acts 20:32

³² And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

Exhortation:

He leads his sheep out of the fold (vv.3c–6): As Jesus presented Himself to Israel, the leaders rejected Him. Eventually, they persecuted Him, and those who followed Him. They even expelled the poor blind man who exalted Him. The most wonderful fact is that every one of them was being lead out by Christ. The Pharisees might object that Jesus did not lead the man out, but that they had cast him out. However, God in His sovereignty often used the acts of men to accomplish His purposes. The Messiah was forming His flock in fulfilment of the ancient prophecies.

The shepherd feeds his flock (vv.7–10): Jesus proceeded to describe a second scene, which gave additional instruction. Jesus called Himself the “door” to teach the truth about His provision for His own. Here, the door refers to the entrance to the wooded thicket where a sheep would enter to find shade and water before going to find pasturage.

Christ is the door to salvation (vv.7–9a): Perfect safety for the sheep lay in being near the shepherd. So it is with Christ. He provides salvation by bringing us to be in union with Him. Christ becomes the Shepherd of all those who trust Him and He takes upon Himself the responsibility of providing for all their needs.

Christ is the door to spiritual nourishment (v.9b): Shepherds locate pastures for their flocks. Likewise, Christ gives believers spiritual nourishment. They grow as they “feed” upon His Word. To “go in and out” is a common biblical idiom to depict the idea of living and carrying on one’s affairs.

Christ is the door to abundant life (v.10): The life the believer receives from Christ is not merely an extension of mortal life, but a far richer life than he has ever known before. He has access to God in prayer, full pardon for sin, the Spirit’s illumination, the guidance of God’s Word — all these and many more abundant blessings are in the believer’s new life in Christ.

Thought:

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”

PRAYER

O Lord, nurture me in all Your blessed will.