“I AM THE DOOR”

BEN F. VICK, JR. 

          “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” (John 10:7-9).

          In the gospel of John, chapter ten, we have another of our Savior’s “I Ams.” Earlier, after a debate between Jesus and the Jews, they took up stones to throw at him. But Jesus left the temple area and passed through the midst of them. As he passed by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. Jesus anointed his eyes with clay and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam, which he did, and his eyes were opened. Five conversations ensued between the former blind man and his neighbors, the blind man and the Pharisees, the Pharisees and the parents of the man born blind, the Pharisees again, and finally Jesus with the man.

Jesus said, “I am the door of the sheep…. I am the door….” Jesus portrays himself as “an opening that permits passage.” In this context, he is the entrance or gate through which sheep pass. Jesus is “the door,”  not a door. Entrance into the Lord’s sheepfold or sheepcote is singular. The definite article “the” tells us there is only one entrance. That entrance is Jesus.

Later, we read Jesus said to Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6). There is only one way into the sheepfold. Thus, it is not through Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, nor Mohammad, the founder of Islam, nor the Pope, nor the founder of Mormonism, nor Emanuel Swedenborg, nor Mary Baker Patterson Eddy, the founder of the Christian Scientist, nor Ellen White, Joseph Bates, J. N. Andrews, and James White,  founders of 7th Day Adventism, nor by John Wesley founder of the Methodist Church nor by  John Smyth, founder of the Baptist Church, etc. These are all thieves and robbers (John 10:1,8).

Peter said, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). The entrance into the church and ultimately into heaven is by Jesus Christ. One must follow his commands in order for the Lord to add one to the church (Acts 2:47). Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 7:21). The writer of Hebrews penned these words: “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8-9). John wrote, “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city” (Rev. 22:14). Just what does the Lord, the entrance into the church, require?

He commands us to believe. “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). Jesus said, “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (John 8:24). Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Acts 15:7; Rom. 10:17). One who does not believe stands condemned. Jesus said, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18). In the same context, Jesus said, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). It is interesting how the American Standard renders this verse:  “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). “Believeth” in the King James Version is replaced with “obeyeth” in the American Standard Version of 1901. 

One must repent. Paul to the philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens said, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30). Jesus said, “He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that obeyeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). Repentance is a change of heart brought about by godly sorrow which leads to a reformation of life. It is the most difficult command to obey because it involves the will. See these other verses: Luke 13:3,5; 24:46-47; Acts 2:38;  3:19; 2 Cor. 7:10; 2 Peter 3:9. 

Acknowledging or confessing Christ before men is also commanded. To the Romans, Paul wrote, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9-10). Paul told Timothy, “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses” (1 Tim. 6:12). The Ethiopian eunuch made the good confession:  “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God” (Acts 8:37).

Baptism is also commanded to enter through the door. Jesus said, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). On that first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ, Peter told his hearers:  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38). When we are baptized, we in a symbolic way go through the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (Rom. 6:3-4). Jesus shed his blood in his death; we are baptized into his death; therefore, we contact his precious blood in baptism. Baptism puts us into Christ or the one body (Gal. 3:26-27; 1 Cor. 12:13).  

Once in Christ, the one sheepfold, we must be obedient to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Have you entered the Door?