Hi all,
We tend to read scripture in such a way it all seems to blend together. No where is this more true than in certain teachings Jesus did in John and Luke. Today we're going to look at John 10:1-17. There are 3 separate parables in those verses and to be properly understood we need to look at each one. All 3 are connected and the 3rd circles around to confirm the first....
This will be fun! First parable:John 10:1-6
1 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he gathers all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.
So let us take this a part. We can identify the thief and robber as Satan. The difference between 'thief' and 'robber' should be noted. The word 'thief' is 'kleptes', where we get 'kleptomaniac', one who compulsively steals. It describes Satan as always intent on stealing. The word 'robber' is 'lestes', and means 'one who steals openly with the threat of fear or violence." It was used by Jesus when He cleared the moneychangers from the temple, saying they threatened the force of fear of God and sinning against Him on the people. Think about modern ministries that use the threat of the devil or the fear of God to manipulate people to get money out of them...they are the modern money changers in the temple.
Back to the devil:He 'climbed up some other way' into the sheep pen. Therefore we understand we are the sheep, and Satan got into our 'pen' by deception - the pen is the earth. Satan got into the sheep pen 'some other way'. What is the way? Jesus said He entered by the door into the earth. What is the door? Being born of a woman, is the door. "He that doesn't enter by being born of a woman, but gets into the earth some other way, is a thief and robber. But the who entered through the door of being born of a woman, He is the shepherd of the sheep."
"To Him the gate keeper opens, and the sheep listen to His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out."
Who is the gate keeper?
Some suggest the Father, I believe the Holy Spirit, for the Word (Jesus) and Spirit work in agreement in all things. Here is what is exciting, the built in code. In the parable the sheep pen is the earth. But Jesus said the gatekeeper (Spirit) would open the gate and He would lead the sheep out of the pen - out of the earth - they will hear His voice and follow Him.
This may allude to the rapture rather than individual deaths, for the sheep are very much alive and going as a whole flock out of the pen/earth, to follow the Shepherd's voice. The very next verse, 4 says:"When He gathers all His own sheep outside the pen/earth, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice." This is very similar to what John experienced in The Revelation 4:1-2, which has long been understood to be a type of the rapture:
"After this I looked and suddenly saw an open door in heaven, and the voice that had called to me earlier (1:10, Jesus) that sounded like a loud trumpet, said:'Come up here and I will show you things which will take place after this.'" And of course John follows that voice through the door/gate and watches the events of the Tribulation from heaven.
Jesus closes the parable in v5:"A stranger they will not follow, but will run from him, because they don't recognize the voice of strangers." Here He shows the sheep solely focused on the voice of the Lord. We won't follow a false shepherd who got into the earth by climbing in. He is the false shepherd and we don't know his voice.
The 2nd parable:John 10:7- 10
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of/to the sheep.
8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.
Each parable starts with a statement of Who He is, and each parable builds on the previous. In the first parable He said He entered the earth through the door. The thief climbed in another way. The first parable taught that He is the legal shepherd who came into the earth, and will one day lead His sheep out of the earth.
In v7 Jesus starts a new parable:"I am the door of the sheep." This is a bit of a mistranslation, the word 'of' should be 'to'. It is the definite article 'ho or he', meaning 'to'. "I am the door TO the sheep." The word 'of' made sense in the 1600's, understood to be 'to' in their time, as in 'the door of the butcher shop' is the door 'to' the butcher shop.
In the first parable He is leading the sheep out of the pen/earth by calling them, accomplished by the Spirit opening the door and we sheep following His voice. In the 2nd parable He changes the meanings, in this parable He is the door to the sheep. He is the door, making Himself both the way to the sheep, and the One who watches access to His sheep. He is the protector of the sheep. He demonstrates this by teaching about the nature of the thief and robber, the one who got into the earth another way, through deception rather than by being born of a woman. Notice how protective Jesus gets:
"All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I AM the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved and can go in and out and find pasture. The thief only comes to steal and kill, but I have come so they (sheep) would have life, and that abundantly." The 'all who came before me' alludes to the false gods and prophets who tried to get His sheep down through the ages, but they were thieves and robbers. Remember Elijah in the cave thinking he was the last true believer? The Lord told him there were actually over 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. (I Kings 19:18)
In the 1st parable He explained He came legally into the earth and the devil climbed in another way, through deception with the motive to steal and rob. In the 2nd parable He emphasizes Himself as the protector of the sheep, being both the door and the watcher, while clearly identifying the one who came in another way as the thief and robber. In the 3rd parable He brings the 2 parables together, stating the purpose for His life. In the 3rd He will teach His 'job' as Shepherd will require Him to die in order to protect those sheep.
That and the start of another 3 parables all in a row like this one, next week. Until then, blessings.
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
We tend to read scripture in such a way it all seems to blend together. No where is this more true than in certain teachings Jesus did in John and Luke. Today we're going to look at John 10:1-17. There are 3 separate parables in those verses and to be properly understood we need to look at each one. All 3 are connected and the 3rd circles around to confirm the first....
This will be fun! First parable:John 10:1-6
1 “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber.
2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 When he gathers all his own sheep outside, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5 However, a stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what the things which He was saying to them meant.
So let us take this a part. We can identify the thief and robber as Satan. The difference between 'thief' and 'robber' should be noted. The word 'thief' is 'kleptes', where we get 'kleptomaniac', one who compulsively steals. It describes Satan as always intent on stealing. The word 'robber' is 'lestes', and means 'one who steals openly with the threat of fear or violence." It was used by Jesus when He cleared the moneychangers from the temple, saying they threatened the force of fear of God and sinning against Him on the people. Think about modern ministries that use the threat of the devil or the fear of God to manipulate people to get money out of them...they are the modern money changers in the temple.
Back to the devil:He 'climbed up some other way' into the sheep pen. Therefore we understand we are the sheep, and Satan got into our 'pen' by deception - the pen is the earth. Satan got into the sheep pen 'some other way'. What is the way? Jesus said He entered by the door into the earth. What is the door? Being born of a woman, is the door. "He that doesn't enter by being born of a woman, but gets into the earth some other way, is a thief and robber. But the who entered through the door of being born of a woman, He is the shepherd of the sheep."
"To Him the gate keeper opens, and the sheep listen to His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out."
Who is the gate keeper?
Some suggest the Father, I believe the Holy Spirit, for the Word (Jesus) and Spirit work in agreement in all things. Here is what is exciting, the built in code. In the parable the sheep pen is the earth. But Jesus said the gatekeeper (Spirit) would open the gate and He would lead the sheep out of the pen - out of the earth - they will hear His voice and follow Him.
This may allude to the rapture rather than individual deaths, for the sheep are very much alive and going as a whole flock out of the pen/earth, to follow the Shepherd's voice. The very next verse, 4 says:"When He gathers all His own sheep outside the pen/earth, He goes before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice." This is very similar to what John experienced in The Revelation 4:1-2, which has long been understood to be a type of the rapture:
"After this I looked and suddenly saw an open door in heaven, and the voice that had called to me earlier (1:10, Jesus) that sounded like a loud trumpet, said:'Come up here and I will show you things which will take place after this.'" And of course John follows that voice through the door/gate and watches the events of the Tribulation from heaven.
Jesus closes the parable in v5:"A stranger they will not follow, but will run from him, because they don't recognize the voice of strangers." Here He shows the sheep solely focused on the voice of the Lord. We won't follow a false shepherd who got into the earth by climbing in. He is the false shepherd and we don't know his voice.
The 2nd parable:John 10:7- 10
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of/to the sheep.
8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them.
9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.
Each parable starts with a statement of Who He is, and each parable builds on the previous. In the first parable He said He entered the earth through the door. The thief climbed in another way. The first parable taught that He is the legal shepherd who came into the earth, and will one day lead His sheep out of the earth.
In v7 Jesus starts a new parable:"I am the door of the sheep." This is a bit of a mistranslation, the word 'of' should be 'to'. It is the definite article 'ho or he', meaning 'to'. "I am the door TO the sheep." The word 'of' made sense in the 1600's, understood to be 'to' in their time, as in 'the door of the butcher shop' is the door 'to' the butcher shop.
In the first parable He is leading the sheep out of the pen/earth by calling them, accomplished by the Spirit opening the door and we sheep following His voice. In the 2nd parable He changes the meanings, in this parable He is the door to the sheep. He is the door, making Himself both the way to the sheep, and the One who watches access to His sheep. He is the protector of the sheep. He demonstrates this by teaching about the nature of the thief and robber, the one who got into the earth another way, through deception rather than by being born of a woman. Notice how protective Jesus gets:
"All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn't listen to them. I AM the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved and can go in and out and find pasture. The thief only comes to steal and kill, but I have come so they (sheep) would have life, and that abundantly." The 'all who came before me' alludes to the false gods and prophets who tried to get His sheep down through the ages, but they were thieves and robbers. Remember Elijah in the cave thinking he was the last true believer? The Lord told him there were actually over 7,000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal. (I Kings 19:18)
In the 1st parable He explained He came legally into the earth and the devil climbed in another way, through deception with the motive to steal and rob. In the 2nd parable He emphasizes Himself as the protector of the sheep, being both the door and the watcher, while clearly identifying the one who came in another way as the thief and robber. In the 3rd parable He brings the 2 parables together, stating the purpose for His life. In the 3rd He will teach His 'job' as Shepherd will require Him to die in order to protect those sheep.
That and the start of another 3 parables all in a row like this one, next week. Until then, blessings.
John Fenn
cwowi.org and email me at [email protected]
RSS Feed