Chapter 10, John chapter 10 for our sermon this evening. I would have preached this last Lord's Day morning, but it is fitting to preach this evening concerning, as it accompanies the Lord's Supper. John chapter 10, we're going to look at the saying, I am the gate, I am the door in John 10 verses 7 through 10. As we look at verses 7-10, that's what we're looking at this evening, but I will begin reading in chapter 9, verse 35, to set the context, and we will read all the way to 10-21.
So begin reading in John 9, verse 35. Now Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when he had found him, he said to him, Do you believe in the Son of God? And he answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him?
And Jesus said to him, You have both seen Him, and it is He who is talking with you. Then he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped Him. And Jesus said, For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.
Then some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these words and said to him, Are we blind also? And Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin. But now you say, We see, therefore your sin remains. Most assuredly, I say to you, He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.
But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.
Now Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear 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 does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd.
The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling, and does not care about the sheep.
But I am the good shepherd, and I know my sheep, and am known by my own. As the father knows me, even so I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore, my father loves me because I lay down my life that I may take it again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take it again. This command I have received from my father.
Therefore, there was a division again among the Jews because of these sayings. And many of them said, he has a demon and is mad. Why do you listen to him? Others said, these are not the words of one who has a demon.
Can a demon open the eyes of the blind? Amen. Well, let us go toward God in prayer once again. Lord God Almighty, we know that there is only one way of salvation.
There's only one entrance into heaven, and that is found in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the gate for his sheep. Father God, we thank you that those who know Christ, those who are Christ, those who are Christ's sheep, who have faith, who believe, who look to the Lord, enter in through the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is that one, that entrance into heaven? There is no other way, O Lord God Almighty. The world may say that there are many loads that lead to Rome, O God, that lead all into heaven, but that is not the case as it is found in Scripture.
There is one way, it is the narrow way, it is the way found in the Lord Christ. We thank you, O God, for many who you have shown the narrow way by your word and by your Spirit, for many who have shown their sin and the need for the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are liars, that they are thieves, that they have sinned against the God Almighty, that they have transgressed your law. We thank you, O God, for your law and your gospel. We thank you that the law shows people their need for the Lord Christ, that they might look on Him and live, that they might enter in through the gate, through the Lord Christ Jesus.
And for those that know Christ, who are His sheep, we have security, we have hope, we have everlasting life, we have food, we have abundant life and pasturage, O God. We thank you for these truths. We thank you for these realities. We thank you for even the foretastes we get to experience here in your house on your Lord's Day.
We get to experience as we partake of the Lord's Supper. We thank you for these glimpses, O God, as we long for heaven, as we long for that time where all the people of God, all the sheep, will gather for the marriage supper of the Lamb, O God, where we will feast together, praising God Almighty, who is the great Good Shepherd, who saved His people, who laid down his life for his sheep, that his sheep might enter in through him. And Father God, we pray for those that do not know the Lord, that are outside the Lord Christ. They may try to enter in another way, O God, but there is no other way.
May you show them Christ. May you show them the gate. May you show them the way in which they can enter into heaven. Show them true theology, true Christology, the true and living Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is fully God and fully man.
He is the only one who can save them from their sins. This good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. We pray that you give us all illumination by your Spirit as we understand the things found in your Word, O God, for we need your Spirit. For these are divine things, and they are for our good as we understand these things.
So again, we pray that you would help us by your Spirit to understand these things. We pray that your Spirit would be with the preacher. He would be with me. Strengthen me and strengthen the teaching.
Bless the preaching as it goes forth. and be with the hearers as well, that we might hear the things concerning the great Savior, the great Lord, the great gate of the sheep, and the blessings that the sheep have. And Father God, we pray ultimately that you would be glorified in all things, and we pray this in the name of Christ. Amen.
Introduction
Well, as we looked at in the Gospel of John, thankfully John writes his purpose in John 31. You see, the blessedness of Scripture is that we see the purpose of Scripture even highlighted in John 31. See, the Bible is not like any other book of literature, but it's written, it's living, it's the hope that those who read it, that those who hear the preaching of it, might come to saving knowledge in Jesus Christ. John says this in John 31, 20-31.
He records these things that those who do not know Christ, that those who read concerning Christ, might believe and have everlasting life. And thus, throughout John, we see him further describe the one they need to believe in with these I Am statements, these I Ams with the predicate. We saw, I am the bread of life. We saw, I am the light of the world.
And this evening, we're looking at, I am the gate, or I am the door of the sheep. Now, it's probably one of the ones that's perhaps thought about the least when we think about all those I am statements, isn't it? It's important, it's helpful, I'm not belittling all those other ones, we should understand them, but I am the gate is unique, and it's certainly coupled with I am the good shepherd, but they mean different things even though they work together. So we were looking at this phrase, I am the gate, I am the door of the sheep this evening.
And the primary problem that Jesus is dealing with when he speaks of the gate is the false way of salvation. And he characterizes those who try to enter into the sheepfold, who try to climb in another way, as thieves and imposters. He classifies those who teach, who try to strive to enter into heaven in another way other than the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, as thieves and imposters trying to enter and force their way into heaven. So the main theme, the main thrust is this view of salvation.
Perhaps we can ask the question, how does one enter into heaven? Or even as it's tied to the text, how does one enter into the sheepfold? What gate must one cross to enter in? And that's the question we're going to look to answer, although it's very clear what that answer is.
But we're going to look and seek to answer this under two headings this evening. First of all, false entrance into heaven. And secondly, right entrance into heaven. So, false entrance into heaven and right entrance into heaven.
Now, with respect to the structure, we saw in 1 John how many times he... it's not quite the flow of the verses. He's using certain literary techniques to highlight certain points, and the same is true here in verses 7 through 10. There's A-B, A-B-A pattern. And we see this with the A's.
I am the door in verse 7. I am the door in verse 9. And in verse 10, I have come that they may have life, describing something concerning the Lord Christ. And then we see the B's, verse 8 and 10.
All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers. Verse 10a, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. And that's the structure. We're looking at false entrance into heaven, verses 8 and 10a.
But we need to set the context for us. Now, we saw this context several weeks ago when we preached on, I am the light of the world. And it's with respect to this blind man who has given sight. A man who had been blind from birth now sees.
Now sees not only with his eyes, with physically, but he sees spiritually the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and looks to him and lives. And as we saw in chapter 9, it's contrasting with the Pharisees, who though they are supposed to be the religious leaders, they're supposed to know the truth, they're supposed to see, yet they do not see. And Jesus is going to further drive that point home. But notice in 9.41, if you were blind, you would have no sin.
But now you say, we see, therefore your sin remains. And then Christ goes in to describe this illustration in verses 1 through 5, describing sheep and the sheepfold, describing thieves and robbers. And what happens, what he describes in 1 through 5 is then fleshed out and explained in verses 7 and following. I am the good gate, and I am the good shepherd.
But notice in verses 1 and 2 of chapter 10, most assuredly I say to you, He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, this same is a thief and a robber. The thief climbs in a different way than through the gate. He tries to enter in a way that is not true, and he is classified as a thief and a robber. But then in verse 2, but he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
He is the true shepherd. And so Christ explains this, and then we see in verse 6, Pharisees don't understand. Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He had spoken. You see, Christ is describing who He is.
As we saw in John 9, He's describing how He is the Messiah. And these men were supposed to know that He is the Messiah, yet they did not see that. And He even highlights further how they could not understand these things. So He then explains it further in verses 7 through 10.
And then He begins to drive home the point of Who these men actually are, as impostors, as thieves.
False Entrance into Heaven
So we see the identity of impostors to true religion, to true theology in verse 8. Notice in verse 8, he says, all whoever came before me. Verses 7 and 8 are contrasting the identities. Identity of the right way of salvation, verse 8, the false way of salvation.
All whoever came before me. Now some interpret this as patriarchs and prophets, but that is just not the case in the text. I think the text is very clear. Because he says, all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.
Now it's true the people of Israel did not hear the prophets, but the remnant certainly did hear the prophets. But all who ever came before me certainly refers to the Pharisees and the religious leaders, all who ever came before me. If you remember Redemptive History in Malachi, The prophet Malachi prophesies that there's going to be a time of silence, 400 years, yet there were still religious leaders who were meant to shepherd, meant to act as leaders, except they fail miserably. They do not do what is right.
And I think John is alluding to, in verse 8, back to the prophet Ezekiel, in Ezekiel chapter 34. You see, the language of sheep, and shepherd, and sheepfold, and all those things would have been familiar with those from a Graeco-Roman background. But I think more importantly, I think there's a lot of Old Testament allusions. And if you've been paying attention in John and 1 John, we see that John alludes to them quite often.
But 1 Ezekiel 34. Notice the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to them, Thus says the Lord God to shepherds, Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool. You slaughter the fatlings, but you do not feed the flock. The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what is driven away, nor sought what was lost. But with force and cruelty you have ruled them.
Now the language of gate isn't used here, but it's still describing what a gate does, namely providing security for the people. Verse 5. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd. They became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.
My sheep wandered through all the mountains and on every hill. Yes, my flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them. So Ezekiel 34, and he goes on to further chastise the shepherds of Israel. But also in Jeremiah 23 as well.
Verse 1. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. Therefore, thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed my people. You have scattered my flock, you've driven them away and not attended to them.
Behold, I will tend to you for the evil of your doing, says the Lord. But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven them and will bring them back to their folds and they shall be fruitful and increase. And then he says, So God Almighty chastises the people, the leaders of Israel in Ezekiel 23 and 34, and Christ is doing the same here in John 10, verses 7 through 10. These leaders are the religious leaders.
And the irony is, these are the men who are supposed to be leaders. You see, theology matters, brothers and sisters. True theology actually determines heaven and hell, doesn't it? What we think concerning the Savior and who He is has eternal ramifications.
And that's certainly true with salvation. These false teachers taught salvation by works. They taught that some adherence to the law would gain or merit eternal reward, immortal reward, for their virtuous living. They could enter in by not breaking the Sabbath, which is what they were reaming this blind man out in John 9, even though they would break it all the time.
These men taught false ways and even perhaps more heinous as they think concerning the Messiah, the Messiah is right before them and they do not see. They deny that Jesus is the Christ. You see, we have to know who the true Lord is. We have to know who the Savior is because eternal life depends on it.
These men were teaching false ways of salvation, and they are rightly classified. All who ever came before me are thieves and robbers." And that's even highlighted further in 10.1. They climb in another way. They seek to enter in another way.
They don't go in through the proper way. This is what their works are doing. When they engage in salvation by works, they seek to enter in through the fold in a different way than through the gate. Perhaps even as we think about the idea of a home invasion in our time, do people typically break in nicely?
People typically smash things, break things, usually perhaps through the back door so they can get away without being seen. That's perhaps similar to what these thieves were doing. This sheepfold, this one sheepfold, I should say, a sheepfold perhaps was made out of stone, and there's only one way in, and perhaps some could climb in the other way to try and get in. And that's exactly what they were doing.
Climbing in, not through the door, but through their own means, trying to get in to the sheepfold. So that's what it said there, all who ever came before me are thieves and robbers.
The Sheep Who Did Not Heed
But notice in verse 8, but the sheep did not hear them. There's always been a remnant in Israel, brothers and sisters, who knew the truth, who knew the gospel, who knew the gospel promised and foretold in the Old Testament, who looked to the Lord and lived. Sheep, most assuredly, refers to those who are Christ, those who are God's, those whom Christ came in the world to save. The sheep hear God's voice.
We see this in 10.27. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. And John illustrates what sheep did even in ancient Near Eastern practice. Perhaps sometimes sheep nowadays, when people are shepherding their sheep, they usually follow behind with a dog.
Not so in the ancient Near Eastern context. What would happen is the shepherd would go before, calling his sheep, and the sheep would follow. And that's what's said in 10.3. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice." You see, what was quite marvelous and wonderful is that in the practice, shepherds would have specific calls for their sheep. So that perhaps there could be multiple flocks in one sheepfold, but when the shepherd would call the name of his sheep, his sheep would come out. You see the imagery and see what the John is doing here. Those who are Christ's sheep spiritually. are called by His name, are called by their name.
They're called out of darkness into marvelous light. They're called to believe on the truth of the gospel. When we talk about Christ calling His sheep who hear His voice, it's referring to salvation. Sometimes people take 1027 as a charismatic text, as if I had a special word from God.
My sheep hear my voice, in that sense. That's not what he's talking about here. It is salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, who is the true gate of the sheep. They did not heed the false teaching.
They did not believe the false teaching. They turned from it and looked to the Lord and lived. So these men came, these men taught, and the sheep did not respond to them. So that's the identity of these impostors.
Motives of the Impostor
But look then in 10a, the motive for these impostors. The thief does not come, and 10 is comparing and contrasting Christ and the sheep, their motives. The thief does not come except to steal, to kill, and to destroy. Think about a thief's motive for breaking into your house.
Is it to do your dishes? Is it to clean your house? Is it to say hello, how you doing? Not at all.
A thief's purpose for entering in is to wreak havoc for selfish gain, that they may grow, that they may eat and gorge on those things, that they would not feed the sheep, that they might do things for their own motives and own purposes. Is this not what the Lord chastises the shepherds of Israel in Ezekiel 34. They do things for their own selfish gain, their own purpose, their own thrust. And that's the same for any thief that breaks into our own homes, seeks to violate the things that are not his for his own selfish gain.
And these scribes and Pharisees are exactly that. Does this not describe these men who do things that they might be seen by others? That they might be praised by others. That they might walk and parade around about how religious and how wonderful they are.
Even when Christ speaks to them in Luke 16 and tells them that they must believe the truth, they sneer. They stick up their noses at Him. Because they seek to look self-righteous and have an appearance of salvation rather than actually believing on Christ, rather than actual salvation. As Ezekiel 34 highlights, they seek to feed themselves.
And they seek to enter into heaven in a false way. There's true theology, but there's false theology as well. And this is the case with these men. And perhaps one text that illustrates how the Pharisees and scribes and Pharisees seek to enter in for their own gain is in Luke 16, 16.
This is that difficult text when it talks about the idea of the gospel being preached and everyone presses into it. It's also in Matthew 11, verse 12. In Matthew 11, verse 12, it says, But in Luke 16, 16, He talks about God and mammon. You cannot serve God and mammon.
And then these Pharisees sneer at him and deride him and stick their noses up at him. And then he says in verse 15, you are those who justify yourselves before men. But God knows your hearts, for what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God. The law and the prophets were until John.
Since that time, the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it. I think one way we can take the text in verse 16, where it says everyone is pressing into it, add the word try there. Everyone is trying to press into it. Everyone is trying to enter into it.
And that makes sense in light of the context. These men seek to justify themselves, to enter in, to have eternal life based on what they have done. Even though the kingdom of heaven is preached, even though it's proclaimed, they still try to enter in violently, like a thief and an imposter. And that's what John is describing in John 10, 7 through 10.
And even in verse 10, the thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. They seek to enter into heaven. What's interesting is people who believe in false religion, false theology, still want to enter into heaven, don't they? They still want a place of bliss, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more suffering.
Yet they all do it in different ways. And sadly, false religion does destroy, does bring people to destruction.
Warning Against False Salvation
And so, brothers and sisters, we need to beware of false ways of salvation. This is why we seek to study true theology, truth, divine things. We must know good theology or true theology, that we might recognize when false things are taught. And furthermore, that we might call others from false theology, from false ways of salvation, from those things into everlasting life, into the Lord Christ.
You see, certainly the focus of 7-10 are these Pharisees, but I think Calvin is right that we can refer to everyone who teaches any way of entrance into eternal life other than through Christ. Anyone who says that you must try a little harder, you must work a little better, you must shine a little brighter, all those men, all those people are teaching false ways of salvation. It's really not all the roads lead to Rome or all the roads lead to heaven. It's actually all roads lead to the straight pit of hell, except Christ.
And that's where we must look. That's where we must look on to. We must know the truth concerning Christ. You know what's sad too?
Sadly professing Christian ministers. are leading people astray. False men who profess to be Christian preachers are preaching false things, leading men down this false path. Perhaps shepherds who are supposed to shepherd the flocks of God are leading many people astray. I think Calvin is right.
Certainly in the context it refers to the Pharisees, but we can apply and generalize it to any One that teaches any other way of salvation except through the Lord Christ. So these men teach this false entrance into heaven, a salvation truly by works.
Right Entrance into Heaven
Let us then look secondly at the right entrance into heaven. Verses 7, 9, and 10b.
Christ the One True Gate
Notice the identity. And Jesus said to them again, because they didn't understand. Jesus said to them again in verse 7, Most assuredly, I say to you, that is, pay attention. He said that in verse 1.
He's saying, I'm about to say something very important. He says, Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. Perhaps we could even characterize the way the grammar is used here. I am the gate for the sheep.
There's only one way to enter in. There's only one entrance into heaven. And that's what this I AM THE GATE signifies. The right and proper, true way to enter into heaven.
It implies the way of entry. And it contrasts with the robbers who enter in another way. There's only one way to enter in, folks. just one way, and that is through the Lord Christ, who is God. Even as he uses the language, I am, refers back to Exodus 3.14, refers back to Jesus who is describing himself as Yahweh, who is fully God, fully man.
This Christ that's found in one person, fully God and fully man, in one person, is the only Savior for his people. The only one who lived, died, and rose again on behalf of His people, that they might enter into the sheepfold. That they might enter in. That believers might enter in.
That His people might enter in. That His elect might enter in. Sheep refers to believers, sheep refers to the elect, and that's certainly what we've seen in John in preceding texts. John 6, that is, with respect to, I am the bread of life, no one comes to me unless the Father draws him.
John 8, when Christ describes the difference between the sons of the devil and the sons of God. or that you are of your father the devil in John 8. And then even here you see the shepherd had specific sheep who only knew his voice. Jew and Gentile as he speaks in John 10. So Christ is the door.
Christ is the one. Christ is the one people enter in through that they might believe on him. But notice the motive for our Lord coming. Pastor Butler alluded to this this morning and referred to it this morning.
Notice in 10b, contrasting with what the thief does do. Notice in 10b, I have come that they may have life and that they might have it more abundantly. You see, Christ didn't come for selfish gain. Christ didn't come to fill his own stomach.
Christ didn't break, enter in a false way because he is truly God and truly man, the only one who is perfect that we might look to and live. He's the one who cares for his sheep that his sheep might have life, and have it more abundantly. Most assuredly that this refers to eternal life. This most assuredly refers to the things that are everlasting.
We should set our mind on the things that are above, where Christ is at the right hand of God. Why did Christ come into the world? We've been pondering that often in this past season. Pastor Cam referred to that often this morning.
John 3, 16. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him might not perish, but have eternal life. Why did Christ come into the world? I have come that my sheep, or they, may have life, that they might have it more abundantly. and even many other passages, Matthew 121.
Why did Christ come? To save his people from their sins, that we might live and have life more abundantly. And then we'll flesh this out further in verse 9. Verse 9 is the center of this structure.
That's why I'm referring to it last. This is the center and the significance and the focus of why Christ is the door. In verse 9 he says, I am the door.
Benefits of Entering Through Christ
Notice the benefits of being found in Christ, of entering in through the Lord. If anyone enters by me, Not by Buddha, not by my own works, not by Muhammad, by me. Not by pharisaic teaching, but by me. Not by any other means, but by me.
He will be saved. Salvation is a great and eternal benefit for God's people. Isn't this the significance of the gate? There's only one way.
As Jesus describes in Matthew 7, there's the broad gate, the broad way, and the narrow way. Christ is the only legitimate way of salvation. He is the only one in whom sinners can find everlasting life. He is the only one that sinners can enter in and find pasturage.
That is why we preach the law, as Pastor Butler spoke of this morning. We preach the law to show people their sinfulness. As that great quote from Watson tells us, You see, as we even think about, I am the gate, as it's with, I am the shepherd. I am the gate describes the way of salvation.
I am the good shepherd describes how Christ's makes that salvation possible, doesn't it? I am the good shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep. I am the good shepherd who came to do what the Father would have me do. I lay down my life that I might take it up again.
No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father. Even before the foundation of the world, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, as Flavel says, contrived all our happiness that we might have everlasting life.
You see, Christ is the good shepherd. Christ is the gate of his sheep. He lived the law in perfection. He dies as that perfect sacrifice, removing the guilt for his people.
Not only that, but turning away the wrath of God and reconciling God to us. God to us, not us to God. God is the one who alienated himself from us. Certainly we could say, you know, us to God, that's a good thing too, but it is God who alienated himself from us because he is holy and we are sinful.
The Good Shepherd's Atoning Work
I am the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he shall be saved. And I think there's some, again, Old Testament allusions to this in Psalm 118, verses 18 through 20.
Sorry, verse 19. Psalm 118 verse 19, Notice in 22, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. And it goes on to describe other things as well. But, sorry, let's read verse 25.
Save us now, I pray, O Lord. Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
God is the Lord, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar. You are my God, and I will praise you. You are my God, and I will extol you.
Is this not our response, brethren, for a God who saves us? O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. He is that gate that brings salvation for his people. But notice as well,
Covenant Security for the Sheep
notice he says he will be saved, but then he says, and we'll go in and we'll go out. This describes, brothers and sisters, covenant security. You see, what would happen is we would enter in through Christ the gate, or the sheep would enter into the sheepfold. But nonetheless, they need to be led out and back in.
They need to be led to find pasturage and led back in for safety. And thus Christ, as the true shepherd, does that for his people, who go in and go out. He is the one who is with his people. And I think this alludes back to Deuteronomy 28, 6, when it describes covenant blessings.
Should the people of Israel actually do what was required? And we know that they did not do that. But when Moses is describing the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 28 verse 6, he says, blessed shall you be when you go in and blessed shall you be when you go out. You see, they had to earn that based on their merit.
Brethren, we go in and out because Christ earned it on behalf of us. Christ earned that on behalf of His people. He is the one with whom we have spiritual security and in whom we have spiritual sustenance, brothers and sisters. We have the means of grace even now until we wait that blessed day when we go to be with the Lord, when Christ returns.
We have glimpses and foretastes and looks to heaven that we might see and partake and feast briefly in those moments, to look to heaven. The Lord's Supper is one of those things, brothers and sisters. We come together at the table to partake of the Lord Christ by faith as certainly a meal that remembers him, certainly a meal that provides nourishment, but a meal that points forward. to that marriage supper of the Lamb where every person, every sheep will be from every tribe, every tongue, every nation will feast together at that marriage supper of the Lamb as we feast together. But Christ provides sustenance for his people. as the Good Shepherd.
We go in, we go out with Christ. Another passage we won't turn there is Numbers 27, also describes this as well. It talks about going in and going out. But this is covenant language, security for God's people.
The benefits are salvation, security.
Eternal Pasture for Christ's Sheep
But notice even further, he says he will go in and go out in verse 9 and find pasture. This refers to everlasting life, brothers and sisters. Pasturage is not used often in the New Testament. It's only used twice.
So again, we go back to the Old Testament. Turn again to Ezekiel 34, but this time look at verse 14. As he promises the coming Good Shepherd, I shall read in verse 11 of Ezekiel 34. For thus says the Lord God, indeed I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out my sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them to their own land. I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, in the valleys and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and their fold shall be on the high mountains of Israel.
There they shall lie down in a good fold, and feed in rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. I will seek what is lost, and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken, and strengthen what was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong, and feed them in judgment.
But does this not also describe Psalm 23? The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He leads me beside quiet waters. He leads me by green pastures.
Doesn't he? This pasturage here refers to the reality that Christ's sheep will never go hungry. Christ's sheep will be provided for. Christ's sheep even now participate in part in everlasting life.
But we will see it when it's consummated, when we see Christ return, when we get to partake in full of everlasting life, of what that looks like as we look forward to that. Sometimes in this weary world, as we trudge along sometimes, it's those moments as we look to heaven that can give us hope further. As we think about those things that Christ has purchased for his people. Now there are many things that can give us hope for heaven and cause us to continue to plod along, but one of those things we can ponder is that inheritance, is that pasture, is that eternal life, is that reality, or we can go in and go out because of the Lord Jesus Christ.
So the gate figuratively refers to entrance into heaven. It figuratively refers to the doorway into heaven. For those that have entered in, Know that you have hope, you have security, you have everlasting life, you have a good shepherd who cares for you, who watches out for you, who provides security, provides a sheepfold, leads and guides you as you go in and go out, and even gives you eternal pasture. This is our Lord, this is our shepherd, this is the gate through which we enter in.
Application
Now, in conclusion, we can finish and answer that question again, or ask the question again, how will one enter into heaven? How will one enter into the sheepfold? It is through faith in Jesus Christ. You see, the hope is that, unbeliever, you will look to the Lord and live.
There is no other way of salvation. You may try to enter in another way. You may try to be like these thieves who try to climb up over the sheepfold, up over the wall and enter in. That is not the case.
There's only one narrow way to enter into that gate. There's only one way to enter in, and that is through the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Christ is the gateway into the kingdom of God. Christ is the gateway in which you enter in, and you shall find pasture.
For those, again, that know the Lord, Christ is the good shepherd who leads his sheep, providing security and nourishment for them. How might one enter into heaven? The true way to enter into heaven, it is through the Lord, the gate of the sheep.
Closing Prayer
Well, let us pray, brothers and sisters.