John 10:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

NIV: The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

NASB: But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.

CSB: The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

NLT: But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.

KJV: But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

NKJV: But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

Jesus is building the first of three analogies based on the idea of sheep and shepherds. Sheep pens of that era were constructed with relatively high walls and a single door. This made it much easier to control which animals and people could get in or out. Several flocks could be housed in a single structure. Individual shepherds were known by their flocks purely by voice. To get a particular shepherd's flock out, all that shepherd needed to do was call. In response, his sheep—and only his sheep—would come out.

These pens were built for security. The single door was where approved shepherds would be allowed to come in and out, and where their flocks would enter and leave. There was no reason for anyone to use any entry point other than the intended door. At least, there was no legitimate reason. The only motive for someone to enter the pen by climbing the wall is so they could harm or steal sheep.

Jesus will continue in the next verses to explain that He, and He alone, is the "approved" shepherd, and those sheep which are His recognize Him by His voice. Those sheep won't follow strangers and thieves.

At this point, Jesus is not speaking about eternal life. His analogy has a well-defined purpose, not directly related to salvation. As Jesus will say later, those who are "His," as it pertains to everlasting life, cannot be "stolen" in the way the robber in this analogy might attempt (John 10:28). Rather, the symbol of this verse is about how and why certain people respond to the message of the gospel and others do not.

John 10:1–21 continues directly from Jesus' clash with local religious leaders after giving sight to a man born blind (John 9). Jesus' references to shepherds and shepherding are pointed barbs at these hypocritical, self-serving figures. Jesus creates three separate metaphors here. These are not meant to be understood as a single analogy. The first comes in verses 1 through 6, the second in verses 7 through 9, and the third in verses 10 through 18. In doing so, Jesus explains how He differs from the corrupt leaders He confronts. He also delivers His third and fourth ''I am'' statements, out of seven in this gospel.

This passage continues Jesus' discussion with the religious leaders of Jerusalem, seen in chapter 9. Jesus lays out three separate analogies about His ministry using the concept of sheep and shepherds. In those statements, Jesus explains why some people refuse to accept Him. He declares Himself the only means of salvation. He again predicts His sacrificial death. This leads to controversy. Later, Jesus is cornered by a mob in the temple grounds. They try to stone Him as He repeats His divine claims, but He escapes in a way not fully described by the text. After this, Jesus leaves the area and returns to the region where John the Baptist had once preached.

Starting in chapter 7, the gospel of John describes Jesus' preaching at the Feast of Booths in Jerusalem. Through chapters 7 and 8, He debates with critics and attempts to explain spiritual truths. On the way out of the city, Jesus gives sight to a man born blind, as shown in chapter 9. That begins an extended debate which continues in this chapter. Jesus gives analogies of His mission using shepherding as a theme. Months later, He repeats those ideas when cornered by an aggressive mob in the temple. This sets the stage for His grandest miracle, the raising of Lazarus, seen in chapter 11.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.