“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. (John 10:1-6)
Jesus begins to talk of himself as a shepherd. He compares himself to a shepherd. His people he compares to sheep. This isn’t a derogatory thing where he is concerned. He talks about a shepherd who knows and loves his sheep. Of sheep who know and love their shepherd. Every shepherd had his own call, he’d sing this to his sheep out in the wilderness when he would lead them to food and water, they would learn to follow him. He wouldn’t need to look them over or identify them by brands or ear badges. He would call and they would follow. Jesus comes in through the door, he calls and his people follow. They know him, because he knows them. Those who don’t know him won’t follow. But when the gospel is spoken, then his sheep hear and they understand, their sins are forgiven, their shepherd has come in through the gate and smashed the door of death, they follow him back out.
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