15 Jun I AM the door

John 10:7–10

⁷ So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁸ All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹ I am the door. If anyone enters by 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 that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Introduction: A Simple Door That Changes Everything

Have you ever thought about how important a door is? It might seem simple, it swings open and closed, it creaks sometimes, it might need a little WD-40 but a door is more than just a piece of wood or metal. A door gives you access to something. If it’s a front door, it lets you into a house where a place of safety, of family, of belonging. If it’s a door to a classroom, it opens up opportunities to learn. A door is a gateway.

In John 10:7, Jesus says something powerful and life-changing:

“Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”

This is the third “I Am” statement in John’s Gospel. And when Jesus says this, He isn’t just making a poetic statement. He is revealing who He really is and what He came to do.

So today, I want to walk us through three truths about what it means when Jesus says “I am the door.”

 

 

Point 1: Jesus Is the Door That Gives Us Access to God

Before we jump into John 10 where Jesus says, “I am the door,” let’s take a quick step back and look at what just happened because the context really helps us understand why Jesus said what He did.

What Just Happened? In John 8 and 9, Jesus did two powerful things: Firstly, He forgave a woman who was caught in adultery everyone else wanted to shame and punish. Secondly, He gave sight to a man born blind, someone who had suffered his whole life. Now, you’d think everyone would be amazed and thankful, right? But instead, the Pharisees — the religious leaders — got angry.

Why? Because: They were jealous of Jesus’ power. They were cold-hearted toward people. And they didn’t like that Jesus was flipping their ideas about religion upside down. They didn’t care that a woman’s life was changed, or that a blind man could see. They only cared about their rules and control. In fact, in John 9:34, after the blind man spoke boldly about Jesus, they kicked him out of the synagogue, basically saying, “You’re not welcome here anymore.”

So instead of celebrating a miracle, they punished the man for believing in Jesus. That sets the stage for John 10. So, in these stories we’re seeing a contrast between Jesus’ heart for people and the Pharisees’ heart for them-or lack of heart.

To get what Jesus means about the door, we need to understand something about sheep culture back in His day — specifically, the two kinds of sheepfolds that were commonly used: City sheepfolds and country sheepfolds.

City Sheepfolds — Big and Busy. In the city, sheepfolds were large stone enclosures used by multiple shepherds. These sheep pens were like a big parking lot for sheep — shared by several flocks at once. At night, shepherds would bring in their sheep and hand them over to a gatekeeper or guard. Then the shepherd could go rest or hang out with friends. It wasn’t unusual to have five or six different flocks all mixed together inside one pen. You might wonder: How would the shepherd get his sheep back in the morning? Here’s the cool part: Even though sheep aren’t the smartest animals — they actually have amazing hearing. Their eyesight? Not great. But their ears? Super sharp.

Now, let’s talk about the country sheepfolds. When shepherds were out in the fields or mountains, far from the city, they couldn’t bring their sheep into the big city pens. So they’d use temporary enclosures — small, circular pens made of stacked stones. These simple sheepfolds had no door. Just a gap in the wall for the sheep to go in and out.

So what did the shepherd do? He laid his body across the opening. He literally became the door. That’s what Jesus is talking about in John 10:7 when He says: “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.”

Jesus is saying: “Just like that country shepherd, I put Myself between My sheep and danger. I don’t run away. I lay down My life to protect them.” This is what Jesus meant when He said, “I am the door. If anyone enters through me, he will be saved.” The sheep could only enter or exit through the one opening — through the shepherd. There was no other way in.

In the same way, Jesus is saying:  “I am the only way to God. Not through being a ‘good person,’ not through religion, not through trying really hard. It’s only through Me.” He’s not being harsh — He’s being honest and loving. He’s saying: “There’s only one way in — but the good news is, the door is wide open to anyone who wants to come in.”

Some people say, “All religions basically lead to the same place.”, “As long as you’re sincere, that’s what matters.”, “Just do your best and you’ll get to heaven.” But Jesus says something different. He says: “I am the door.” Not a door. Not one of many.
The door. The only one. In a world that wants to be inclusive of every belief system, Jesus makes a bold and loving claim: “There’s only one way to be saved — and it’s through Me.”

Some people get upset at the idea that there’s only one way to be saved. Why Do People Push Back? They say things like: “That’s too exclusive.”. “Why would a loving God not give us more options?” “It’s not right to reject good people who believe other things.”

Is it wrong or unloving to say that Jesus is the only way to God and eternal life? A lot of people in the world today would say yes. They think it’s arrogant. Narrow-minded. They say, “How could you believe there’s just one way? That’s not fair to other religions!” Or they ask, “Can’t all sincere people go to heaven, no matter what they believe?”

But here’s the truth — it’s not unloving to tell people the truth. If Jesus really is the only way — and He is — then the most loving thing we can do is tell people. But the world loves to twist that. It wants to make it seem like Christianity forces you to choose between truth and love.

Church, let’s remember one thing: Majority opinion is not a valid test for the truth. Just because most people believe something doesn’t make it true. Truth isn’t decided by how many people agree with it. That’s really important to remember when we’re talking about Jesus. A lot of people today believe that all religions lead to God, or that as long as you’re a good person, you’ll go to heaven. That might be the majority opinion, but it doesn’t make it true. Jesus clearly said, “I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, they will be saved” (John 10:9). That’s not just His opinion — that’s the truth.

Imagine this: If someone was trapped in a burning building, and there was only one safe exit — would it be loving to lie and say, “Hey, take any door you want, they’re all the same”? No way. The loving thing would be to say, “That door right there — it’s the only way out!”

That’s what we’re doing when we say Jesus is the only way. Not trying to be better than others. Not trying to judge people. But simply saying, “We’ve found the Door — and His name is Jesus.”

Yes, Christianity is exclusive — Jesus is the only way to God. But it’s also completely inclusive — because this one door is open to everyone. But don’t miss the beauty of this: in verse 9, Jesus says, “If anyone enters by me…” That means anyone can come. Who is anyone? It is anyone. It is for the religious people or the rebellious people or the broken or people with church baggage and people with no idea what the Bible says. Jesus said anyone can come to me.    

That means: Anyone can come in, no matter how bad their sins are. It doesn’t matter if your faith feels small or weak. It’s not about how good you are — it’s about how good Jesus is. He died for the whole world — and that includes you.

 

 

Point 2: Jesus Is the Door That Provides Safety and Security

By God’s grace, we recently moved from an apartment to a house. But here’s the funny problem — we went from living with one door to now having five doors! Both of us are the type of people who are very cautious. We always double-check and sometimes even triple-check everything. Back in our apartment, almost every weekend, this is what would happen: we’d get ready for church, walk out the door, go to the basement parking and before getting into the car, we’d stop and one of us would say, “Did we lock the door?” One of us would then go back to check — again. And the door was always locked! We lived there for six years, and probably did that over 100 times. Never once was the door unlocked. But we still kept checking.

Now in the new house, we’ve got five doors. And every night before bed, I walk around checking each one. Then I finally lie down… and just before closing my eyes, I think: “Wait, did I lock the side door?” So I get back up and go check. And, of course, it’s already locked. Honestly, I wish I could just go to Bunnings and find a lock that guarantees 100% safety — no thief, no intruder. Maybe a smart one with a laser or electric shock or something. If I had a lock like that, I’d finally sleep in peace, knowing everything is secure.

Let’s think about what life was like for sheep in Jesus’ time. It was dangerous. There were thieves who wanted to steal them and wild animals that wanted to eat them. Sheep needed protection, and that protection came from one person — the shepherd.

Now picture this: The shepherd didn’t just watch the sheep from a distance. At night, he would lay his body across the doorway of the sheep pen. There was no gate, no lock — he was the door

Let’s look again at what Jesus says in John 10:9: “I am the door. If anyone enters through me, they will be saved.”

That word “saved” means more than just being safe for a moment — it means rescued forever. Safe from the punishment of sin. Safe from the lies of the world. Safe from the enemy who wants to harm us. If you belong to Jesus — if you’ve entered through the Door — you are in His hands, and nothing can pull you away. What a promise!

But here’s something really important I want us to hear: Don’t fall into the trap of thinking “Once saved, always saved” means you can live however you want and it’s all okay.

“If I’m saved and secure, does that mean I can do whatever I want? Just live however I feel like?” The answer is no.

If someone says, “I believe in Jesus,” but then lives like they don’t care — doing wrong without any regret — it’s fair to ask: “Did they really put their trust in Him in the first place?”

Because real faith changes you. Real faith doesn’t mean you’re perfect — but it does mean you care. You want to follow Him. You feel it when you drift. You want to come back.

Yes, Christians still mess up. We still sin. Sometimes we even drift far from God. But here’s the good news: Jesus doesn’t let go. If you truly belong to Him, He keeps holding onto you — even when you’re weak, even when you fall.

You know, a lot of people today say they believe in God and think going to church is a good thing. But the truth is, they’re not really committed. They might not serve in any way. They don’t give much, if at all. They don’t talk about Jesus with others. They show up to church maybe once every few months — because they’re “just so busy.” And if the weather’s nice, and there’s a chance to go away for the weekend, they’ll usually choose other things than God.

Real faith sticks with Jesus. It’s like a wedding. The wedding day is special and exciting — but what really matters is the marriage that comes after. Do you keep your vows? Do you stay faithful? That’s how you know the love was real. In the same way, following Jesus isn’t just about how you started. It’s about whether you keep trusting Him through the ups and downs.

Do you believe that there are so many people today that live in fear of losing their salvation? Maybe some of us. Some of us live with fear: “Have I messed up too much?”, “Will I lose my salvation?”, “Can I fall out of God’s hand?”

But Jesus says: “No one can snatch you out of My hand.”. If you’ve entered through Jesus, the Door, you are safe. Not safe from every hard thing — but safe in the deepest, eternal way. Safe in the arms of the Shepherd.

If you’ve walked through that Door before, but you’ve been drifting — come back. He’s still your Shepherd. His hand is still strong. He is still your security.

So don’t live in fear. Don’t believe the lie that you can lose your place in the flock. If you’re His, you’re His forever. He holds you tight. And nothing — not the devil, not your sin, not your past — is stronger than His grip.

That’s what Jesus means when He says: “I am the door.” He’s not just letting you in — He’s keeping all the danger out. You are safe. You are secure. And in Him, you can rest.

 

 

Point 3: Jesus Is the Door That Leads to a Full and Abundant Life

Let’s look at what Jesus says in John 10:9: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.”

That phrase “go in and out” means freedom. And “find pasture” means provision, satisfaction, peace.

Then in the next verse (John 10:10), Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” The word “abundantly” in the original Greek is perissos — it means overflowing, more than enough, over the top.

So what does it actually look like to enjoy an abundant life through Jesus — right now? When Jesus says He came to give us abundant life, He’s not just talking about money or success or a life with no problems. He’s talking about something deeper — a full life, a rich life, a meaningful life — with Him.

Abundant life means this: You get to walk through life with Jesus as your best friend, your guide, and your strength. You get a new kind of life — one that is full of peace, joy, and hope, even when things around you are hard.

Jesus gives us something the world can’t:

• A relationship with God that can never be broken.
• Joy that doesn’t depend on your situation.
• Hope even when you feel lost or low.
• Help every time you need it — because He’s always with you.

This doesn’t mean life becomes perfect. You’ll still face hard days. But with Jesus, you’ll never face them alone. When He’s your Shepherd, He takes care of you. He gives you purpose, fills your heart, and helps you see that you are loved, valued, and never forgotten. That’s what abundant life really means. It’s not just about getting more stuff.
It’s about getting more of Jesus. And when you have Him, you have everything you need.

Now, let’s be honest — especially if you’re in high school or university: When you hear “follow Jesus”, what do you think? You might think: “That means I have to give up fun.”. “I lose freedom — I won’t get to do what I want with my body, my relationships, or my future.” “If I let Jesus take control, I’ll miss out.”

But here’s the truth: You were made for Him. And you will never feel truly alive until you’re in a relationship with Him. Let’s use a simple picture from C.S. Lewis. He asked, “When is a fish most free?” Is it when it jumps out of the water onto the land? That might look like freedom — but it’s not. A fish is free when it’s in the water — because that’s where it’s meant to be. Out of the water, it suffocates. In the water, it swims, breathes, thrives.

You’re the same. You were made to live in Jesus’ love — under His care. That’s the water where you were meant to swim. The world promises you satisfaction in other places: “You’ll be happy if you just get into that relationship.”, “Your life will finally be good if you land that career.” “Just chase pleasure — that’s where real living is.”

But all of that is like taking a fish out of water. It might feel exciting for a little while. But it won’t last. It leads to more emptiness, more hurt, more brokenness. Some of you know exactly what I mean. You’ve tried the other doors. You’ve followed the voices of thieves and robbers, and they left you with regret.

But Jesus says: “I am the Door. Come in. You’ll be safe. You’ll be free. You’ll find life that satisfies your soul.” Not a perfect life — but a full one. Not a pain-free life — but a purposeful one. Not an easy life — but a life lived with peace, security, and joy that lasts even when things are hard.

Here’s the bottom line. If you want real freedom, real purpose, and real joy — Jesus is the Door. Walk through it. Trust Him. Let Him lead you to the life you were made for. It’s not boring. It’s not empty. It’s not restrictive. It’s abundant.

Gospel

When Jesus calls Himself the Door — and not just any door, but one that protects us. He is the Good Shepherd who lies down at the entrance of our lives to guard us from anything that could harm us. All He asks is that we trust Him. Basically, Jesus said ““Robbers, Thieves, If you want to get to them, you’ll have to go through me first.”

But Jesus does even more than protect us from danger. He stands between us and the punishment we deserve because of our sin. Jesus didn’t just protect us from outside dangers like thieves or wild animals. He stood between us and something even worse — the punishment we actually deserved because of our sin.

You see, we chose to walk away from God. We followed sin instead. We sold ourselves to things that lead to hurt and death — and sin had the right to claim us. But Jesus stepped in and said to sin and death, “Hey sin and death, If you want to get to them, you’ll have to go through me first.”

What happened next? And then He let sin and death hit Him instead. He took all the blame, all the punishment, all the pain — so we could go free. He gave His life in our place.

All He asks is that we trust Him. If we do, we can live in peace, knowing we are loved, forgiven, and protected — forever. That’s why the Bible says, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” If you are in Christ — if you’ve come through that door — you are safe. Safe from judgment. Safe from being abandoned. Safe from fear. Safe from shame. Safe from spiritual death.

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Let me close with this

When we build the house, we chose the nice art pieces, nice sofa, nice sink, nice door. spending a lot of time looking at stuff in Bunnings — things like sinks, bathtubs, appliances, and of course… doors. Some of those doors are really fancy — with glass, special designs, and all sorts of details.

But here’s the thing: no matter how nice a door looks, a door isn’t made just to be admired. A door is meant to be used — to walk through. It’s meant to give you access to what’s on the other side.

That’s how it is with Jesus. He didn’t say, “I am the decoration,” or “I am the inspiration.” He said, “I am the Door.” That means He’s not just someone to admire from a distance — He’s someone we are meant to enter through.

But many people today are happy just to admire Jesus. They like the good vibes they get from church. They enjoy the music. They respect Jesus as a good teacher. Maybe they even agree with His values. But they haven’t actually walked through the Door. They haven’t surrendered their hearts, trusted Him fully, and entered into the new life He offers.

Jesus doesn’t say, “Come and admire the Door.” He says, “Enter through Me.” That’s where salvation is. That’s where peace is. That’s where real life — full, abundant life — is found.

So the question today is simple: Have you entered through the Door? Or are you still standing outside, looking at it?

Don’t just admire Jesus. Step into life with Him. He’s the only Door that leads to safety, salvation, and true satisfaction.

Will you walk through the door today?

 

 

Discussion questions:

1. What struck you the most from the sermon?
2. Christianity is exclusive and inclusive at the same time. What does it mean, and how is it different from all other religions?
3. How does real faith in Jesus keep you from both living however you want and living in constant fear of losing security?
4. Explain what it means to have an abundant life in Jesus. Give some daily life examples.
5. How does the gospel enable you to trust Jesus as the door to enter through, and not just a decoration to admire?