Page 111 - Gospel of John_teachers lesson_cp 1-10_Neat

John 10:1 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door
into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and
a robber.
John 10:2 - But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the
sheep.
John 10:3 - To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and
he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
John 10:4 - And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John 10:5 - And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for
they know not the voice of strangers.

Lesson Notes:

(John 10:1) – The Sheep Door – represents an entry intended to make a way out for sheep that
are retained inside a sheepfold. When sheep herders were traveling across deserts or
wilderness areas with a herd they would build make shift sheepfolds using large rocks staked
upon each other as a type of fence to keep the sheep inside and to keep predators out. The
sheep were corralled into a central location and the stone wall was built up around them until
they were completely fenced inside.
The sheepfold did not have a gate or door because the purpose of the sheepfold was to keep
the sheep in until the shepherd would return to release them and continue the journey to the
marketplace.
The first parable explains how a robber or thief would enter a secured sheepfold. Gaining
access by climbing into the protected area (some other way) without removing the stones from
the sheepfold to allow the sheep to exit marks the tactics of a thief or a robber. Such actions
demonstrate an intent to retain the sheep in custody with a greater objective to harm or
destroy them.

(John 10:2) – The Shepherd– Entering the sheepfold by creating a way for the sheep to exit
demonstrates the actions of a shepherd, the one that will lead them out of their confinement.

(John 10:3-4) – The Porter– A porter guards and protects the access to the sheep; keeping out
unwanted threats and preventing the sheep from getting outside of the protected area. A
porter stood guard overnight to watch the sheep protecting them from the night predators
until morning while awaiting the return of the shepherd. The porter will only give the shepherd
authorized access to the sheepfold.

The spiritual Porter is an authenticate witness to the identity of the Shepherd. Old Testament
voices and the voice of John Baptist that meet the required standards to qualified witnesses
and Porters of the foretold Shepherd-Messiah. Jacob leads the way, making a declaration in
Torah that a shepherd would come forth from the mighty God of Israel. (Gen. 49:22-24)

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