"Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep' "  (John 10:7).

Jesus gives two (2) illustrations or parables to the Jews and the Pharisees, "but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them" (John 10:6). Jesus had been talking to the Pharisees about light and darkness, truth and lies, and about God and the devil (John 8:12-55). Jesus now uses another parable illustration of shepherd and thief to illustrate God and devil from a different  and legal perspective.  The sheepfold represents this world (John 10:1). You must first have a natural birthing to legally enter into this earth.  In the beginning Satan came to Adam not through a legal birthing, but came illegally to deceive him. Satan deceived Adam by telling him that he needed to partake of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and misled Adam into committing the original sin of man against God. Satan robbed man of his right to the Garden of Eden, and stole his close fellowship with God.  Jesus Christ came into this earth legally through a natural birthing process with Mary's permission as prophesied by the willingness of many prophets (John 10:2).  The doorkeeper represents the Holy Spirit, who opens the truth of God's Word up to the sheep for salvation, and so the sheep with discernment can hear the voice of the true shepherd – Christ (John 10:3-5). This illustration or parable speaks of the natural birthing and God's dealing with man up to the point of salvation.

The next illustration or parable speaks of the Spirit birthing.  Jesus is the door of the sheep, no longer the sheepfold (John 10:7)  Jesus Christ is the only legal entrance into a relationship into the Spirit-birthed family of God.  Others who came before were Satan, his demons, and evil men led by his fallen nature and deceiving spirit, but the sheep did not hear them (John 10:8). Jesus repeats and clearly states, "I am the door.  If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9). Not only is Jesus the door of the legal entrance into the Spirit-birthed family of God, but we are saved by the Shepherd who has come to live in us as our very life.  Paul said, that we are "saved by His life" (Rom. 5:10).  Spirit-birthed sons are to live the Christ-life. Christ – the bread of life is now living inside Spirit-birthed sons, for their food and life (John 6:48; 10:9b).  Satan, demons, and evil men led by his fallen nature and deceiving spirit, have come to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10a).  However, Jesus has come to give us His abundant life in our shared-life the Christ-life with Him in us as us.

These two (2) illustration fulfill the details that Jesus told the Pharisee Nicodemus who came to Him by night (John 3:1-2).  Jesus said, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6).  We must be first born of water, which is the natural birth and legal entrance into this world, the sheepfold (John 3:5a; 10:1). Then one must be born again or Spirit-birthed by the Spirit to enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5b).  Then, Christ – the light of the world living in us in this new creation life will give us illumination to see the kingdom of God within us (John 8:12; 3:3). What abundant pasture of life we have in Christ in us!  What revelation and illumination we have in Christ in us!  Christ – the door of the sheep lives in us! V