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Jesus: The Door to Soul Satisfaction as Seen in John 10
August 15, 2025 · 16 min
Find out why Jesus is essential for a fulfilling life and how to walk through His door.
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Jesus: The Door to Abundant Life 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word as we look at John chapter 10, an exceptional passage as we look at the key to the extraordinary life. Verse 10, the thief does not come0:21 except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly. We're gonna talk about that abundant life. Chapter0:33 10 is a continuation of the discussion debate that we were looking at in chapter 9. Jesus is having this debate with the Jewish leadership, and what we find here at the end of this chapter0:45 is the end of that debate as the Jewish leadership unable to counter the truth of Jesus. Well, they wanna cancel him. They wanna kill him. John makes it abundantly clear that the political and and0:57 religious leaders of that day wanted to eliminate Jesus. They hated him. Look at verse 31. Then the Jews took up the stones again to stone him. Why? Because Jesus told the truth.1:09 In America, especially of the last few decades, our culture with the aid of, of some even within the church have created an idol of sorts. The name of that1:21 idol is Jesus. Now before you jump to the conclusions, I'm not talking about the biblical Jesus. I'm talking about the 1 they've created, the image of Jesus that they've created that is totally1:33 removed from scripture in history. I mean, how many times have you heard, well, Jesus is just love. Jesus loves. Jesus is nice, and he's he's affirming. He loved everyone, and everyone loved him. Well,1:45 if that's the case, why are we always reading they were trying to kill him? The truth is there were those who loved him. They were the ones who heard him, repented, and1:57 obeyed. But the others, as we've read here in the book of John and in the gospels elsewhere, they rejected him because because they preferred darkness over light.2:09 Jesus here's here's a news flash. Jesus was a controversial figure because he brought a nonnegotiable truth to the world. People didn't like that 2000 years2:21 ago, and they don't like it today. Here's the truth. Jesus is the door through which we can enter, enabling us not just to survive in this2:32 world, but to thrive. You know that Jesus' desire for you is not just to drag yourself across the finish line of life. He wants you to bust through that2:44 finish line, thriving in this life. Jesus came not just to save us from the penalty of death that we're under because of our sin nature, but2:56 he came that we might have soul satisfying life. But here's the key. You must walk through the door, and Jesus is the door. You must walk through that door to3:08 experience it. Now before we take a deeper look at, Jesus' discussion on the good shepherd in the first half of this chapter, I wanna give a quick overview of the entire chapter because, we're3:20 not gonna get to all of it today. There's a a 2 month interval, alright, between verses 21 and 22 of this chapter. The Feast of the Tabernacles was in3:31 October, and that was the focus of the last few chapters all the way up until verse 21 of this chapter. In verse 22, there is the Feast of the Dedication. Now this was3:43 instituted in 1 65 BC by Judas Maccabeus in commemoration of the cleansing and reopening of the temple after it was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in3:55 1 68 BC. This is also known as the feast of lights or Hanukkah that the Jewish community continues to celebrate each year. Then in verse 31 through 42, the4:07 religious crowd sought to stone him again, as we mentioned moment ago. And he left, went beyond the Jordan, for about 2 months. He was in that area and under because that was under the rule of Herod, and therefore, he4:18 was beyond the reach of the Jewish authorities. And then we have the very last verse of the chapter that records, while he was was there, many believed in him. So let's start with, verse 1. Let's go back to verse 1. Most4:30 assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the4:42 sheep. To him, the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hears his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them, and the sheep4:54 follow him, and they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand5:06 the things which he spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All whoever came before me are thieves and robbers, but the5:18 sheeps the sheep did not hear them. Why why are we talking about sheep? Well, living now and and mostly a non agrarian society, we miss the5:30 fullness of these animal illustrations that Jesus uses. Now this illustration or, was was really something that people of that day could easily5:42 grasp. You know, sheep, shepherds, it was a common sight. In fact, still is in that region of the world. We don't have sheep here and and we don't have sheep. We did have goats for a while, but we do have5:54 chickens. Alright? And I and I can tell you that the foxes and the raccoons do not enter through the door or the gate of the chicken pen. What they do is they come to6:06 steal, kill, and destroy. They dig under the fence or they find some other way into the yard or into the coop to kill. Martin Luther wrote this. He said, this simple creature, the sheep, has6:18 this special note among all the animals that it quickly hears the voice of the shepherd, follows no 1 else, depends entirely on him, and seeks help from6:30 him alone. Cannot help him itself, but is shut up to others' aid. A sheep is totally dependent upon the shepherd and responds to only that shepherd.6:42 Verse 9, I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The she the thief does not come except to steal6:54 and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. Look at this contrast. The thief, Satan, and his minions, they come to7:06 steal, to kill, and to destroy, period. That's their purpose. That's their motive. But Jesus, he came not just to preserve life, but to impart7:18 real life. It wasn't just to feed the 5000 a meal, but it was to impart the bread of life. He didn't come to this Earth just to commute the death7:30 sentence that we're under because of our sin and then leave us in bondage with a life sentence. He came to set us free and to give us new life, not only here and now,7:42 but more importantly into eternity. Now grab a hold of this. This. Alright? Jesus didn't come to this Earth and die for our sins just to get us across the finish line7:54 as survivors. But in a he came to enable us to thrive, to experience the abundant life, the extraordinary life, the more excellent life. That's what it says here.8:06 That does not necessarily mean material wealth. Okay? This is not name it and claim it. Alright? The abundant life is not synonymous for fame and fortune. In fact,8:18 think about it for a moment. How many, let's just say, of the the the famous, those who the rich and famous, how many of those can you point to that have not had8:30 some type of tragedy in their life? Multiple marriages or other drug addictions. What fame and fortune is not what Jesus is talking about here. It means a fulfilling, satisfying life. It8:42 is what Jesus pointed to in Matthew verse 33. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all of these other things that the8:54 Gentiles seek will be added unto you. When the lord is first place in our lives, everything else falls into the proper place. And when and then we have9:06 people as we see, we have people who are desperately searching for for purpose and for meaning and for contentment. Guess what? We have it. When we seek god first now that does not mean we're not9:18 gonna have difficulty. But even in the midst of the difficulty, our lives are void. They're strengthened by the purpose and the mission that we have and the meaning that9:30 only comes through knowing Jesus Christ. You know, tragically, those who do not walk through the door of the good shepherd are often led away by the thief9:41 who steals, he kills, and he destroys. Just at I mean, just look at at almost any street corner in a major city in America today. It's evidence of this truth. Verse9:53 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, 1 who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the10:05 sheep, and he flees. And the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know my10:16 sheep, and I am known by my own. As the father knows me, even so I know the father, and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must10:28 bring, and they will hear my voice, and they will be 1 flock and 1 shepherd. Now this is important. If we know the voice of Jesus as our shepherd, we're not10:40 going to be taken in by the deceivers. Alright? We'll know a false voice. We're not gonna respond to it. Also, notice that Jesus says there are some not of this fold that he must bring in. What's he talking about? He's10:52 talking about us. He's talking about us as Gentiles. This is another statement that makes clear that God has not rejected the Jewish people. Verse 17. Therefore, my father loves me because I lay down my11:04 life that I may take it again. No 1 takes it from me, but I lay it down myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have11:16 received from my father. He wasn't killed. I mean, he laid down his life for us. It was intentional. And he's he's saying it right11:27 here. I laid it down. I had the power to take it up. I had the power to lay it down. And and and remember the last thing on on on the cross? He breathed his life. He gave up the ghost. He let go. He11:39 was in control. Now Jesus describes the qualities or the characteristics of the good shepherd. And I think, by the way, this applies to, you know, not not only to the good shepherd, but to the under11:51 shepherds as well to to a degree. So number 1, he secures the well-being of his sheep. I have come that they may have life, and they may have it more abundantly. He he is providing for his sheep12:03 the the the the fulfillment of life. He stands in the gap, a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, 1 who does not own the sheep sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. And the wolf12:15 catches the sheep and scatters him. Jesus stands in the gap. He said, I'll never leave you nor forsake you. He speaks to the sheep. Do but do you not believe because you are not of my sheep? As12:27 I have said, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. He speaks to us. He safeguards his sheep. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.12:38 Neither shall anyone listen to this. Neither shall anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no 1 is able to snatch them out of my father's hand.12:50 He safeguards his sheep. And number 5, he sacrifices for his sheep. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Jesus, he's the13:02 good shepherd. And as I mentioned, he's the model for the under shepherds, the pastors. And I would add to that fathers and husbands should be the shepherds of their families. Recall what Paul we'll13:14 we'll look at this when we get to Ephesians in Ephesians 5 25. Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her. Jesus is our13:26 example, and and he he secures the well-being of his sheep. He stands in the gap for his sheep. He speaks to his sheep. He safeguards his sheep, and, yes, he sacrifices13:38 for his sheep. What a great passage of scripture, and I do hope that you have tasted of the abundant life, that you're walking in that abundant life. Again, it doesn't mean you're not gonna have challenges. But if you13:49 enter through that door, Jesus Christ is the door, and you accept him as your savior and as your lord. He says, I have come to to release you from the burden and the bondage of sin14:01 and to save you, but not just to give you life, to give you abundant life. So if you've not accepted him as your lord and savior, I encourage you to do so today, for today is the14:13 day of salvation. Father, we thank you for your word, and thank you for Jesus who is the door, who is the good shepherd. And I do pray that if there are any that might have, stumbled14:24 upon this today or been a part of this and they've never fully trusted Jesus Christ as their savior and lord, committing their life to him, abiding in him, following him,14:36 hearing his voice, and responding to it. I pray that they would do so today just just to to reach out and, and and and accept the work that has been done on their behalf14:48 through Jesus Christ. Father, thank you for your mercy and for your grace. We thank you for the Holy Spirit. We thank you for your word and pray that you would continue to lead us on this journey. For we pray and ask14:59 this in Jesus' name. Amen. Alright. If you have any questions on that, just, email me tony at tony perkins dot com, and we'll have somebody get in touch with you and walk you through that decision. Until next time,15:11 keep standing on the word.15:16 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you15:28 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Jesus: The Door to Abundant Life
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