"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
In John 10, Jesus calls Himself "the Door." I taught on this passage a few days ago in our student ministry, and had a great time studying and trying to discern the meaning of what Jesus said when He claimed to be "the Door". Here are some thoughts I had, while thinking deeply about doors. (I am very much indebted to this book for its guidance during my study/teaching on Jesus' "I AM" statements.)
#1 - Doors lead from one place to another. They are portals of passage. When Jesus said that He was "the Door," He literally meant that He was the means by which we leave one place and enter another. Specifically, through Him, we enter into the Kingdom and Family of God. Wow!
#2 - Doors are divisive. They separate inside from outside, one room from another, etc. I wrestled with this idea... Could Jesus truly be divisive? Then I read Luke 12:51 where Jesus literally said "I have come to bring division," and there are other places like it, where Jesus says that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword; to set families against each other; etc. etc. The divisiveness of Jesus is tied to His exclusivity (He is THE door, not A door), and it's an uncomfortable, politically incorrect reality of our faith in this pluralistic culture and world, but a reality nonetheless.
#3 - Doors protect us. Think about it - what if you just had a big hole on the front of your house instead of a sealed door? You'd be vulnerable to the elements, to wild animals, to robbers, thieves, and intruders. But a door seals and protects. It keeps at bay the dangers of the outside, and provides security for the ones inside. I think that's a beautiful picture - that Jesus, as "the Door", is our security and protection.
When you hear Jesus say "I am the Door," what does it mean to you?
In John 10, Jesus calls Himself "the Door." I taught on this passage a few days ago in our student ministry, and had a great time studying and trying to discern the meaning of what Jesus said when He claimed to be "the Door". Here are some thoughts I had, while thinking deeply about doors. (I am very much indebted to this book for its guidance during my study/teaching on Jesus' "I AM" statements.)
#1 - Doors lead from one place to another. They are portals of passage. When Jesus said that He was "the Door," He literally meant that He was the means by which we leave one place and enter another. Specifically, through Him, we enter into the Kingdom and Family of God. Wow!
#2 - Doors are divisive. They separate inside from outside, one room from another, etc. I wrestled with this idea... Could Jesus truly be divisive? Then I read Luke 12:51 where Jesus literally said "I have come to bring division," and there are other places like it, where Jesus says that He did not come to bring peace, but a sword; to set families against each other; etc. etc. The divisiveness of Jesus is tied to His exclusivity (He is THE door, not A door), and it's an uncomfortable, politically incorrect reality of our faith in this pluralistic culture and world, but a reality nonetheless.
#3 - Doors protect us. Think about it - what if you just had a big hole on the front of your house instead of a sealed door? You'd be vulnerable to the elements, to wild animals, to robbers, thieves, and intruders. But a door seals and protects. It keeps at bay the dangers of the outside, and provides security for the ones inside. I think that's a beautiful picture - that Jesus, as "the Door", is our security and protection.
When you hear Jesus say "I am the Door," what does it mean to you?