In John 10, Jesus presents the essence of the Christian good news through these rich metaphors of the gate, a shepherd and the sheep. The core message of the chapter is that Jesus is the only true and legitimate way to God, who protects His followers from spiritual ruin and willingly sacrifices His own life to grant them eternal salvation and a deeply satisfying life.
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger’s voice.” John 10:2-5
Jesus begins this chapter with another warning about the false shepherds of God’s people who are drawing them away from the life God requires. Jesus was addressing the Pharisees when he said
“. . . anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” John 10:1-2
Any good presentation of the gospel will begin by explaining the problem before giving the solution. The problem we all face is that we fall far short of his standard of righteousness; we will all be judged by God on the basis of the choices we make.
1. Jesus as the Gate: the Judge
A gate inherently does two things: it lets the right people in, and it keeps the wrong people out. Jesus says,
“I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” John 10:9
By implication, those who do not enter through Him are excluded.
John 10 is a direct continuation of John 9, where Jesus heals a blind man and the Pharisees cast the man out of the synagogue. Jesus is judging the Pharisees, calling them ‘thieves and robbers’ (John 10:1) who were wrong to mislead God's people. By declaring Himself the gate, Jesus acts as the ultimate Judge who determines who is genuinely part of God’s flock and who is an intruder.
Remember these chapter divisions were not added until 1205 AD. This was done by the English scholar and theologian Stephen Langton who was lecturing at the University of Paris. Langton later became famous as the Archbishop of Canterbury and played a major role in drafting the Magna Carta in 1215. The New Testament verses were created in 1551 by a French printer named Robert Estienne (also known as Stephanus). The Old Testament verses were adapted by Estienne from traditional Jewish sentence markings around 1553–1555. The first English Bible to feature both the modern chapter and verse numbers together was the Geneva Bible in 1560.
“I am the Gate”
The word ‘gate would have great significance for the Pharisees who knew the text of their Scriptures well, if not the meaning. They would know the significance of the ‘Gate’ in their Scriptures.
The Gate of Judgment in Ezekiel
The prophetic significance of the East Gate (often called the Golden Gate) in Ezekiel 10, 11, and 44 revolves around a three-stage story: the departure of God's presence, the abandonment of God’s city, and the ultimate restriction of the gate for the Messiah’s use. The ‘gate’ there undoubtedly symbolises God’s judgment.
The Departure of God from his people
In Ezekiel 10:18–19, the East Gate serves as the final staging area for God's departure from the Temple due to Israel's persistent idolatry. The ‘glory of the Lord’ moves from the threshold of the temple to the cherubim, which then hover at the entrance of the East Gate. This Gate is the exit point where God officially leaves His house, stripping Jerusalem of its divine protection before its destruction by the Babylonians.
2. God abandons his city
In Ezekiel 11:1–4, the vision continues at the same location, where Ezekiel sees twenty-five prominent leaders plot evil and give wicked advice to the city. God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against these leaders right at the gateway: The East Gate was traditionally a place for elders and kings to administer justice and govern. In this passage, it represents the corruption of spiritual and political leadership, marking the exact spot where those responsible for the nation's downfall are exposed.
3. The Gate is only for the Messiah
In Ezekiel 44:1–3, after the glory of God returns to the future Temple via the east (as seen in chapter 43), the prophet finds the outer East Gate completely shut. God commands,
“This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. . . because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it.” Ezekiel 44:2
Only ‘the prince’, a Messianic figure, is allowed to sit inside the gateway to eat fellowship offerings in God's presence. The sealed gate signifies the permanence of God's presence. Because God has returned, He will never leave again. The gate is holy, set apart exclusively for the Lord and His anointed ruler, serving as a monument to His eternal dwelling among His people.
Jesus is the gate of judgment
Jesus declares Himself as the ‘gate’ for the sheep. He is claiming to be that Messiah that the Gate refers to. He is the only approved way in. He says later,
“I am the way, the truth and the Life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
In the ancient Middle East, a sheepfold was a rocky enclosure where flocks were kept safe at night. The shepherd or his deputy would physically sleep in the opening, acting as the door to keep predators out and safely guide the sheep in and out to pasture. Jesus uses this to establish the exclusivity of the gospel. He is the only true access point to heaven, and anyone who comes through Him will find salvation, safety, and nourishment.
“Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” John 10:7-9
Jesus is contrasting himself with religious leaders, and in this context he is clearly referring to the Pharisees. They had missed the point of the Scriptures that a Messiah is coming who will save those of his people who repent and return to following him.
We each decide our eternal fate by deciding whether to go through Chris’s narrow gate or not.
2. Jesus as the Good Shepherd: the Leader God’s people
The image of the shepherd in the ancient Near East was a standard political and religious metaphor for a King or Ruler. God’s leaders were expected to feed and protect the people, not exploit them.
Jesus explicitly contrasts Himself with ‘hired hands’ who run away when danger comes. He is deeply critical of false religious leaders such as the Pharisees were.
“The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.” John 10:12-13
In contrast, as the Shepherd, Jesus models a new kind of self-sacrificial leadership. He leads by voice and relationship:
“He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out... his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” John 10:3-4
This idea of the Shepherd again comes from the Jewish Scriptures. Jesus is intentionally echoing Ezekiel 34, where God fiercely rebukes the corrupt ‘shepherds of Israel’ who fed themselves instead of the flock. In that prophecy, God promises,
“I myself will tend my sheep . . . I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them.” Ezekiel 34:15, 23
By calling Himself the Good Shepherd, Jesus is explicitly claiming to be that promised Messianic Leader and King.
Jesus contrasts himself with that of ‘the thief’ (referring to Satan and false religious leaders) who are essentially only interested in their own well-being. They come only to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus came with the opposite purpose, so that believers might live.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
He is publicly saying that he alone has God’s authority. This ‘abundant life’ he offers isn't a promise of material wealth or an easy, pain-free existence, but a life of deep spiritual satisfaction, contentment, and joy that endures through any circumstance. Jesus solidifies this by identifying Himself as the Good Shepherd who proves His love by giving himself that his sheep might live. He voluntarily died in the place of His sheep, rather than running away like a hired hand when danger arrives.
In summary, as the Gate, Jesus exercises judgment, he validates the true sheep and bars the false leaders. As the Shepherd, Jesus exercises loving leadership. He guides, protects, and gives His life for the flock.
Jesus gives ultimate Assurance (John 10:16, 27-30)
The good news in this chapter offers supreme comfort regarding the eternal security of those listening to and following Jesus. Jesus states that His sheep hear His voice, He knows them intimately, and no one can snatch them out of His hand. Furthermore, He announces that He has ‘other sheep’ (representing the Gentiles) who are not of the Jewish fold, but will be brought in so that there is ‘one flock and one shepherd’. This emphasises that the gospel is for people of all nations and that salvation depends on Christ's unchanging power, not human effort.
While the literal English word ‘gospel’ does not appear in the Old Testament, the Hebrew root word for proclaiming good news (basar) and the concept of global salvation appear hundreds of times across the Law, Prophets, and Psalms.
The New Testament explicitly states that the gospel was preached to Abraham, confirming that God's plan of global redemption was embedded in the Hebrew Scriptures from the very beginning.
“Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: 'All nations will be blessed through you.” Galatians 3:8
The gospel is for all people
The idea that God's good news, salvation, light, and blessing are intentionally designed for all global nations is emphasised repeatedly.
This teaching that God’s people have been chosen to share the good news with outsiders, with people of all nations, had been forgotten in Old Testament times, had been forgotten by the Jews in Jesus’ time, and has intermittently been forgotten by Christians in these ‘last times’. It will therefore be helpful to review this doctrine.
1. The Abrahamic Promise: ‘All Nations Will Be Blessed’ (5 Times)
The absolute foundational declaration of the global gospel occurs in the Abrahamic Covenant. God repeats the exact formula that through Abraham's ‘offspring’ the entire world will find spiritual blessing.
“. . . and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 12:3
“. . . and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?” Genesis 18:18
“And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed . . .” Genesis 22:18
God repeated this to Abraham’s son, Isaac:
“. . . and in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 26:4
This promise was repeated to his grandson Jacob:
“. . . and in you and your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.” Genesis 28:14
The question must be asked, who is this offspring, this person who will bless all the nations of the world. When all the other prophecies are brought together we know that he will be a descendant of Jesse and King David, that he be born on Bethlehem, will die a cruel death by crucifixion, will rise from the dead and then will rule eternally. Jesus’ apostle Paul explains these verses:
“The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16
2. The Prophetic Promise: ‘A Light to the Nations’ (3+ Times)
In the book of Isaiah, God describes the coming Messiah (the Servant) not just as a Saviour for ethnic Israel, but as a global beacon who will rescue non-Jewish peoples (Gentiles):
“I will also make you a light to the nations, so my salvation can spread to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6
“I will . . . give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations…" Isaiah 42:6
“And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” Isaiah 60:3
The Psalms and the Prophets continually command God's people to declare His ‘saving power’ and ‘good news’ directly to foreign nations. These are just a few examples:
In Psalm 2, which tells us about the future reign of God’s Son we read:
“Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance . . .” Psalm 2:8
In Psalm 22 which describes the execution of God’s Messiah, we read:
“All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before you.” Psalm 22:27
“Declare his glory among the nations... his marvellous deeds among all peoples.” Psalm 96:3
In Isaiah 52:7-10 we are given the classic picture of the gospel spreading as people move out with the news:
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news . . .”
This passage concludes with
“ . . . and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Isaiah 52:10
The Sheep
Jesus compares His followers to sheep to highlight humanity's vulnerability, total dependence on God, and unique ability to recognise His voice. In ancient agrarian cultures, sheep required constant guidance for survival and were profoundly attached to their specific shepherd.
Unlike many other animals, sheep are defenceless against predators. Without a shepherd, they lack direction, cannot find food or water on their own, and are easily lost. This mirrors humanity’s spiritual inability to save or protect itself. Sheep are famously nervous with strangers, but they will intimately know and follow the voice of their own shepherd. Jesus uses this to illustrate that His true followers will recognise his voice and the truth of what he says.
Despite their vulnerability, sheep were incredibly prized possessions in the ancient Near East. They provided the community with wool, milk, and meat. Comparing followers to sheep emphasises that humans are highly cherished and valuable to God.
Sheep naturally stay close together in flocks for safety. Watch a flock of sheep being herded by a sheep-dog. They largely ‘go with the crowd’ and are loathe to act independently.
Isaiah also uses this metaphor to explain the gospel. We are all naturally subject to God’s judgment but the Messiah will bear the penalty for our sin when he dies as our substitute.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6
This verse describes humanity as being universally prone to wandering away from God’s path (like straying sheep) and following our own selfish desires. It highlights that God placed the sins (iniquity) of all people onto the Servant, who bears the punishment in their place. This Servant prophecy was fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
The Sheep listen to the Shepherd’s voice.
The word ‘voice’ is explicitly mentioned six times. The related phrase ‘listen to’ or ‘heard’ is also used three times, bringing the total occurrences of the idea to nine times.
“ . . . and the sheep listen to his voice.” Verse 3
“ . . . and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.” Verse 4
“ . . . they will run away from him because they do not recognise a stranger's voice.” Verse 5
“ . . . but the sheep did not listen to them.” Verse 8
“They too will listen to my voice . . .” Verse 16
“My sheep listen to my voice . . .” Verse 27
This is a vital point. We know what God thinks because he has revealed himself in his word. The Pharisees preferred to follow those people who had misinterpreted the Word of God instead of trying to understand what it really means and obeying what it teaches. Any person claiming to be a Christian who has little interest in understanding what the Bible is saying to each of us is at grave peril. Christians listen to the voice of the Lord Jesus.
His voice calms us when we have concerns but also convicts us when we go wrong. He guides us and encourages us to keep going, His word makes sense, is coherent and enlightens us. All ‘stranger’s’ voices, and there are many, will be rejected by God’s people. Others, not of God’s flock, may be obsessed by what ‘strange’ religious leaders say, but they lead people away from Jesus and what he teaches us from God.
This chapter is therefore a great summary of the Christian Good News. If we belong to the Good Shepherd we will follow him and his ways, we are safe and secure and will not allow other voices to influence us.
BVP
This article has been posted on the website www.bvpalmer.com where there are many other helpful articles and videos.
Christchurch Baldock is a Bible teaching, gospel centred, local church. More details can be found on its website. It meets every Sunday morning at 10.30 am in Knights Templar School, Baldock
Bernard can be contacted at berniepalmer1@sky.com
