The Deep Waters Way | Series: I AM | Episode 23: The Door

In this third installment of our series on the predicate I AM statements in the Gospel of John, we transition from divine provision (Bread of Life, Light of the World) to divine protection as Jesus declares: "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7, 9). Set against the dramatic aftermath of John 9—where a man born blind was healed on the temple steps only to be harshly interrogated and excommunicated by the Pharisees—Jesus exposes the corrupt, self-serving nature of Israel's religious leaders. By contrasting the communal village sheepfold with the wilderness sheepfold (where the shepherd himself lies down across the entrance to become the physical door), Jesus reveals that He alone is the legitimate source of authority, protection, and green pasture. Grounded in the scathing prophecy of Ezekiel 34, this episode explores what it means to enter through the True Gate, recognize the voice of the True Shepherd, and find refuge from spiritual thieves and wolves.

Core Takeaways

• The Shift to Divine Protection: Following Bread of Life (John 6) and Light of the World (John 8), I am the Door (John 10) marks the transition in John's Gospel from God providing for human need to God protecting His people from spiritual harm and false guidance.
• The Gravity of Excommunication: Being "cast out" of the synagogue in 1st-century Judaism (John 9:34) was a devastating religious, social, and economic isolation. Rather than shepherding the healed man, the religious leaders abandoned him outside the fold—treating him as a pawn to protect their own political power.
• Two Types of Sheepfolds: Jesus uses two distinct cultural settings in John 10:

1. The Village Fold (v. 3): A communal stone enclosure with a gatekeeper (porter) and a physical door, where multiple flocks wintered together overnight.
2. The Wilderness Fold (vv. 7-9): An open rock enclosure in the countryside with no physical gate, where the shepherd literally slept across the opening—making his own body the door.

• Exposing False Shepherds: When Jesus calls those before Him "thieves and robbers," He is directly confronting the corrupt religious authorities (the Pharisees and the Roman-appointed priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas) who bypassed God's authority to exploit the flock for personal gain.
• Ezekiel 34 Prophetic Backdrop: Jesus' accusations mirror Ezekiel 34, where God condemns the "shepherds of Israel" for feeding on the flock, neglecting the weak, and ruling with harshness—promising that Yahweh Himself will come to rescue His scattered sheep.

Depth of Insight

• The Political High Priesthood: Under Roman occupation, the office of High Priest had become deeply politicized. Caiaphas and Annas were appointed by Rome rather than Mosaic succession, creating an environment where religious leaders prioritized status with Rome over the spiritual well-being of the people.
• Going In and Out to Find Pasture: Jesus promises that those who enter through Him will be "saved and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9). Unlike false folds that trap believers in legalism and spiritual exhaustion, the True Door provides complete security while granting liberty to grow and feed in rich pastures.
• Recognizing the Shepherd's Voice: The excommunicated man in John 9 stood his ground against the bullying Pharisees because he did not recognize their "stranger's voice." When Jesus sought him out and revealed Himself as the Son of Man, the man immediately fell down in worship, demonstrating how true sheep recognize the voice of their Shepherd.
• The Danger of Counterfeit Doors: Entering a "false door" leads to a "false fold" characterized by legalist abuse, self-reliance, and spiritual death—mirroring the thief whose ultimate purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy.

Featured Scripture

• John 10:7-9: "So Jesus again said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep... If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.'"
• John 9:34-38: The Pharisees excommunicating the man born blind, followed by Jesus seeking him out and revealing Himself as the Son of Man.
• Ezekiel 34:1-10: God's judgment against the false shepherds of Israel who feed on the sheep rather than feeding the flock.
• Psalm 23:1-3: Yahweh as the Good Shepherd who leads His sheep beside still waters and into green pastures.

Theological Connections

• Numbers 27:16-17: Moses praying for a leader over the congregation so God's people would not be "as sheep that have no shepherd."
• Jeremiah 23:1-4: Prophetic warning against the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of God's pasture.
• Zechariah 11:15-17: The prophecy of the foolish, worthless shepherd who neglects the dying and deserts the flock.
• Luke 15:3-7: The parable of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine in the wilderness to search for the one lost sheep.

Scholarly Context & Commentary

• Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews (Book XVIII). Historical records detailing the Roman appointment and political tenure of High Priests Annas and Caiaphas.
• The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016.

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00:00 — [COLD OPEN] The Shepherds Who Feed on the Flock

The religious leaders use him. They treat him as a pawn in their game of trying to protect their own power and condemn Jesus. They're feeding on him.

The Deep Waters Way: Where Scripture, Theology, and Transformation Meet.

00:25 — Introduction: From Provision to Protection

Last week, after hearing Jesus declare that he is the light of the world, we saw him bring light into the life of a man born blind. As he did this, Jesus stated to his disciples that this man's plight would allow for a demonstration of God's might, and it is as well a demonstration of God's ability to provide for the needs of people.

A man born blind, healed on the temple steps. Light brought into a man's life in the shadow of the place God was meant to dwell. The place that for the last week had been glowing from the giant lampstands within its courts. It should have sparked a celebration. It should have been met with joy. Instead, it resulted in controversy, questions, an examination by the religious leaders, and excommunication from the faith.

What should have been an occasion for rejoicing in God's provision and healing turned into a rejection of the one sent by God. Upon hearing that the man had been cast out, Jesus went looking for him. This results in a confrontation with some of the Pharisees who were nearby. And it is in this conversation that Jesus declares he is the only proper door or gate into the sheepfold.

Today we're moving into John 10 and looking at the third I am statement by Jesus. I am the door. As we do, we're shifting from that category of provision that I talked about a couple of weeks ago to protection. And we're discovering what it means to find and enter through the door rather than any other way.

Before we get into that though, I'm Ray and this is the Deep Waters Way. Thank you for joining me in this ongoing journey into the depths of faith. It is my desire that through this podcast, you and I both gain a greater understanding of God, his word, and we deepen our relationship with him.

If that sounds like something that interests you and you haven't already done so, then hit subscribe or follow wherever you're listening so that you never miss an episode. And if this is your first time listening, check out my previous episodes as well.

Now, grab a cup of coffee or hot tea and settle in for the journey. It's time to slip the moorings and head for the deep waters.

03:15 — The Gravity of Excommunication

What has just happened in the narrative? A man has been cast out, excommunicated. What does that actually mean though? It means he has no home when it comes to religion or worship.

Even in Jerusalem where the temple stood, there were many congregations of families join together in synagogues for spiritual enrichment and worship. These synagogues would have also been the immediate places families turn to when in need. For this man to be cast out means he has lost all access to that. It could also be likely that he would be shunned by the other members of the synagogue. Having been cast out may have even made it difficult or even impossible to join with another synagogue.

Now, it's unclear from John's account whether this casting out was a temporary or a permanent exclusion. In reality, though, it doesn't matter. The practical results would have been the same for the duration. He was being cut off religiously and socially. He was being abandoned by those who were meant to shepherd him. It was the equivalent of a shepherd intentionally leaving a sheep outside the fold. Without access to the synagogue and all it entailed, this man was left to be ravaged by whatever spiritual dangers he encountered.

And it is into this situation that we see Jesus appear once more. John says Jesus heard the man had been cast out and went looking for him. Much like the parable he had told of the shepherd who went looking for a single sheep. When he finds the man, Jesus asks him if he believes in the son of man. This question results in Jesus identifying himself as the son of man and the formerly blind man worshiping Jesus.

Some Pharisees nearby overhear the conversation and they begin to question Jesus. And this brings us then to chapter 10. In verses 1-9, we find Jesus twice saying, "I am the door."

07:00 — Part I: The Two Sheepfolds

Before we get too deep into this passage though, I need to clarify one thing. The shepherd and the door imagery here is deeply intertwined throughout the first 21 verses of chapter 10. And it is in verses 10-21 that we get the fourth I am statement. I am the good shepherd. Now, since we're going to be looking at that statement next week, I don't want to spend too much time on the shepherd imagery today. That said, though, there may be points where I briefly touch on it.

Now, in verses 1-5, Jesus makes a comparison between how people enter a sheepfold. He says, "The one who enters by way of the door, that is the proper way, is the shepherd. But those who try to come in through any other means, are thieves and robbers, not shepherds." Jesus continues the analogy by talking about how sheep know their shepherd's voice and follow him, but they won't follow a stranger because they don't recognize the voice.

John 10:6 says, "The Pharisees don't understand what Jesus is getting at. They are indeed blind, or maybe we should say deaf, as described at the end of chapter 9, because it's fairly clear there are those who try to take charge of the sheep by illicit means, avoiding the door and the porter, trying to call and lead sheep that aren't their own. And then there is the legitimate shepherd.

Because they don't understand though, Jesus becomes a little more direct. In verses 7-9, John tells us, "So Jesus again said to them, truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."

Now, when Jesus says, "All who came before me," he is not talking about Moses or the Old Testament prophets, Jesus is making direct accusations against the Pharisees standing in front of him and potentially even against the priestly cast in general and the high priest in particular. By claiming to be the door and saying true shepherds enter the sheepfold by way of the door, Jesus is saying that he is the sole source of authority for shepherds. In contrast, anyone who claims to be a shepherd but gains their authority from any other source is a thief and a robber.

Now, there's some historical background here you need to catch. Luke tells us that both Annas and Caiaphas, his son-in-law, were high priests at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. Based on the historian Josephus, it seems that Caiaphas was the active high priest, but that Annas had retained the title. Now ultimately this support of the high priests and the entire system of Roman patronage of the high priest makes the Pharisees culpable for the false nature of the high priest. Combine all of this with the harsh response to the man healed of blindness in chapter 9 and you see why Jesus accuses them of not entering the fold properly. Next to calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers. This is probably Jesus's harshest criticism of Israel's religious leaders.

To truly understand though what Jesus is driving at here, we need to look more closely at the metaphor. And that means looking at the mechanics of the sheepfold Jesus is referencing. It also means we have to address a seeming inconsistency in what Jesus is saying. It doesn't stand out at first, but if you read the first nine verses of chapter 10 closely, you'll notice something odd. In verse three, Jesus talks about a gatekeeper or porter watching the fold and giving the shepherd access. That implies the presence of a physical door that can be opened and closed. Then in verses 7 and 9, Jesus says that he is the door.

So which is it? Is there a physical barrier that can be opened and closed or is Jesus the door himself that closes the gap? The answer to both of those questions is yes. You see Jesus is describing two completely different types of sheepfolds. In verse three he is referencing a communal fold in a village. This type of fold was a large enclosed area possibly attached to a house. It had a physical door and at night all the local shepherds would bring their sheep into this fold. In the morning when they came to get the sheep, the porter would open the door. The shepherd would call his sheep and the sheep, knowing their shepherd's voice, would come out to follow him into pasture.

When the Pharisees don't seem to understand Jesus's point, he shifts gears. He begins to talk about a sheepfold out in the hills and the wilderness. Here, a simple ring or square built of loose fitted rock would serve as the fold. It had no gate, just an opening. At night, the shepherd himself would lie down in the gap and become the door. So when Jesus talks about the thieves and robbers bypassing the door to get in the fold, he's talking about that first fold. And he's accusing the Pharisees and religious leaders of sneaking into the fold to get to the sheep because if they go to the gate, the porter won't let them in. And even if they could get in that way, the sheep wouldn't follow because they don't recognize the voice.

The Pharisees don't understand the reference. And I think in part that's because they see their authority as legitimate. They miss that Jesus is calling them thieves and robbers. Even with their most recent example standing right there in front of them, the man they expelled because he dared say Jesus had to be from God. And by shifting to the wilderness fold and calling himself the door, Jesus is saying that he is the one who protects the sheep and authorizes the shepherd. It also means he's equating the Pharisees and corrupt leaders with the wild beasts of the wilderness who try to slip in and devour the flock.

12:30 — Part II: Thieves, Robbers, and Ezekiel 34

They have become the false shepherds God condemned through the prophet. So when Jesus says, "I am the door. All who come before me are thieves and robbers." He's shining the light of Ezekiel 34 onto the Pharisees. And standing between Jesus and them is exhibit and witness number one.

In contrast, Jesus tells us exactly what he's doing for the sheep. As the door, he provides protection from outside harm. Anything trying to get into the fold, whether a thief or a beast, has to either go through him literally or find another way in. In verse 9, Jesus points to the protective nature of a door saying anyone who enters by him will be saved. But then he adds another dimension to this protection. He says that the one who enters by him and is saved will also go in and out to find pasture. In other words, Jesus won't abusively keep them pinned up or feed on them rather than feeding them. He will lead them into pastures where they will feed and grow and then bring them back to the fold in order to protect them as the door.

17:45 — Part III: Protection, Pasture, and Counterfeit Doors

Now, since we've talked about the idea of false shepherds, let's consider for a moment the idea of false doors. In the past couple of weeks, we've talked about counterfeits to each of those I ams. That same danger exists here. What happens if we find a false door? We find ourselves in a false fold.

And in that fold, everything that we have just said about Jesus as the door is reversed. All of those accusations given through Ezekiel to false shepherds would apply here as well. The fold we find inside a false door is characterized by legalism, abuse, neglect, and even counterintuitively self-reliance. The false gate has the same intent as the false shepherd or the thief: to steal, kill, and destroy.

We also need to back up to verses 4 and 5 and talk about the contrast to the shepherd's voice. That is the false voice, the voice of the stranger. We see this played out with the man born blind. The Pharisees questioned him, bullied him, and demanded that he agree with them, but he refused and stood his ground because he did not recognize the voice speaking to him. However, when Jesus found him and revealed himself as the son of man, his response was worship. He recognized the voice of the one standing in front of him who he could now see clearly.

This is a dramatic picture of exactly what Jesus describes when he talks about entering through him and being saved. And we immediately see Jesus standing up for the man by berating the very leaders that had tried to use him for their own purposes.

21:30 — Conclusion: Entering Through the True Gate

Next week, we'll pick up with the second half of verse 10 and see what happens when we enter through the true gate and meet the good shepherd.

Thank you for coming along on today's journey. I hope you find this beneficial to your walk. If you did, would you share it with a friend, a co-worker, or family member. And if you would pray for me and for the show, those things are the best ways that you can help this podcast grow.

Now, go into the world, do the work of God, be the people of God. It's time to slip the moorings and head for the deep waters.

The deep waters way where scripture, theology, and transformation meet.