John 10:9

Context

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind, and the Pharisees cast the man out. In the following passage, John 10:1-18, Jesus speaks using the imagery of sheep, a shepherd, and the sheepfold. His hearers are generally taken to be the Pharisees who appear at the end of chapter 9. John 10:6 calls this saying a parable and records that the hearers did not understand what it meant. Jesus then explains in verse 7, "I am the door of the sheep," and repeats in verse 9, "I am the door." Shortly afterward, in verse 11, comes the saying "I am the good shepherd." This verse is counted among the seven "I am" sayings in the Gospel of John in which Jesus declares who he is.

Interpretation

• The only way of salvation: Many interpreters, particularly within evangelicalism, read the verse this way. They link "by me" with John 14:6, "no man cometh unto the Father, but by me," and understand the verse as a confession that salvation comes only through Jesus Christ.
• The shepherd's care: The phrase "go in and out" resembles an Old Testament idiom for the whole of everyday life, as in the language of going out and coming in found in Numbers 27:17, Deuteronomy 28:6, and Psalm 121:8. This reading takes the verse to mean that the sheep who enter through the door enjoy protection, freedom, and food together, and connects it with verse 10: "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
• Old Testament background: This reading draws on Ezekiel 34 as background. In that chapter God rebukes the shepherds who failed to care for his flock and promises to seek out and feed the sheep himself. On this view, John 10 presents Jesus as the true shepherd and the true way in, in contrast to false leaders.
• The scope of "saved": The Greek verb used here can denote not only spiritual salvation but also being kept safe. Some interpreters therefore also see in it, within the imagery of the sheepfold, protection from danger.

Debates and Issues

• Other religions and salvation: In discussions of religious pluralism, this verse is often cited together with John 14:6. The major Korean denominations generally confess salvation through Christ. Theologians differ, however, on how to regard the salvation of those who have never clearly heard the gospel. Some hold that the verse states only that Christ is the way of salvation, without specifying how people come to know that way. Evangelicals generally respond that such a reading weakens the plain meaning of the text.
• Shifting imagery: In verses 1-5 the shepherd enters by the door; in verses 7 and 9 Jesus is the door; and in verse 11 he is again the shepherd. Many commentators explain this as a single image viewed from several angles.
• The illustration of the shepherd as the door: Sermons frequently use the illustration of a shepherd lying across the entrance of the sheepfold and serving as the door himself. Some scholars, however, are cautious about whether this was a common practice at the time.
• "All that ever came before me": Interpretations differ on who is meant by those mentioned in verse 8. Some view them as false messiahs; others, as the religious leaders of the day.

In the Korean Church

The verse is frequently treated in sermon series and Bible studies that cover the "I am" sayings as a group. In evangelism, it is cited together with John 14:6 to explain salvation through Christ.

Related Passages

• John 10:11-15
• John 10:27-29
• John 14:6
• Ezekiel 34:11-16
• Psalm 121:8