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S. Michael Houdmann
Supporter
The statement "I am the door," found in John 10:7, is the third of seven "I am" declarations of Jesus recorded only in John's Gospel. These "I am" proclamations point to His unique, divine identity...
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Jeremiah Kaaya
The very first step to be taken is; to understand what it means when the term I AM is used. The term I AM connotes authority, much of it, unmeasurable, it is meant to mean the unquestionable ONE. ONE who is not answerable to any one other than HIMSELF.When Jesus the CHRIST used it the way it had been used in the oldest Bible times; Exodus 3:14, He wanted us in the first place not to have the slightest of doubts about His Godliness. He wanted us to have confidence in Him in whatever He said and directed us to do and to those who followed Him in those times. Jesus is unquestionably God and the Old Testament prophecies assent to this, one of which is; Micah 5:2. In light of the above, when Jesus the CHRIST said I am the door, He meant that; Himself alone allows in whoever and there is none else besides Him (Mathew 28:18). You either accept Him or lose out, there is no any other alternative. In Him alone, there is passage to the Father. Him saying I am the door; carries divine authority in it because no body else can be named after this manner, no body else can measure up to the authority that is hidden in this term I AM, no one else can dare. For that reason, there is no shortcut to the Father, because Jesus alone paid the price on the cross and His sacrifice was accepted of the Father in heaven. In Jesus alone, there is salvation. People are usually found to claim that whoever will enter heaven, that; as long as they believe in God, they will find there way in. Can God be that confused and contradictory? God forbid. However though, God the Father has provided a way only in His Son Jesus the CHRIST. In John 3:3, Jesus the CHRIST said; ".....unless a person is born again, he can never see the Kingdom of heaven". How do we get Born Again? Only by accepting and allowing in Jesus the CHRIST as our Lord and Savior. This statement only strengthens Jesus' revelation of Himself alone being the door. The confusion of not knowing what the right door is stopped when Jesus the CHRIST came and manifested Himself to us. There are many other doors, and Jesus knew there are, but the only door that leads to heaven is Jesus the CHRIST alone. Others are creations of man with the aid of the devil. As such, when Jesus the CHRIST said I am the door, He wanted us not only to take it as a statement, but as a supreme divine authoritative statement with which we are properly guided. Jesus the CHRIST is the only door that directly leads us to the Father, thus the use of the term I AM by Jesus the CHRIST. God bless
Andy Mangus
My most direct and simple answer I submit! Jesus' revelation that He is the door is His revelation that 'only by Him, only with Him and ONLY THROUGH HIM is there Eternal Salvation! "No one comes to The Father except through Me!" It is only through believing IN the one and only "begotten of The Father; God's one and only Son, JESUS CHRIST"! HE died on that cruel, wicked cross at Calvary just over 2000 years ago for "all whom call upon the Lord; believing IN His Holy Name asking Him to come into their hearts and minds by the power of His Holy Spirit and save their very soul." This is the single most important event (and Gift) that anyone can receive in their entire lifetime! It is God's precious Gift of Eternal Salvation! As I like to close with my saying: "Praise God that He Provided a Savior! And, His name is JESUS CHRIST!" ~~~Andy~~~
A F
Exodus 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them or serve them, for I the Lord thy God am I jealous God. Deuteronomy 5:9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them nor serve them, I the Lord thy God am a jealous God. John 1:1-12 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 the same was in the beginning with God. 3 all things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. 4 in him was life and the life was the light of men. 5 and the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. 6 there was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the light, that all man through him might believe. 8 he was not that light that was sent to bear witness of that light. 9 that was the true light which light at every man that cometh into the world. 10 he was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him or not. 11 he came into the world and his own received him not, 12 but as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. In these verses, what you realize is that Jesus is God. Many faiths and many religious sects do not believe that Jesus is the son of God or, in fact, that Jesus is God. John 1:1 makes it clear that Jesus was the Word and the Word was with God (meaning he has been with God from the beginning) and the Word WAS God and Jesus is the word. John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh (Jesus was made flesh) and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. This passage is a perfect example of both logic and mathematical truth as well. Jesus is God: This is said and in Exodus and Deuteronomy; he is still the same jealous God as the Old Testament says he is God. And he is the only God and the only true real God. He is the only God to whom you can pray and actually receive an answer. But many people who pray don't believe them because they don't believe; they don't receive an answer and so that compounds their disbelief. You cannot pray to God and disbelieve and expect him to answer you or to present himself to you in any way, shape or form. But when you pray in faith as he tells us to do in James, he does answer prayer. And you will know him. But first you must believe.
RICK PORTER
There has been very good commentary on this particular allegory that Jesus was using, in debating the ones opposing Him in almost all He did. I would just like to go back to what happened right before Jesus started talking about The Door and The Shepard. John 9, talks about the blind man healed, then chastened and rejected and expelled from the Temple by the self-righteous priests and leaders, who were supposed to lead and love the flock or members. Jesus then finds the man and tells him to believe in Him, and he did and worshiped Him. The religious leaders then began asking Jesus if they were blind, Jesus says they were not innocent, and starts talking about the true shepherd, they didn't understand, so He repeats and adds He also The Door. They had thrown the man out of their fold, so Jesus is saying that He is The True Shepard, and not only that but He is The Only True Door to the sheepfold. Psalms 23, says it all for The Shepard. John 14:6, says it all for The Door or Way. Jesus is Lord, Shepard, and The Only Door or Way to God's Fold.
Kenneth Heck
Besides the the general answers above, there is a particular application in Christ's words found in the prophetic significance of the tabernacle in the wilderness (and the Temple). The tabernacle itself represents the priestly function of Israel (Ex. 19.6). The gateway in symbolizes the change of Jacob's name to Israel. Within it we first come to the bronze altar which represents the Mosaic sacrifices for sin and blessing. Then we encounter the basin of water for the priests which represents the baptism of John. The door to the holy place represents the ministry of Christ at his first coming. He is the door by which all Christians (as sheep) can become priests of the order of Melchizedek. Inside all is dark until the menorah is lit which is the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit. This darkness is emblematic of the intended ignorance of the Jews concerning the advent of Christ as the Son of God. The shewbread represents the Lord's supper, and the golden altar the baptism of fire prophesied by John the Baptist, along with the Holy Spirit. The second door, or veil, represents the second coming of Christ, and the Ark of the Covenant inside the hope of the resurrection. These simple words of Christ will not pass away (Matt 24:35), and should still be studied for their full, comprehensive meaning.
James Kraft
Jesus said, I am the door. I am the way, the truth, and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but through me. Jesus is the bridge between us and God. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent me, that ALL that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting Life and I will raise him up on the last day. Jesus gives everlasting life to whoever believes on Him alone for the free gift of everlasting life. Jesus is the narrow way, because there is no other way to be saved than what He did for us. He paid our sin debt in full, past, present, and future sins we have not even thought of yet, so we can never be condemned again. Romans 4:7-8 and John 3:18. Romans 11:6 All grace, what Jesus did for us, no works. Our works can not save sinners which we all are. First John 1:8. Romans 3:23 and Romans 3:9-10. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Jesus paid the penalty of our sins so we can never be condemned again. John 3:18 Jesus plus nothing equals salvation by grace. It is a free gift by faith alone in Jesus finished work on the cross alone. There is only one gospel, First Corinthians 15:1-4, and One Jesus. Can trusting in anything else save us? No, Only Jesus plus nothing. Nothing we do or do not do can save us, only what Jesus did for us. We can add nothing to what He did, and we can take nothing from it.
Glen Jeffers
Very good analogy but further insight but complete answer. Adam and Eve was sheep gone astray and thus all of humanity has gone astray, now being in the likeness of Adam (Gen 5:3) and the likeness of God is now hidden under our flesh (I John 2:16). So Christ being the Good Shepherd died for all of humanity, a true redeemer of everyone - Isaiah 53:6, "Everyone like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, everyone, to his own way, and the Lord (Jesus) has laid on Him (Jesus Christ) the iniquity of everyone." Jesus Christ said that is exactly what His job was i.e. to save the unbeliever (John 12:47) and to destroy the works of the Devil (I John 3:8). John certainly believed this because he said Christ was the propitiation of not only those who believe but the whole world (I John 2:2, 4:14). In the world you have believers and unbelievers and Christ saved everyone. The called out ones are called to follow Jesus (Luke 9:23-24) or give up their life to obey His VOICE (worship in Spirit and truth) and the sheep who know Jesus in this way follow (John 10:27). But we now that many are called but few are chosen (Matthew 22:1-14). Why are they not chosen? Some go from sheep to wolves (Matthew 7:13-29) and yes I believe these wolves are saved and they will, in the end obey the Lord (Isaiah 45:22-25, Ezekiel 44:6-14 - but cast out of His presence). Love and mercy for His enemies, wow, what a redeemer. Many sheep have become serpents (Matthew 3:7), blasphemers of the Spirit (do not obey Jesus' voice - (Matthew 12:30-37), tares planted by Satan (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, John 8:31-47), goats (who do not obey Jesus' voice and are cursed) but sheep obey Jesus' voice - Matthew 25:31-46).
Jack Gutknecht
"Door" in the Bible can mean Temptation Gen. 4:7, Speech Ps. 141:3 --"Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!", Solitude (Matt. 6:6 -- "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."), Prayer Matt. 7:7-8 7 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."; Luke 11:9 "And I tell you, 'ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.'", the Return of Christ Matt. 24:33 -- "So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."; Mark 13:29 -- "So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates."; James 5:9 "Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door."; Determination. Luke 13:24-25; Opportunity Col. 4:3; Rev. 3:8, 20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."; and Christ Himself as here, John 10:1-9, especially John 10:7, 9. -- 7 So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep." 10"I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture."
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