SUMMARY
Jesus identifies himself as the gateGates are openings in walls or fences for entrance and departure. In the Bible (as in Ruth and the prophets) the city gate was a commercial center where business and social transactions took place. In Amos the gate is the location of the law court... More that leads to salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. More for whoever enters by him.
ANALYSIS
Earlier in John 10, Jesus describes a sheepfold, which was a circular enclosure, often made of stones. In ordinary practice, sheep were brought into the fold at night so that they would be protected from predators and thieves. During the day, the sheep were taken out of the fold to graze in the pasture. The sheepfold is a metaphor for the people of God. By identifying himself as the gate or door, Jesus indicates that those who believe in him belong to a wider community. Through faith, they relate to God and to God’s people. The pattern of going in and out of the sheepfold recognizes that the faithful regularly gather as a community, then go out into the world, then gather together again. This repeated movement from gathered community out into the world and then back again characterizes the life of faith. This is one of the seven “I am” sayings in John’s Gospel. Since the expression “I am” recalls the name of God, who is the “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), these sayings emphasize that Jesus is God’s Word in the flesh.
