The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen for his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.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.To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
5 sermons cite this verse
… enters by the door is the shepherd. Verse 3, to him, to the shepherd, the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice. That is the voice of their shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. The fourth verse says, when he puts forth all his own, notice all of them, none of them are left, then he goes before them and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They simply will not follow a stranger. That voice they do not know. Now, this figure of speech in the word means allegory. This allegory Jesus used as he spoke to them and they didn't understand the meaning. It doesn't mean they didn't understand the picture. It means they didn't understand why he talked about it. It was an empty story, familiar scene that had an unfamiliar message. And so with great care, Jesus interpreted his own allegory, beginning at verse 7. He said to them again, truly, truly, that often is an announcement of a discourse. …
So you probably know this. We know that this is for UMD, for CSS. This is the last week of classes. One more week of classes. And then I just think about this. Like think about the road that brought you here. Like the road that brought you to this moment, the road that brought you to this season, or even like, you know, we're in the fourth Sunday of Easter. Three weeks ago, some of many of you, 55 people in this community became Catholic. and the road that brought you to the Catholic Church, or if that was the past, like just to think about the fact that wherever you're right now, there was some road that led you to this moment. Whether you're in school, out of school, it doesn't matter. Whether you've always been Catholic or just it's kind of a new thing for you. There was this road that brought you here. And this is one of those things that always happens. Whenever we're like, okay, this is the road that brought me here, there's a new question that comes up. …
… the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens. Some have referenced the doorkeeper as a reference to the Holy Spirit, be that as it may. To him the doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him for they know his voice. Listen everybody, this is critical, yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Verse 6, Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. Jesus is announcing, I am the doorway, and I am the shepherd, and my sheep know my voice, and I know theirs, and they will follow me. And oh, by the way, a stranger, strange doctrine, they're not going to follow. That's powerful. Jesus says that he leads the way. Is that true? …
… When he enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. The stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from Him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. This figure of speech, Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them. So Jesus said to them again, "'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters through Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I come that they may have life and have it abundantly. …
… He who enters by the door, rather than over the walls, which is the crook, but the one who enters the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. During the night, all those sheep get mingled amongst themselves, and they're all gathered together, and the shepherd walks in the gate, and he begins to call out for his particular sheep. And he is so intimately involved with the care and the nurture of his sheep that he has names for them. And so He begins to call them by name, and the sheep know the shepherd's voice. And so when the shepherd calls, they come and they follow the shepherd because they know Him. Now that particular illustration is one that Jesus uses over and over and over again in the New Testament to speak about His relationship to those whom the Father gives Him, to those who are the believers, that the believer is known by Christ, and the believer knows Christ, knows His voice, and will follow Him. …