Written by E.V. Powers |
Tuesday, May 31, 2022
Jesus’ sheep refuse to renounce Him under even intense persecution from the world system. Jesus’ sheep refuse to listen to the voice of the world system.

The Morning Scene (vv. 1-6)
The symbolic picture began with the ministry of the first advent of Christ and the earliest period of the Apostolic Age where the sheepfold is meant to mean the nation of Israel. This is the sheepfold that Jesus initially purposed to enter by the door. It was the Messiah’s mission during His first advent to call out His own sheep from this ethnic sheep pen. This harmonizes with Matthew’s Gospel as he recorded the Lord announcing the same mission when Jesus said, “I was sent only to those being lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24; cf. Matt 10:6; Rom 15:8).
The Door into the Fold
Jesus introduced the setting of His symbolic picture in Jn 10:1 with the words, “Amen, amen, I say to you the[1] not entering in through the door to the fold of the sheep but climbing up another way, he is thief and robber”[2] The first feature of Jesus’ symbolic picture is the door into the fold. The natural features of the main entrance into the ANE sheep pen have already been established above. Later in the symbolic picture Jesus will refer to Himself as the door of the sheep (cf. v. 7). Concerning the morning scene, the emphasis on the door concerns the one who was authorized to enter by the door as well as the one who was authorized to guard the door.
The door into the fold has meaning backdrop that extends from the OT prefiguring of the Messianic office as early as the Protoevangelium (i.e. Gen 3:15). The OT is about the history of the Nation of Israel – the nation from which the Messiah would come. In the NT, the Gospels record that the Messiah has come. The OT prophesied of the Messiah and revealed that He would have distinct qualifications inseparably constrained to signs that He would perform that would authenticate His offices – namely, raise the dead, heal the deaf, open the eyes of the blind, heal the lame, heal the mute, cleanse the lepers, heal the sick, and preach good news to the poor (cf: Isa 26:19; 29:18; 35:5-6; 42:7; 61:1). Jesus fulfilled these features when He came during His first advent to the glory of God the Father. God the Father authenticated that Jesus was the Messiah by identifying these features prophesied from the OT (cf. Jn 6:27 e.g. “the Father’s seal”). In this sense, Jesus is the door, that is, the door representing the Messianic office. As the only Messiah, Jesus is the only Shepherd who has authority to enter the door and have authority over the sheep. It is undeniable that in the first century A.D. Jesus came as the Messiah and because He fulfilled the OT credentials and qualifications for that office He became the only door. In conclusion, the standard according to the OT is that the only lawful authority over the sheep is through the Messianic office which is represented by the office of shepherd and the office of door.  In other words, the “door” and the “shepherd” from Jesus’ shepherding symbolic picture are synonymous terms to the OT Messianic office.
The Fold of the Sheep
As mentioned above the fold of the sheep in the morning scene represented the nation of Israel (Jn 10:1-10). During the First Advent of Christ, the Self-Existent Second Person of the Triune Godhead took human flesh to Himself permanently forever in the incarnation (cf. Phil 2:5-11). In His humanity when the fulness of time came Jesus was born of a virgin woman and born under the Law (cf. Matt 1:18-25; Gal 4:4). The ministry of Christ during His First Advent was involved in fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (cf. Matt 5:17). The Gospel period, namely, the First Advent of Christ recorded in the Apostles’ memoirs of His ministry (i.e. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) were written to show that Jesus is the Messiah – the fulfillment of OT prophecy. To this effect, the Gospels serve as a bridge between the OT and the NT because they record a period still under Law during Jesus’ First Advent that He had to fulfill concerning His active obedience. There were lost sheep from the house of Israel (i.e. the ethnic sheep pen) that Jesus came to call unto salvation because Jesus said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt 15:24). During His First Advent, Jesus was not initially sent to the Gentiles (cf. Matt 10:6). The initial purpose of His First Advent was to minister to and save the elect from the nation of Israel (cf. Rom 15:8). There was an initial sheep pen full of ethnic Israelites and from out of that sheep pen Jesus called ethnic Israelites who were the elect out of the nation of Israel (cf. Rom 9:6). Indeed, when Greeks sought after Jesus during His First Advent He did not disavow Gentiles (cf. Jn 12:20-26). However, His initial purpose for His First Advent was to disclose Himself to the lost sheep of Israel (e.g. Jn 7:4-7; 14:22). It would be through the ministry of His Apostles that the Gospel would go to the Gentile nations because Israel’s salvation was intended to be extended also to the Gentile nations as their salvation (cf. Isa 49:6; Acts 14:47). In conclusion, the fold of the sheep in the morning scene symbolically represented the nation of Israel. From that national sheep pen it is quite clear in the shepherding scene that Jesus called His sheep out of this larger fold which had become corrupt.
Thief & Robber
The first character mentioned in Jesus’ symbolic picture that was negatively involved with the fold of the sheep is the thief and robber because the text reads, “Amen, amen I say to you the not entering in through the door to the fold of the sheep but climbing up another way, he is thief and robber” (v. 1). It is unmistakably clear that Jesus intended the religious leaders of the nation of Israel, namely the Pharisees, to be identified as the thief and robber.[3] Emphatically, Jesus’ initial point in the symbolic picture was to reveal the contrast between the Pharisees versus Jesus in how they led God’s people (cf. v. 10). In the case of the Pharisees they are surreptitious in obtaining a place inside the sheepfold – that is, they secretively access the sheepfold in a way that attempts to avoid notice or bring attention to their destructive philosophy of ministry just as a literal thief or robber would enter a sheepfold secretively to steal sheep. The Greek term “εἰσερχομαι” translated in English “entering in” from the phrase “the not entering in through the door to the fold of the sheep” is a present middle/passive participle and has the sense to mean “I go in; I enter in.”[4] Because “εἰσερχομαι” is middle/passive in the context it has the sense that those who would enter through the door are called by God – that is, grammatically and contextually the action is performed by God upon the subject who would have entered through the door. However, in the case of the Pharisees, the negative adverb “not” is used before the participle in reference to those who do not enter through the door because they have not been authorized by God to shepherd the sheep, let alone even be identified as sheep. If they had been authorized to enter the door then there would have been no need to try and enter the sheepfold surreptitiously for the goal to steal from God.[5] On the other hand, the Greek term “αναβαίνω” translated into English “climbing up” from the phrase “but climbing up another way” is a present active participle.[6] Therefore, the grammatical active voice from “αναβαίνω” shows that the thief and robber actively on his own gained access into the sheepfold by an opposite or different way than the way God has authorized to enter the sheep pen.[7] The One God has authorized and called to be Shepherd of the sheep to enter the sheepfold is the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. vv. 14; 18). What is more, the only others that have been called by God to enter into the sheepfold are the “doorkeeper or porter” v. 3 and the “sheep” v. 9. On the other hand, after the thief/robber has gained access to the sheep he imitates a shepherd in disguise for the purpose of intimidation toward the sheep – namely, fleecing the flock for his own financial gain. This is implied by Jesus referring to the Pharisees and their philosophy of ministry collectively as “thief and robber” v. 1 and “thieves and robbers” v. 7 because a thief or robber is only interested in taking what does not belong to him for the purpose of obtaining a profit from stolen goods, as well as actively plotting casualties by malice aforethought if anyone should try to expose them and prevent them from achieving their goal.[8] Thievery and malice aforethought are certainly not the criteria that the NT identifies as qualifications that one must fulfill to occupy the office of “the Good Shepherd.”
The Shepherd of the Sheep
On the other hand, the Lord Jesus Christ introduced in v. 2 the authenticity and honesty of the protagonist in the scene –  namely, the shepherd, when Jesus said, “the however entering in through the door is shepherd of the sheep.”[9] The shepherd is portrayed in Jesus’ symbolic picture by entering in through the door to access the sheep pen. John contrasted the entrance of the thief and robber with the entrance of the shepherd by using the Greek disjunctive δὲ translated in English “however” (cf. v. 5, 6). Literally the text is translated into English as follows – that is, “the however entering in through the door is shepherd of the sheep.”[10] The contrast between the thief and robber versus the shepherd is not merely the literal nature of the different ways they enter the sheep pen but the moral implications concerning their different entrances because of the symbolic nature of the scene. The shepherd’s entrance, because he entered through the door, is honest, non-secretive, life-giving, selfless and interested in protecting the sheep from harm (cf. v. 3, 9, 10, 11, 15). On the other hand, the entrance of the thief and robber is disingenuous, surreptitious and with malice aforethought to harm the sheep (cf. v. 10). The identity of the shepherd in Jesus’ symbolic picture is without doubt the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. v. 11). The identity of the sheep in the morning scene vv. 1-6 are undoubtedly Israelite believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah (cf. v. 16). The singularity both grammatically and contextually of the shepherd in Jesus’ symbolic picture revealed there is no one else who can qualify to fit His description. To this effect, there is continuity throughout the Word of God concerning the exclusivity of Christ as occupying the office of shepherd. The exclusivity of Christ as shepherd in the sense of an office was prefigured in Ezekiel 34:23 when God spoke through the prophet Ezekiel the following – “Then I will set over them one shepherd . . .” The same sense is found from Jesus’ shepherding scene concerning the exclusivity of one shepherd who is qualified to occupy the role as an office and its synonymous association with the Messianic office.
The Doorkeeper
In v. 3 the Lord Jesus Christ introduced another character called the doorkeeper[11] when Jesus said, “to Him the doorkeeper opens . . .”[12] It has already been established above with hermeneutic clarity that the overall sheep pen in the morning scene of the symbolic picture is Israelite. What is more, the same clarity has been established above concerning the synonymous relationship between the shepherd and the OT Messianic office. Therefore, the identity of the doorkeeper to the sheep pen who best fits within the context is John the Baptist. John the Baptist is the best answer to the identity of the doorkeeper because of the authority he was given by God over the entrance into the sheep pen to only let the Messiah enter among the sheep. The OT prophesied that the Messiah would be preceded by a forerunner – namely, a messenger who would prepare the way for the Lord (cf. Isa 40:3-4; Mal 3:1).
There are two major reasons why the doorkeeper is John the Baptist. First, the doorkeeper does not allow thieves and robbers access through the door to the sheep pen. It has been thoroughly established above that the thieves and robbers represent the Pharisees. John the Baptist severely rebuked the Pharisees and would not allow them to be baptized (cf. Matt 3:7-12).[13] It was John the Baptist’s ministry to be the forerunner for the Messiah and prepare people for the Messiah’s First Advent (cf. Matt 3:1-3, 7-10; Lk 3:1-18; Jn 1:6-8, 19-34; 3:22-36). Due to the shepherding scene serving as a symbolic picture – the phrase, “to Him the doorkeeper opens” harmonizes with the Gospel narratives record of John the Baptist’s ministry testifying to Israel the Lord Jesus as the Messiah.
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Who Paul Prayed To
In Ephesians 1:17, the apostle gives a short summary of his prayer to God for the Ephesian believers.
First, Paul refers to God the Father (to whom he is praying) as “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” and “the Father of glory”. The Father is in His own nature infinitely glorious, the fountain of the whole Godhead and all the divine attributes in the Son and the Holy Ghost. All glory is due to Him from created beings.
What Paul Prayed for His Friends
Paul then mentions what he sought from God for the Ephesian believers. This was “wisdom,” or a further increase of the saving knowledge of God which the Holy Spirit gives, together with a clearer insight into the Scripture where the same Spirit reveals these truths. This “wisdom” mainly consists in the saving, believing, and operative “knowledge of him,” i.e., of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul wants the Holy Spirit to remove the natural blindness of their understandings and to bestow a clear discerning of the things of God.
We Should Have Definite Things to Pray For
We should not necessarily restrict ourselves to a set form of words when we pray. Yet we should have set purposes worked out, and a definite point to aim at, when we pray, so that we would be able to give an account of what we are praying for, whether that is for ourselves or for others.
We Must Pray to the True God
Our prayers should be directed to God only. No one else knows us, or the secrets of our hearts. Anyone or anything else is unfit to receive our prayers.
Also when we draw near to God in prayer (whether for ourselves or others), we should do so with confidence and reverence – for these are not mutually exclusive. We should think about God, and express what we are thinking about Him, in a way that will most strengthen our faith and most strike our hearts with reverence towards Him. To strengthen his faith, Paul refers to God as “the God of our Lord Jesus Christ” and to bring his heart into deep reverence he calls him “the Father of glory,” or “glorious Father.”
We Should Pray Out of Faith in Christ
In order to have access to God with boldness through Christ, it is necessary to renew the act of faith which applies and appropriates Christ to ourselves. Then, being made one with Christ, we will be seen by the Father as clothed with Christ’s righteousness. This is the way that God will accept both our persons and our imperfect prayers – that is, through Christ. Paul here appropriates Christ to himself as his own, calling Him “our Lord Jesus Christ.”
It is necessary also that when we embrace Christ in this way, we do not divide Him into parts, but take to ourselves the fullness of all the perfections which are in Him. This is an evidence of our sincerity in embracing Him, but additionally, nothing less than the whole Christ is necessary to cover all our imperfections, bear us up under all our discouragements, and help us in all the infirmities which beleaguer us in our approaches to God.

Written by Derek J. Brown |
Monday, July 11, 2022
Because we are sinful and because we live in a fallen world with fallen bodies, we must face up to the reality that spiritual dryness will come again. That is why the psalmist says that the Word of God restores his soul (Ps. 19:7). That it was in need of restoring implies that his soul was no longer in a happy, satisfied state—it was in need of refreshment. Knowing this and recognizing potential causes of spiritual drought can help us to weather seasons of little or no rain.

If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, you know that spiritual passion, sight, and affections ebb and flow. At times our sense of spiritual realities can be strong and vibrant. Other times our hearts feel like lead weights, and we find ourselves longing for God to visit us once again and bring refreshment (Ps. 85:4-7). These seasons are usually referred to as times of “spiritual drought” or “spiritual dryness” and find intimate expression in many of the Psalms.
David often cried out to God in times where his soul seemed like dust, and he yearned to be refreshed by the presence of the Lord (Ps. 13; Ps. 63). Other psalmists expressed their longing to have their parched souls be replenished by the Lord (Psalm 42). Those who have tasted of the goodness of Christ know what it means to be without that taste; it leaves us pleading, “light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Ps. 13:3).
Spiritual drought, though a persistent and unwelcome visitor, is not something with which we must constantly live. There are Biblical means by which we can, by grace, put ourselves in the way of refreshment; we can be restored to once again feel the joy of our salvation. But this can only happen if we are able to discern why we might be experiencing spiritual dryness, so we can take the appropriate action. With this in mind, I would like to suggest a few reasons we may be experiencing a season of spiritual drought and provide the correlating remedies.
1. Unchecked Lust
Peter’s warning could not be more explicit: “Abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul” (I Pet. 2:11). Impure thoughts and freshly cultivated fantasies will only dull our sense of spiritual things; this is what Peter means when he tells us that lust “wages war against the soul.” Harboring lust defiles our conscience, feeds our sinful flesh, and withers our spiritual vitality.
If we are experiencing the ravages of spiritual drought, it may be because we are entertaining our minds with lust and feeding our sinful desires with suggestive movies, magazines, internet sites, or by simply visiting the local mall. The only remedy called for here is sincere confession and repentance (Prov. 28:13; I John 1:9). In order to find our souls once again enthralled with the joy of our salvation, we must confess these sins and turn from them (Ps. 51:1-12), resolving to no longer make any provision for the flesh (Rom. 13:14).
2. Pride
Jesus, in confronting the Pharisees’ desire for self-exaltation, provides a valuable insight as to how pride relates to faith. The Pharisees were unable to see the truth and beauty of Christ, because they were infatuated with their own glory and loved receiving praise from men. Jesus asks them, “‘How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?’” (John 5:44). Saving faith was hindered by their pride.
And although this passage speaks specifically of pride obstructing saving faith, I think we can safely apply this principle to our lives as Christians: pride kills faith in Jesus. If we are nurturing self-love—seeking praise and appreciation from our friends, our congregation, our professors, our supervisor, or those who read our blogs—we will find out very quickly that “God opposes the proud” (James 4:6). Our souls will shrivel as we fill them with the glory that comes from man. On the other hand, turning from ourselves and our reputations to exalt Christ at all costs will bring about spiritual renewal since “[God] gives grace to the humble.”
3. Love of Money
There is also a direct correlation between our attachment to stuff and our ability to see the glory of God. Jesus connects our physical gaze with our spiritual sight in Matthew 6:19-23. Christ instructs us to store up lasting treasures in heaven rather than temporary riches here on earth. Whether we do this or not will have a significant impact on our affections, for “where [our] treasure is, there [our] heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-21).
Jesus continues, “‘The eye is the lamp of the body. So if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness’” (Matt. 6:22-23). In other words, if we are fixed upon the glitter of earthly riches, the brightness of God’s glory cannot shine into our hearts, and we will only suffer spiritual thirst, not saturation. The solution here is to start taking our eyes off earthly riches. This is often helped through prayer and by regular and consistent giving to our churches, faithful gospel ministries, the poor, and to those in need. Isaiah 58:10-11 is encouraging in this regard,

If you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

4. Lack of Bible Reading, Meditation, and Prayer
When we neglect Bible reading, meditation, and prayer, we are cutting ourselves off from essential nourishment for our souls. It is impossible to thrive spiritually without feeding our minds and hearts with God’s Word. Psalm 1 reminds us of the benefits of meditation:

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, or stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the sear of scoffers, but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither, in all that he does, he prospers (Ps. 1:1-3)

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