Introduction

1. Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I am the gate of the sheep…I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” ” (Jn. 10:7,9)

2. Introduction • The I Am’s– singular, personal, direct self-revelation, exclusive identification of Jesus Christ. • Each I Am addresses two related issues: • Who Jesus is? • What are His functions/roles? • Ex: “I am the (AkoangLagi at Tangi) resurrection and the life…” This role is exclusively (not we) predicated of the Lord Jesus. The God of Abraham (who already is the I Am before Abraham lived is Jesus, Jn. 8:58) who quickens the dead…(Rom. 4:17)

3. I Am • Aside from the 9 I Am’s claimed by the Lord Jesus Christ, in the OT Jesus also revealed Himself as the I Am that I Am (Exo. 3:1-18; 6:1-8). This means His name is also His character (ever-living, never-changing, ever-faithful One). In the NT, Jesus revealed Himself also as I am: • Jn.8:23-24 Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world…for if ye believe not that I amhe, ye shall die in your sins. (Mic. 5:2; 1 Cor. 15:45-48; Jn. 3:13; Heb. 10:1-5) • Jn. 8:28 When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I amhe. (cf. Jn. 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness (Num. 21), even so must the Son of man be lifted up.) (Rev. 1:18; 1 Cor. 15:54-57) • Jn. 8:58 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. (Exo. 3:1-18; 6:1-8)

4. I Am The Door • Sign on the façade of RC church: “ECCE DOMUS DEI ET PORTA COELI” – Behold the house of God and the gateway to heaven. • Jesus self-identification: “I Am the Door: by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved…” • Jesus Himself claims that He is always the only (I am the) gateway to heaven. It is not membership in a church that brings you to heaven; it is not the rules (sacraments) of the church that bring you to heaven. Jesus Christ is the door to heaven.

5. Use of Metaphor by Jesus • “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?” (Jn. 3:12) • Jesus used metaphors taken from earthly things, that we may understand and believe His heavenly teachings in terms of earthly ilustrations. If we cannot understand His heavenly teachings by His earthly illustrations, how can we be ever able to receive His heavenly teachings?

6. I Am The Door • Jesus is the only personal gate or door or entry point into salvation in His sheepfold. Jesus is using an analogy or metaphor to describe who He is and what He can do for a person. • Jesus is likened to a door which closes and opens. • We are Hissheep kept in the sheepfold • satanand his demons are the devourers. • The door closes to keep sheep safe in the sheepfold and keep devourers out. It opens to let the sheep graze in the pasture to be fed under the watchful eye of Jesus. • His sheep hear His voice, recognize His voice and they follow Him (Jn. 10:26-27) remain/abide in/with Jesus in the sheepfold (Jn. 15:5) • Jesus makes them to feed in green pastures, leads them beside still waters and unto paths of righteousness for His namesake by His rod (correction) and staff (guidance) unto safety and unto salvation.

7. Jn. 10:7, 9 • First implication: Jesus claims to be THE SINGULAR BUT PERSONAL DIRECTLY SELF-REVEALING, SELF-IDENTIFYING GATEWAY-DOORWAY unto salvation. (Rev. 3:7 He that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 1 Cor. 8:6; Jn. 14:6; Jn. 15:5; Heb.5:9 Jesus is the author of eternal salvation [Isa.45:17 Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation:]; Heb.7:25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them) • Mat 7:13-14 Enter ye (Lk. 13:24-Strive to enter) in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

8. Jn. 10:7, 9 • Second implication: Jesus is the only personal entry point to salvation. In verse nine, the phrase, “by Me, if any man enters in”... in the Greek Text, “byMe” is emphatic. Jesus in effect says, “I am the only way unto salvation, unto eternal life.” (Acts 4:12; Matt. 7:13-14; Heb. 7:25; Jn. 14:6) • Jesus mentions thieves and robbersthat never use the door. They are not proceeding into the narrow/strait gate and through the straight path unto life (Matthew 7:13-14 ). They are destroying themselves because their entire life commitment is not wholly, directly and permanently focused on Jesus and so they succeed only in confusing themselves as well as in being refused by Him

9. Jn. 10:7, 9 • Third implication: Real salvation requires personal entry. Jesus says, “... whoever enters through Me will be saved.” To be saved or to obtain salvation, you must make that personal decision to walk through the door to get in. • To enter is to believe, have faith in Jesus as your salvation, eternal life and everlasting glory. In Hebrews Chp 3-4, the Israelites were not able to enter the rest of the Lord (promised land) because of unbelief. So the Holy Spirit says, Today when you hear His voice, harden not your hearts. (Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7) • The Lord Jesus invites you to enter the only door to salvation. Jesus said, All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (Jn. 6:37)

10. Jn. 10:7, 9 • Fourth implication: Those who enter through Jesus as DOOR-GATE find salvation and they shall be filled and protected. • Jesus becomes the KEEPER OF ALL THAT IS TRULY HIS OWN (Ps 23; Jn.16:33; Jn.17:6-24; 10:25-30; 2 Pet. 2:1; 2 Cor.5:14-15; Jn.15:1-6; Matt.12:30; 18:20;) • Though they shall go in and out of the door, yet they abide in Jesus as their PERMANENT DWELLING PLACE (Ps. 90:1-2). The term “go in and out” [“in the last days, many shall run to and fro” (Dan. 12:4)] means the way we conduct all actions of life. In our daily lives, Jesus keeps His sheep where green pastures are, lead them beside still waters,leads them through paths of righteousness and brings them back again and secures them in the sheepfold. • There is a twofold advantage of permanently abiding in Jesus as His sheep: • their souls shall be filled in the pastures therein or as a branch attached to the vine, they shall be fruitful, which otherwise would be famished or dried (imbesnaubasnagingpasas) • they are secured because Jesus faithfully protects and guards them in the valley against the attacks of wolves and robbers (2 Tim. 1:12)

11. Are you in the sheepfold of Jesus? • How do you know if you are a sheep of Jesus? Three marks of the sheep of Jesus: they believe on Him, they hear His voice (they know not the voice of strangers) and they follow Jesus (Jn. 10:26-27). Biblical directive of Jesus for His sheep (followers): • to come AFTER Him ( Jn. 8:12; Matt. 16:24) • to keep on coming TO Him ( Luke 6:46-49; Jn. 5:39-40) • to abide IN Him ( Jn. 15:4-5; 17:24; Matt. 12:30) • to be WITH Him wherever He is (Matt. 12:30; 18:20; Rev. 3:20; Jn. 14:1-3; 17:24; 1 Thess. 4:16-18; Col. 2:6-10) • to REST in Him ( Matt. 11:27-29; Heb. 4:1-3; Phil. 4:6-7) • to live THROUGH/VIA Him (“dia” in Greek, John 6:5-7) • to continue BEHOLDING Him ( Jn. 6:39-40; Heb. 3:1; 12:2; Jn. 17:24; 2 Cor. 4:4-6; Rev. 22:3-5) • to serve Him (Matt. 4:10; Jn. 12:26; Col. 3:17, 23-25) and, • to worship Him ( Matthew 4:10; Isaiah 66:1-2, 22-23; Revelation 7:17; 5:8-12; 22:3-5)

12. Exclusivity of Jesus’ Claim as the Only Salvation and Eternal Life • There is no substitution, there is no exception, there is no option. • Is this spiritual arrogance, spiritual bigotry, religious intolerance? • There is vast difference between taste and truth. We have options when it comes to taste but the truth, we have to accept. You can deny it but truth remains. You cannot change the truth (real, right, remaining). (2 Cor. 13:8)

13. Jesus has all the right to claim exclusivity • Jesus is the only One who nullified/condemned sin by His substitutionary and sacrificial death on the cross. (Rom. 8:3; 2 Cor. 5:21) • He is the only One who rose from the dead and, therefore, manifested salvation and abolished death and brought life and immortality through the gospel. (2 Tim. 1:10) • Jesus is the only One who truly represented and manifested God to man by His being true God and eternal life (Jn. 1:1; 1 Jn. 5:20) coming into the world in the flesh and dwelling among us (Jn. 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16). At the same time and on the other hand, Jesus is the only true man who is the last Adam or second man(1 Cor. 15:45-48), our eternal High Priest (Heb. 6:20) who is able to save us to the uttermost, seeing that He ever liveth to make intercession for us who come to God through Him (Heb. 7:25)

14. Jesus is the Answer! • Claim: Jesus claims to be the only personal entry point into salvation, eternal life in the kingdom of God. How do weknow if this is true? • Proof: Basic answer is a real event in history – Jesus’ resurrection from the dead validated His personal claim, “No man taketh it (life of His body to be crucified) from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (Jn. 10:18). Jesus, therefore, says “I am the resurrection and the life, whosoever believes in Methough he were dead yet shall he live” (Jn. 11:25) because Jesus is alive forever more (Rev. 1:18).