Unpacking the Sheepfold

More thoughts on the first part of John 10.

Based on my current understanding and other references in the Bible to similar metaphors, I would like to list some of the potential meanings for the various roles and references in this discourse about sheep.

The person or persons who go in and out of the door of the fold are clearly identified as shepherds. And although Jesus identifies Himself as the Shepherd it also seems to imply others who are likely trusted to act as shepherds too.

Anyone who seeks entry or access to the sheep who is unwilling to use the designated doorway is identified as a thief or a robber in contrast with shepherds who use the door. These are identified as those climbing up some other way, evidently in reference to the wall of the sheepfold.

The sheepfold itself is something interesting that may often be overlooked in this passage. As I understand it, a sheepfold consisted of an area walled in like a pen in which to keep sheep overnight. The walls were for the purpose of both keeping the sheep from wandering off and getting lost and also to prevent dangerous animals or thieves from harming or stealing the sheep in any way.

Evidently, according to the words of Jesus here, anyone who does not respect the boundaries of the sheepfold walls cannot be trusted to have the best interests of the sheep in mind. Such predators only have motives to steal, kill and destroy according to verse ten.

Based on these functions and observations it would seem to me that a high possibility would exist that the sheepfold walls might represent the Law. According to Paul the Law was given to protect us and to hem us in until Jesus should come and we could live no longer 'under the law'. However, he also makes it clear that just because we might not be living under the law, that does not mean that sin is no longer something to avoid. The Law of God reveals what sin is but provides no power for us to refrain from sinning. This is why the guilt and shame and fear that is produce in our hearts as a result of having sin exposed in us by the Law is useless for producing any real righteousness in our lives.

Interestingly, in this analogy Jesus says that with the Shepherd around the sheep will go in and out of the fold. This is interesting if the fold represents the Law. The whole system of law that was given by God certainly was designed to protect and hem us in until a fuller revelation of truth and of God was brought to us by Jesus Christ. But just because Jesus came to show us the far greater realms of grace and truth beyond the confines of the narrow restrictions of the legal view of religion, that does not mean that the underlying principles embedded in that system no longer apply. God's laws are expressions of the principles of reality, not artificial rules with arbitrary punishments like our legal system is based on. With this truth in mind one can see how God's children under the leading of Jesus can live inside or outside the walls of the Law and still remain in harmony with those walls.

The door of the sheepfold is also something important to consider here. The door has a doorkeeper in charge of allowing only legitimate and authorized persons through that access point as part of the security system for the protection of the sheep. Part of this analogy includes the point that Jesus makes about Himself as the door through which all must pass in order to be safe. But what about the doorkeeper? Who is in charge of determining who can be allowed in and who is not?

Revelation 3:20 talks about Jesus standing at the door knocking for entrance into our hearts. He is waiting for us to hear and open the door and allow Him in so He can fellowship with us intimately. Although this may be a somewhat different analogy I think it may have some bearing on our search for answers here. In some sense we are the doorkeepers for our own hearts. God never overrides our freedom of will to force us to accept Him. That freedom is the most valuable and protected right that God fiercely protects in every created intelligent being in the universe. Satan's counterfeit government does not respect this principle of freedom of choice and insists that force, intimidation and coercion are legitimate means to use if people won't cooperate with our desires or demands. But God never uses such techniques because He values our freedom even more than our obedience or even His own life. Jesus died in order to protect our freedom of will to choose whether or not we would trust God and believe in His love for us. This is the very essence, the secret ingredient of true love; for genuine love cannot exist if it is not totally free to do otherwise.

But there is another possibility for the doorkeeper that comes to my mind. I believe that in some respect the Holy Spirit might also be a doorkeeper, especially in the case of those who have chosen to be sheep submitted to the authority of the Shepherd. If we are sheep under the care of Jesus and choosing to live under the protection of the principles of truth as outlined by the walls of the sheepfold, then the door of our hearts is maintained and watched over by the Spirit sent to be our guide, our counselor and our comforter. As we seek to live in harmony with the principles of truth brought to our heart's attention by the Spirit and we allow that Spirit to lead us day by day as children of God, His Spirit will maintain constant vigilance to protect the access points to our hearts if we are willing to listen to Him.

In the sense that Jesus is the door as He stated in this passage, it would seem to fit the analogy better to view that door as the access point into the kingdom of heaven rather than the access way into our hearts. All who wish to have real life, to live a life parallel with the life of God, must enter into that family through a personal relationship with the One who was sent to reveal the truth about God and about the realities of the kingdom. To try to live life here and seek for eternal life through any other means is to ultimately open our hearts to thieves and robbers. By trying to circumvent or disregard the parameters of the Law that was given to protect us without using the access point of a clear understanding of Jesus and what He represents, is to open ourselves up to abuse and ultimately destruction.

I find it interesting that in the safety of the presence of Jesus the sheep can safely go out of the sheepfold and go anywhere the Shepherd may lead them. This helps me see that there is a much larger world outside the narrow restrictions of formal law that is safe to enjoy as long as we remain under guidance and protection and stay close to the Shepherd who knows what is best for us. And while there are certainly many more dangers outside of the sheepfold than while penned up inside of it, there are also many more adventures and pleasures and things to enjoy as long as we remain under the watchful care of the Shepherd of our souls.

But when He leads us back through the door and asks us to return to the confines of the sheepfold for a season again, we should not become resentful and insist on running off on our own somewhere rather than following the Shepherd's instructions. We need not be afraid of the confines of the Law for the Law of God is simply an expression of His character. If we are resistant and resentful about the Law then in actuality we are resistant and resentful about God Himself and will find ourselves out of harmony with the very One who is seeking to draw us to Himself.

Unfortunately there are some who become so obsessed with the restrictions and protections of the walls of the sheepfold that they refuse to trust the Shepherd to lead them outside its confines and enjoy the much larger view outside. They are afraid that to do so is a rejection of 'the truth', that the only safety for us is to remain under the law. But Jesus says here that His sheep can go in and out of the fold safely. This is because the sheepfold is not in conflict or contradiction with the Shepherd but is simply one of the ways in which He protects His sheep at various times. When the Shepherd is sleeping (God never sleeps, but there may be something in here important to discern) the sheep need to be inside the fold with the door secured by the doorkeeper. But when the Shepherd invites His sheep to come with Him and travel to other places for new nourishment and growing experiences, then we should be willing to follow Him wherever He leads us without feeling that we are rejecting the principles of His character as outlined by the walls of the sheepfold.

The main point that Jesus seems to be emphasizing here is the issue of intimate knowledge of the voice of the Shepherd by the sheep. He says that the Shepherd calls them by name, that He brings them all out and that they follow Him because they know His voice. This seems to be the main point of this whole passage and is vital to focus in on because it is a point we are likely to miss just as people then seemed so confused about what He was trying to say. Knowing God's voice is a theme throughout the Bible and is central to living in a saving relationship with Him. It is not enough to have a knowledge of truth or of the principles of the Law; we must have a personal, intimate awareness and appreciation for the kind voice of the Shepherd who has given His life to redeem us and bring us into His family.

Jesus says that a good shepherd goes in front of his sheep. He does not use the counterfeit methods of control and coercion that the enemy uses. Neither does the shepherd utilize deception or fear or any other false technique for getting his way with the sheep. He depends on his relationship with the sheep and on the trust they have for him that has been cultivated by his good treatment of them over time. Because he has a personal relationship with each individual and knows them well by name, cares for them and treats them with compassion and personal interest, they are willing to follow him wherever he goes ahead of them without questioning or quibbling.

A good shepherd does not drive the sheep ahead of him. He goes in front to face any potential danger before the sheep are exposed to it. He leads by example, not by demands. He does not remain safely at a distance to protect himself from dangers while giving remote instructions for the sheep to follow. He gets right in with the sheep and stays closely connected with them which is the main reason why they trust him so much. Because the shepherd exposes himself to the same experiences that the sheep must face they come to have faith that he will always be there for them and will face everything they will face even before they have to deal with it.