I very much appreciate knowing Jesus as the Good Shepherd in John 10:1-21. This is a helpful metaphor for me. I was studying this with my small group a few weeks ago and came across this verse:
“[Jesus said,] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:9, NIV)
I was stumped with this question. If Jesus is the gate…
- What does it mean to come in and go out?
- Where is the pasture found?
Will you please share your thoughts, feelings or opinions about this verse? I would love to hear your insight.
Rev. Andrew Conard 
5 replies on “Scripture Monday: John 10:9”
Can we assume that we are free to enter into a relationship with Christ and just as free to leave the relationship? The pasture would then be the world outside the sanctuary of God’s kingdom.
The challenge, of course, is that we can stay within the sanctuary of God’s Kingdom but nothing would ever get done. When we venture outside the Kingdom’s walls, we risk the chance that we will be sidetracked by the voices of others. We can easily be lead astray by those voices.
Tony – The freedom to enter and leave relationship with God makes good sense. Perhaps it is realated to the encouragement to be in the world but not of the world.
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I am also trying to gain some insight into this scripture (John 10:9). I dont believe we have a freedom to enter and leave our relationship with Jesus Christ, if we mean that we can go in and out of being saved. Chapter 10 Verse 3 informs us that the shepherd (Jesus) leads his sheep “out”. i believe the sheep is led out of a lost state into a found/saved state; death into life; darkness into light, etc (Luke 4:18 & John 8:32&36). Since it is the Lord who has led you out (a spiritual transaction done completely by God by way of the Holy Spirit) you are unable to undo it and neither can anyone or anything (John 10:28&29; Romans 8:38&39).
Its possible that the going in an out indicates that the assurance the sheep has in the security of the relationship with the Shepherd allows his the freedom to go and do things that before he was afraid to do because of a fear of condemnation that existed when the sheep tried to live unsuccessfuly in compliance with the law of God by his own power. But when the sheep has the confidence of his new found status the sheep can be like the apostle Paul in 1Corinthians 9:19-22 and freely go and do things as long as its according to the will of God. Maybe “pasture” is referring to the pleasurable fellowship the sheep experiences with the Shepherd (John 15:10) as he continues to do the will of the Father.