June 11, 2023
A Recognizable Voice
“But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name.” John 10:2a (NASB)
In my childhood, I remember days where my youngest sister and I worked in the yard all day. It was hot in the middle of summer. My parents decided to give us one of the best gifts a child can ever have, a pool. I can remember how good life was after a hot day. We sat in the pool as mom would bring us a hot dog and our drink. In the pool! Life didn’t get any better. Other times we had other relatives who joined us in the pool. We played the game, “Marco Polo.” If you don’t know this game, it is simple. Everyone calls “Marco,” to the person designated as “it.” The person who was “it” closed their eyes and tried to find everyone in the pool. If you were caught, you became “it.” Since my youngest sister and I spent the majority of our time together in childhood, I could easily recognize her voice, making it easier to find her. I knew her voice.
“But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens…” No one else entered this door. When the sheep entered the sheepfold, the shepherd dipped his rod into coloring fluid. This coloring fluid marked the tenth animal arriving. This one would be dedicated to the Lord for sacrificial purposes (Leviticus 27:32). The doorkeepers had one sole purpose: “After the shepherd led his sheep through the door of the sheepfold, he would entrust his flock to the doorkeeper. Each sheepfold had a doorkeeper whose job was to protect and care for the sheep while the shepherd went home to sleep. Once the sheep were led through the door into the sheepfold, the door was locked and guarded by the doorkeeper. No one but the doorkeeper had the key to unlock the door.”[1] This doorkeeper recognized the shepherd’ voice when he returned the next morning. The door would be re-opened for the shepherd to enter. As the shepherd came into the sheepfold, “the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name.” Sometimes the shepherd was unable to return to the city for the night, perhaps moving the sheep to a different location. He would become shepherd and doorkeeper. It made for some long hours. It has been said a shepherd could physically identify a sheep if blindfolded. Each sheep had something which allowed the shepherd to identify it, smell, texture, sound of voice, etc. Each sheep was also named. Normally the shepherd named them from instances of their behavior or by an incident which the shepherd had with that sheep. Either way, the sheep knew their name, but would only respond to the shepherd’s voice, not strangers. So, if the doorkeeper called the sheep, they still would not respond to the doorkeeper.
When Jesus shared this illustration, He wanted all to know He was the Shepherd of God. He is the only One allowed to pass through the door. He is the Messiah. John the Baptist opened the door to Jesus’ ministry declaring, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Those who hear Jesus’ voice recognize Him as the genuine Shepherd of God. Jesus led the man from his spiritual blindness, so He could lead him to the care, safety, and welfare as His sheep. Jesus does these things for the Christian. Don’t fall for any substitute. Even the doorkeeper knows His voice. He won’t open it for anyone else. Check out the YouTube link below to compare a stranger and the true shepherd below.[2]
[1] https://wisdomfromabove.net/2020/03/08/the-true-shepherd-john-101-5/.