✝ Daily Encouragement (10/19/22) "I Am The Door"
Published: Wed, 10/19/22
A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.
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Wednesday, October 19, 2022
"I Am The Door"
Message summary: We welcome you to enter the door of Christ which is the only way to salvation!
"So Jesus said to them again, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep'" (John 10:7).
On Saturday during our Crossroads class bike ride I passed the door in our lead photo on Front Street in Marietta PA. When I saw it I thought of Christ's statement, "I am the door". Doors are not something we normally give a lot of attention to and probably often take them for granted. But each of us can appreciate their value; exterior doors that keep our homes secure and the weather out, interior doors that provide privacy within our walls.
Have you ever counted how many doors you have in your house? Our house has twenty-eight doors. This includes closet doors and a shower door as well as the doors in our utility barn! You might be surprised at how many doors you have in your house, should you choose to count them!
![]() Wherever you live you most likely have doors but we recall having a wonderful meal with a family in Guatemala some 30 years ago. We had hosted their son Marvin who had come to the states for emergency medical care. He and his family lived in a tiny two room house with no interior or exterior doors at all (as we recall). They shared with other villagers an outdoor latrine, a common faucet and a shower. We are still in touch with Marvin who has grown up to be a fine young man serving the Lord, married, raising a family and working as a forester. Doors are referenced all through the Bible with the first reference in Genesis 4:7. It was a message from God to Cain before he killed Abel, “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Among the last references to the door in Scripture has Jesus standing at the door and knocking in Revelation 3:20. "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me".
Today let us examine a reference to the door among the “I am” statements in John’s Gospel. In these statements Jesus asserted His deity in describing Himself. They are known as the ego eimi (ἐγώ εἰμι) statements from the Greek words for “I am”. In John 10 He uses an illustration that would have been so familiar to them on the basis of observation and experience along with their knowledge of the Scriptures such as Psalm 23. Christ said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep". Just a few verses later He stated, "I am the Good Shepherd". In the Bible period a shepherd would build a temporary sheep pen by building a wall when staying overnight in distant pastureland. He’d leave an opening where the sheep could come and go and be safe. All that remained was the closing for the door, but there was no door. Somehow a door had to be provided in order for the sheep to dwell in security. ![]() We encourage you to enter this door of Christ which is the only way to salvation. As one of His sheep I am so thankful for this desperately needed provision. Christ emphasized the statement with repetition when He “said to them again” and with the dual emphasis, “Truly, truly”. We do well to listen! Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13)
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
![]() The seven "I Am" statements of Christ in John's Gospel: 1. I am the bread of life 6:35, 48,51
2. I am the light of the world 8:12; 9:5 3. I am the door of the sheep 10:7,9 4. I am the good shepherd 10:11,14 5. I am the resurrection and the life 11:25 6. I am the way, the truth, and the life 14:6 7. I am the true vine 15:1 In addition to these metaphorical "I am" statements there are absolute “I am” statements. Among the last words in the Bible is our Lord’s powerful self-declaration, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13). An interesting reference to a door that has relevant teaching truth in regard to our current culture is from Sodom when Lot was besieged, "They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door" (Genesis 19:9). This seems analogous to the persistent efforts of the downstream culture attempting to break down the doors of morality and righteous teachings.
Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources
"The
Door" Video Fourtwelve
Can Your grace set me free?
Can it break the chains that always held me And do what no one’s done before Throw the past away and open the door? "Jesus, Strong and Kind" Video CityAlight What a blessed "children's" song for all ages!
"Somebody's Knocking At Your Door" Video King's Heralds (1949-1961)
"Into My Heart Lord Jesus" Video Selah Brooksyne's note: Several weeks ago I visited my cousin's church in Oark, Arkansas. I have three cousins who are preachers from the mountain in Arkansas. After Sunday School and just before church began the children came up front and sang "Booster Band" songs (at least
that's what they called it when I was a child and we did the same thing in my church in Tulsa). The children sang their last song and then knelt at the altar with their hands folded and their heads bowed as they sang, "Into My Heart". It took me back to my childhood (a LONG ways back), as our children's songleader always led us in this song to close our booster band service as well. Perhaps some of our you had a similar arrangement at your church or still do.
Stephen's note: I recall an early effort at personal evangelism when I quoted this verse about Jesus knocking and a man earnestly felt his chest and said, "I don't feel anybody knocking".
But here's our favorite story on this: A children's nurse had an interesting approach in calming children. Before listening to the little ones' chests, she would plug the stethoscope into their ears and let them listen to their own hearts. Their eyes would light up with awe, though she never got a response equal to a little four-year old's comment. Gently she tucked the stethoscope into his ears and placed the disk over his heart.
"Listen", she said quietly, "What do you suppose that is?" The little boy drew his eyebrows together in a puzzled line and looked up as if lost in the mystery of the strange tap - tap - tapping deep in his chest. Then his face broke out in a wondrous grin with big eyes as he curiously asked, "Is that Jesus knocking?" Today we share some fall scenes from rural Lebanon County and Hershey as we drove through yesterday.
This huge maple is next to the school in Cornwall, PA. The grounds crew will be busy with this one for the next several weeks!
Click on photo to enlarge
These trees are along the Little Swatara Creek.
Click on photo to enlarge
![]() We often pass this church in rural Lebanon County and they do a great job posting thought-provoking messages on their sign.
Finally today:
Early yesterday morning I caught our cat Gracie sitting on the bathroom scales. Perhaps she is worried about putting on a few ounces!
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