“…and the sheep follow Him, for they know His voice…” (John 10:4b)
This statement solidifies the verse John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, the same shall bring forth much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing.”
True believers are with the Shepherd everyday. He is the life source, the one who leads us where we need to go and, when following His lead, protects us. When we are daily in His Word we begin to “Know His voice.” We are warned to “not be carried away with every wind of doctrine.” I am sometimes amazed at what people will follow in the name of Christ. It can boggle the mind of a person who is in the “sheepfold” when so many will follow just about anything that comes down the pike. Oh, if I hear one more supposed man of God ask for “seed money” I think my head will explode; but amazingly people fall right in line for a man made promise that comes from thieves and robbers who have come to destroy. I watched, a few weeks ago, a man selling tubes of “blessed water.” He had prayed over this water and, for a fee, would send it to your home so you could dump it on your head for a blessing. Then (and I kid you not) he offered the classic “If you order now, we will throw in an extra free vile of blessed water; so don’t delay.”
But, on the other hand, there are those who are attached to the vine. There are those who know the Master’s voice because they are hearing it every day. When I hear my door open at home and I yell out “Who is it” my wife simply states “It is me.” I don’t know if anyone else might realize how many people are considered to be known as “Me” but it is about seven billion. But to my ear “Me” is sufficient. I am forty-six years old and have dated that girl since I was fourteen years old. In 1988 I made her my bride and I talk with her every day. Friends, I know which “Me” she is because I have a discourse with her each and every day. If someone else’s wife answered my previous question with the same “It is Me” I would know the difference immediately, even without being in view of her. It sure is a wonderful thing to know the Master’s voice even without seeing His face.
On another gem in these verses we see that Jesus said ” I am the door of the sheep.” What we may not understand about the words that Jesus spoke here would have been clear to those who were present at the time. A sheep pen was a wall, usually made in a circle with one opening in it. The Shepherd would rally the sheep into the fold, then lay his body across the gap in the circle and literally become the door. No one came in or out without His express knowledge of permission. A wolf would have to first take out the shepherd before he could get to a single sheep. Jesus is the ultimate protector in our lives.
May God continue to bless our time in His Word.
In the Word together 
I know, I’m behind already, but this chapter was worth going back for. I really love the explanation and the illustration of Christ as the door. That finally makes sense now . Thank you again for teaching us. Gotta keeop going and catch up!