es a legitimate mode of access to the sheep; His
object is the welfare of the sheep; His Spirit is self-devoted; He knows
and is known by His sheep; and all He does the Father has given Him
commandment to do.

1. First, then, Jesus proves His claim to be the Good Shepherd by using
the legitimate means of access to the sheep. He enters by the door. The
general description of the relation between sheep and shepherd was drawn
from what might be seen any morning in Palestine. At night the sheep are
driven into a fold, that is, a walled enclosure, such as may be seen on
our own sheep farms, only with higher walls for protection, and with a
strongly-barred door in place of a hurdle or light gate. Here the sheep
rest all night, guarded by a watchman or porter. In the morning the
shepherds come, and at the recognised signal or knock are admitted by
the porter, and each man calls his own sheep. The sheep, knowing his
voice, follow him, and if any are lazy, or stubborn, or stupid, he goes
in and drives them out, with a gentle, kindly compulsion, A stranger's
voice they do not recognise, and do not heed. Besides, not only do they
disregard a stranger's voice, but the porter also would do so, so that
no robber thinks of appealing to the porter, but climbs the wall and
lays hold of the sheep he wants.

Here, then, we have a picture of the legitimate and illegitimate modes
of finding access to men and of gaining power over them. The legitimate
leader of men comes by the door and invites: the illegitimate gets in
anyhow and compels. The true shepherd is distinguished from the robber
by both the action of the porter and the action of the sheep. But who is
the porter who gives Christ access to the fold? Possibly, as some have
suggested, the mind of Christ's contemporaries would revert to John the
Baptist. The claim of Jesus to deal with men as their spiritual
protector and leader had been legitimated by John, and no other
pretended Messiah had been. And certainly, if any individual is
indicated by the porter, it must be John the Baptist. But probably the
figure includes all that introduces Jesus to men, His own life, His
miracles, His loving words, providential circumstances. At all events,
He makes His appeal openly, and has the requisite pass-word. There is
nothing of the thief or the robber about His approach--nothing underhand
and stealthy, nothing audaciously violent. On the other hand, "All that
ever came before Me are thieves an