Who Is Jesus? The Door to Abundant Life
Notes from the message preached by Nate Bush at New City Church in Albuquerque, NM on April 26, 2026.
In a world filled with countless voices competing for our attention and allegiance, Jesus makes a bold and exclusive claim: "I am the door." This declaration from John 10 isn't just another religious statement—it's a life-altering truth that addresses our deepest need for direction, purpose, and salvation.
Why We All Share Sheep-Like Qualities
Whether we want to admit it or not, every human being shares sheep-like qualities. We follow voices, we're shaped by words, and we live into the scripts that have been spoken over us. This isn't an insult—it's simply recognizing a fundamental aspect of human nature.
In Jesus' time, Eastern shepherds didn't drive their sheep from behind like Western shepherds. Instead, they called to their sheep, and the sheep followed their voice. The relationship was personal and intimate. As Jesus explains: "To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out" (John 10:3).
The Power of Words in Shaping Our Lives
We've all been shaped by words—both the ones we've heard and the ones we desperately needed to hear but didn't. Proverbs tells us that "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21). Words have enormous power to either wound us like sword thrusts or bring healing to our souls.
Some people live their entire lives trying to overcome negative words spoken over them: "You're such a..." or "You'll never be..." Others have been empowered by affirming words: "You're amazing at..." or "I believe in you." These scripts shape our beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Who Are the Thieves and Robbers?
Jesus contrasts himself with "thieves and robbers" who "climb in by another way" (John 10:1). But who exactly are these false shepherds?
Religious Leaders Who Abuse Their Authority
In the immediate context of John 10, Jesus is addressing the Pharisees who had just expelled a man from the synagogue for refusing to call Jesus a sinner after being healed of blindness. These religious leaders were more interested in maintaining their power than caring for God's people.
False shepherds throughout history have used God's sheep for their own personal gain. They're self-interested leaders who love themselves more than they love God or their neighbors. As Ezekiel 34:2-3 warns: "Shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep."
False Messiahs and Saviors
Jesus also refers to those who "came before me" as thieves and robbers. This includes false messiahs who promised freedom but led people into war, suffering, and slavery. Unlike these pretenders who sought to win freedom through sword and shield, Jesus would achieve true freedom through the cross.
Today, this applies to any false teacher or false savior—anyone who claims they can do what only Jesus can do. Any voice promising that "if you do this, then your life would have meaning" is offering false salvation.
What Do Thieves Do?
Jesus is clear about the intentions of false shepherds: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). They don't come to give life—they come to take it away. They steal hope, kill dreams, and destroy relationships.
History is filled with examples of leaders who promised utopia but delivered devastation. As one commentator notes, "The world still seeks its humanist political saviors—its Hitlers, its Stalins, its Maos, its Pol Pots. And only too late does it learn that they blatantly confiscate personal property (they come only to steal), ruthlessly trample human life underfoot (they come only to kill), and contemptuously savage all that is valuable (they come only to destroy)."
Jesus: The One Door to Life
In contrast to the thieves and robbers, Jesus declares: "I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture" (John 10:9). This isn't one of many doors—it's the only door.
Salvation Through Jesus Alone
When Jesus says "I am the door," he's making the same claim as when he says "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). There is no other path to salvation.
As Acts 4:12 confirms: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Becoming a Christian isn't about accepting a superior moral code or finding incremental life improvement. It's accepting that there is no other way to break the power of sin and death than through Jesus' victory over them.
Jesus lived the life you could not live, died the death you should have died, and rose again conquering sin and death. That's the only door to salvation.
The Promise of Abundant Life
But Jesus doesn't just offer eternal life—he offers abundant life. "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10). This isn't just about going to heaven when we die; it's about experiencing wholeness, healing, and joy right now.
Consider Jesus' first miracle: turning water into wine at a wedding feast. He didn't just provide wine—he provided the best wine, extending the celebration. If our vision of salvation doesn't include eating and dancing at a wedding party, we don't see heaven clearly. The gospel offers hope not just for our future, but for today.
Finding Rest in the Good Shepherd
When Jesus' sheep lie down in green pastures, they do so because they're not anxious about the dangers of life. They know their good shepherd is watching over them, protecting them. This is beautifully captured in Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:1-2).
A sheep that is alert, anxious, worried, and afraid is not lying down—they're looking for threats. But a sheep that knows they're protected and cared for can rest peacefully.
Life Application
This week, examine whose voice you're following. Are you being shaped by the words of thieves who steal, kill, and destroy? Or are you listening to the voice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd who calls you by name and leads you to abundant life?
Practice turning to Jesus as your shepherd through simple breath prayers using Psalm 23. When anxiety rises, breathe in "The Lord is my shepherd" and breathe out "I shall not want." Let his voice be the loudest voice in your life, drowning out the false shepherds who promise what they cannot deliver.
Consider these questions as you reflect on this message:
What voices or words from your past continue to shape how you see yourself today?
Are there any "false shepherds" in your life promising salvation through something other than Jesus?
How can you practically make Jesus' voice the loudest voice in your daily life?
What would it look like for you to experience the "abundant life" Jesus promises right now, not just in eternity?
Remember, you are a sheep by nature—the question isn't whether you'll follow someone, but whom you'll choose to follow. Choose the Good Shepherd who gave his life for his sheep and offers not just eternal life, but abundant life starting today.
