“I am the Gate. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:9 CSB

In biblical times, sheep and goats were a primary source of wealth, food, and trade. The owner of a small flock counted his sheep, searched for any that were missing, and protected them at night in a corral or enclosure. Such enclosures had a gate / door through which the flock would enter in the evening and go out in the morning. Pasture during the day and protection during the night – made possible by passing through the gate.

Jesus used this common cultural image, describing Himself as the door. Through Him would His sheep / followers be saved and find abundant spiritual nourishment.

A millennia before Jesus, David used this imagery in writing the 23rd Psalm, fully understanding the Lord God as Shepherd.