The abundant life promise of Jesus in John 10:10 is absolute. There is no variance of this life for one person or another, no levels, no getting more of it, and no secrets. What is abundantly clear is a misunderstanding of what it is, and why it’s such a great promise. Today we will define the abundant life by understanding the context of Jesus’s words and how we get it. Background: All of John 10:1-18 hangs together as a single discourse, split up into three connected shepherd parables, the entire shepherd discourse is a direct response to the Pharisees’ mistreatment of one of Jesus’ sheep, the blind man (John 9). Jesus goes directly from condemning the Pharisees in John 9:39-40 to a set of parables that contrasted his own leadership with that of the Pharisees. A. The Abundant Life Comes From Jesus Not Man VS 7 – 8 1. The “door of the sheep” is in reference to the door keeper of the public sheep pens that held multiple sheep where the door keeper would allow the shepherds in after keeping the sheep through the night. Or, out on the country side in good weather the shepherd would build a small wall around the sheep of rocks with one opening that he would lay across as the door. 2. “All who ever came before Me” – acting as the door (or a door) thieves and robbers. B. The Abundant Life Can Only Be Enjoyed In Jesus VS 9 ​1. As “the door” – Jesus is the only way to be saved. ​2. Salvation is pictured from the sheep’s point of view ​​a. they can go in and out ​​b. and find pasture C. The Abundant Life VS 10 1. Jesus here compares and contrasts Himself against the thief (who’s identity is found in verse 8) Note: No one ever identified the thief as the devil until the mid-1800s based on an error by Thomas Aquinas in commenting on another scholars work. 2. The Thief’s purpose – Steal, Kill, and Destroy (via false teaching) 3. Jesus purpose – go give life and to give it exceeding expectations