John 10:3

The doorkeeper was the person hired to protect the sheep from their enemies. In the case of Jesus’ ministry this person corresponded to John the Baptist. Normally there were sheep from several different flocks belonging to several different owners that stayed together in these large pens. The pen then symbolized Israel or Judaism. Upon entering the pen a shepherd would call his own sheep to come out from the others, and he would lead them out to pasture. Normally shepherds did this with a distinctive call or whistle. This shepherd, however, called each sheep by its own name, which evidently was not uncommon in Jesus’ day. [Note: Blum, p. 309; Tenney, "John," p. 108.] The scene pictures Jesus’ calling every individual whom the Father had given Him to follow Him out from the other non-elect Jews (cf. Numbers 27:15-18; John 14:9; John 20:16; John 20:29; John 21:16). Jesus’ sheep listen to His voice and follow Him (cf. John 5:24).

"The Pharisees threw the beggar out of the synagogue, but Jesus led him out of Judaism and into the flock of God!" [Note: Wiersbe, 1:329.]