Scripture: John 10:34-42
This coming week, Diane and I are going to get to spend some time away, which we don’t get to do all that often. True, we’ll be a vaction with my brothers and their wives, but it will be a good time, and we’ll have 12 hours alone in the car during the trip to Charlotte on Wednesday. We’ll get to see nieces and nephews that we haven’t seen in a long time, and will get to meet a great neice and twin great nephews who we have only seen pictures of.
In the past few years, my brothers and I have come to the realization that with the miles that exist between us now, we have to become more intentional in our getting together - to reminisce over the memories of yesterday and to renew our relationships for today. Without taking deliberate steps to nurture each other, we could very easily begin to drift apart.
Read John 10:34-38
And in our relationship with Jesus, we also have to spend quality time together and be intentional in maintaining that relationship. For the Pharisees and Sadducees, the time that they spent with Jesus was in a more negative light - it was to catch him in some indiscretion, instead of trying to truly get to know him. Jesus challenges them to look beyond themselves, beyond their own disbelief, and let his actions speak for themselves. “..even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” In essence, he asks them, point blank, if they really think that he could do the things he is doing if he wasn’t really the Son of God.
And the world today needs to ask themselves the same question. Could faith in Christ bring about the miracles that we see today if Jesus wasn’t truly God? Don’t try to explain away the miracles away – that it was only a coincidence, that it would have happened anyway, that it was a natural occurrence, and on and on. You’ve heard them all. Could he do these things without divine power?
And I challenge you to ask yourself the question, but in a slightly different way – ask "CAN faith in Jesus Christ bring about the miracles that we see today?" And the answer has to be a resounding YES! The evidence is before us. People are healed physically in ways that are beyond all reason and explanation. Resources suddenly materialize at the very moment that a believer has the critical need. A word is spoken, and relationships that have hung by a thread for many years, or which have broken completely apart, are restored.
“Believe the miracles, that you may know.” Jesus doesn’t even ask us to believe in blind faith! Believe because you have the hard evidence! Trust your eyes! Seeing is believing! He doesn’t care how we come to believe, just believe!
Read John 10:39-42
But for the learned men of the temple, seeing, apparently, wasn’t enough! They preferred to continue in their own self imposed darkness than to walk in the Light of God. But there were others who not only saw, but did believe. They saw the miracles with their own eyes, and the Son of God became real in them. They discovered the power of Christ through faith. (see Mark 10:46-52)
And disbelief is just as powerful as belief is. In several passages in the gospels, Luke 4:14-30 in particular, we read of the time when Jesus returns to his hometown, but is unable to perform many miracles because the people didn’t believe. Maybe that is why the Pharisees couldn’t accept the miracles of Jesus as the proof that they needed – their faith was misplaced and they simply couldn’t believe!
Jesus calls to us, he comes to us, right where we are, offering all that we need to believe. And this leads us to our next step. For the remainder of our time of worship, I invite all here today, who are in need of a word from your Lord, to come forward for prayers. Come for yourself. Come for a friend. Come for a physical need. Come for an emotional or relational need. Come by yourself or come with a friend.
Just come. Your Lord is waiting for you.
(As this point in worship, a healing service was held.)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Sunday, May 8, 2011
“Jesus, The Divine Shepherd”
Scripture: John 10:11-21
Last week, we began to look at the concept of Christ as our shepherd by considering the issue of a gate, and how the gate is important in keeping the sheep safe and secure. Today, we take a look at the shepherd – what makes a good shepherd, and what makes for a bad shepherd. As we read last week in verse 7, the best shepherd becomes the gate that keeps the dangers of earth away from his flock. Jesus is that kind of shepherd.
But there must be more than just being the “gate”, opening to only his own flock, keeping danger at bay, keeping others away.
Read John 10:11-13
It seems that it is more than just the actions – our reading tells us that it is more about the attitude. It isn’t so much the “what”, as it is about the “why”. Is it about you, or is it about the sheep? Jesus compares the shepherd to an employee who is hired to do the job. The one who identifies with the flock cares deeply for them, while the hired man only cares about what he will receive from the job. It’s about commitment. But the question is “How do we become committed?”
Over the years, I've had a number of bosses – some were good and some not so good. As I reflected on the passage for today [not in comparing them to Jesus, of course!], I realized that the poor bosses seemed to demand commitment to the task at hand, while others made it possible for you to become committed. I remember one particular research project that I had been given – to determine the potential for energy sales from 3 very specific promotional programs. As I delved into the processes, I discovered that first, each one had some very serious drawbacks, and second, that the incremental energy sales for all three would be minimal at best. So I wrote my report based on what I had discovered, believing that I had provided a realistic and honest evaluation of the project. However, I later learned that management was very upset with the report, as it was perceived that I had intentionally thrown a “wet blanket” on these sales programs, instead of developing a positive approach to each one.
To say the least, management’s definition of “commitment” was a little different than mine!
Commitment is not the same as personal gratification, it isn’t about satisfying your own needs. It is about having the courage to do what is needed, even at your own expense. In Jesus’ characterization of the “hired hand”, he never tells us that there is any indication that the man doesn’t do an acceptable job on most days. He tells us that when the going got tough, the one who had no stake in the flock had no lasting focus on the sheep – it was all about himself. The good shepherd, on the other hand, would stay and even die for the benefit of the sheep, if that is what was required.
So what connection would a good shepherd have to have with the flock to give so much of himself?
Read John 10:14-18
It seems that, first and foremost, that it’s all about a relationship.
First, Jesus tells us that he knows each of the sheep and each of them know him. The flock can’t be seen as a group – they must see be seen as individuals. It can’t be about the wool or the milk or the meat - it must be about their well being. It can’t be about what the sheep can give to the shepherd – it must be what the shepherd can give to the sheep.
Second, Jesus is prepared to lay down his life for those who will follow him. What other god, in all of history, has ever been willing to do that? He would sacrifice his earthly life, so that his own would not have to sacrifice their heavenly life. Jesus never saw his life among us as a time to be honored. To the contrary, he knew that it would be a time of hatred and condemnation and extreme pain – emotional as well as physical. And he claimed all of the humiliation that earth could throw at him so that we might be honored through all of eternity.
The sheep always come first - always.
Third, he has “sheep” that are different than the obvious ones. This is his reference to the gentiles, who would be strongly objected to by the Jews. He assures his “flock” that these others also know his voice, and that they also follow his leading, and that it is his plan, one day, to bring them all together and make them one flock, under one shepherd.
He gives an absolute sense of unity to all who follow his voice.
Without this drastically different and innovative approach to leadership, the leader is simply another definition of the old expression “What’s in it for me?”
And we, as dumb sheep, are in a drastic need for a different kind of leader – after all, the ones we follow in this world will always fail us.
Don Everts writes in “The Smell of Sin”
Consider the runaway sheep. Confused, short-sighted, blind to wolves and cliffs and jagged rocks, the runaway sheep dumbly fumbles his way around. If he trips and falls on his side, he could just lie there and die. He would never figure out why the field has suddenly gone sideways. He has no capacity, in and of himself, to regain his equilibrium.
While still upright, he follows his nose. And his nose doesn’t know much. The lone sheep is a picture of cluelessness, which is why “sheep without a shepherd” was a common metaphor for helplessness in the Hebrew Scriptures. Mark says that Jesus was sad, for “they were like sheep without a shepherd” (6:34).
Everts continues:
We’ve all had times in which panic sets in. It’s that shaky feeling of having no idea where we are or which way is up. We just want everything to make sense — for the wildly spinning room to just stop, for the sun to rise again.
“Sheep need a shepherd,” writes Everts. “We always have and we always will.”
Read John 10:19-21
Most of us, I believe, recognize the need for a new kind of leader – a different kind of savior! The problem is that many people want to be the ones who get to define what the leadership style is all about! We want the shepherd to be made in the image of the sheep, and not the other way around. And that attitude hasn’t changed one iota since the beginning of time!
Why are we so opposed, so reluctant, so afraid to let the Lord make these incredible changes in our life? We know that our way doesn’t work – it never has! And yet, we continue to cling to the “same old – same old”! Psalm 23 gives us every reason to turn to the Lord, and many passages speak of the folly of not turning back, of the people as “sheep without a shepherd”, such as Mark 6 and Ezekiel 34:5 – “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals.” This doesn’t paint a very rosy picture of the people’s efforts to make their own way in the world, and yet, we continue to try.
There is only one answer to our conflict of life verses death – turn to Christ, the perfect Shepherd, who is the only one who can, and has, and will, turn the defeat of death into the victory of life. And what does it require? To simply turn these pitiful, miserable, limited and temporary lives over to the one and true God. We really are like sheep – “confused, short-sighted, blind to wolves and cliffs and jagged rocks, and we dumbly fumble our way around”. And the more we try, the further away we get. In giving up the things we can’t keep, we will gain the very things we can never earn.
We can go our own way and face the jagged rocks, or we can turn to the wonderful Shepherd, who is constantly concerned for our best. And each of us has to make our own choice.
Last week, we began to look at the concept of Christ as our shepherd by considering the issue of a gate, and how the gate is important in keeping the sheep safe and secure. Today, we take a look at the shepherd – what makes a good shepherd, and what makes for a bad shepherd. As we read last week in verse 7, the best shepherd becomes the gate that keeps the dangers of earth away from his flock. Jesus is that kind of shepherd.
But there must be more than just being the “gate”, opening to only his own flock, keeping danger at bay, keeping others away.
Read John 10:11-13
It seems that it is more than just the actions – our reading tells us that it is more about the attitude. It isn’t so much the “what”, as it is about the “why”. Is it about you, or is it about the sheep? Jesus compares the shepherd to an employee who is hired to do the job. The one who identifies with the flock cares deeply for them, while the hired man only cares about what he will receive from the job. It’s about commitment. But the question is “How do we become committed?”
Over the years, I've had a number of bosses – some were good and some not so good. As I reflected on the passage for today [not in comparing them to Jesus, of course!], I realized that the poor bosses seemed to demand commitment to the task at hand, while others made it possible for you to become committed. I remember one particular research project that I had been given – to determine the potential for energy sales from 3 very specific promotional programs. As I delved into the processes, I discovered that first, each one had some very serious drawbacks, and second, that the incremental energy sales for all three would be minimal at best. So I wrote my report based on what I had discovered, believing that I had provided a realistic and honest evaluation of the project. However, I later learned that management was very upset with the report, as it was perceived that I had intentionally thrown a “wet blanket” on these sales programs, instead of developing a positive approach to each one.
To say the least, management’s definition of “commitment” was a little different than mine!
Commitment is not the same as personal gratification, it isn’t about satisfying your own needs. It is about having the courage to do what is needed, even at your own expense. In Jesus’ characterization of the “hired hand”, he never tells us that there is any indication that the man doesn’t do an acceptable job on most days. He tells us that when the going got tough, the one who had no stake in the flock had no lasting focus on the sheep – it was all about himself. The good shepherd, on the other hand, would stay and even die for the benefit of the sheep, if that is what was required.
So what connection would a good shepherd have to have with the flock to give so much of himself?
Read John 10:14-18
It seems that, first and foremost, that it’s all about a relationship.
First, Jesus tells us that he knows each of the sheep and each of them know him. The flock can’t be seen as a group – they must see be seen as individuals. It can’t be about the wool or the milk or the meat - it must be about their well being. It can’t be about what the sheep can give to the shepherd – it must be what the shepherd can give to the sheep.
Second, Jesus is prepared to lay down his life for those who will follow him. What other god, in all of history, has ever been willing to do that? He would sacrifice his earthly life, so that his own would not have to sacrifice their heavenly life. Jesus never saw his life among us as a time to be honored. To the contrary, he knew that it would be a time of hatred and condemnation and extreme pain – emotional as well as physical. And he claimed all of the humiliation that earth could throw at him so that we might be honored through all of eternity.
The sheep always come first - always.
Third, he has “sheep” that are different than the obvious ones. This is his reference to the gentiles, who would be strongly objected to by the Jews. He assures his “flock” that these others also know his voice, and that they also follow his leading, and that it is his plan, one day, to bring them all together and make them one flock, under one shepherd.
He gives an absolute sense of unity to all who follow his voice.
Without this drastically different and innovative approach to leadership, the leader is simply another definition of the old expression “What’s in it for me?”
And we, as dumb sheep, are in a drastic need for a different kind of leader – after all, the ones we follow in this world will always fail us.
Don Everts writes in “The Smell of Sin”
Consider the runaway sheep. Confused, short-sighted, blind to wolves and cliffs and jagged rocks, the runaway sheep dumbly fumbles his way around. If he trips and falls on his side, he could just lie there and die. He would never figure out why the field has suddenly gone sideways. He has no capacity, in and of himself, to regain his equilibrium.
While still upright, he follows his nose. And his nose doesn’t know much. The lone sheep is a picture of cluelessness, which is why “sheep without a shepherd” was a common metaphor for helplessness in the Hebrew Scriptures. Mark says that Jesus was sad, for “they were like sheep without a shepherd” (6:34).
Everts continues:
We’ve all had times in which panic sets in. It’s that shaky feeling of having no idea where we are or which way is up. We just want everything to make sense — for the wildly spinning room to just stop, for the sun to rise again.
“Sheep need a shepherd,” writes Everts. “We always have and we always will.”
Read John 10:19-21
Most of us, I believe, recognize the need for a new kind of leader – a different kind of savior! The problem is that many people want to be the ones who get to define what the leadership style is all about! We want the shepherd to be made in the image of the sheep, and not the other way around. And that attitude hasn’t changed one iota since the beginning of time!
Why are we so opposed, so reluctant, so afraid to let the Lord make these incredible changes in our life? We know that our way doesn’t work – it never has! And yet, we continue to cling to the “same old – same old”! Psalm 23 gives us every reason to turn to the Lord, and many passages speak of the folly of not turning back, of the people as “sheep without a shepherd”, such as Mark 6 and Ezekiel 34:5 – “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals.” This doesn’t paint a very rosy picture of the people’s efforts to make their own way in the world, and yet, we continue to try.
There is only one answer to our conflict of life verses death – turn to Christ, the perfect Shepherd, who is the only one who can, and has, and will, turn the defeat of death into the victory of life. And what does it require? To simply turn these pitiful, miserable, limited and temporary lives over to the one and true God. We really are like sheep – “confused, short-sighted, blind to wolves and cliffs and jagged rocks, and we dumbly fumble our way around”. And the more we try, the further away we get. In giving up the things we can’t keep, we will gain the very things we can never earn.
We can go our own way and face the jagged rocks, or we can turn to the wonderful Shepherd, who is constantly concerned for our best. And each of us has to make our own choice.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
“Jesus, The Certain Gate”
Scripture: John 10:1-10
Some people aren’t too keen on the thought that scripture compares us to sheep. And the truth is, the image isn’t very complimentary! Sheep aren’t very smart – they eat with their heads down, never looking up, and just wander wherever there is something to chew on. They don’t seem to care whether the fodder in front of them is good for them or bad – whatever is there gets eaten. Sheep are dumb.
And many don’t like the thought that the image of heaven includes a “gate”. Why should anyone be kept out? How can a loving and compassionate God be so exclusive?
And yet, scripture is full of these references, and we had better get used to them! Not simply because the Bible includes them, but because they are important for our lives!
Read John 10:1-3
The sheep pen isn’t some device that is used as a means of punishment. It exists to create a safe haven for those who are inside. In that day, there were many wild animals prowling the hillsides of Judea, and the sheep could easily become a tasty meal for them. The shepherd’s main job was to see to their well being – to lead them safely into areas that had good grass and water during the day, and even more importantly, to keep them safe from marauders during the night. The shepherd would see his sheep safely into the enclosure in the evening, and would then lie down in the entrance to sleep. Anyone trying to get in or out during the night would have to negotiate their way over the shepherd. He would, in all actuality, become a gate for his sheep.
Jesus uses this image of sheep and shepherd in our passages for the next two weeks. Today we look at this concept of a “gate”.
The first issue that Jesus presents is who is allowed to enter through the gated entrance. He tells us that it is only the sheep of the shepherd’s own flock that are permitted entry. Sheep from someone else’s flock do not get a pass. And, of course, the wild animals who intend to do harm to the flock are also excluded. Anyone – human or animal – who tries to enter by some secretive or cunning means will not succeed, and can only be described as dishonest and up to no good!
And we need to know that there is also a gate that bars the way to heaven. It isn’t a locked door, it isn’t an armed sentry, it isn’t some secret password or code. The restriction is more public than any security system in use today, and at the same time is more unbreakable than any system could possibly be. It can’t be bypassed. It can’t be defeated. It can’t be fooled. And there is no other possible port of entry.
And yet, folks continue to think that they can bypass the procedure, and create their own way to get inside.
Read John 10:4-6
As I think you all know, we have two cats. Sometimes they act as though they run the place, but the truth is, I have the upper hand – I know how to open the door to let them in or out of the house, and they don’t! It kind of makes me indispensible to them. I have to admit, though, that they can be very irritating when they want to go out, and I don’t jump as soon as they call! But as hard as they scratch and claw at the door, or meow as though they are being subjected to some great wrong, they still haven’t found a good way to open the door except to get me to do it! And on the other hand, if I go outside and call them to come in, especially after they have been outside for a while, they come running as if I was their best friend. But if someone else is trying to get their attention, especially with the older cat, they head in the opposite direction. They know my voice, and they know that they can trust me. With others, they aren’t so sure.
The shepherd’s flock is similar in nature. They come to trust the shepherd and know that he has only their best interest at heart. If he calls out to them, they respond. If some else tries to get their attention, they ignore him.
But the people who were listening to this teaching didn’t get the message. Jesus, as we all know, taught using parables and other examples that had hidden meanings. It didn’t matter if it was his disciples, or the crowd, or this group of Pharisees, he was equally adept at confusing them all. Those who heard his teaching always tried to take him literally and it never seemed to make any sense to them. In this instance, the analogy of “sheep and shepherd” was just as bewildering to the Pharisees as it would have been if Jesus was introducing the subject of quantum mechanics. They missed the issue of relationship in the discussion, and since they didn’t recognize Jesus as either a Shepherd or Savior, it was totally devoid of any meaning for them.
From the devotional “Streams in the Desert”:
The shepherd is responsible for the sheep; not the sheep for the shepherd. The worst of it is, that we sometimes think we are both the shepherd and the sheep, and that we have to both guide and follow. Happy are we when we realize that he is responsible, that he goes before and goodness and mercy shall follow.
--Streams in the Desert
The Pharisees wanted to be the leaders, and they strongly objected to anyone who tried to take that position away from them. They wanted others to listen to their teaching, not that of others. But Jesus would never give up trying to show them the truth.
It was a hard lesson for these learned men, and most of them failed to learn it.
Read John 10:7-10
And Jesus explains that He is the gate that protects the sheep – his followers - and that all of the teachers of false salvation are just thieves and bandits. The “gate” of heaven is the most secure of any portal that has ever existed throughout all time. There is no key, no combination, no toll booth – the gate will open wide only in the presence of a sure and certain relationship with the shepherd. And it can never open under any other circumstance. And as secure as entry may be, this procedure for entry is given to all who wish to enter. Why do people try to make it so difficult?
The Psalmist reiterates this theme in Psalm 118:19-21. We can’t open the gate – it must be opened for us! It isn’t a gate that everyone will pass through – it is only for the righteous, and righteousness can only come through a relationship with the Divine Shepherd. But it is available to all who will ask.
And entry brings not just safety, but life! Can it possibly get any easier?
Do you think that the Pharisees may have cringed a little at this teaching, especially when Jesus implied that those who teach in opposition to Him are nothing more than thieves who “steal, kill and destroy”? You know that they did. And the “Pharisees” of today had better cringe, too!
There are no other entrances into heaven, there is no other entry criteria, there is no other gatekeeper, no other shepherd, no other opportunity for finding a different way in.
Every other teaching is nothing more than an attempt to grab the promise of eternal life right out of the hands of Christ’s faithful. They are thieves - no more, no less.
So how do we recognize these present day thieves? We know them only by knowing the teachings of Jesus Christ, and being able to compare the two thoughts. Know Jesus’ words, and be confident in them. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
These are words that leave very little to the imagination – salvation is only in Christ – the Divine and certain Gate. We give him our lives, and he gives us new life. We give him our trust, and he gives us his ministry. We give him our all, and he gives us even more.
It’s as simple as that. Know his voice, his call, his touch. They are unlike any other.
Some people aren’t too keen on the thought that scripture compares us to sheep. And the truth is, the image isn’t very complimentary! Sheep aren’t very smart – they eat with their heads down, never looking up, and just wander wherever there is something to chew on. They don’t seem to care whether the fodder in front of them is good for them or bad – whatever is there gets eaten. Sheep are dumb.
And many don’t like the thought that the image of heaven includes a “gate”. Why should anyone be kept out? How can a loving and compassionate God be so exclusive?
And yet, scripture is full of these references, and we had better get used to them! Not simply because the Bible includes them, but because they are important for our lives!
Read John 10:1-3
The sheep pen isn’t some device that is used as a means of punishment. It exists to create a safe haven for those who are inside. In that day, there were many wild animals prowling the hillsides of Judea, and the sheep could easily become a tasty meal for them. The shepherd’s main job was to see to their well being – to lead them safely into areas that had good grass and water during the day, and even more importantly, to keep them safe from marauders during the night. The shepherd would see his sheep safely into the enclosure in the evening, and would then lie down in the entrance to sleep. Anyone trying to get in or out during the night would have to negotiate their way over the shepherd. He would, in all actuality, become a gate for his sheep.
Jesus uses this image of sheep and shepherd in our passages for the next two weeks. Today we look at this concept of a “gate”.
The first issue that Jesus presents is who is allowed to enter through the gated entrance. He tells us that it is only the sheep of the shepherd’s own flock that are permitted entry. Sheep from someone else’s flock do not get a pass. And, of course, the wild animals who intend to do harm to the flock are also excluded. Anyone – human or animal – who tries to enter by some secretive or cunning means will not succeed, and can only be described as dishonest and up to no good!
And we need to know that there is also a gate that bars the way to heaven. It isn’t a locked door, it isn’t an armed sentry, it isn’t some secret password or code. The restriction is more public than any security system in use today, and at the same time is more unbreakable than any system could possibly be. It can’t be bypassed. It can’t be defeated. It can’t be fooled. And there is no other possible port of entry.
And yet, folks continue to think that they can bypass the procedure, and create their own way to get inside.
Read John 10:4-6
As I think you all know, we have two cats. Sometimes they act as though they run the place, but the truth is, I have the upper hand – I know how to open the door to let them in or out of the house, and they don’t! It kind of makes me indispensible to them. I have to admit, though, that they can be very irritating when they want to go out, and I don’t jump as soon as they call! But as hard as they scratch and claw at the door, or meow as though they are being subjected to some great wrong, they still haven’t found a good way to open the door except to get me to do it! And on the other hand, if I go outside and call them to come in, especially after they have been outside for a while, they come running as if I was their best friend. But if someone else is trying to get their attention, especially with the older cat, they head in the opposite direction. They know my voice, and they know that they can trust me. With others, they aren’t so sure.
The shepherd’s flock is similar in nature. They come to trust the shepherd and know that he has only their best interest at heart. If he calls out to them, they respond. If some else tries to get their attention, they ignore him.
But the people who were listening to this teaching didn’t get the message. Jesus, as we all know, taught using parables and other examples that had hidden meanings. It didn’t matter if it was his disciples, or the crowd, or this group of Pharisees, he was equally adept at confusing them all. Those who heard his teaching always tried to take him literally and it never seemed to make any sense to them. In this instance, the analogy of “sheep and shepherd” was just as bewildering to the Pharisees as it would have been if Jesus was introducing the subject of quantum mechanics. They missed the issue of relationship in the discussion, and since they didn’t recognize Jesus as either a Shepherd or Savior, it was totally devoid of any meaning for them.
From the devotional “Streams in the Desert”:
The shepherd is responsible for the sheep; not the sheep for the shepherd. The worst of it is, that we sometimes think we are both the shepherd and the sheep, and that we have to both guide and follow. Happy are we when we realize that he is responsible, that he goes before and goodness and mercy shall follow.
--Streams in the Desert
The Pharisees wanted to be the leaders, and they strongly objected to anyone who tried to take that position away from them. They wanted others to listen to their teaching, not that of others. But Jesus would never give up trying to show them the truth.
It was a hard lesson for these learned men, and most of them failed to learn it.
Read John 10:7-10
And Jesus explains that He is the gate that protects the sheep – his followers - and that all of the teachers of false salvation are just thieves and bandits. The “gate” of heaven is the most secure of any portal that has ever existed throughout all time. There is no key, no combination, no toll booth – the gate will open wide only in the presence of a sure and certain relationship with the shepherd. And it can never open under any other circumstance. And as secure as entry may be, this procedure for entry is given to all who wish to enter. Why do people try to make it so difficult?
The Psalmist reiterates this theme in Psalm 118:19-21. We can’t open the gate – it must be opened for us! It isn’t a gate that everyone will pass through – it is only for the righteous, and righteousness can only come through a relationship with the Divine Shepherd. But it is available to all who will ask.
And entry brings not just safety, but life! Can it possibly get any easier?
Do you think that the Pharisees may have cringed a little at this teaching, especially when Jesus implied that those who teach in opposition to Him are nothing more than thieves who “steal, kill and destroy”? You know that they did. And the “Pharisees” of today had better cringe, too!
There are no other entrances into heaven, there is no other entry criteria, there is no other gatekeeper, no other shepherd, no other opportunity for finding a different way in.
Every other teaching is nothing more than an attempt to grab the promise of eternal life right out of the hands of Christ’s faithful. They are thieves - no more, no less.
So how do we recognize these present day thieves? We know them only by knowing the teachings of Jesus Christ, and being able to compare the two thoughts. Know Jesus’ words, and be confident in them. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
These are words that leave very little to the imagination – salvation is only in Christ – the Divine and certain Gate. We give him our lives, and he gives us new life. We give him our trust, and he gives us his ministry. We give him our all, and he gives us even more.
It’s as simple as that. Know his voice, his call, his touch. They are unlike any other.
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