He is the Gate, He is The Good Shepherd!

This morning I am reflecting on these familiar verses from John 10:1-11 NIV:

[1] “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.” [6] Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them."

[7] Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. [9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

[11] “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."

I was reading the first few verses this morning, trying to put myself in the shoes of the person hearing Jesus say these things.  The first question that came to my mind was what is this gate he says the true shepherd will enter through?  I believe that is exactly what He wanted the people thinking, what is this gate?  Is it a person, is it a teaching school, a certification, what is the gate?

Sure enough, if you read through verse seven (or continue listening as the people did that day), Jesus answers the very question He wanted to create in the mind of the listener. Jesus says He is the gate!  Not only for the sheep, but also for the true shepherds.  Jesus, is laying the foundation for understanding here of the new covenant.  He is the way, the door, the gate, and any other way will not lead to life.  He is the only way.

Finally, in answer to the second question that would have popped into people's minds, 'who is shepherd that Jesus says enters by the gate, the one whose voice the sheep know, the one the sheep follow'?  Continuing on Jesus says He is the Good Shepherd!  Not only is He the Gate, He is also the Shepherd!

I can just imagine the confused looks on the faces of the Pharisees, as Jesus continues to lay out this new paradigm of relational covenant, for that is what He is describing.  He knows the sheep, the sheep know Him.  The sheep trust Him and follow Him, they know His voice, He leads them.  He is willing to lay down His life for the sheep.  The Pharisees likely got stuck on the gate analogy, for they thought they were the gate, for they thought they understood the Law, all of the scriptures and traditions and yet Jesus is saying they aren't the gate, that He is.  If they are like me, that is where they stopped listening, and John alludes to that by saying the Pharisees didn't understand what Jesus was telling them.  The new relational covenant is not based on the law, and obedience, but rather on relationship and faith (as described in John 6:38-40).

Finally, Jesus is really laying out and invitation to those who want to be His sheep.  There were likely hundreds of people, maybe thousands, and I can see them in their simpler understanding of Jesus' analogy thinking that they wanted to be sheep under this good shepherd, because they would be fed, looked after protected, they could follow without fear, knowing that  a good shepherd makes life good for the sheep.  His final statement in verse eleven (obviously He continues on, but I just wanted to focus on these verses) was that He was this good shepherd. That is the revelation He invites us all to encounter.  He knows our names.  He calls our names.  He invites us to follow Him. When we finally hear and decide to follow Him, we enter into this full life!  My reflection yesterday was on eternal life through relationship with and faith in Him.  We enter through Him and in doing so, encounter Him and His life, and are invited to experience both to the fullest!

Amen! What an awesome invitation!