John 10:1-10

John 10:1-10 "I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not LISTEN to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Bible scholars comparing the gospels often point out that John's focuses more on the themes of Christ's ministry with less emphasis on the events of his ministry than the other gospel writers. We have seen this emphasis on ideas as certain concepts were repeated in chapters seven and eight as if the Holy Spirit was saying, pay attention: I am repeating this because it is essential to Christ's message. Today's verses use the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep, a familiar theme carried throughout the Bible that his hearers would have understood from a historical perspective with patriarchs and leaders who were shepherds such as David the boy caring for sheep and King David called a good shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:32, 37:24) Jacob and his sons, Moses, and others in the Old Testament were all shepherds. Jesus had everyone's attention the minute He started talking about the sheep pen and the watchmen opening the gate. Surely they comprehended this sentence: The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. They should have understood his words when he said, his sheep follow him because they know his voice, but apparently they were hard of hearing as well as blind, and they did not understand what he was telling them.

We must ask ourselves: Am I entering by the right gate or trying to climb over the wall? Is that the Shepherd's voice or have I been listening to another's call? Are my ears slow to listen or dull of hearing? Am I spiritually lethargic, cynical, unwilling or unable to let the words of Jesus or the power of the Holy Spirit stir my heart? Have the baubles, glamor, false allure, and glitter of this fleeting existence blinded my eyes and dulled my hearing to the Shepherd's call? Jesus told the people what He says to us: I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. When Dad talks about growing in Christ and walking in the Spirit, he says, "You have to be quiet and spend time with Jesus. Listen to that still small voice. Jesus is always speaking, but you have to stop talking and rushing about long enough to listen. Jesus says the same thing to me: 'Those who hear my voice are mine.'" Mom says, "All the time, Jesus says. 'Jacqueline, listen to me: I am here, I am with you, I love you, I will help you, I will comfort you, I am your portion, I am before you, I am behind you. I am the way, the truth, the light--your everything!'" Therefore, we have to ask ourselves: Am I listening? Do I hear his voice or do the cares of life and the details of living take precedence over hearing his voice and following the path He sets before me? Jesus came to give life: sustaining, abundant, eternal life, not a facade of life.

In "The Last Days," a deeply moving film on the Holocaust, they show the Jews in Hungary among the last to march to a cruel death right before the end of the war. As startling as the horror of this senseless carnage and man's inhumanity to man was, the sight of friends and neighbors cheering when the Jewish prisoners marched away from their homes to concentration camps and certain death was equally devastating. Ordinary folks jeered at theses helpless people and called them names as if they had not visited together, as if their children had not played together, as if they had not had broken bread together and shopped in the same stores. How could supposed close associates so quickly turn against a group of people because they bore the name Jew? How could those once friendly faces so quickly fill with hatred and wrath? This is the same wrath in the hearts of those who turned upon Jesus and chose Barabas over him while they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19:15) When God surveyed the earth before sending the flood, He saw wickedness in the hearts of men and women, and the Bible says, The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (Genesis 6:6)

Humans are unpredictable, inclined to sin. Outside of God's grace and mercy, mankind strays from the truth and wanders into danger and depravity. Today's passage reveals Christ as the Shepherd of the sheep, yet for a variety of reasons some refuse to hear his voice while others listen to the One who shed his precious blood for the sheep. Jesus came that we might have life to the full. Christ's voice is the only voice that sets us free. John knew this when he recorded Jesus' words:

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9 KJV)

Paul understood this when he wrote: For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17) Jesus Messiah leads us through green pastures and beside quiet waters. The pastures of the world never satisfy, the promises of cool waters in a dry and thirsty land never materialize. Only God satisfies our need for earthly sustenance, inner peace, and life eternal. His living water and daily manna sustain us and cause us to rise victoriously in and through Christ our Lord. IN HIM WE LIVE AND HAVE OUR BEING! God is life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. AMEN! Love, Dad and Mom

"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not LISTEN to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

Bible scholars comparing the gospels often point out that John's focuses more on the themes of Christ's ministry with less emphasis on the events of his ministry than the other gospel writers. We have seen this emphasis on ideas as certain concepts were repeated in chapters seven and eight as if the Holy Spirit was saying, pay attention: I am repeating this because it is essential to Christ's message. Today's verses use the analogy of the shepherd and the sheep, a familiar theme carried throughout the Bible that his hearers would have understood from a historical perspective with patriarchs and leaders who were shepherds such as David the boy caring for sheep and King David called a good shepherd. (Ezekiel 34:32, 37:24) Jacob and his sons, Moses, and others in the Old Testament were all shepherds. Jesus had everyone's attention the minute He started talking about the sheep pen and the watchmen opening the gate. Surely they comprehended this sentence: The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. They should have understood his words when he said, his sheep follow him because they know his voice, but apparently they were hard of hearing as well as blind, and they did not understand what he was telling them.

We must ask ourselves: Am I entering by the right gate or trying to climb over the wall? Is that the Shepherd's voice or have I been listening to another's call? Are my ears slow to listen or dull of hearing? Am I spiritually lethargic, cynical, unwilling or unable to let the words of Jesus or the power of the Holy Spirit stir my heart? Have the baubles, glamor, false allure, and glitter of this fleeting existence blinded my eyes and dulled my hearing to the Shepherd's call? Jesus told the people what He says to us: I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. When Dad talks about growing in Christ and walking in the Spirit, he says, "You have to be quiet and spend time with Jesus. Listen to that still small voice. Jesus is always speaking, but you have to stop talking and rushing about long enough to listen. Jesus says the same thing to me: 'Those who hear my voice are mine.'" Mom says, "All the time, Jesus says. 'Jacqueline, listen to me: I am here, I am with you, I love you, I will help you, I will comfort you, I am your portion, I am before you, I am behind you. I am the way, the truth, the light--your everything!'" Therefore, we have to ask ourselves: Am I listening? Do I hear his voice or do the cares of life and the details of living take precedence over hearing his voice and following the path He sets before me? Jesus came to give life: sustaining, abundant, eternal life, not a facade of life.

In "The Last Days," a deeply moving film on the Holocaust, they show the Jews in Hungary among the last to march to a cruel death right before the end of the war. As startling as the horror of this senseless carnage and man's inhumanity to man was, the sight of friends and neighbors cheering when the Jewish prisoners marched away from their homes to concentration camps and certain death was equally devastating. Ordinary folks jeered at theses helpless people and called them names as if they had not visited together, as if their children had not played together, as if they had not had broken bread together and shopped in the same stores. How could supposed close associates so quickly turn against a group of people because they bore the name Jew? How could those once friendly faces so quickly fill with hatred and wrath? This is the same wrath in the hearts of those who turned upon Jesus and chose Barabas over him while they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” (John 19:15) When God surveyed the earth before sending the flood, He saw wickedness in the hearts of men and women, and the Bible says, The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. (Genesis 6:6)

Humans are unpredictable, inclined to sin. Outside of God's grace and mercy, mankind strays from the truth and wanders into danger and depravity. Today's passage reveals Christ as the Shepherd of the sheep, yet for a variety of reasons some refuse to hear his voice while others listen to the One who shed his precious blood for the sheep. Jesus came that we might have life to the full. Christ's voice is the only voice that sets us free. John knew this when he recorded Jesus' words:

I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9 KJV)

Paul understood this when he wrote: For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17) Jesus Messiah leads us through green pastures and beside quiet waters. The pastures of the world never satisfy, the promises of cool waters in a dry and thirsty land never materialize. Only God satisfies our need for earthly sustenance, inner peace, and life eternal. His living water and daily manna sustain us and cause us to rise victoriously in and through Christ our Lord. IN HIM WE LIVE AND HAVE OUR BEING! God is life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. AMEN!