The thief, the shepherd and the gate.

John 10:1-10

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.

Have you ever been in a play? When you first get the script, there is a section explaining the characters and their role in the play. Here, Jesus shows us the characters in his play!

Jesus has just healed a man born blind and uses the event about physical blindness to outline spiritual blindness. Then, he introduces the characters. He starts with the Pharisees. They are the ones who try to enter the sheepfold deceptively, by climbing over the wall so they can steal the sheep. This description must have come as a shock to the Pharisees, who saw themselves as spiritual leaders in Israel. Jesus goes on to describe himself as the one who enters through the door. He is saying “I am the legitimate leader. The sheep belong to me. The sheep know my voice (unlike you Pharisees!). The sheep will run away from a stranger – like you Pharisees. For the Jewish people, the analogy of a shepherd was a well-known one, meaning leader or king. So, this is a very bold “I am” statement. Jesus is both proclaiming himself to be the real king, whom the people should follow, and saying that the Pharisees are nothing but thieves.

But, because they are not the sheep who “know his voice” and “listen to his voice”, the Pharisees don’t understand what Jesus is saying. So, Jesus took a step back and tried again. This time, Jesus described himself as the “gate” – the one through whom the sheep can enter the safety of the sheep pen and also the one through whom they can go out and find good pasture and sweet water. He is the ONLY way in and out.

I love these “I am” statements of Jesus. “I am” is Yahweh – so Jesus is showing us that he is God. He is the ONLY way to the safety and security of eternal life with the shepherd. But not only that, I can enjoy “a rich and satisfying life” now because of my relationship with him.

Thank you, Jesus, for being both the door and the shepherd! Thank you that being in relationship with you means that I can have an abundant life on earth, as well as in the future. Amen

Written by Megan Cornell