"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."
- John 10:7-9
Jesus repeats what He had to say in verse 7 with even more emphasis. "I
am the gate." It is only through Jesus and His atoning work as our Good
Shepherd that the sheep are saved. Jesus makes it plain that He is the
only Savior, the only door to life and salvation. In today's world we
have religious pluralism: one religion is just as good as the next;
they are all different paths to . . .
"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."
- John 10:7-9
Jesus repeats what He had to say in verse 7 with even more emphasis. "I am the gate." It is only through Jesus and His atoning work as our Good Shepherd that the sheep are saved. Jesus makes it plain that He is the only Savior, the only door to life and salvation. In today's world we have religious pluralism: one religion is just as good as the next; they are all different paths to the same heaven. Jesus states just the opposite. The only door to salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This is our entir basis for evangelism and mission work. Without Christ people are lost in sin and doomed to hell.
The people who listened to the parable of the sheep pen did not understand it. The LORD Jesus, now tries again. He returns to the familiar image of a sheep pen but approaches His audience from a slightly different direction. Now He focuses on the gate to the sheep pen.
By this time we know that with the imagery of the flock, Jesus means people, the church of believers, Christians. These people became Christians when they first entered through the gate.
Closed, a gate is no different from the rest of the fence or wall. A gate separates something outside from something inside. Open, the gate means access, and open door into fellowship with God.
The people of God have been gathered and brought through the one Gate, Jesus the Christ. Danger from the outside is controlled by God as all access to the valuable fellowship is channeled through the one Gate: "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood" Rom. 3:25. Jesus said, "I am the way.... No one comes to the Father except through Me "John 14:6. " I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved.
Christian friends, Jesus as the Gate to the sheep pen is a picture of access to safety, security, life, and the fellowship with God that flows from Him inside His pen, the grace in which we now stand. "The LORD will watch over your coming and going" Psalm 121:8.
The time has come for me to choose,
It's Jesus Christ or heaven lose;
But if what heaven loves, I hate,
Then closed me is heaven's gate.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY - Christ is the only way to Heaven; all other ways lead to doom.