John 10:1
"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. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice." 6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.A He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
The sun is rising over the rolling hills. The warm light pours through the window next to you as you unroll your newspaper scroll to read up on the latest…the steam tickles your lips as you prepare to enjoy the first sip of your morning coffee…
The Galilean Gazette says it will be another cool day. 56 degrees! A record low for late fall!
Jesus is in the news again. The headline reads: "Jesus Accuses Galilean Pharisees of Sheep Stealing"
The headline caught your attention, so you decide to read on---
"The Pharisees, who do not believe Jesus is the Messiah spoken of in prophecy, accused him of being demon possessed. Experts argue as to whether or not a demon would heal and do good works. In response to the accusations, Jesus healed a blind man and said that He, "came into this world to make the blind see and the seeing blind." Some Pharisees who were on hand investigating the Jesus Phenomenon, reportedly asked, "We are not blind too, are we?" Jesus said, "If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ’We see,’ your sin remains."
What He said next may be the most critical clue in the Messiah mystery surrounding Jesus. For years, many have speculated that Jesus may indeed be the Messiah of ancient prophecy. But, to date, Jesus has remained amazingly quiet on the issue, and at best, ambiguous.
But in the most recent turn of events surrounding the controversial Jesus of Nazareth, he has made some of the most startling claims yet.
Eyewitnesses report that Jesus used one of his trademark parables. This story about shepherds and sheepfolds puzzled the crowd of onlookers. As the weather begins to turn cold this time of year many different shepherds pool their flocks together in one sheep pen surrounded by walls, open to the sky, with only one entrance. The shepherds rotate watches, to guard the entrance. What Jesus meant by citing what is common knowledge remained a mystery. The crowd asked him to explain. Jesus is reported to have said, "I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy; I came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly."
This seems to be Jesus’ closest claim to the throne yet. Although speculation continues on exactly who Jesus meant by "all who came before him", representatives of the Sanhedrin stated today that they feel this is a threat and false accusation aimed directly at them. They are pushing for a hearing where Jesus would be made to explain himself. In the meantime they are remaining firm on their previous position that Jesus is, indeed, possessed by a devil or insane. They are encouraging the public to disregard him and his bizarre statements."
The whole thing stirs you up somehow. Setting down your coffee, you go off in search of a clean scroll and a quill-
"Dear Editor", you begin:
"My name is John. I am a disciple of Jesus. I’m not just one of the hundreds that follow him in any given city, but one of the twelve handpicked by the Rabbi to study under Him.
I am writing in response to your article concerning Jesus in the 27th day of Chislev edition.
You should understand that Jesus is the one, true Messiah. This is what he was trying to say in his parable. You failed to include it in your article. This is what Jesus said:
’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. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.’
What he meant was, all the Law and the Prophets paint a picture of the Messiah for us: what he will do, what will be done to him, how he will be known by us, to us, through us. You see, the Law and the Prophets-the very will of God - are the gate. The true Messiah will walk through the gate just as a rightful shepherd would arrive in the morning to call his sheep from the sheep pen. Anyone who tries to sneak over the wall or deceive the gatekeeper is a thief or a robber.
As editor, you have recorded many heroic events by many would-be messiahs. Several pretenders have tried to claim the throne, claiming to be the savior of Israel. They started big. They did big things. They gained big followings. But they all went out with a whimper. They all passed quietly from the current events section into obscurity.
Jesus is telling us that the true Sons of Abraham - those who know God’s Word and can discern God’s will-will hear the good shepherd, the Messiah, and follow him out of the fold.
Of course, no one understood what He meant. So, when questioned, He tried a new parable…
"Think of me as the door of the sheep", he said, "All the false Messiahs, all those who preach a wrong picture of the Messiah, are thieves and robbers. They try to go before me and around me and behind me, but they are not the true shepherds of Israel. No one enters into the Messianic Age-the Kingdom of Heaven, except through Me.
Anyone who tries to lead you out or in and doesn’t come through Me is a liar and a thief. They will exploit you. They will take your money. They will take your faith. They will shear you and leave you bear and then leave you alone. They look like shepherds. They sound like shepherds. But they care nothing at all for the sheep.
They will paint you pictures of rose gardens and greener pastures. But all they want is what they can get out of you. Any Prophet - any Messiah - any Preacher who teaches any other way in or out of the sheep pen should be locked up for life!
They come teaching another Messiah or claiming to be that Messiah.
They come teaching another Prophet or claiming to be that Prophet
They come preaching a doctrine of works righteousness or universal consciousness or positive thinking…
But all they want is to steal your money, kill your faith, and destroy your life."
This is why it is so important that you understand what Jesus is saying. This is why He said, "I came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly."
He is talking about a "Life beyond life" "life beyond measure". "More life than you ever had or could have before. Eternal life. It means a superior quality of life within the context of the superior quantity of life everlasting. Its primary understanding is quantity and it refers directly to back to "life". The word "Life" is here used in the sense of being alive, not a standard of living… lest anyone pick your pocket with a false prosperity theology. The life we have more abundantly is the life waiting for us beyond the grave. That is our hope. That is the joy of our expectation. If heaven could be given to us on earth, why would He be going to prepare a place for us? The streets are golden there, not here. No tears are shed there, not here.
He has come that we all might have heaven as our inheritance. He has come to ensure that all the true Sons of Abraham have everlasting life.
Yours truly,
One of the Sons of Thunder
John-Son of Zebedee
There are many things being said to us in this passage.
It is a classic passage that defines Christianity as "exclusive".
When the Mormon missionaries knock on your door… When the B’Hai people talk of their new Messiah to replace Jesus…
Have your Bible turned to John Chapter 10.
Anyone who tries to get to the sheep-that is you and me-through any other way than Jesus is a false prophet preaching a false gospel of a false god.
In the first half of the passage we see Jesus - the one, true and rightful Messiah showing up to call His own out from the fold. He does not call all the sheep. He only calls aloud, and His own run to him. Sheep are like that. They only respond to the sound of their shepherd’s voice. Shepherds do not drive sheep like cowboys drive cattle. Shepherds lead and sheep follow. Shepherds sing and sheep follow the sound of his voice. Shepherds call and sheep run to them.
In verses 1-5, we see Jesus stepping up to the gatekeeper, which is God’s will, and stepping through the gate, which is all the scripture concerning the Messiah. He has not come as a glory seeker or seeking fame and riches and a throne. He does not try to take the sheep by force or force the sheep to follow Him as so many had before. Rather, He comes honestly through the gate, fulfilling all the prophecies, fulfilling all the Law - and sings to His sheep… The ones that know Him come running.
Do you know His voice? Is He calling to you this moment?
Listen.
Is the Shepherd singing your name? Go running to Him before He is over the hill and out of sight.
That’s right. This moment will pass. The Shepherd will be gone-maybe for good.
Are you waiting for a cattle prod? Were you expecting writing in the sky? Thunder bolts? Earthquakes?
The Good Shepherd will not drive you. His staff is for saving not stealing. He will not drive you from the fold. He will not lift you over the wall with His staff. He sings and strolls to greener pastures. His sheep - the ones who know His voice-follow. This is your chance. If you’ve heard His voice for the first time - run to Him now…
But there is more.
Jesus is the only way. He is the door. Know one comes into the Kingdom of God unless they pass through Jesus. Some people say that many prophets over the centuries hold the key to heaven. They want you to believe that Jesus was just one of them. But Jesus said all who came before Him were thieves and robbers. Anyone who enters through Him will go in and out and find pasture and be saved.
In the first half of the passage we are compared to sheep. In the next we are shepherds.
In the first half we are the sheep and he is the shepherd. In the next, we are the shepherds and he is the door.
As shepherds who come through the door we gain salvation and vocation.
Not only are we "saved" into eternal life, but also we are free to do the business of the Master. We are free to receive our sheep in the morning and to put them away again at night. We are free to care for the sheep and lead them to pasture during the day.
To each one Christ gives a flock. To each one He gives a perimeter of influence. Did you know that you are a Jesus tutor to another? Did you know that this very minute you are mentoring someone in the way of Christ? And we have the distinct privilege following salvation to engage in the vocation of our Lord…
In time, as you show up each faithfully each morning, some little lamb will answer to your call. What a privilege to see a new heart come to call Jesus Lord and Savior!
In time, as you bring the day to a close, you will have the honor of putting them away as they pass from this life into the fold of heaven…one day you will usher that life in Jesus directly into His arms and through Him into the abundant life of paradise.
But in-between, we have the task to feed and nurture and care for every one that Christ has entrusted to our care. You’ll find them in the pews around you. You’ll find them in your family photo album. You’ll find them in the faces of abused spouses and children. You’ll find them around the lunch table at work. You’ll find them in Children’s church… in soup kitchens… in welfare lines…in liquor stores…on street corners…You’ll find them in your local newspaper - they’re not in the classifieds-they’re in the articles that read "He is survived by…" The widows and orphans…
Spiritually. Physically. We care for the sheep of the Good Shepherd. We are not saved by good works but we are saved for good works… Salvation and Vocation go hand in hand.
He is also saying that abundant life comes through Jesus alone. Jesus’ way is the way of sacrifice and service.
We don’t like to hear that today. One reason TV ministries have exploded in popularity is their "pop theology". Many of them teach that God caters to the selfish whims of Christians. Some sell this as whatever you desire…The more crafty ones find a way to disguise the selfish whims by hiding it behind a cross or a steeple… The Church of the New Testament sold all they had and gave to meet the needs of the God’s people. Today, we are told that God will prosper us if we send all we can to a particular ministry… Yet, we never see the silk suited prophet on TV hocking his gigantic ornamental diamond ring, or selling his $300,000 home, or giving back one of his five $50,000 cars to the dealership in order to fund it. No, he’d rather shear the sheep. He’d rather rob the storehouse of the local church. He’d rather have that "seed of faith" pledge from any one of the millions of gray-haired ladies at home on fixed income than sacrifice like Christ sacrificed himself. They call themselves under-shepherds of Christ, but they do not go through Christ to call their sheep.
The thief comes only to steal, and kill, and destroy.
They steal from the resources of the local church. They kill the character of spiritual maturity that comes from service and sacrifice and the prayers of faith by teaching others to pray selfishly to a Great Sugar Daddy in the sky who will make their dreams and ambitions come true through self centered praying and positive thinking. They destroy the message of truth: that His grace is sufficient. Our Lord is sufficient. His will is sufficient to bring us whatever peace, joy, and prosperity is available to us. They destroy the hope of heaven by preaching "heaven on earth". They steal paradise from us. Who wants to go to heaven if God will give me all the toys I want right here? They rob us of the joy that comes from being squarely in the center of God’s will. That is where you find peace and prosperity. Mother Teresa was the richest woman alive in her day. I know a college professor and her husband who have the sweetest presence of Christ in their lives; it permeates their home… The entire focus of their lives is to give to God-in service, in tithing to the local church, in hospitality, in finding resources for the needy-everything they do, they do for God. Their lives are one singular act of service and sacrifice. That is life abundantly. A life lived in such a way that heaven is just an extension of how we have experienced Christ on earth is the life He is talking about!
Do you know "life"? Do you want to know "life abundantly"?
Jesus came to offer "life"--one of those one-syllable words, swollen with meaning, that John threaded through his narrative.
Lazarus received that life in an astonishingly literal way,
providing yet another sign of Jesus’ ultimate power.
Jesus, though, made preparations to give up his own life, making the ultimate sacrifice of the good shepherd.
What have you sacrificed for the sake of another person?
Come through the way of Christ. He is the door. Anyone who enters by Him and Him alone will be saved…and put to work according to the will of God…and given the richest retirement plan ever conceived…
That is the song of the Good Shepherd. If it’s calling to you…come to the Master this minute…
