John 10:7-10 Jesus Is the Gate
“So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly’” (NRSVUE).
The sheep fold was a safe place for us, the sheep, and the safety was guaranteed by the gate. If the gate was in any way ineffective, the sheep would be in danger. By calling Himself the gate, Jesus is saying that He guarantees safety for the sheep. He even provides protection and assurance of good food when the sheep leave the protection of the fold—while we live our lives here on earth. We can live in this world of sin and still be guaranteed eternal safety by being certain that we always return to the fold with the perfect gate, Jesus.
We are told to watch out for others claiming to be the gate, for they are there only to steal the sheep, to take us away from the safety of the sheepfold. There is one thief in particular, understood to be satan, who comes to the sheepfold only to steal the sheep, to kill the sheep, or destroy them in any way possible. What a joy and feeling of safety and security we have because we have Jesus who came not only to keep us safe, but also to give us abundant life. In life, we have to be sure to go out and in only through the perfect gate, the gate of safety and abundance, Jesus Christ.
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