Friday, May 20, 2011
John 10:7, 9 Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ... whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture."
I AM THE GATE FOR THE SHEEP
In Palestine, a sheep pen would be a circular enclosure with a wall often made of rocks piled up, other times made with branches or brambles. There would be one entrance to this enclosure. During the day the sheep would be outside the pen and the Shepherd would be with them in the field. During the night, the animals would be brought inside the pen so they would be safe from predators. The shepherd would then lie down across the opening and he would become the door. Nobody could go in or out of the pen without passing through the shepherd. So Jesus explained: "I am the gate for the sheep ... whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture."
The pasture is eternal life -- the resurrection from the dead to live forever in the new earth with the Lord. But the only way to get to that pasture is through Jesus. If you try to enter that pasture without going through Him, you will find yourself burdened by your own guilt, unable to stand before the heavenly throne in the Day of Judgment. But through Jesus you are cleansed, your sin is made as white as snow in God's sight, because He took your guilt on Himself and made Himself an offering in righteousness for your failure. Jesus is the gate that leads to the pasture of everlasting life. Whoever trusts in Him for salvation will be saved.
Some like to say, "Oh, but there are many gates to the pasture of life. You can go through here ... or here ... or here." That's not the way Christ tells it. There is one gate. "I am the gate," He says. Whoever enters through me will be saved. What a blessing!
