Hear the word of God:
"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. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
The explanation of the parable lies in who Jesus is. Keep reading:
Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, 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. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
"I am the gate for the sheep." In the parable above, the gate is the means by which the true shepherd enters into the sheep fold. Robbers must enter another way. All the broken ways of humanity have influenced our decisions, but faith is ultimately a choice not to listen to the thieves and robbers. Instead, it is a choice to enter through Jesus, the gate, in order to find life that is more fulfilling than the glitz and glamor which the world offers us. Those who enter any other way than the gate come only to destroy and despoil. The only way to defend ourselves against such malice is to enter through the true gate. Our Lord is the portal of our every movement, the door through which our lives flow.
"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep."
Just as the door serves to differentiate the shepherd from the robbers, so the wolf serves to differentiate between the shepherd and the hired hand. In the first explanation Jesus reveals himself as the standard for our lives - he is the gate by which we can distinguish the shepherd from the thieves, and thus have full, abundant life. In this explanation, Jesus affirms that he is also the shepherd. This statement is proven in his self-sacrificing love - a hired hand may be a good caretaker, but in times of trouble he will abandon the sheep. The shepherd, though, loves his sheep as much as he loves himself. The shepherd will give up his own life for the sake of his sheep. Not only is Jesus the thing which gives us true life and keeps us safe, he is the one who ensures that safety with his own blood.
Live in the gate, marking your every movement by it. Listen for the voice of the shepherd, and follow his voice instead of the voices of thieves. When the wolves attack, know that the good shepherd has already laid down his life for you.
(John 10:1-15, NIV)
Blessings,
Greg
