The Sheepgate

I assure you, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! For a shepherd enters through the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they recognize his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't recognize his voice. Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what he meant, so he explained it to them. "I assure you, I am the gate for the sheep," he said. “All others who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. Wherever they go, they will find green pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” (John 10:1-10 NLV).

Recently I was doing a little research for the midweek Bible Study that I lead at Santa Fe Baptist Church and found an interesting fact about the birth of Jesus. When Joseph and Mary arrived in Bethlehem there wasn’t any place for them at the local Inn. They were thus forced to stay the night in a “stable” (cf. Luke 2:1-10). The picture we have of that event today is usually not very accurate. Today’s Nativity scene is set in a barn-like structure. The truth is that it was more than likely a cave set in the side of a hill. It would have provided a natural shelter from the harsh weather that often arose in the cool evenings around Bethlehem.

Most interesting to me was the fact that the cave also afforded the shepherds an easy way to guard their flock by standing watch in the entrance to the cave. Not only was he able to keep the flock safe within the cave, but he could also stand guard at the small entrance to keep predators and thieves out.

In our reading this morning we see Jesus using this imagery to explain His role in the believer’s life. First, He has already gone in the cave to insure its safety. What a marvelous picture of the death of Christ! Since He has already died and been resurrected, we have nothing to fear in death. He made the way safe for us to follow Him. No wonder the Apostle Paul said we have now conquered death through Jesus (cf. 1 Corinthians 15).

However, notice the second thing Jesus alludes to in this passage. He is the doorway, the gate. By standing guard in the entrance, the shepherd insured that nothing but the sheep could enter. Everything had to enter through him. So it is with eternal life. While there are many who claim to have a way, there is only ONE way. That way is through Jesus Christ. As you begin to prepare your home with Christmas decorations, think about the first Christmas and the birth of Christ in that “stable.” He is the gate through which we may enter into eternal life. Have you entered in to the life? If not, do so today! Pray asking Him to forgive you of your sins and give you new life. It is His promise that He will.