I AM THE GATE

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. John 10:7-9

In John 10 we see Jesus introduce another I AM statement to a hostile crowd.

Sheep are mentioned over 300 times in the Bible. That’s more than any other animal. Here are a few characteristics of sheep: They are defenseless, have poor eyesight, are stubborn, not very smart, follow other sheep without thinking and are prone to wander. I guess you could say, sheep are utterly helpless creatures.

Christians are referred to as sheep and Jesus is our shepherd.

While in Israel I learned about this fascinating sheep gate that Jesus refers Himself to.

In a small Jewish village most families owned sheep and would partner together with other families so they could hire a shepherd to care for the sheep. The sheep were placed in a sheep pen that was basically a round stone - walled enclosure with no roof. The top of the stones were covered with thorns to keep the wild animals from climbing in. There was no door. I thought that was odd that they took precaution to place thorns on top to keep the sheep safe but no door? I later learned that the shepherd became the door. The entrance was secured by the shepherd sleeping across it to keep the sheep safe.

The sheep are in the sheep pen because, they are prone to wander and cause self harm. The only way to keep them safe from themselves and other wild animals was to keep them in the enclosure.

The sheep followed the shepherd because they knew his voice, {vs.3-5}.Day after day the sheep heard the voice of their shepherd. That voice led them, provided for them, and kept them safe. If they ignored that voice they would be in danger.

What a perfect illustration of our relationship with God. Even though we might not be able to see Him, we can feel His direction, sense His presence and hear His voice through: scripture, peace, a still small voice leading us and by others who give us Godly counsel. As long as we make time to listen He is always speaking. Hearing God speak is our right and privilege as His children.

Jesus is our gate. As we are enclosed in Him and listening to Him he protects, leads, nurtures and provides.



Declaration to Life: Jesus is my gate. I will make time for Him today; time to be in His presence and listen for His voice that speaks to me through His Word and many other ways. Lord, help me to listen!