In this chapter, Jesus speaks about two kinds of sheep-folds.
In the villages there were communal sheep-folds where all the village flocks were sheltered when they returned home at night. These folds were protected by a strong door of which only the watchman had the key. It was to this kind of sheep-fold that Jesus referred in verses 1-3.
(READ vs. 1-3)
There, Jesus spoke of the fact that the true Messiah would arrive in the way foretold by prophecy - He would come in the proper way. Jesus is the true shepherd of the sheep (v. 2). The watchman represents John the Baptist, who opened the way for the Messiah (v. 3). The thieves and robbers are all who had falsely claimed to be the messiah in the past.
In other words, Jesus was saying that the way His ministry began, with John preparing the way, was evidence that He was, indeed, the Messiah foretold by prophetic Scripture and promised by God.
In our passage for today, we find Jesus speaking about another type of sheep-fold. When the sheep were out on the hills in the warm season and did not return at night to the village, they were gathered into the sheep-folds on the hillsides.
These hillside sheep-folds were circular walls with only one opening. What happened was that the shepherd himself would lay across the opening at night and thus protect the sheep from harm by preventing any from leaving or any predator from entering. This is what Jesus was speaking of here when He said, “I am the gate.”
(READ TEXT)
What our Lord is telling us here is essentially the same thing Paul said of Christ in Ephesians 2:18: “we have access to the Father through Him” (NIV). Jesus is the gate through whom alone entrance to God is possible, and when one does come to God through Jesus Christ, his life is truly transformed. Jesus tells us here that if one enters through the gate to salvation, he will live . . .
1. Securely - v. 9
The words “be saved” could be translated “kept safe.” The point is that just as the sheep are kept safe under the watchful eye of the shepherd, those who come to God through Christ are kept safe.
Jesus uses a well-known Hebrew phrase to describe the security that is ours in our relationship to God when we come to Him through Christ. He says that we will, “come in and go out.”
To be able to come and go unmolested was the Jewish way of describing a life that is absolutely secure and safe. When a man can go in and out without fear, he is at peace and enjoys life to the full. When Moses asked God who his successor should be, he prayed:
“May the LORD, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” - Numbers 27:16-17 (NIV)
When the psalmist spoke of God’s loving care, he said:
“The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” - Psalm 121:8 (Amplified)
Moses said that the blessings of God are such that:
“You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.” - Deuteronomy 28:6 (NIV)
When one comes to God through Christ, He is eternally secure.
Several years ago when on of the astronauts who walked on the moon was asked what went through his mind when he stood on the moon and looked back at the earth. He replied, “I thought about how our spacecraft had been built by the lowest bidder.”
When it comes to our salvation, however, the work didn’t go to the lowest bidder. There is no deficiency to be found in the work Christ did on our behalf to provide for our salvation.
When one comes to God through Christ, he can live securely in the knowledge that though his fellowship with God may change because of his imperfections, his relationship with God will never change because of Christ’s perfection. He has been accepted by God on the basis of the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, who laid His life down for the sheep (v. 15; 17).
“It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process.” - Hebrews 10:14 (The Message)
And being able to live life securely means that one can enjoy life . . .
2. Supremely - v. 10
I gave my life to Christ at nine years old. My pastor preached on hell and I didn’t want to go there. So I gave my life to Christ. And I was genuinely saved. But I didn’t learn much about how to be led or fed by Christ. I didn’t grow in my love relationship with the living Christ. In fact,
I really don’t remember Christianity spoken of in terms of a love relationship; I only remember church.
I grew up in the church, with my family literally seeing to it that we were there “every time the doors were opened.” But as is sometimes the case, my familiarity began to breed a contempt for church and things associated with the faith in which I was raised. I wanted to go
and “explore the world” and seek out some of the adventure in the world; and so I did. What I found out first hand was what Jesus promises us in the first part of verse 10.
The thief (Satan) only wants to kill, steal or destroy. If we let him, he will kill our joy, steal our purpose and destroy our lives. If He cannot take us to hell with him, he will work to make our lives a living hell.
You may ask, “How can he do that to a child of God if we are secure?” Though he cannot hope to change our eternal salvation, he hopes to change our attitude toward our eternal Savior, and he is ever working to achieve that end. If I decide I no longer need to look to Christ to lead me (come in and go out) and feed me (find pasture); and if I wander off from the flock, then I leave myself prey to the evil one.
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” - 1 Peter 5:8 (NLT)
But it’s good to remember the parable of the ninety and nine.
“If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders.” - Luke 15:4-5 (NLT)
How do you think the sheep gets lost from the fold? It WANDERS AWAY. It quits looking to the shepherd to lead and feed it; and it wanders away from the flock. That’s what I did. But like the shepherd in the parable, the Good Shepherd pursued me with His love. He will not let us go.
I went home after my sophomore year in college to live with my folks rent free and work in the oil field to save up money for the next school year. I was invited to a Bible study by a pretty girl, so I went. There were about 5 of us. The next week twice as many, the following week even more, until by the end of that summer, there were 40 to 50 of us meeting about 3 hours for Bible study and prayer on Friday nights, when we used to be doing other things.
That summer, Christ became more than a Savior for me, He became my friend. I discovered a love relationship with Him. I experienced the abundant life He promises in John 10:10b. In fact, I surrendered to the ministry that summer and preached my first sermon, on John 10:10. I never want to go back.
Conclusion: How about you? Have you made the discovery of the abundant life?
The story is told about an African farmer who heard tales of settlers making millions by discovering diamond mines. These tales so excited the farmer that he sold his farm and spent the rest of his life wandering over the vast African continent searching unsuccessfully for diamonds. Finally, in a fit of despondency, broke and desperate, he threw himself into a river and drowned.
Meanwhile, the man who, bought the farm found a large and unusual stone in a stream which cut through the property. The stone turned out to be a great diamond with enormous value. He soon discovered other diamonds on the property. It became one of the world’s richest diamond mines.
The first farmer had owned acres of diamonds, but had sold them for practically nothing in order to look for them elsewhere. If he had only taken the time to explore and analyze his own property, he would have found that what he sought was his all along.
Acres of diamonds, Mountains of Gold, Rivers of silver, Jewels untold; All these together, wouldn’t buy you or me, peace when we’re sleeping or a conscience that’s free; A heart that’s contented, a satisfied mind, these are the treasures that money can’t buy. If you have Jesus, there’s more wealth in your soul, than acres of diamonds and mountains of gold
