Message
John 10:7
I Am The Gate
When seeking to understand what Jesus means when he says, “I am the Gate we need to know the context where this is spoken.
John 10:1-13
So what we have, in this context, is two “I am” statements.
Jesus is the Gate.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
For us to see how Jesus can be both “The Gate” and “The Good Shepherd” we need to know the first century social context of sheep-pens, shepherds, gates and gate-keepers. It is all intertwined.
Now, because next Friday – Good Friday – our focus will be on Jesus as the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep …
… because that is the case we won’t spend heaps of time on the shepherds and shepherding.
But here is what we need to understand.
In the first century there were two types of sheep-pens. The ones in village or town, and the ones in the open countryside.
The pens in the village were quite large. You would put walls between the back of houses and buildings and then have quite a robust enclosure with a gate that was used for the sheep to enter and exit. There would be multiple flocks of sheep in this pen. Such an enclosure meant that, over night it only takes a few people, even one person, to protect the many sheep and be the gate-keeper. When it came time for the shepherd to get his flock he would come to the gatekeeper, who knew the shepherd, then the shepherd would call his sheep. Only the sheep who know the call of their shepherd will respond – because they know who they have to follow. Their shepherd will lead them out.
So that method of gating sheep is more in the background for John 10:1-7 and 14-18. Which is what we will focus more on when we get to Good Friday.
The “out on the country” pen is a very different set-up.
The pen is set up in an open field – sometimes quite a distance from the nearest village. The pen is smaller, only enough to fit in one flock which is usually 30-50 sheep. The pens had walls of stones, with briars and prickly branches on top – kind of like a wall with barbed wire on top. It was very difficult for wolves and thieves to cross. In one wall there was one single entry point.
It was not a gate – but it was a narrow opening.
Which seems like a redundant exercise – to build a wall with an opening and no gate.
However when night comes the shepherd would herd the sheep into the pen and then place himself in the opening. This is where the shepherd slept. Effectively the Shepherd is the gate.
No sheep can go out unless they cross the body of the Shepherd.
No wolf – and no thief – can come in, unless they cross the body of the Shepherd.
The Shepherd is the gate.
He protects the sheep from those who would seek to destroy.
He provides for the sheep by leading them out – when it is safe to do so – so they can find pasture and have life to the full. This is the shepherding context that is behind John 10:7-10 when Jesus says, twice, “I am the Gate”. It is a context with significant implications.
When we go through Jesus who is the gate, we are going through the only legitimate way into the sheep-pen. Jesus is the only Saviour – it is a concept which many people struggle with.
What about other religions and faiths? What about other ways to find God?
Doesn’t claiming the Jesus is the Only way make Christianity kind of exclusive?
In a way it does.
But let me ask you. When you go to the airport and fly over-seas. One day … maybe … hopefully in the future. And you finally are allowed to go for your very exciting planned trip to Israel.
There are 10 boarding gates at Brisbane international airport and we want the plane to Tel-Aviv. Is it exclusive if our plane is at gate 82?
What if we want to use gate 78? There is a nice plane sitting there ready to go. Why can’t I just get onto that one?
A plane is a plane.
True. Kind of. But that Plane is going to Auckland. Getting on that plane is going to make it a little complicated to Israel.
Do you know why there is only One Way to God? It is about Jesus is being exclusive. When we know Jesus is the only way we can easily dismiss and ignore all the other options.
We can dismiss all the religious options … all the different faiths that claim to have “a way”.
We can also dismiss all the false worldly options – all those aspects that make so many promises of hope and security and purpose and destiny.
When the decision needs to be made you just hold it all up. That is not of Jesus. That is not of Jesus. That is not of Jesus.
That IS of Jesus. This is the way.
It leads to simple decisions that keep us in the space where we know we are spiritually safe. We are protected because we are able to avoid that which can lead us astray.
Not being distracted by the thieves and the robbers.
Not being distracted by that which is trying to take our eyes of the only Way.
Jesus the Gate gives us the way. And, because we have the way, we will also find pasture. It is only here in the sheep-pen, where Jesus is the Gate, that we have life and have it to the full.
That why it is important for us to understand that the sheep-pen has one opening. Because, even when we are in the sheep-pen and we have experienced protection and provision of Jesus who is the Gate …
… well isn’t it true that on some occasions we try and experience life to the full by going a different way.
The reality is that there are many gates out there that promise satisfaction, enjoyment, meaning and safety. Indeed these gates don’t even look that bad – they even look quite legitimate.
Building relationships.
Husband-wife. Parent-child. Friendships. Community.
There is nothing wrong with this, indeed the Scripture calls us to have such relationships in our lives and to be committed to them.
But when our whole identity is enmeshed into our relationships.
When we can only find true purpose and meaning when we have relationships.
When “our world” runs around our spouse or our children or our community friendships.
That is a gate that looks like a path to a pasture of life and life to the full. But it not a full life because we are not going out in Jesus.
What about providing financially for our families and ourselves?
Having a job and working. Building careers and making an income. Being in a position where we can not just look after ourselves but also provide for the needs of others. All of this is spoken about in Scripture and is part of living for the Lord.
But it doesn’t take much to move from “we are providing for needs of others” to “I deserve to give heaps more to myself”.
And the line between “making an income” and “living for luxuries” is not very wide.
Are we “working to live” or are we “living to work”?
So much about having a career and working can bring up issues of where we find our identity and our social status.
It is another gate leading out to a promising pasture – where materialism is promising that you will be happy. But that is not a full life is it … because we are not going out in Jesus.
Make your list.
In your head make your list of possible alternate gates which you have tried to build into the sheep-pen to reach these alternative pastures.
How many times have we gone through such a gate, only to find the empty promises?
How often have we relied on that which cannot fulfill?
Where we sit in the middle of the pasture we were really striving for and we discover – this is NOT living.
We can’t experience life to the full without Jesus the Gate. So what do you do if you realise – hang on there is a gap here – and it is not the gap where Jesus is the Gate. What do you do if, even at this moment, you realise I’m sitting in a pasture of empty promises and no life.
Here is where we need a bit of Greek.
The Greek word for gate … ???a (thura) … can be translated as “gate” or “door”. The context is used to determine which translation to use.
What do you do when you realise that you have locked onto an alternative gate with empty promises? Have a look at these words in Revelation 3:7-8
7 ‘To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door (thura) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
Revelation 3:7-8
There are days aren’t there, when we are distracted. When we lock onto an alternative approach that makes us think that we have found life to the full.
We have little strength.
Then at some point we see the truth – this isn’t full life – it is an empty life. At that point we remember … again … what Jesus has done for us. We remember His promises. We remember His Word and His name.
What has Jesus been doing this whole time – when we have been looking for a full-life in the wrong pasture.
He has kept the thura … the door … the gate … Jesus has kept the way open. Remember the imagery – this is the out in the field pen. Where Jesus Himself is the Gate positioning himself in the narrow gap and ready. As you come to your senses and realise … this false gate I have made - this is emptiness. Then you look back to Jesus and there He is. He has been there the whole time.
Standing in the gap – an open doorway.
The invitation continues to be from Him, “Do you want to enjoy fulness once again?” How about we go out this way … with Me?
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
John 10:9
Here in John 10:9 “will be saved” is not talking about the past … your position of being saved. Grammatically will be saved is in the future tense. When you enter the gate I “The Gate” make this promise to you – in the future from now you will be saved.
You may stray … but you will be saved.
You might get distracted momentarily by thieves and robbers … but you will be saved.
You might even find yourself suffering at the hands of thieves and robbers; stolen, killed, destroyed … but you will be saved.
My church family I don’t know where you are today in your spiritual life.
But here is what I do know.
If you have called upon and confessed the name of Jesus the I am who is the Gate.
If you have done that … then you always have a Saviour who will bring you to the pasture of life to the full … no matter which empty-promise pastures you have detoured to along the way.
Prayer
