Jesus identifies himself as the gate and as the shepherd. Jesus is clever to come at his identity from two different angles. He is the way to salvation and also our protector and guide. Jesus is more than capable of handling both jobs well.
Even though Jesus used a common example for His time, using sheep and shepherds, the people weren’t grasping the message. To others, it made perfect sense. Those people would follow Jesus anywhere. Perhaps it was hard for some to imagine themselves as a sheep, and that’s why people took offense to Jesus.
What I take away from this reading is how beautifully Jesus’ description fits reality. The reason we read the Bible is to become better sheep so that we can hear and recognize our Master’s voice. If we didn’t make it a priority to understand who Jesus is, we wouldn’t understand our need for a Savior.
For us to find our way to the gateway to salvation, we need to be good sheep and follow our Shepherd, Jesus. He will lead us there and be the one to admit us. How are you doing at being a good sheep? Are you feeling threatened by any thieves or robbers trying to steal your joy?
The image of Jesus as the Great Shepherd is reassuring. Like shepherds protect their sheep from harm, Jesus protects us. The psalmist has another image of God as our protector in Psalm 91:4: “He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection.” The world can be a scary place with all sorts of obstacles to impair our most important relationship, the one with our Great Shepherd.
Remember what Jesus said about himself in verse 11. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep.” How prophetic Jesus’ words were. Do you think anybody caught that the first time they heard it? Jesus would willingly give his life for us when the time was right.
Did you notice the division created by people’s differing opinions about Jesus? The message Jesus shared here and throughout his ministry was polarizing. In Luke 12:51, Jesus surprises us with these words. “Do you think I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I have come to divide people against each other!” We are seeing this happening in our world today, too.
Jesus cares deeply for his sheep. He will do whatever it takes to keep the robbers away. I don’t want to be a stranger to Jesus. I want to be a good sheep.
Let’s pray. Thank you, Jesus, for always having my back. Forgive me for the times I have been a sheep gone astray. Thanks for never giving up on me or leaving me behind. I love listening for your voice and giving you the honor and praise you are due. May I follow your lead and continually enter your gates with praise. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
