7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 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 Chapter 10 of the gospel of John, he gives a third “I am” statement of Jesus. Jesus is again responding to the Pharisees. He gives them the example of a sheep pen. The real shepherd goes in the gate or door of the holding pen and calls his sheep by name. We might give the example of someone coming to our house. If he climbs in the window like a thief, the dog inside will bark and alert the people inside. But if the husband comes home at night, the dog knows him, wags his tail, gives a royal welcome and will obey. Other animals are just like our pets. They recognize their master or leader. They do not follow strangers who approach with unknown intent. The Pharisees don’t get it, though. Jesus turns to them and says, “I am that gate to faith.”
So what does that mean to us? I think it means that the path to approaching and understanding the unseen God who created our existence is found in the incarnation. Many religions believe in various ways to approach the unseen God-being or force that is acknowledged to be beyond our comprehension. Many faiths focus on becoming good enough to approach that being. Christianity believes God came to us in the life of Jesus who took on humanity and through his life demonstrated the character of God. Other philosophies are like thieves that lead us astray in their attempt belief systems that seem so logical and perhaps do-able. Jesus does not ask us to do but to believe. Jesus is the only true gate for understanding God.
So let us again work with an acrostic of the word “gate.” G is for ….., A is for ….., T is for ….., and E is for ……. I might say, Jesus is Good, Available, Touchable, and Essential. What would you say? Blessings as you ponder.
On the Way to Wonder 