“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:1-10, NRSV)
Sheep are dumb animals. We have all heard that and I don’t know about you but that does not make me feel good when Jesus seems to refer to us as sheep…
But this passage shows they have some understanding of who is worthy to follow and who isn’t. They know the sound of their masters voice. And when He calls them they follow. Even when they are scared, they follow.
But the thing I thin we miss is the gate. In the USA we think of fences with gates that swing open and closed to keep the good stuff in and the unwanted stuff out. But in Jesus day, there were no fences that had gates like we know them. Or at least that is my understanding. Jesus was the gate, and the shepherd was the gate. the shepherd got his sheep into the penned in area then he laid down in the opening. This kept the sheep in and the wolves out. He protected them.
Just like Jesus will do for us if we will follow His voice.
aSacredRebel 