“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. (John 10:1-4, NRSV)
We read this or hear this verse and we think that the gate is something that swings on a hing and is opened and closed…
But in Jesus’ day the shepherd actually was the gate. The shepherd like this picture was the piece that sat in the opening to keep the sheep in and anything else out.
And the way the sheep knew to go, was the voice of the shepherd. Many times there would be multiple folds in one sheep pen, and the shepherds would take turns being the gate, and keeping predators out of the pen, and when one shepherd was ready to go he would call his sheep and they would come. Other shepherd’s sheep would not come because they did not recognize the voice that was calling.
So allow Jesus to be your protector and keep the predators away and listen for when He calls and follow where He leads.
Know His voice, and follow when He speaks.
aSacredRebel 