Life Spark: If I have Jesus, I have all I need. (John 10:1-9)
Fresh from exposing the blindness of the religious know-it-alls, Jesus said, “You’re thieves too.” “I am telling you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber.” (John 10:1, GNT)
In stark contrast to the sheep-thieves, Jesus claimed to be the good shepherd (vs 2) and the sheep-gate. (vs 3) I have a picture of a large rock-wall sheep corral, built many decades ago by shepherds in the wilderness near Owyhee Reservoir in eastern Oregon. The rock wall is about 150 yards in circumference and four feet high. Its gate is just a six foot wide opening in the rock wall. Shepherds would put the sheep in the corral, lie down in the opening, thus saying to wolves and thieves, “Over my dead body.”
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep, and His sheep (including the healed man spoken of in chapter 9), “… follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:4b, NIV) Mid-eastern shepherds would lead the flock from front, calling out to individual sheep by name. I like that. The government knows me by my social security number, but the Good Shepherd knows me by name.
It is one thing for a sheep to hear the shepherd’s voice, and another for the sheep to understand His direction. Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. “I am the gate: whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” (John 10:6-7a, 9, MSG)
Jesus has patiently ‘tried again’ with me too. He is persistently merciful. And He keeps me safe and sound and well-nourished. My thinking jumps from here to Psalm 23, which speaks of still waters and green pastures. The Shepherd offers His sheep provision, protection, direction, correction and restoration. He is everything I need. I shall not be in want.
Baaa … baaa …blessing.
Life-question: What do you think Jesus meant by “come in and go out and find pasture”? (Does it relate to the next verse, John 10:10?)