THE DOOR, THE THIEF, AND THE SHEPHERD
John 10:9-11 NKJV
9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
Jesus said many things. If we examine what He said about Himself, His declarations are clear. He is either exactly what He says, or His words are the words of a delusional personality. I believe He is exactly what He says He is. But those who claim He was only a great moral teacher and example, must have not taken a good look at His sayings.
Jesus said He was the door of the sheep. If anyone enters by Him, He will be saved. Jesus was declaring that He was the door to salvation and the door to the kingdom of God; not a door, but the door. Not there are many doors that take us to salvation. Not that there are many doors that open to God. No, Jesus is the door, and we enter by Him, not apart from Him.
Jesus then spoke of the thief. I have always been taught that the thief was referring to Satan. I agree with this teaching. Jesus contrasted His works with the works of the enemy. The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, which is totally in line with the works of Satan. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. The life Jesus is talking about is not the life that we see in living animals and plants. Jesus did not come to bring natural life to those who were already naturally alive. The word for life used here is the same word used in John 3:16. Those who believe in Jesus will not perish but have everlasting life. This is the same word used in 1 Timothy 6:12, where Paul encourages Timothy to lay hold on eternal life. This life is more than just existing eternally. Because we are spiritual beings, we will continue to exist after this life. This word for life is zoe and refers to the life of God. There is much we don’t know about zoe, but as we continue to follow the Lord, we see more and more. We see this life in believers. You can just get around some people and know they are full of the life of God. It’s a subject I want to delve into more in the future. I think we have only scratched the surface of understanding zoe, the life of God.
Jesus also declared Himself to be the good shepherd. The good shepherd is the one who gives His life for the sheep. Of course, we know this is what Jesus did for us on the cross. He gave His life for us. We are His sheep. The more we realize that Jesus is such a good shepherd and understand the role of a good shepherd, the more we’ll be able to trust Him. If there is anyone we can trust with our lives and our future, it’s the One who gave His life for us. He gave more than His time and attention. He gave more than encouragement and affirmation. He gave more than money; He gave His life. Is there anyone more trustworthy than Him? Is there anyone that cares about us more than Jesus? We are drawn toward those who help us, and He provided the best help ever. We have a good shepherd; we have reasons to be confident in Him.
Jesus is the door by which we enter God’s Kingdom. Jesus is the antithesis of Satan, the thief. Jesus came that we might have more of God’s life, not to kill and destroy and steal from us. Jesus is our good shepherd. Because of who He is, Christianity is so much more than a set of religious rules. Christianity is a living relationship with the One who gave His life for us!
PRAYER
Lord, You are my entrance into heaven and the One who gives me access to the very life of God. Thank You for adding to my life and for being my shepherd. My confidence is in You!