The Seven “I AM” Statements in the Gospel of John PART
4
I AM the Gate (John 10:7,9)
[“… so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. Yes, I am the
gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely
and will find good pastures” (John 10:7,9)][1]
Sheep are not known for having a
great intellect, but they can be loving pets, dependent on their breed. These
tender animals are quite dumb according to many researchers and yet, some scientists
disagree and are of the opinion that they are just a product of their
environment; therefore, these scientists have found them to be more intelligent
than they are given credit for.[2] Sheep have a number of
distinguishable traits – one of which being easily frightened and can only run
during danger, but will oftentimes fail to do so, thus leaving them totally vulnerable.
As a result, predators can easily kill them if left unattended. Coyotes, foxes,
eagles, wolves and other animals are known to have their way with sheep as well
as thieves.
The shepherd must ensure
that the sheep are safe by providing them a pen where they can stay inside so
that they will not encounter any dangerous prey or thief. For the sheep to get
inside the pen, it is necessary that a gate serves as a main point of entry.
This gate is to be secured so that nothing can threaten the sheep. If the gate
is left open and unattended, a dangerous animal or person can come in and kill
the sheep or the sheep can make the mistake of straying away from the rest of
the flock and get lost. Either way, the gate is important to provide safekeeping
for these defenseless animals.
The
Apostle John wrote in his Gospel that Jesus described Himself as being the
Gate. Christ is the Gate made available to keep the sheep safe from dangerous prey
and predatory thieves. He is the safety gate that ensures protection from the
wolves of sin, false doctrine, and spiritual compromise. Jesus as the Gate
provides protection from the winds of change that tries to sway the sheep in
other directions contrary to the will of God. He is the Gate that provides
boundaries that surrounds the sheep which lets them know if they are straying
away from God. The Gate discourages anything or anyone that does not belong such
as vandals who would try to steal the spiritual knowledge that the sheep have
learned and sabotage their spiritual discernment. Jesus speaks about the
thieves and robbers who would try to enter through another way in order to get
to the sheep and access the Father other than through the Gate. Jesus, however,
is the Gate and the Gatekeeper who protects the sheep from the enemy who seeks those
whom he may devour.
Jesus,
being the Guardian of the sheep, was willing to lay down His life at the
entrance to the pen for the sheep to be saved. Any prey or robber who would
threaten the sheep would have to go through Him to get to them. Such prey or
robbers can come in many forms such as sexual immorality, debauchery,
witchcraft, idolatry, murder, greed and all works of iniquity. Jesus was not
willing that any of His sheep would perish, so He gave up His life to prevent
the enemy from being able to destroy His sheep due to the consequences of sin. His
role as the Gate and the Gatekeeper not only keeps the evil prey out, but He
also keeps the spiritual sheep in for He is their hiding place because sheep
are prone to wander outside of the fold. Whereas shepherds in the natural could
lose their lives and then the sheep would be left totally defenseless to be
overtaken by vicious animals or thieves, Jesus willingly laid down His life so
that the sheep would forever have a hedge of protection around them to keep the
enemy at bay.
A. Overview of Divine Qualities
as the Gate.
a.) Oneness with the Father
aa.) Jesus is the Gate by which man can get to the Father.
Because they are One, no one is able to bypass the Son to get to the Father for
He watches over His sheep.
b.) Incarnate nature
bb.) Jesus provides protection over the sheep to keep them
from the wolves and robbers who would compromise them spiritually just as God
provided protection over the Children of Israel through His servant Moses.
c.) Transcendent qualities
cc.) Jesus’ ability to guard His sheep against the demonic
attacks that may threaten to harm them shows God’s care for His children that
none of them should perish.
d.) Redemptive works
dd.) Jesus sacrificed His life for His sheep to rescue them
from the dangers of hell so that they may enter the gates of eternity with Him
guarding their way.
B. Application of the Believer
a.) Many people in the modern
age erroneously believe that there are many paths to God and that they can
bypass Jesus altogether. Jesus is the only Gate that one can enter in order to
have access to the Father. He sacrificed His life so that man could live, and
this is why no one can come to the Father unless they go through His son Jesus
Christ by accepting Him into their heart.
No comments:
Post a Comment