Jesus said: Truly I tell you; I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did to listen to them. I am the gate, if anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes to steal, kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and mote it more abundance.
Jesus depicts Himself as the gate that provides security and safety for His sheep. He leads them in the path of righteousness for His name sake, and comforts them with rod and staff and as a tribe, tongue, nation or people who keeps truth to usher them into the presence of the Lord or usher them into a particular place to proclaim good news, peace, good tidings and salvation. He contrast Himself from thieves and robbers who do not seek and search for sheep to feed them words of life or who leaves the flock vulnerable – sick, broken, weak, subject to force labor or cruelty. As in the case of the man born blind from birth, which Jesus searched for, healed, strengthen and vindicated from the scribe and Pharisees’ interrogation. How did Jesus serve as the gate to eternal life for the blind man?
Jesus said” It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profit nothing. “The words that I speak to you are spirit and they are life.”
Jesus the great Shepherd of the sheep not only led His sheep into rich pasture but also provides green pasture in which they are restore or are given rest; as oppose to thieves or robbers, who do not feed the sheep. The thief intents to take away sheep from shepherds strike the shepherds or discredit shepherds’ work. The thief also intent to take the sheep gifts and fruits; to kill the sheep or sheep- shepherd relationship to destroy the sheep works for the Lord or works of the Lord revealed through the sheep for His glory. “He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lamb with His arm and carry them in bosom and gently lead those who are His with young.
Robbers, however, are usually group of bandit who violently threaten, oppressed or plunder shepherds or sheep with intent to permanently annihilate them, as in the discourse of Christ at Gethsemane, or the Good Samaritan. Jesus emphasize He is the narrow gate through which the sheep lives a full life, the promised eternal life, protected from predators such as the thieves and robbers. How is the thieves and robbers mode of operation different than Jesus?
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hireling, since he is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, leaves them and runs away when he sees the wolf coming. The wolf then snatches and scatters them; this happens because he is hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.
Jesus, the great shepherd, has personal relationship with His sheep; He leads them, and they hear His voice and follow Him through faith, He knows them by name and they know Him. He said: “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teaching, and you will know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” Jesus lay down his life as a fortress between the predator and the sheep to protect and save them, as the atoning sacrifice for their sins and not only for theirs but also for the sins of the whole world. He also said, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it, to protect the church against principalities, powers, rulers of darkness and wickedness in heavenly places.
Jesus shine light on false prophet, teachers, or messiah depicting them as hireling who run away when the sheep is threaten because they do not care for the sheep but love wages of unrighteousness, or as wolves who drive sheep away from their predefined boundaries or fold to scattered them, therefore by their fruits you shall know them. Jesus model a good shepherd, who spearheads, shield, and save his sheep within or outside the fold, so that they may be one flock under one shepherd. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you are Christ then you are heir according to the promise.” Could you list some attributes of a good shepherd?
I did tell you and you don’t believe, Jesus answered them. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify about me. But you do not believe because you’re not my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish. No one will stanch them out of my hand, My Father, who has given them to me is greater than all. No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s had. I and the Father are one”
The disciples of Christ recognize, listen and hear the Lord’s voice to understand with their heart and obey Him. They are born of the water and the Spirit and the incorruptible seed of the word of God, and they will never perish, because they have eternal life. As in the case of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, who saw the glory of God, when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, this strengthen their faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is to come into the world. “ These things were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in His name.” Jesus said: most assuredly I say to you, the hour is coming and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father raises the dead and give life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will. Disciples of Christ can never be separated from Him, for neither life nor death, nor angels nor principalities nor powers not thing present not things to come, nor height nor depth nor any other created things, shall be able to separate the us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Who are sheep of the good shepherd, what does He expects from His sheep and what should the sheep expect from Him?
May the Lord give believers shepherd heart to feed the lamb and sheep, words of life and tend to sheep, not under compulsion but in deeds and truth with genuine love to praise of the father’s glory and grace.