John 10:1-10                      4-26-26

[Jesus said:] 1 “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. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
  7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Listen to the voice of the shepherd; He is the gate that takes you through death to life; for Jesus is risen!  

Scriptural metaphors are not always easy for us to understand and appreciate. Many of us have had contact with sheep only in the petting zoo or with their wool in our coat or blanket. We don’t know about their daily living. No metaphor is a perfect illustration that enables an author to give us a connection that creates a clear reference between one thing and another, but it gives hints and a flavor that bring us a reflection of the reality. So, Jesus uses them in his teaching here, a gate and gatekeeper going into a sheepfold and the shepherd, each referring to himself. To bring us more up to date you might like to think about your password or keypad code or electronic car entry key that gets you inside, instead of a simple gate. You are the one who knows which buttons to press that will open the lock and get you inside that door or that computer program. The purpose is very similar to the gate, it is the entrance; the goal is to keep out the thieves and bandits. You don’t want unauthorized people getting into your car, home, or electronic devices. Those programed locks can be disengaged only by the gatekeeper, keeping safe that which is inside. Unfortunately, today’s thieves have become so sophisticated that they can often get past our electronic protections, fooling the gate into opening for them. But you do understand the concept.  Jesus is committed to keeping danger and thievery out!

Maybe the inaccuracy of metaphors is why Jesus needed more than one image to explain his own role in the relationship with his people. There seem to be many ways for crooks to get past even good security and endanger what needs protection. So He adds the role of shepherd to show a more personalized and caring concern for the sheep. You have been given the role of sheep in this imagery; which you may not appreciate. But we, like sheep, are living beings, with the senses of seeing and hearing enabling us to establish interactions with others. Unlike your car that responds to an electronic signal from your battery-operated fob, a sheep recognizes voices. That sheep has learned by experience that the person with that particular voice is the one who has been making sure it gets good green grass, fresh water, and is protected from danger and their own foolishness. As Jesus pointed out, the shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Knowing each one by name implies a close, ongoing relation. It does take time to build that relationship of trust between shepherd and sheep. The shepherd feeds them, lays in front of the gate opening all night to protect them so becomes aware of any danger. The shepherd delivers the new lambs, talks to them and becomes familiar with them so they know him in turn. It is the shepherd who searches for those sheep who wander off and get lost.  It is the shepherd who leads the flock into new territory, keeping them on a safe route. 

Unlike those sheep, however, we have less restrictions. We are very able to ignore the shepherd, free to set aside that relationship totally. We can reject what we have been taught and refuse to trust what the shepherd offers us. In fact, it may sound that the sheep are wiser than we, for as Jesus pointed out: 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”  It was at that juncture that the Pharisees got lost in this comparison. 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. It is no wonder they couldn’t follow this, for they were opposed to seeing Jesus as the good shepherd. They had missed his criticism as he saw them in the role of the strangers who sought to misdirect the sheep. They had taken up the part of false prophets and self-important leaders seeking personal glory, which was in direct opposition to the role of shepherding the flock. They had been called to be protectors and guardians but instead had sided with the powers that had exploited the people.

Jesus then gets more specific: “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.” Because they, and those leaders who came before them, had not taken up their assigned role, Jesus was sent to fill the void. But unlike the shepherds who would fight off the thieves or destroy the wolves, Jesus’ protection takes a shape we are not used to seeing. Jesus comes to us in relationship, one of humility and vulnerability. In order to protect his flock, he gives up his own safety, rather than destroying the enemy. He offers himself as the sacrifice. He does not wield power with weapons but gives up his own power with open hands and out -stretched arms. For our sake, He takes on death so that life can be ours and that enemies can be turned into friends. As he said: “9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

Jesus opens the doorway so that the good stuff, the pasture, that abundance of grace-filled life, can be ours! We have to learn to loosen our selfish grip on having our own way. As it was told to us in the letter of I Peter: if you endure when you do good and suffer for it, this is a commendable thing before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.  The Good Shepherd is the one for us to follow and the way which He leads is one of vulnerability. We need to continue to listen for our name which the voice of our shepherd calls out, remembering that He came to keep us safe as one flock.  24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, having died to sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

We need a shepherd after all! So may you follow where He leads. Jesus is our shepherd, the Lord who directs us back to our true self, to enable us to be all we can be. Jesus is risen!  He opens the gate to life, an abundant life, as His gift to us.