“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture” – John 10:9.
Shepherds in Palestine built pens with an opening. What’s odd about these pens is that they often had no gates. Gates were not needed. The shepherd was the gate. At night, the shepherd would lie down in the opening of the gate. Nothing would come in without his approval and no sheep would ever escape. The shepherd functioned as the gate.
The safety and the wellness of the sheep was totally dependent on the shepherd.
That’s the picture Jesus paints for us.
We are his sheep. He is our Shepherd. We enter into his fold and are saved. He leads us to green pastures.
Thank you, Jesus. Thank you for being our Shepherd.
Jesus, our world can seem awfully dark. But you are the gate, guarding and keeping your sheep. Our life and salvation is in you. Thank you, Jesus.
Praxis: Faith in Action 