July 17

The Gate for the Sheep

I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture (John 10:9).

Scripture: John 10:1-10

Song: “Softly and Tenderly”

This is one of the seven recorded “I Am” statements by Jesus in John’s gospel. Only Jesus could make a stunning declaration like this. He is not one of many gates to salvation; He is the only gate to salvation.

In Bible days in the middle east, at evening, the shepherd would lay down in the opening of the sheep pen. He was, in effect, the door to the pen. That’s what our Lord did for us. He laid down His life that we might be lifted up from sin. We enter the security of the sheepfold through His loving sacrifice.

But even more than salvation is promised here. We can “come in and go out.” There is wonderful freedom and liberty to be found in Christ. We are not put in a restrictive straitjacket when we become a Christian. We are free to go here and there, doing good to everyone in the name of Jesus and sharing the good news of salvation with others. The early Christians, even though they were persecuted, “preached the word wherever they went” (Acts 8:4).

A third promise in our Scripture today is that of spiritual refreshment. Those who enter through the gate for the sheep will “find pasture.” This recalls one of the most beautiful scenes portrayed in the Bible, the pastoral setting described in Psalm 23:2, “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.”

O Father, I am truly grateful for the salvation, freedom, and nourishment I find in You and You alone. In the name of Your Son, my Savior, I pray. Amen.