Tuesday, November 3
Sheep-herding, the metaphor Jesus used in John 10:1-10, would have been much more familiar to His original audience than it is to us. Perhaps they were standing near a field where some sheep could be seen. Chances are, there were some shepherds in the crowd. Either way, his audience knew that a shepherd was out in the elements with his sheep 24-7. To protect them at night, he would bring them into a sheepfold. It might have been a cave in the rocks or maybe something made of brick and mortar. At night he would gather the sheep into the fold. He would examine each one, because he knew them all by name (see v. 14). If one was hurt, he would dress its wounds. If one was missing, he would go searching. When every sheep was accounted for, the shepherd would lie down across the enclosure. The shepherd was, therefore, literally the door of the sheep fold. That’s how Jesus could say, in the same breath, that He is both our Good Shepherd and our Door.
Who is He talking about when He mentions “all who came before me?” The prophet Ezekiel, who lived almost 600 years before Jesus, called out the shepherds of Israel—their religious leaders—for corruption. They didn’t care for the sheep that were lost or sick. They ate the food for themselves, getting rich off of the Lord’s flock. Therefore, Ezekiel said, the day would come when God would Himself be the Shepherd of His flock.
In Jesus’ own times, the religious leaders were still corrupt, bowing to Rome in order to sustain their power. Others in the nation followed false Messiahs, who took advantage of the political unrest of that time, stirring up violent insurrections that always ended in bloody defeat. Jesus said, “I have come to fulfill Ezekiel’s prophecy. If you’re one of my sheep, you won’t listen to those false shepherds. You won’t walk through the wrong door. I am not one of many options; I am THE Door.”
Today, we live in a world with multiple false doors. There are messages this world takes for granted, things we think are true simply by instinct. For instance: “How you look on the outside is more important than who you are on the inside.” “Making lots of money will bring you lasting happiness.” “Put yourself ahead of everything else, because no one else is going to look out for you.” “Violence is justified if you feel shortchanged.” “Stick with people who look like you and think like you.” “Life is short, so do what feels good.” And most of all, “Be angry, because the loudest voices get their way.”
Those are the values this world screams at us all day, every day. But Jesus says—in a much softer voice—everything this world has told you about life is a lie. Instead, He says, walk through me, the Door to abundant life.
“Lord, please teach me and all your people to ignore the lies of this world, and to look to you, the only Door to abundant life. In your name, amen.”
Senior Pastor
First Baptist Conroe
More from Pastor Jeff at his website: jeffbergerwriting.com
