“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 only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life
and have it in abundance.”
John 10:9-10
Time to Come Home!
When I was a young child, my neighborhood friends and I were allowed to play outside until almost dark. Just as the street lights became illuminated, mothers all over the neighborhood would open their front doors and call their children by name to come home. Each child recognized his or her own mother’s distinctive voice and ran home.
Sometimes, if they pretended not to hear their mother—not yours truly, of course—they were called more than once. The darkness brought less visibility and more possibilities of danger. We ran home because we knew that our home provided safety from the elements of darkness.
Sheep Know The Shepherd
Just as we responded to our own mother’s voice, sheep only respond to their own shepherd’s voice.
Jesus is the gatekeeper of eternal life. Jesus is the only way to be saved and reconciled to the Father. When we accept Him, we become His sheep and followers, and He, our Good Shepherd.
A Promise Made to Us
Green pastures are a promise of eternal life—an abundant life—through Jesus. Though others try to capture and pen up lost sheep, only Jesus can save. They are like thieves trying to steal and deceive. They cannot save anyone. Jesus alone has the power over death. Only Jesus can save.
Even if we stray, He will call us. We will hear His voice, and we will return to Him. He will let us back in through the gate. Jesus will continue to call His lost sheep over and over until they respond. Return to Him, and He will open the gate to the green, fervent pastures of salvation and eternal life; the pasture is the promise.
What Now?
Consider what it means for us to answer Jesus when He calls. Ponder the truth here that we have no greater friend or protector than Him. Now, more than ever, we must recognize that we, His sheep, must share His love with a lost world. Ask the Lord who you can lead to this truth, that the pasture is the promise of eternal hope.
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