Who is the Gatekeeper?

"I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. They won't follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don't know his voice."

Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn't understand what He meant, so He explained it to them: "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." John 10:1-10

Imagine a wall made of rough stones piled together about three feet high creating an enclosure with about one opening about three to five feet wide. That enclosure would be the sheepfold that Jesus was telling about in this parable. The shepherd would usher or herd his sheep into their pen for the night to keep them safe from lions, wolves, bears or robbers and he himself would lie down and sleep in that doorway—the opening in the sheepfold. No one or nothing could get by him to harm his sheep. In some cases many shepherds might be pasturing their sheep together during the day and sharing the sheepfold at night, the shepherds would take turns being the gatekeeper, allowing the sheep to go in and out of the sheepfold as their shepherd called them. What do you suppose the sheep would be named? Wooly, Bright One, Blacky, Spot, Stubborn, Claudio, Marie, Ivey, Isaac or Shaun? No matter what their names—they knew their shepherd’s voice and obediently came to him when he called.

Sheep in Israel

Now imagine that Jesus is the shepherd—being the gatekeeper of the sheepfold…and we are His sheep. If Jesus is our shepherd, do we know His voice and obediently follow Him when He calls us? He will provide us with good green pastures, safe drinking water and protection from wild animals and thieves. Just like that shepherd in the classic Psalm 23, Jesus provides, protects, comforts, restores and gives His “sheep” hope.

The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name. Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. You prepare a feast for me in the presence of my enemies. You honor me by anointing my head with oil. My cup overflows with blessings. Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life, and I will live in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm 23:1-6

How could those hearing Jesus tell this parable not understand it? When I looked at it in context I saw that He was speaking with Pharisees who spent their time in the Temple—not out on the hillsides with sheep, but it wasn’t far from the Temple to the pastures. The verses just prior to this parable tell us…Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, "We are not blind too, are we?" John 9:40 NASB. Are we? What do you think? Jesus may have laughed…but not out loud. Those Pharisee were blind. Their Messiah was standing right before them and they couldn’t see who He was. Do we do any better? Even if we see Jesus as our Lord and Savior, do we rely on Him moment by moment? Please share in the comments section below a way that you’ve seen Jesus work in your life…providing just what you need.

Prayer ~ Jesus, Like a shepherd lead us…providing us with the spiritual food we need every day, renewing our strength, guiding us along Your righteous pathways, protecting us and showing us Your abundant and enduring love that will guide us to our Heavenly home to be with You, forever. You provide all we need.

Daily Bible Reading: Lamentations 3-5

© 2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

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