Jesus the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep is portrayed in today’s reading. Jesus Himself speaks in a way his listeners and us today, can understand how He qualifies Himself as a Good Shepherd. He says:

 

• He is the Gate of the Sheepfold (John 10:7)

• He came to give abundant life (John 10:10)

• He gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11,17)

• He knows His sheep(John 10:14)
   

Jesus came to reinstate the lost relationship in the Garden of Eden between man and God. In his description of the “thief” in the passage, we can study it to understand how that relationship was lost. The thief here alludes to the devil who came into the Garden to “steal, kill and destroy” the relationship both between man and God and between themselves- Adam and Eve. 

• The thief comes to kill the relationship: The devil through his questions created doubt in the mind of Eve that led her to doubt the relationship they shared with their Creator and ultimately destroyed the true love that existed between GOD and man. The serpent connived through his sly conversation to bring man’s downfall (Genesis 3:1-5).  Eve doubted God’s love as she believed the enemy’s words! This led to the sin they committed in disobedience and then led to the separation from God.
   

• The thief comes to destroy the belief in GOD:  When Eve believed the devil’s words, she lost her belief in what God had told them. She doubted the goodness of God toward them in preventing them to eat the fruit of the particular tree.  Doubting God’s intentions for them led to mistrust in a good God. Hence they went against God’s Word. The devil destroyed their belief in God and His Word! What a fallen state!

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The same is true today- the devil is out to steal, kill and destroy our belief in God, our relationship with Him and with one another. Anything that hinders the relationship between us and God, is like a thief entering our life. He steals not just our relationship, but our joy, peace and security. If only we realize his schemes in leading us astray!

Jesus tells us that HE IS THE GATE!  Only through Him can we attain the lost holy relationship with God. When we have lost that relationship through doubt, we now have to believe God and His Word to be reinstated to that relationship through the only Gate He has kept open for us- Jesus Christ! 

God does not want us to be eternally separated from Him though we have fallen into sin. Instead as John 3:16 says, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” To come back to GOD, He has provided His Son – the Gate through which we can pass to enter into that relationship. While the thief’s purpose was to steal, kill and destroy, His purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life (John 10:10 NLT). 
Dear friend, if you are still lost out in that relationship, living in sin and going about life like wandering and lost sheep, God’s invitation for you is still open today- repent of your sin, accept His forgiveness and enter into that fulfilling, eternal relationship with Him through Jesus the Gate!

 

Prayer:  

Dear GOD, I have wandered away from You and am lost.

I repent of my sin of unbelief and distrust and I come back to You.

Please reinstate me into a relationship through

Jesus Christ that I may have eternal life in You.

Amen.