May, 2002

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

To truly understand what Jesus was saying in John 10 (I am the gate and I am the Good Shepherd), we need to know the timing of the incident and its historical background. It was during the Festival of Dedication when Jesus spoke of this discourse. His conflict with the Jewish religious leadership had reached its peak. He had stopped publicly debating with the Jews again after this. It was a custom during the Festival of Dedication to read aloud Ezekiel 34 in which false priests were described as false shepherds. When He made the comparison to the false shepherds, Jesus wanted His listeners to interpret His mission: He is the only gate who gives life and the only True Shepherd who lays down His own life for the sheep.

“I am the gate.” When we think of gate, we think of a closure made of either wood or iron. But in many of the ancient sheepfolds, especially those in the wilderness, away from the city, they were built without a real gate. There was just a small opening wide enough to have the sheep go in and out. When the shepherd stood across the opening, he became the door, and the sheep had to go through him to enter the sheepfold.

By saying that He is the gate, Jesus was affirming that pasture or salvation comes through Him. Jesus is the gate first, then the Shepherd. We don’t want to overlook this important truth. Jesus didn’t say He is the gatekeeper. He isn’t someone who just guards the entrance of heaven. He is the entrance of heaven! Anyone who enters through the gate (Jesus) will be saved, or “kept safe.”

The assurance of being kept safe is the first step of having an abundant life. “He (a sheep) will come in and go out, and find pasture.” Sheepfolds were usually around places where water was available. When there was water, there would be pasture. This is an illustration of the kind of life one may have when he goes through the gate (Jesus), who further promised “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (v.10b) Far too often, we tried to find our own ways to get satisfaction in life, but we came up empty. The reason is that we can never feel “safe” apart from God. Our physical life is fragile—we deteriorate faster than we would like. Our self-image is bristle—we are conscientious about how others look at or talk about us. Our worldly possession is limited—for most of us, we don’t have “enough” to feel secure. We know it doesn’t provide eternal security. Abundant, satisfactory, or meaningful life can only be realized by coming in and going out through Jesus Christ our Gate.