The Gate

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

John 10:9 records one of Jesus’ great “I am” statements, and what a most unusual declaration this one is. “I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.”

When we think about gates, we usually think about things that either grant or deny access. The good news for us is that in the way Jesus uses that imagery, he’s obviously only referring to access. And think about Jesus Himself personifying “the Gate.” What is it that we have access to when we enter “the gate” through him? We get access to some of the richest blessings of becoming a Christian. First of all, we get immediate access to His Personal Presence…now and for all eternity. “The gate” gives us the blessed assurance that once we are “in,” we have complete and eternal security in Jesus. Secondly, we get access to His Plentiful Provision. The “coming in and going out to find pasture” might well refer to those precious times of worship, intimacy, and rest that we get to enjoy as we daily live in His presence. As one of His sheep, I can rest assured that Jesus will provide for my every need in life. And thirdly, we get access to the most Powerful Purpose in life. The “going out” of this verse reminds me that the purpose of Jesus saving us is not so that we can just remain safely in the sheepfold. Jesus saves us to “go out” on a mission for Him, bringing more lost sheep into the sheepfold.

In Jesus’ day, the shepherd would often act as the gate himself by placing his body as the opening to the sheep pen for the night. This insured that the shepherd knew that all his sheep could rest undisturbed for the night and that in the morning their guardian shepherd would lead them to green pastures to eat. What an amazing Shepherd and Gate we have in Jesus!

There are many “gates” in our world today, each offering access to some kind of earthly satisfaction. But it is only through “the Gate” of Jesus that we find ultimate presence, provision, and purpose. In this glorious Christmas season of 2021, why not take a moment and say to the Christ of Christmas, “Thank you, Jesus, for being my Gate! Thank you, Lord, for bringing me into your Personal Presence, giving me your Plentiful Provision, and providing me a Powerful Purpose for my life!”