Jesus Provided Access to the Father's Pasture

What Did Jesus Do?

“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved
and will go in and out and find pasture.”
John 10.9

Thieves and robbers may have other ways of getting in and out of sheepfolds besides the gate (see John 10.1), but sheep have no other access and egress than to enter and leave by the door. Bar the door and the sheep inside cannot get out to pasture and they'll starve, while the sheep locked out are denied the peace and safety of the fold. There is no doubt about it, the door is the most important part of the fold. Jesus is the door who provided access to the Father's pasture and to the fold.

The Father owns the pasture and constructed the fold, and has charged his Son with the responsibility of both protecting the sheep of his flock (letting them into the fold), and of seeing that the sheep are all well fed (letting them out into the pasture). Coming or going, the Son is critical. Enter by the Son and we're safe little sheep. Apart from the Son we're just mutton waiting to be stewed.

Those sheep locked out we might call “lost,” they are on the outside, and their only hope is to come in to the fold, and the only way, the ONLY way, is through Jesus, the “door” to the fold. Some will try and argue that there are other ways into the fold, but that simply isn't so. The only way to keep the fold safe and secure is to have one point of legitimate entry and exit—the Door.

Now, there are some sheep in the fold who are so happy to be safe in the fold they refuse to go out to pasture. “I'm saved. I'm safe. I am going to stay put.” These are the words of a sheep that will never grow and thrive, but rather will remain malnourished and stunted. Think of a believer who never “chews” on the word, who doesn't “feed” the spirit with prayer, who avoids exercising his or her faith. Yes, they are in the fold, but compared to the sheep who follow the shepherd in and out to the good “pasture” provided by the Father they are poor, sick little things.

The Father's flock that passes confidently in and out through the Door is cared for, nourished, and protected. The sheep under the watch of the Son grow strong, and even bold, which is a rather unusual thing for sheep, but what one would expect of sheep that belong to the Father. Why, the Father's sheep dare even to walk through the valley of the shadow, fearing no evil, for they do not walk alone (see Psalm 23.4)

Well, fellow sheep, in considering Jesus, the Door to salvation, and to active growing faith, we have a duty to all other sheep. The lost sheep outside the fold need to hear from us about the One Way they can enter the fold (We have to witness to them). The sheep in the fold who are reluctant to go out and be pastured so that they may grow strong in their faith need to be encouraged, nudged, pushed, and prodded to move (We have to disciple them). In or out of the fold, it is only through Jesus that we have access to salvation and faith.

S.D.G.

Jim
www.jimwilkenministries.org
Marion, NC
PS 37.4