Articles
Jesus is The Way - 8.13.2023 Bulletin
Jesus is The Way
“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep” (John 10.7 NKJV)
During His earthly ministry Jesus used parables to explain to his listeners about the kingdom of heaven. Parables use nature or human circumstances to create a vivid picture to make the message of Jesus easier to understand for the common man. In John 10.7-18, Jesus uses imagery of a shepherd and sheep to show God’s desire to welcome as many who are willing to come into His fold.
Jesus starts in verse 7 by calling Himself “the door of the sheep.” As the door, Jesus is the only way to salvation, He is the only way to heaven. Jesus will go on to say in John 14.6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Many seem to think they can make into heaven without Christ. Others think they only need to acknowledge who Christ is. They have been told all they need to do to obtain salvation is to accept Christ as their personal savior. They fail to acknowledge the sin in their lives and make changes to correct it. Neither of these will lead to salvation. Many look to the world for answers instead of looking to Christ. Jesus can provide what false teachers and their teaching can only claim to provide, a place of rest (Matthew 11.28-30). Christ’s sacrifice provides us with hope, but we still must walk through the door. After we put on Christ through baptism, we must walk in newness of life. We must make the necessary changes that bring our lives into conformity to His will. His sacrifice, while great, alone won’t save a person.
In verse 11, Jesus calls Himself “the good Shepherd.” One of the jobs of a shepherd is to protect the flock from any dangers, mostly wild animals that seek to harm the sheep. Jesus as the “good Shepherd” offers the same protection to His flock. The world and false teachers offer no such protection. It is through Jesus we can find help in our times of need. Jesus came to the world and for a time lived as a man. He felt and went through the emotions and troubles that goes along with living in this world. But He is different from man in that He lived a perfect life while here on the earth. That is why the Hebrews writer says “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4.15-16). Jesus doesn’t promise to keep us from the storms of life, only that we don’t have to face the storms alone.
The great thing is all mankind can come to Jesus. In the immediate context of the passage (vv. 16-17) Jesus is referring to the Gentile people. While the gospel was delivered to the Jews first, it was always God’s desire for all mankind to have the opportunity to have their souls washed clean by the blood of Jesus (Acts 17.30-31; 2 Peter 3.9). This invitation is open regardless of race, gender, national origin, background, or religion. What is important is a person’s willingness to submit themselves to the will of the Lord (Matthew 16.24).
Jesus truly embodies all it means to be a shepherd, and His desires is for each person to find refuge in Him. He alone is the door to eternal life, and He alone is the source for comfort when the trials of life come. Apart from Jesus, there is no rest for the soul who is longing for more than what the world has to offer. Only one question remains, are you willing to walk through the door?
- Glad_Tidings_8.13.2023_PDF.pdf (596.02 kB)
