This reflection comes from the Lenten series, “God Has Called You to More.” And, John 10:7-11 is our foundation.

First, let’s read it below or from your personal Bible,

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

For you to get a better sense of the context, I’d encourage you to read the entire chapter.

Two very important themes Jesus brings up according to John 10 are: 1)Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and 2)Jesus and God the Father are One.

We will only focus on the first theme for the sake of this reflection, and see how this applies to us all today.

Let me also point out that the four Gospels are full of stories primarily based on what was going on in the lives of the people then.

The spiritual truths and principles we learn from these Biblical stories transcend culture, race, languages, time, and space.

They apply to us all today just as they did when Jesus told the stories to the people when he was here on earth.

 

 

 

Jesus has a safe place for all Believers

 

 

 

Jesus is the Good Shepherd. What makes Jesus the Good Shepherd are 1)He has a sheep pen; 2)He is the gate; and 3)His sheep know his voice, and He knows every single sheep from the flock.

Second, Jesus isn’t like all the other shepherds. He loves his sheep and was even able to lay out his life for them.

Jesus invites us all into this safe place where anyone can belong. And, to belong, we only have to choose to believe in Him as our Lord and Savior.

He said that no one comes in or goes out except through him. Therefore, for us to join Christ’s flock, we have to come in only through Jesus.

What that means is by choosing to believe and receive Jesus, God gives us the right, not only to belong to this flock, but to become children of God (see John 1:12).

What makes this place the safest of all is that you come just as you are. You don’t have to pretend being somebody else, or hide some of your personal struggles. You bring with you your whole self: messes, failures, successes, losses, gains, addictions, health issues, anything that makes who you are whether you like it or not.

The other thing that makes this place the safest is that God will not judge you when you come through Christ to join Christ’s flock. Instead, God will forgive, cleanse, and justify you from all condemnations and judgment.

Last, joining God’s flock with Christ as the Good Shepherd, you also become a new creation as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

 

 

 

Jesus protects all the Believers

 

 

 

As I pointed above, the only way to get into Christ’s sheep pen is through the gate that is Jesus. Those who come in while not using the gate (Jesus Christ) are robbers and thieves.

Also, anyone or anything that does not come in through Christ has a threefold purpose, which is to 1)destroy, 2)steal, and 3)kill. But, Jesus has come to give us abundant life (see verse 10).

When you’re into this pen, Christ will do all things in his Divine power to protect you and all the other sheep.

Let me expand on that a little more.

Jesus, being the gate, means that for anyone or anything to get to to you, they need to go through Christ. Remember who God is. He is Three Persons in One: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

It’s the Divine team that explains the existence of everything we see, which include time, space, people, seasons, and you name it.

So, when you and I have protection from the Maker of everything, who or what can touch you?

[bctt tweet=”For anyone or anything to touch you, they have to go first through God the Father, then the Son, and last the Holy Spirit. You truly have a triple Divine protective layer on your life.” username=”emmanuelnaweji”]

 

 

 

In Jesus, we lack nothing

 

 

 

As a member on Christ’s flock with Jesus as your Good Shepherd, you lack nothing.

No matter what you go through in any given season of your life, God will always provide some form of pasture for you.

Whether the challenge disappears in this life or not, God will reassure you of His presence and strengthen you to boldly face whatever you’re facing until the end.

Here’s what Jesus said then just as is saying to us today: “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:9).

 

 

Putting all together

We can experience abundant life, and we do that when we choose to join God’s flock with Jesus Christ as our Good Shepherd. In Christ’s flock, we will never be judged for who we truly are. To enter this space (God’s family), we have to come through Christ, and we only do it by choosing to believe and receive Him as our personal Lord and Savior. When we do so, we will be under God’s protection from anyone and anything no matter what we face in life.