Greetings Dear Reader,
There is a tavern that I used to frequent. Their ultimate nachos were the best I have ever
had. They also made some good beer. It was their name that was so inviting. The name of the place was The Do Drop
In.
One of the peculiarities of the place was that when you
entered there was a legend above the door.
It simply said “The Sheep Gate.” It
was the only entrance into the place and you had to stoop a little to get
in. The building is over a hundred years
old and not required to meet current codes.
The owner, Dave is a Christ-follower who is always there when the tavern is open. He greets everyone as they enter. He takes an interest in every customer and if one is a regular his greeting is usually arriving at your table with your customary beverage in hand. Dave is generous and kind. He pays his staff well and the place is always filled with people who understand his rules. The primary one is that you may not arrive or depart from his place inebriated. This is why he is the gatekeeper in his establishment.
How, you may ask, does this relate to Jesus and seeing him
more clearly? Jesus says in explaining why
he healed on the Sabbath that he is the Sheep Gate. In his conversation with the Pharisees, Jesus
points out that they are the robbers that enter over the wall and steal the
sheep.
The practice of the time was that sheep were kept in a large
walled area. The wall was short enough
to climb over but tall enough to pen the sheep.
The shepherd would sleep in the doorway to guard the sheep. Thieves and predators could not get in and
the sheep could not escape. Look at what
Jesus says and tell me what you see.
John 10:7-10 “So, Jesus said to them again, ‘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 hear them. I am the
door; if anyone enters through 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.’”
The Shepherd, Jesus is the way through which we enter into
the safety of faith and following. When
it is time to rest as we journey, he is there to protect us from those who
would steal us away from him. He is the Good
Shepherd who wishes for us to have a life that is filled with joy.
Again, we can build a bridge across time seeing how the
metaphor of the shepherd is a constant part of the Father’s design for our
redemption. The symbol of sacrifice has
always been the lamb. The shepherd has
been a clear image of how God cares for us.
The large difference is that Jesus is both the Good Shepherd and the sacrificial
Lamb of God, who carries away the sin of the world.
Jesus wishes us to see him as both. He has done his part as the Lamb. Now he acts as the Shepherd and the Sheep
Gate. If you see him as all these things,
then the matter becomes choosing to follow in faith. What we need to remember is that he promises
us security in his care and life that is abundant. So, tell me, Dear Reader, tell me what you
see.
Wishing you joy in the journey,
Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become
a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a homeowner. He liberally
hands out new and old things from his great treasure store.”
(͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Every human story is part of the great story that leads
to the Father getting everything back to Good.
Contacts for Aramis
Thorn:
#aramisthorn
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