Sunday's Message: I AM - Jesus in Seven Words (“I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:1-10))

In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes seven statements beginning with the words I am. Each of these “I am” proclamations furthers our understanding of Jesus’ ministry in the world. They also link Jesus to the Old Testament revelation of God. 

In the Old Testament, God revealed His name to Moses: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:14). Thus, in Judaism, “I AM” is unquestionably understood as a name for God. Whenever Jesus made an “I am” statement in which He claimed attributes of deity, He was identifying Himself as God. 

During seven messages, we’ll consider the following “I am” statements found in John’s gospel:

• June 12 – “I am the bread that gives life!” (John 6:35, 41-51)
• June 19 – “I am the light for the world!” (John 8:12-20)
• June 26 – “I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:1-10)
• July 3  – “I am the good shepherd.” (John 10:11-18
• July 10  – “I am the one who raises the dead to life!” (John 11:1-44)
• July 17  – “I am the way, the truth, and the life!” (John 14:1-14)
• July 24  – “I am the true vine.” (John 15:1-8)

In this third message, we considered the statement, “I am the gate for the sheep.” The sermon text and podcast is below:

Well, here we are, my second Sligo Presbyterian Church picnic. The weather’s pretty good, so long as the rain holds off for a little while. We’ve got plenty of food, including Marcy’s world famous sloppy joes and the very first hot dogs cooked on our new hot dog cooker, and if they don’t taste quite right, we can blame Craig. And (if we had musical instruments out here, there should be a drum roll.) The Meadows frozen custard truck will be here in less than 90 minutes. Now that’s a lot better than shoveling mud, isn’t it? But you know, even though all that’s true, there’s something even more important happening here this morning; we’ve gathered together to worship God and to hear his word. And I think that even trumps sloppy joes and frozen custard. 

And today, we’re continuing the series we started a couple of weeks ago that I entitled “I AM – Jesus in Seven Words.” You see, in seven messages during June and July, we’ll look at the seven times Jesus said “I AM” in the Gospel John and then followed it with some image that can help folks better understand who he was. For example, during the first service, we focused on the time “Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life!” [John 6:35a, CEV] and we looked at how this is a reminder to us that, like bread is to a starving man, Jesus is the source of life, namely eternal life, one that we can claim when we respond to God’s call and simply believe. That was week one. And then last week, we looked at the statement, “I am the light for the world” [John 8:12c, CEV], and we sort came to the conclusion that Jesus was saying that as the light, God entered our space to bring life and that, even though we can always choose to stay in the dark, we can also decide to walk in the light, a decision that will change not only our view of ourselves and others but also the lives we live. And like I said, that was what we talked about last week.

And this morning, we’re going to look at the third I AM statement in the Gospel of John, one that’s found in the middle of a little passage right at the beginning of chapter ten. Just listen to what the Evangelist John wrote:

Jesus said:

I tell you for certain only thieves and robbers climb over the fence instead of going in through the gate to the sheep pen. But the gatekeeper opens the gate for the shepherd, and he goes in through it. The sheep know their shepherd's voice. He calls each of them by name and leads them out.

When he has led out all of his sheep, he walks in front of them, and they follow, because they know his voice. The sheep will not follow strangers. They don't recognize a stranger's voice, and they run away.

Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about.

Jesus said:

I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep. Everyone who came before me was a thief or a robber, and the sheep did not listen to any of them. I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture.

A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully. [John 10:1-10, CEV]

Now that’s what John wrote, that “Jesus said: I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep.” [John 10:7, CEV] 

And that’s going to be our focus this morning. And as we’ve done with the first two messages, we’ll approach it by answering three questions. First, what did Jesus mean when he said “I am the gate for the sheep”? [John 10:7b, CEV] Second, how can we respond to what he said? And then third, why is our response important? Now that’s going to be our approach this morning. And remember, as we move through it, remember we’re getting closer and closer to sloppy joes, hot dogs and of course, frozen custard.

And so let’s start by thinking about the first question, what did Jesus mean when he said “I am the gate for the sheep”? [John 10:7b, CEV] Now that’s a good one. And I’ll tell you, to find the answer, I think we need to identify the symbols in the passage and then to talk about what those symbols might mean. And for me, when we look at the symbols, four sort of jump out. I mean, one, right at the beginning, we have a bunch of sheep, who frankly, don’t really do very much other than wandering around. We’ll get back to them later. And then, two, we’ve got the image of the sheep pen, something that Jesus said was surrounded by a fence. And because of that, when the sheep were on the inside, they were protected from wolves and coyotes and all the other stuff out in the world. You see, for the sheep, the pen was a place of safety. That’s two. And three, Jesus mentioned several different kinds of people: you know, the thieves and robbers and the shepherd and the gatekeeper. And each one relates to the pen in a different way. For example, the thieves and robbers could only get in by climbing over the fence while the shepherd entered through the gate. And the gatekeeper, well, Jesus didn’t say he entered at all, but he must have kept the thieves out and let the shepherd in. But remember, and I think this is interesting, according to what Jesus said, only the shepherd would lead the sheep out. And that really points to image number four, the gate itself and its function. You see, the gate was how the sheep entered the pen, this safe and protected place. It wasn’t used by the thieves and the robbers either to get in or out, but it was by the shepherd who would not only go in through it, he’d also lead the sheep out of it, you know, out into the world where they could find green pastures and still waters. Now those are the symbols Jesus used.

And as to what he had in mind when he used them, well, I’ve got to admit, some of these images aren’t particularly flattering, at least not to us. I mean, I’ve got a gut feeling we all know who was represented by the sheep, and if any of us don’t, after the picnic, we might want to go home and look in the mirror. No, in this passage, I think it’s pretty clear that we are the sheep, one of the dumbest animals God created. And the sheep pen, that place of protection and safety, for me that would sure seem to be the church or at the very least, the Christian community, a place where, in spite of all our other differences, we share an identity and a focus and a hope. And maybe, if you want to push it a little farther, we might see the fence that surrounds us as God’s Word and those principles and values Christians are supposed to share. But before we, the sheep, become too comfortable in our cozy little pen, it’s important to remember that not every person in the pen can be trusted. As a matter of fact, even though some the people to whom we might look to for direction and guidance, man, they may be on the inside with us and they may look remarkably alike, at least on the surface, thieves and robbers are a heck of lot different than shepherds in terms of their motivation and goals. And how can sheep, as dumb as they are, how can we tell the difference? Well, that’s easy; we can look at the gate. You see, shepherds enter the pen in the same way we entered; they entered through the gate. And that’s why these shepherds, and I’m talking about these leaders whom we can trust, that’s why they know us by name and we can recognize their voice, something that those folks who entered some other way just can’t do. And who is the gate? Well, that’s easy. Jesus said, “I am the gate. All who come in through me will be saved. Through me they will come and go and find pasture. A thief comes only to rob, kill, and destroy. I came so everyone would have life, and have it fully.” [John 10:9-10, CEV] Now, for me, this is what he meant when he said I am the gate. And that’s the answer to our first question.

But what about the second question, and I’m talking about how can we respond? I mean, how can we, a bunch of sheep, enter into a place of security and hope? And how can we know the difference between the thieves and robbers and the shepherds? In other words, how might we respond to what Jesus said and meant? Now that’s another good question. 

And the answer, well, I think that’s pretty clear. We can respond by focusing our attention on the gate, you know, on Jesus Christ, on what he did and what he taught. Let me explain. It’s through him, through Jesus that we entered this place of peace of hope; this we know. But how did it happen? How were we able to enter? Well, it wasn’t because of us. In fact, a little later in the Gospel of John, Jesus will say, “You did not choose me. I chose you and sent you out to produce fruit, the kind of fruit that will last. Then my Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name. So I command you to love each other.” [John 15:16-17, CEV] Now that’s how we entered. We entered through the gate. But more than just that, by focusing on the gate, we’ll be able to tell the difference between the thieves and the shepherds, and I’m talking about the difference between those who want to kill and destroy and those who offer life. You see, the robbers had to climb over the fence to get it. But the shepherds, they came right through the gate, they came right through Jesus Christ; therefore, we can expect them to say the same thing about God that Jesus said to Nicodemus: “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!” [John 3:16-17, CEV] And we can expect them to say the same thing about the Christian life that Jesus said to his disciples at his last supper with them: My children, I will be with you for only a little while longer. Then you will look for me, but you won’t find me. I tell you just as I told the people, “You cannot go where I am going.” But I am giving you a new command. You must love each other, just as I have loved you. If you love each other, everyone will know that you are my disciples. [John 13:33-35, CEV] Now, I believe that’s the kind of stuff people who enter through the gate say. But maybe more important than that, they also live as though they believe it. You see, the gate shows us who to trust. And through the gate, that’s the way we re enter the world. You see, we were never intended to live in a pen all the time. That would be like me leaving Coco Chanel in a crate 24/7. No, according to what Jesus said, the shepherd leads us out. And we go out the same way we came in, carrying with us his words and signs. And in my opinion, that’s how we can respond to Jesus being the gate. And that’s the answer to our second question.

And that really leads to question number three: Why is our response important? I mean, why is it important for us to recognize that Jesus is the gate for the sheep? And why is it important for us to keep our focus on him? And why is this something that’s important for us right here and right now? Now that’s the question. And here’s the answer; I think we have three pretty good reasons for accepting and celebrating Jesus as the gate. You see, first, it reminds us that we’ve really been blessed. I mean, we are here because of him and not because of us. And we’ve been led into this community because of what he did and not because of anything we’ve said or promised. And we’ve been given life, eternal life, life with God because he loved the world just that much and not because the world loved him back. You see, the presence of the gate reminds us that we’ve been blessed. But second, it also reminds us that we can’t be naive. You see, there are people within the Christian community who really got in by jumping the fence because they couldn’t come in through the gate and who want us to use the church as a hide out rather than a launching pad and who may say all the stuff we want to hear but who are actually trying to destroy and to kill us. They are within the body. Of course, that’s not what we want to believe, but when you get right down to it, reality isn’t based on what we want. They are here. But so are the shepherds, and I’m talking about those who, like us, came into the community through the Jesus revealed in the Bible and not the one created by our imagination. And these are the ones who’ll know our name and if we listen whose voice we’ll recognize. You see, both are present with us. And for that reason, we probably need to follow Jesus’s advice when he said, “So be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves.” [Matthew 16:10b, CEV] I believe, the presence of the gate also reminds us that we can’t be naive. And third, I believe the gate reminds us that the work we’ve been called to do is principally out there and not just in here. I guess you could say the gate swings both ways. I mean, it’s certainly the way we enter. But it’s also the way we leave, taking with us to share the bread that gives life to share and the light that can overcome the darkness to reflect. And as we move through that gate into the world, I think it’s important for us to remember that we’re not doing it alone. A shepherd is with us every step of the way. You see, I think seeing Jesus as the gate reminds us of what we have and what we face and what we’ve been called to do. And I’ll tell you, that’s why I think it’s important.

You see, when Jesus said that he was the gate, he was actually telling us a lot. I mean, he was saying that he is the way through which we can enter and from which we must leave so that we can take his message out into the world. Now for me, that’s what he meant. And because of this, we can focus our attention on him, because it’s his truth that draws us in and enables us to separate the true from the false and that we can carry with us. And that’s how we can respond. And I’ll tell you, that’s good news for us, because, as I said just a little while ago, the gate reminds us of what we have and what we face and what we’ve been called to do. And that’s why it’s important. And for me, that’s the what and the how and the why behind the statement, “I tell you for certain that I am the gate for the sheep.” [John 10:7, CEV]