Making the old look good at Christmas The Shepherd and the Sheep’s Door

Making the old look good at Christmas

The Shepherd and the Sheep’s Door

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,

and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9 KJV

This Door is still guarding the flock

We are invited into “the fold” and where we will find the protection

from the predators that prey on our souls

There are a lot of doors we take for granted every day

But don’t take Jesus the One who says,

“I Am the Door” for granted

He is the Shepherd of your soul

I don’t know how many doors we go through a day…

The bedroom door, closet door, bathroom

door, front door, garage door, car door

Doors at school, work and shopping.

What about all the cabinet doors

 we open to get a dish or a snack.

The doors for our appliances, the washer and dryer

and our favorite door, the refrigerator and freezer.

Looks like I have taken for granted “doors”.

I guess when I saw the old door in the Christmas

decoration at church I realized how important

a door is and how I take them for granted.

The old door reminds me of the old Christmas.

The true Christmas where shepherds

were watching over flocks by night.

In that day large pens were constructed

in town or just outside of town.

Many of them were built of a pile of rocks

in a circle with only one opening.

Sheep live most of their life looking

down for the next bite of food.

They don’t have a sense of direction like other animals

so as they wander around they can become lost.

Sheep also can’t protect themselves.

In fact when a predictor comes they huddle

tighter and become an easy target.

So sheep need a shepherd.

One good trait about sheep is they

learn the voice of the shepherd.

At night shepherds would take them to the sheep pen.

A poter or gatekeeper would lay across the opening

all night to keep the sheep in and the predators out.

In the morning, the shepherds would call for their

sheep and the sheep would follow their shepherd.

Maybe the shepherds who went to see Baby

Jesus had their sheep in one of those pens.

This is the illustration Jesus is talking about in John 10.

When He says…

“I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved,

and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” John 10:9 KJV

This Door is still guarding the flock.

For those of us who believe in the Gospel…

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6 NIV

And repent of our sin.

 “I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.”

Luke 13:3 NIV

We are invited into “the fold” and where we will find the

protection from the predators that prey on our souls.

There are a lot of doors we take for granted every day.

But don’t take Jesus, the One who says

“I Am the Door” for granted.

He is the Shepherd of your soul.

  

Scripture Reading

John 10:1-18 AMP

1 I ASSURE you, most solemnly I tell you, he who does not enter by the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up some other way (elsewhere, from some other quarter) is a thief and a robber.

2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

3 The watchman opens the door for this man, and the sheep listen to his voice and heed it; and he calls his own sheep by name and brings (leads) them out.

4 When he has brought his own sheep outside, he walks on before them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.

5 They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call.

6 Jesus used this parable (illustration) with them, but they did not understand what He was talking about.

7 So Jesus said again, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that I Myself am the Door for the sheep.

8 All others who came [as such] before Me are thieves and robbers, but the [true] sheep did not listen to and obey them.

9 I am the Door; anyone who enters in through Me will be saved (will live). He will come in and he will go out [freely], and will find pasture.

10 The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).

11 I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.  [Ps 23.]

12 But the hired servant (he who merely serves for wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and snatches them and scatters [the flock].

13 Now the hireling flees because he merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares nothing for them].

14 I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My own, and My own know and recognize Me — 

15 Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know the Father — and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf of the sheep.

16 And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock under one Shepherd.  [Ezek 34:23.]

17 For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life — to take it back again.

18 No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.