ANCHOR DEVOTIONS (SEPTEMBER 15, 2011)

The Gate
John 10: 1-13



"'I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.'"
(John 10:9)
We live in a time and culture very far from that of when our inspired Scriptures were written. Today the word "gate" we may make us think of the gates at the airport terminal or of gated communities. In Jesus' day gates had a very different and important role in the lives of average people. The gates of the fortified cities were there to protect the citizens inside from wild animals or unwelcomed visitors like thieves or enemies.
Jesus told His disciples that He is the gate. Only those who enter through Him are the ones that come in and go out. He is the One that opens the right doors and gates for us, ushering us into the eternal presence of the living God. If He is the gate, then He is also the only way to enter into the city of God!
There are times each of us gets lost and ends up in a wrong place. Not only do we need good directions, but we also must drive accordingly. For your journey to heaven, enter through Him who is the gate... He has opened it wide to welcome you!
INSIGHT
"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise..." (Psalm 100:4)
READ THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR
Song of Solomon 5-6
Psalm 71
John 11
John 10: 1-13
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
1 "Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice." 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.
7 Therefore Jesus said again, "Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep