The Good Shepherd is our door to heaven!
John 10:7- So Jesus said again, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: I am the door for the sheep.” (EHV)
“I am the Good Shepherd.” Are there any more comforting words to hear from Jesus than these words? Good Shepherd Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Easter is one of my favorites. We also get to read the 23rd Psalm. How often do we think of our Good Shepherd as the door? It can be confusing. Is he Shepherd or door? He is both and that is what makes him unique. He is the one we must enter in order for us to gain entry into the eternal green pastures of heaven. But is the door open or closed?
It depends on the Shepherd. We need this reminder because we often think we have to find a way to find and open the door to heaven. When we think it is about us, this is when we lose our way and get lost. As the Scriptures remind us, “we all like sheep have gone astray.” We only have the power to get lost and destroyed by the roaring lion. Do you even wonder if the Shepherd is tired of seeking us out every time we go astray? If he was like all the other hired hands who would just leave us to our own devices and close the door to heaven. But he is not like all other shepherds. He is our Good Shepherd.
The Good Shepherd was willing to give up his life and take it up again. He seeks his sheep every time they go astray and brings them back to his side. By doing this all out of his love for his sheep, he can guarantee that the door to his heavenly pasture will remain open, even for us. When you lose your way, listen to the Shepherd’s voice and do not be afraid. He is the door to everlasting life. Let him lead you to those quiet waters through the door, through himself!
Dear Good Shepherd, thank you for revealing yourself to be the door to heaven. Send out your voice and call us to your side. Let us follow you through the dark valley and into the glory of heaven, for you are the door. In your name we pray! Amen.