Sermon June 9, 2010 "I Am the Gate"

We looked at John 10:1-10 at Jesus' next "I Am..." "I am the gate for the sheep," Jesus said. He said this right on the heals of this episode with the man born blind. In the fabric of this lesson is still the tension with the religious leaders and issue of those outside of the religious system.

There is a dualism throughout John's gospel: light and dark, grace and truth, flesh and spirit, in and out. People follow or reject Jesus- there is no third, luke-warm category for the curious.

There were two categories of people in John’s gospel:

The religious who didn’t experience the abundant life of freedom in their relationship with God;

And the non-religious who didn’t experience the protection and security of being in right relationship with God.

It is into this world of twos that Jesus speaks these words, "I am the gate..."

A gate was something that offered a pathway to protection from wolves and theives at night. But that same gate offered a pathway to freedom and feasting in the day. Think about that. Some are lost- they need the protection and security of the pen through which their is only one entrance. Some are enslaved to works righteousness- they need the freedom and feast of the fields through which the gate is their only access point.

In a world of two ways Jesus offers a third. He is the way for the lost to be found. He is the way for the enslaved to be set free. The life of discipleship is good news to the sinner and Pharisee alike.

Jesus is the gate. To those of you trapped in trying to please God through religious practice Jesus is the gate to your freedom and delight to be loved as you are. To those of you going through life your own way with your own agenda not allowing room for God’s plan for your life- know that broad is the path that leads to destruction narrow the way that leads to eternal life. Any old thing won’t do. Jesus is the only gate through who you will have hope in this life and salvation in the next.

Pastor Scott