GOOD NEWS FROM ST. JOHN
Meditations in the Gospel of St. John
St. John 10:7-10
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THESE few verses arose out of the fact that the Jews just could not comprehend what Jesus was saying concerning himself as the Good Shepherd. The reason for their blindness was because, though they prided themselves as being the people of God, they were actually outside the fold of God. Because of this Jesus speaks of how entrance into the fold of God can be achieved.

It is a very salutary thought that people can be in the church, and very learned and even full of Bible knowledge as these Jews were of the Old Testament, but still be spiritually blind and outside the fold of God.

Jesus tells us that he, and he alone, is the way of entrance into the fold of God. This is the exclusive message of the Christian faith. It means that all other religions and beliefs are false and do not bring people to God. Religious experience outside of Christ is spurious, however wonderful or powerful it may appear to be. This exclusiveness includes all religion, even though it claims to be Christian, which in any way seems to bring into salvation anything other than Christ alone. Such religion is not Christian in reality and is leading people astray and away from eternal life. This exclusiveness is made more blunt and plain, because Jesus says all who deny it to be thieves and robbers.

Jesus is the way into the Kingdom as well has being our Shepherd when in the Kingdom. He is both door and Shepherd.

If there is exclusiveness, there is also great certainty in the words of Jesus. Jesus tells us that if we seek to enter the fold of God through him, we will enter and be accepted. Jesus speaks of those who come to God through Him as most surely being saved. There can be no doubt that Jesus means being saved from the judgement of God which is upon the world because of the sin of mankind. This judgement is the great danger in which all humanity lives, and there is no escape from it outside of Jesus. However, the soul that receives Jesus as Saviour and Shepherd, will be forgiven all their sins and be blessed with eternal life.

Jesus speaks of two great blessings of this salvation. The first one is the blessing of freedom. We are blest with membership of the flock of God, and the fold is our home and safe haven, but we can go in and out and find pasture (v.9). So often the Christian’s life in Christ is portrayed, and thought of, as a sort of slavery, yet it is in fact the only true freedom. When Jesus said in John 8:35 “So if the Son set you free, you will be free indeed”, he was expressing true reality. The truth is that the freedom the world boasts about is no freedom whatsoever. In the world we are slaves to our fallen and sinful human nature. This bondage may express itself in different ways, but it is real for everyone. We can’t free ourselves from our human nature, and the power of the desires and thoughts which are in us. We are free to choose, but all we ever do choose is the desires of the flesh and the world. However when Christ sets us free, we have a new nature, and it is then possible to say no to our human nature. We can come in and go out and find pasture.

Finding pasture surely means that we can truly find satisfaction of soul and purpose in life. This is not possible in the world. We may appear to be satisfied in following our desires, and worldly aims, but we will find sooner or later that these are empty, and have no fulfillment or goal. We were created to find our life in God, and outside of God life is empty.

The other great blessing is life. Jesus says here that he came to give us life (v.10). In the world we are spiritually dead. Physical death means entering eternal death, which is to be without God for eternity, and separated from all that is good - no love, no fulfillment, no blessing, no happiness, no joy, no peace and much more. Jesus gives those who come to him as the door into the sheepfold of God, entrance into the fold which means that we receive eternal life.

Eternal life is first of all the reality of new birth and the gift of new spiritual life. It is revealed in that we see the bondage of the world which was our life before we entered the door. We also find that we have a desire for what is good, and can refuse and even put to death the corrupt desires of our fallen human nature. More than this, new life opens up a new realm, which is the spiritual realm of God. We see and experience spiritual things, and these give real satisfaction and joy.

Most of all this new life brings us into the love of God, and to enjoy fellowship with God. We enjoy God and the love of Jesus is our chief joy. Eternal life means that after death we come into the presence of God, and dwell with him in the heavenly realm forever. This is everlasting joy and peace.