John 10:1-2 -- “Truly, truly I say to you, the one who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But the one who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
Thank You Lord for this new day. Thank you, Lord, for our time together. Thank you, Lord, in this day. Thank you in and for all things this early Saturday morning. In Jesus name. Amen!
Our journey resumes as we step onto the path of John 10 and follow Jesus in verses one and two. We immediately come upon Jesus engaging with the wooden religious authorities. After seeing how these people treated the ex-blind man, his parents, and Jesus in chapter nine, we find Jesus making some very direct statements.
Jesus uses sheep, sheepfolds, and shepherds to fully illustrate his statements here. This imagery is something all the Jewish people of the time were familiar with. For the religious leaders who had memorized the scriptures, this would bring scriptural weight as well. The Old Testament constantly gives reference to God as shepherd. Then the life of David jumps out as well. So many places they would've known.
Now Jesus is using it to illustrate to these Pharisees that just because someone is inside the sheepfold among the sheep, doesn't mean they're a real shepherd. As a matter of fact, He clearly states if they entered any way other than the door/gate/entrance they are a thief and a robber.
It jumped out to me that Jesus calls them thief and robber.
Thief in Greek is kleptes and means: stealer, thief, embezzler, pilferer.
This is someone who steals stealthily and quietly. They secretly take from those in their care. They often take little or small things that appear to have little value to try and keep it quiet.
Robber in Greek is lestes and means: robber, plunderer, brigand.
This is someone who openly takes what they want. They will use things to ambush and trap others, then take what they want. They typically use force to get what they want as well.
What gets me about that is the fact these people, false teachers or leaders who are in and among the sheep are both, meaning they will blend in, hide, take all they can quietly, secretly, while smiling and caring for you, managing their perceptions very carefully, but when the opportunity comes they will strike, ambush, trap, and use any means necessary to take what they want.
I came across this when digging into these verses:
“Whoever, therefore, enters not by Jesus Christ into the pastoral office, is no other than a thief and a robber in the sheepfold. And he enters not by Jesus Christ who enters with a prospect of any other interest besides that of Christ and his people. Ambition, avarice, love of ease, a desire to enjoy the conveniences of life, to be distinguished from the crowd, to promote the interests of one’s family, and even the sole design of providing against want-these are all ways by which thieves and robbers enter into the Church. And whoever enters by any of these ways, or by simony, craft, solicitation, deserves no better name.” (Clarke)
Christian, I say it a lot but if you aren't in God's Word daily or very regularly, not just devotionals, sixty second tik tok sermons, or bible verse picture posts, you will NOT KNOW the voice of the shepherd. You will not know whether someone came in through the gate or hopped over the wall. You absolutely cannot rely on what you think is the Holy Spirit alone, with ZERO grounding in the Word of God. How can you know it's the Holy Spirit and not some other spirit whispering in your ear if you don't know God's Word and walk/talk with Him regularly?
Remember the devil once said, "For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ". (Matthew 4:1-11)
Well, that's where the journey went today. Jesus confronting wooden religious people, false teachers, thieves, and robbers.
Don’t take my word on any of these things, be the Berean and get into your bible and let God show you in His Word!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
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