John 10:10 -- The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Thank You, Lord for this beautiful new day. Thank You, God in every circumstance that may come our way this day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
Today our journey rested in verse ten. This is one of those verses we hear a lot and for good reason. I realized though, most of the time it's pulled out of context and cut in half depending on what is being talked about.
First, the back half is used to encourage, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.". It's powerful words from our Lord and an appropriate encouragement for sure, but we'll dive into more of what the Lord walked me through on it in a minute.
Second, we hear the first half used to speak of the devil or satan. "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy." Again, this is a fitting description of the devil but there was more here as the Lord walked through the context of things.
When you just quote this verse (again usually split in half), without connecting it to the full context of all that's going on and what Jesus is saying, it can cause some to be frustrated, to question, or even stumble.
So, what am I talking about, right? How could these powerful words cause someone to stumble?
Let's look at the context, which begins in John chapter seven. That's right, three whole chapters back is where this starts. If you haven't read all of it, you're missing everything Jesus has said and done to get to this point. Which will make it hard, if not impossible, to understand exactly how we arrive at the abundant life He's talking about.
Chapter 7: Jesus went to Feast of Tabernacles at the temple in Jerusalem. Jesus says any who thirst come to Him. This causes an uproar with the religious authorities. Sparking anger, deceitful planning, and even division among the religious rulers and teachers.
Chapter 8: Jesus stands up to the pharisees trying to deceitfully trap Him by bringing a woman caught in adultery. He proclaims, "I Am the Light of the World", while teaching in the temple. He tells those who believe to abide in His Words, and they will be true disciples who will then know the truth and the truth will set them free. He tells the religious elite "Truly, truly, I say to you before Abraham was, I Am". Proclaiming to them He was God. They go to kill Him, but He slips out of the temple.
Chapter 9: Jesus leaves the temple and spots a man blind from birth. He heals the man's eyes. There's some mud and washing going on. Then the man gets taken to the religious authorities. They treat him horribly, call him a liar, berate him, drag his parents into it, then ultimately excommunicate or cast him out of the temple and Judaism all together. Jesus finds him, the man believes and worships Him. Other religious authorities overhear, and Jesus tells them they since they claim to "see" their guilt remains.
Chapter 10: Jesus continues to speak against the religious authorities who had treated Him and the ex-blind man like dirt. Jesus uses the illustration of a shepherd caring for his sheep, with a loving, protecting, relationship where each know the other deeply. This is to contrast these religious authorities who were thieves and robbers that climbed over the wall of the sheepfold to get in, instead of being let in through the proper door. He then says, "I am the door to the sheep." and "If anyone enters through me, they will be saved…" now catch the final part of what Jesus says here, "…and will go in and out and find pasture."
Now with all that context. Knowing Jesus is staring directly at these abusive, deceitful, religious authorities, with the ex-blind man standing nearby, He says: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.".
The "thief" He is addressing are the wooden religious authorities standing before Him. He's already outlined that anyone who gets into the sheepfold without going through Him is a thief and a robber. So, in context He's not directly talking about the devil. Keep in mind John 8:44 Jesus told these religious people they did the will of their father the devil. So, we know "Kill, Steal, Destroy" are desires of the devil, because these religious people were doing just that, in how they treated people with God's very Word. They used God's Word to beat people down, to lord over them, to justify their own selfish ways.
The "Life and Life Abundantly" here comes from Jesus being your Shepherd, Jesus being Your door, Jesus being what you go through, in and out of the fold to find pasture, Jesus being your Living Water, Jesus being Your Light, listening to Jesus' Words, abiding in Jesus' Words, Knowing the Truth of Jesus and that Truth setting you free!
If you disconnect this verse from the context, it becomes an encouraging statement, that will get a loud "AMEN!", but leads people walk out not understanding it takes KNOWING Jesus, and Him being the door to all in/out of your life. Questions arise to why they don't have that "abundant life" overflowing in their day to day. They end up thinking there is something wrong with them, they aren't good enough, they don't have enough faith, or God has overlooked them. It can drive people into a more self-centered focus where they stress over, become depressed, or try to do more works to find that abundant life.
Christian, the only way to experience this abundant life is in, through, and with Jesus Christ. Is He your Shepherd? Do you KNOW what His voice sounds like? Do you obey when He calls you to do something? Is He the only door in and out of everything in your life?
Hear me clearly, this is not about works or legalism or a checklist you must do to achieve abundance. This is about living your entire life, every day, every step, every breath with the Lord as your Shepherd, the Word, the Way, the Truth, the Life.
Beloved, if you are not walking with Him every day, intentionally making Him your in/out of every part of your life, you've got to stop, get on your knees, and talk to Him, get into His Word and let Him talk to you. I know there are real reasons, real issues, real pain, real circumstances, but look at the Word of God here, in full context, and take in what has led to Jesus's words here on abundant life. There is no other way than Jesus Christ as the door.
Well, that's where the journey went today. Don't take my word on anything, be the Berean, whatever you hear me say, let it drive you to the Word so you can see what God says directly!
You are loved. You are prayed over. You are not alone.
Σχόλια