The Gate

The Bible describes Jesus in many different ways. He has been called Emmanuel, Christ, Lord, Son of God, Son of man, Lamb of God, Light of the World, King of the Jews, and the list goes on. But did you know that Jesus also describes himself as “the Gate”? He uses this title to remind us that he is the only way for man to enter heaven. He reminds us that many will claim to be “the Gate”, but they are in fact, thieves and robbers. Our culture claims to be inclusive of everyone, everything and every ideology. We claim that everything is equal, even every religion. But Jesus reminds us that every religion is not equal. In fact, there is only one Gate, and all others are false. Jesus is the Gate and if you are a true believer, you know his voice. He says in John, chapter 10, verses 1 through 5:

“I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 

Two verses later, Jesus explains by saying, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.” This is one of the most contentious truths among those of faith; the claim that there is only one way to heaven, and that one way is Jesus. In a culture that preaches inclusiveness, it is hard for many to come to terms with this truth. Nevertheless, it is truth. In fact, Jesus also describes himself as “the way”, “the truth”, and “the life”. This will come as terrible news for some; those who have chosen to follow other gods, and those who have subscribed to the belief that there is more than one way to heaven - more than one gate. But it will come as welcome news to others; those who have chosen the narrow path; those who are his sheep and know his voice; those who are saved by grace through faith in the only one who has the power over sin and death, Jesus the Christ.

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Have you made the decision to follow Christ? Are you ready to accept that he is the only way to heaven. He is “the Gate”. There are many who steadfastly and wholeheartedly follow different gods, believing that they have chosen what is right and true. God in his sovereignty allows us to make the decision for ourself. What will you decide? If you haven’t already, I would encourage you to choose Jesus. Allow the Holy Spirit to draw you unto the Father. Open your heart to him and pray. Seek him and the Bible assures you that you will find him. Do not leave the question of your salvation unanswered. Have the faith to believe in him today and allow him to be your shepherd.

No Honor

The notoriety that can often times come with success can have a strange effect on relationships. It can change the one who is blessed with success but it can also change the people who knew the person before they became successful. When someone gains success, notoriety, or are honored among many, they are often told “not to forget where they came from”. This saying is meant to keep them grounded. It is meant to help them remember their humble beginnings and to not forget those they knew before their life situation changed so drastically. But what about their family, friends and neighbors? They can change too. Is there a saying for them? I would argue that there is. In John, chapter 4, verse 44, it says:    

“(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country).”

Why would this be true? Why would someone, who is so honored by God, have no honor in his own country? I would argue that it is because when a person finds success, those who knew them before they became successful have a tendency to become jealous, indignant, or may have a hard time coming to terms with the idea of someone who used to be like them all of the sudden becoming a big shot. They may be struggling with the notion that someone they knew as “ordinary” is now being treated as someone “special”. Later, in John 6, verse 42 it says: “They said, ‘Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, who’s father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven?’” And it goes on to say in chapter 7, verse 5: “For even his own brothers did not believe him.” Jesus’ own brothers had a problem with who Jesus became. They had a difficult time accepting that the person they knew as a biological brother is now being heralded as a healer and a prophet; one who now claimed to be the Son of God. Why do I bring this up? Because if God blesses you through your ministry efforts with notoriety and success, don’t expect to find honor among those you’ve grown up with. I’m sure this isn’t always the case, but there is biblical evidence to support it.

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Imagine if your annoying little brother, or the bully down the street, or the underachieving kid at school would one day become a major figure in God’s plan for the world. How would that make you feel? How would you treat them? I would encourage you to treat them with the same honor as anyone you may consider a hero in the faith. I would encourage you to see them through God’s eyes, and to understand that God can, and often does, use those who we may not choose to do his work. King David dealt with these same kinds of reactions from his father, brothers and even Samuel initially. It is human nature to become indignant, jealous, or even bitter towards those whom God chooses to raise to a place of honor. If you struggle in this area, I encourage you to look beyond any selfishness or indignation that may well up within you and show honor for the one God chose for this task.

Rise To Live

It is amazing how intertwined the Holy Trinity is. In John, Jesus says that he can do nothing by himself; that he can only do what he sees the Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. It is amazing how the three personalities of the trinity compliment each other so clearly. One inevitably affects the other. Just like the parts of our body are one, but every part, in some way, affects the other. While on earth, the Father had given Jesus the authority to perform miracles and to judge. He had been given authority to judge those who were living, but also those who have died. It says in John chapter 5, verses 28 and 29:

“Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out - those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.”

Jesus is the ultimate judge, exercising the authority given to him by the Father. The Pharisees didn’t understand that. They called him a blasphemer, which I suppose would’ve been true if he wasn’t the Son of God. But he was, and he is the Son of God, given authority to judge us. And in John we are reminded that we will be judged on how we’ve lived. Jesus says, “those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned”. So I encourage you to live with eternity in mind. Do good and rise to live, not to be condemned.

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Jesus is the judge. He forgave sins while he walked the earth in human flesh, and he still forgives sins as he sits in heaven at the right hand of the Father. In the book of John, Jesus reminds us that how we live on earth will determine whether we will rise to live or rise to be condemned. If I were to say that how we live our life on earth is incredibly important, that would be an incredible understatement. I don’t think we can really comprehend the magnitude of our actions, our decisions and our behavior here in the flesh. But we really need to take them seriously. Because judgment is coming, and Jesus tells us that there are only two outcomes that can befall us. He says that “those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned”. I encourage you to be in the camp who rises to live.

Jesus Knew

Can you imagine having the power to know what was going to happen before it happened? If you had that power, and were wise enough to know how to best use it, you could perfectly plot out your life, avoiding pitfalls and making sure that you didn’t miss any opportunities. But, unfortunately, we are only human and we don’t possess that power. But Jesus did. He knew what was going to happen before it happened. He knew that he’d be crucified on a cross, and he even knew when it would happen. He also knew where he came from, and he knew that he’d be returning to God. It says in John chapter 13, verse 3:

“Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God;”

It says that “the Father had put all things under his power”. So, even though Jesus knew that he had the power to change his destiny, he chose to obey the Father instead, dying in one of the worst ways imaginable. He did it for us. And he did it knowing the whole story before he even stepped foot on this earth. He knew the entire plan, and now that we have the benefit of the Holy Bible, we know it too. We know of God’s plan of salvation, how Jesus saved us, and we even know the future because parts of the Bible haven’t happened yet. So, now that you know, how do you choose to respond? If you aren’t sure, I encourage you to do what Jesus did… Obey the Father. Obey him in every way possible.

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Jesus knew that he had come from the Father and that he would be returning to the Father soon. He also knew the implications of that truth and what he’d have to endure before his return. We may not know all of the details of our future, but because of his word, and because of our faith in Jesus, it shouldn’t be a total mystery. Ask yourself; Will you choose to follow and trust Jesus? Will you choose to pattern your life according to what he teaches in the Bible? Will you ultimately give your life to Jesus and accept the gift of eternal life that he gave you? If you will, or if you have, you should certainly know your future; to serve God here on earth and to live with him for all eternity once you die. Just as the apostle Paul put it, “to live is Christ and to die is gain”. That should be the future of every believer.

He Knows Us

If you’ve read the Bible, when it comes to humanity, you know that God cares most about what is in our heart. Yes, he wants our obedience, he wants our praise and he wants our dedication, but if we give him these things with the wrong heart, he’d prefer that we not offer them to him at all. It is amazing how well God knows us. He knows our motives, he knows our intent, and he knows when we are trying to hide what is truly in our heart. But Jesus knew that too, even when he walked the earth. It says in John 2:24-25: 

“But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.”

When I read about how Jesus handled himself with the Pharisees and how he avoided the verbal traps they set for him, I am always amazed - and rightly so. It was as if Jesus literally knew what they were thinking, because in truth, he did. There are several times where we read in the Bible that Jesus knew what others were thinking and he responded accordingly. This would mean that Jesus possessed a supernatural ability to know the thoughts of men and the hearts of men while he walked the earth. And if that is true, how much more does he know us since he has returned to glory and sits at the right hand of the Father? I encourage you to consider just how well God knows you.

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Jesus knows each one of us more deeply than anyone on this earth knows us. He knows our complete past and he is aware of all of our weaknesses. He even knows how many hairs we have on our head! And in John, we learn that he knows our heart, our intent and he even knows our thoughts. But more than that, he is physically close to us. The Bible tells us that he lives inside of us, and that he’ll never leave us or forsake us. So God knows us intently. He knows us better than we know ourselves. And in spite of that, he still loves us intensely. I hope that both challenges and encourages you; that it challenges you to remember that there is nothing we can hide from God, but encourages you because regardless of that, he still loves us.