Welcome to Day 145 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional! This series is about finding nourishment in the Word of God to get us through the day. In each devotional, I take a variety of scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses each) and build our understanding of what they teach via their context and connecting scripture. My goal is to help you understand how to be the type of human God created you to be.

Today’s passage is John 10:7, 9-10. We’ll look at what it means that Jesus is our true Shepherd.

John 10:7, 9-10

NASB	NLT	VOICE
7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.	7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep.	7 So He explain further. Jesus: I tell you the truth. I am the gate of the sheep.
9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.	9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.	9 I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be liberated, will go in and go out, and will find pastures.
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.	10 The thiefs purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.	10 The thief approaches with malicious intent, looking to steal, slaughter, and destroy; I came to give life with and joy and abundance.

In the sheepfold, the shepherd acted like a gate. They would let the sheep in or out and protect them. Jesus is our gate, letting us into God’s salvation. He offers us access to eternal safety and security. He also protects us. Some people resent those who believe Jesus is the only way to God (the gate.) Yet, the frustration shouldn’t be towards us. Jesus is the one who stated that he is the only way to God. Because Jesus created the world, he can declare how we should come to him. Jesus provides the entry point. We see God in human form, teaching and reflecting on what it means to live a life that honors him. Our goal and responsibility is to respect that and honor that using our gifts and talents through the Holy Spirit in the best way possible.

In contrast to the thief who takes life, Jesus gives life. The life he gives us is abundantly rich and satisfying. It’s eternal and starts when we commit to Christ as our Lord and Savior. Life with Christ is more significant than without him because of his overflowing forgiveness, love, and guidance. It leads us to rethink how we define riches. It’s not about the earthly monetary gain and status. They are the sources that allow us to keep our mental load light. It’s a source of forgiveness, allowing our sins to be forgiven in that moment and not allowing us to be stuck on our guilt and shame. It’s a source of love, knowing that we are never alone and always cared for at all times. It’s a source of guidance, finding a way through the tough decisions of life and the chaos of life living in a Christ-honoring way.

John 14:6

NASB	NLT	VOICE
6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.	6 Jesus told him,  “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.	6 I am the path, the truth, and the energy of life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus claims that He is the only way to God. This has been a sticking point for Christians and non-Christians because they think it’s too exclusive and too narrow, meaning that it’s only offered to a select few bits of people. In reality, the way to God through Jesus is SO wide that everyone could fit in and accept Jesus. Some people choose their own path, though, and God will direct it back to him in varying ways with their stubbornness. Instead of responding with how limited everything sounds, we should be describing things this way:

As the Way, Jesus is our path to the Father. He provides a clear path to God. Jesus shows us exactly what it’s like to live a life that honors God and takes care of his creation. We just have to honor his command for us. As the Truth, he is the reality of all God’s promises. He provides certainty to people whose lives seem confused and unstable. Jesus teaches us and shows us what it means to extend grace (God’s crazy love) and mercy (God’s ultimate forgiveness) to those around us in all kinds of different ways. As the Life, he joins his divine life to ours, both now and eternally. Jesus offers full and complete satisfaction to those who follow him. It’s knowing that our lives will not end when we die. Our physical selves will cease, but we will transform into an eternal soul. With all this in mind, He is the only living way to the Father.

2 Peter 2:1

NASB	NLT	VOICE
1 But false prophets also appeared among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction tonight.	1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will sudden destruction on themselves.	1 Just as false prophets rose up in the past among Gods people, false teachers will rise up in the future among you. They will slip in with their destructive opinions, denying the very Master who bought their freedom and dooming themselves to destruction swiftly.

Jesus had told the disciples that false teachers would come. Peter had heard this warning, and at this time, he saw it come true. Just as false prophets had contradicted the true prophets in Old Testament times, telling people what they wanted to hear, false teachers were twisting Christ’s teaching and the words of his apostles. These teachers were belittling the significance of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. Some claimed that Jesus couldn’t be God; others claimed that he couldn’t have been a real human. They even encourage all kinds of immorality.

We must be careful to avoid the false teachers today. Every message must be evaluated in the light of God’s Word. Pay attention to special meanings or interpretations that add conditions to salvation or demean Christ and his work. I listen to six different teachings weekly and don’t always agree with them. There’s one that I rarely agree with, but I want to listen to all sides of interpretations when it comes to God’s teachings. With the Holy Spirit, I can discern what aligns and doesn’t and then create the biggest, most expansive understanding rather than hearing it from the Bible or one church leader.

BREATHE IN:                   Jesus is the way,…

BREATHE OUT:               …the truth, and the life

Until next time, stay blessed!