Jesus: the Gate and the Shepherd

4TH SUNDAY OF EASTER

(Good Shepherd Sunday)

[ John 10: 1-10 ]

   The seven ‘I AM’ of Jesus.

‘I AM’ is the very name of the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

When Moses says to God, “What’s your name?” And God, from the burning bush, replies, “I AM WHO I AM” [Ex 3: 14]. 

God reveals to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM"

Jesus is human, but more importantly, He is God. Jesus is the God-Man. He is fully human and fully divine. We believe, not only because he says so, but because He has proven so: He has truly risen as He promised.

Jesus reveals to us His true identity through the seven ground-breaking ‘I AM’ statement. His ‘I AM’ echoes the Great 'I AM WHO I AM' [cf. Exodus 3: 14]: 

   1) “I AM the Bread of Life.” [Jn 6: 35]

   2) “I AM the Light of the World.” [Jn 8: 12]

   3) “I AM the Gate of the sheepfold.” [Jn 10: 7]

   4) “I AM the Good Shepherd.” [Jn 10: 11]

   5) “I AM the Resurrection and Life.” [Jn 11: 25]

   6) “I AM the Way, the Truth and the Life.” [Jn 14: 6]

   7) “I AM the True Vine.” [Jn 15: 1]

Moses says “I AM sent me to you”; and here is Jesus saying, “I AM with you…” Jesus is the Great ‘I AM’ – He is the God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God. The Great ‘I AM’ who sent Moses is now here with us; He is here among us.

   I AM the Good Shepherd. [Jn 10: 11]

On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, the Catholic Church celebrates ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’. The Sunday liturgy recalls and presents to us one of the most beautiful, endearing, consoling and comforting images of our Lord Jesus Christ since the earliest centuries of the Church: the Good Shepherd.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep.

   I AM the Gate of the sheepfold. [Jn 10: 7]

However, the lesser (or perhaps least) known ‘I AM’ of Jesus is “I AM the Gate of the sheepfold”. And interestingly, Jesus first declares Himself [Jn 10: 7] as the ‘Gate’, before continuing to declare Himself as the ‘Good Shepherd’ [Jn 10: 11].

Jesus is the Gate of the sheepfold.

   So what does “I AM the Gate of the sheepfold” really mean?

In ancient times, as the sun set and darkness loomed, the shepherd would lead his sheep into the sheepfold to protect them from thieves, brigands, dangers and predators. For security reasons, there was only one gate into the sheepfold. And the shepherd himself would lie down at the entrance. Anyone entering and leaving the sheepfold would have to go through the gate (the shepherd). As such, the shepherd acted as the human gate (or human shield) who protected the sheep from all harms, dangers and intruders.

   How is Jesus a Gate?

Words matter.

Notice that Jesus does not say “I AM the Gate Keeper” or “I AM the Door Opener”. He explicitly says that “I AM the Gate”. Jesus says that [Jn 10: 9], “I AM the Gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.”

Jesus is the Gate because He is the one and only Saviour of the world for ‘there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved’ [Act 4: 12].

Jesus is the Gate precisely because He is the one and only Mediator between God and man because ‘no one goes to the Father except through Him’ [cf. Jn 14: 6].

To live freely (from sin), fully and abundantly (in grace), it is not enough that Jesus opens the gate. To live freely (from sin), fully and abundantly (in grace), we must enter through and enter into Jesus.

   Enter through Jesus. Enter into Jesus.

Jesus is the one and only Gate.

Jesus is the Gate and the Good Shepherd. The sheep know Jesus. The sheep listen to Jesus’ voice. The sheep follow Jesus. Yes, there is a personal and profound relationship between Jesus and His sheep (His followers). Jesus knows each of us by name. In turn, we respond to His voice and do not follow the voice of strangers. These are the three characteristics the true disciples of Jesus: know… listen… and follow…

   The Lord is here with me. Do I recognise Him and welcome Him?

   The Lord calls me. Do I know His voice and listen to Him?

   The Lord walks ahead of me. Do I follow Him?

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has this to say [The CTS New Daily Missal 2012], “The flock’s attitude Christ, is presented by the Evangelist with two specific verbs: ‘to listen’ and ‘to follow’. These terms suggest fundamental characteristics of those who live out the following of the Lord. First of all, by listening to his word, from which faith is born and by which it is nurtured. Only those who are attentive to the Lord’s voice can assess in their own conscience the right decisions for acting in accordance with God. Thus the following of Jesus derives from listening: we act out our discipleships only after hearing and inwardly accepting the Master’s teachings in order to put them into practice every day.”

To enter through Jesus and enter into Jesus is a lifelong journey to cross the threshold, leaving behind and crossing the threshold from sin to grace, from slavery to freedom, and from darkness to light. Only through Him and in Him, can we live freely (from sin), fully and abundantly (in grace). Let us therefore know Jesus, listen to Him, and follow Him.

Let our fervent prayer be:

   “O Shepherd of my soul,

   stay with me that I may know You,

   call me that I may listen to You,

   and walk before me that I may follow You.”

Let us also pray that God’s justice, peace, truth and love may prevail in Ukraine, Sri Lanka and Nicaragua.