Jesus Is the Only Way – May 6, 2023

Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.”
John 10:7-9

Jesus Is the Only Way

There is a temptation to see people as thieves and robbers see people–as a means of getting something for themselves. That is how the devil and the world see people and how your own sinful flesh would have you see people.

That is not how Jesus, the gate, would have you see people. Jesus would have you see people as the focus of his love. He would have you see people as recipients of kindness and compassion. He would have you see people as sheep in need of a shepherd. And Jesus would have you see him as the only way for them to have a relationship with God and eternal life in heaven.

There is a temptation to live as the devil and world want you to live–to go your own way and do your own thing, to find pleasure and satisfaction in the things of this world apart from God, to flaunt your self-reliance and independence from God. That is how the devil and the world want you to live, and your sinful flesh loves to play along.

That is not how Jesus, the gate, wants you to live. Jesus wants you to listen to his voice and trust him. He wants you to come to the Father through him and to find spiritual nourishment and strength in his word. And Jesus wants you to know that he is the only way to have a relationship with God and eternal life in heaven.

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, forgive me for the times I have seen others as thieves and robbers see them. In the peace of forgiveness, let me be a channel of the goodness and grace that can only be found in you. May I always listen to your voice and follow you, living in true goodness and grace, now and forever. Amen.