John 10: 7-13

"Jesus said again, '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. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

'I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. The wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep."

3 Points to Ponder

1. In the sheep pen, the shepherd functions as the gate, letting the sheep in and protecting them. Jesus is the gate to God's salvation for us. There is only one way in, through Jesus!

2. The thief takes life away, Jesus gives life.

3. The hired hand tends the sheep for a job, probably for money. In contrast the shepherd does it because his is commited and genuinely loves his sheep, even to the point of sacrificing his own life.