“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” John 10:9a (ESV)
“God saw in the cross of His Son the only door by which he could enter to give blessing to sinners.” G.V. Wigram
- It’s springtime! Open your windows to allow some fresh air in, even if it is still chilly outside. Today we are talking about doors! Did you know Jesus calls Himself a door?
- Try to find a place today for your quiet time where you won’t be distracted. Wonderful truths will be revealed to you today as we read John 10:1-18.
- Remember to call your prayer partner. There is something so sweet about praying with a friend.
Do you have fond memories of photos or pictures that you saw hanging on your parent’s walls growing up? My mom had pictures of Jesus around our home, the ones where Jesus is knocking on the door and Jesus is holding the lamb on His shoulders. My mom even had the one where Jesus sat with children on His lap. I remember dusting around them and thinking such warm thoughts of Jesus being kind, gracious, and loving. This is how I viewed my Savior and how I still do. This is what is planted in my mind. According to A.W. Tozer, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
John paints a beautiful picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. I love this parallel! I can understand more of His character by learning the role of a true shepherd. We don’t see shepherds in North America, but in other parts of the world being a shepherd remains a real and necessary occupation. Shepherds traverse the land with their sheep. They protect them and make sure they eat and are well-fed. Shepherds watch over the sheep day and night so they are not snatched and devoured by other animals. They sit at the door to the pen to protect them from outsiders. Shepherds even use their rods to rub the sheep’s woolly fur to remove bugs and twigs and use oil to anoint the sheep’s heads to keep flies from irritating their ears and noses. How lifegiving and compassionate is that?!
Quite frankly, we are like sheep. We need a shepherd to look after us and lead us in the way to go. According to Isaiah 53:6, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Mama, we need Jesus! As the Good Shepherd, Jesus willingly laid down His life for the sheep (you & me) (John 10:11). At Passover, we are reminded of the Old Testament Jews who sacrificed pure lambs and washed the blood over their doorposts so the death angel would “pass over” their homes (Exodus 12:13). This biblical history is profound in that God fulfilled the law by sending His son Jesus as the perfect lamb, to be our sin offering for all of time. We can now open the door to receive Him and experience eternity with Him!
We must go through the one door of Jesus to be saved from our sin (John 10:9). John 14:6 confirms this when Jesus says, “No one comes to the Father except through me.” Sister, God cares about you; He is gentle, He will feed and nourish you. He will hold you, hug you, forgive you, and comfort you. He knows YOU, He looks out for you, He fights for you, He stays near you, He will never leave you… He died for you! He wants to “shepherd” your soul.
Blessings,
Rae-Ellen
Questions to Ponder
- Do you feel far from God? Have you been walking your own path? Do you know of a friend or family member that has wandered away? Scripture reminds us that Jesus will go the extra mile to make sure He doesn’t lose one sheep from His flock.
What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. (Matthew 18:12-14)
- Ask the Lord to reveal any rebellion in your own heart or the hearts of your children, and then repent. Jesus wants to pursue you and welcome you back into the fold.
Faith-Filled Ideas
I have always known that the picture of Jesus knocking on the door represented him knocking on my heart. If you haven’t seen the pictures I have mentioned, look up Warner Sallman Art Scenes of Christ online. My mom still has these pictures displayed in her home; they are ageless!
Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door I will come and eat with that person, and they with me. (Revelation 3:20)
This Passover/Easter is the perfect time to accept Jesus’ invitation to open the door of your heart and let Him come into every part of your life.
In her lifetime, she traveled the world exercising gifts of hospitality and a passion for missions. She now lives in the beautiful state of Colorado with her beloved husband Brian & busy crew.
She loves to be creative with cooking and meets friends for coffee. Rae-Ellen says,"My sweetest coffee dates are with Jesus!"
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