“Who do people say
the Son of Man is?” Mathew 16:13
The question, “Who
do we say Jesus is to us?” was posed during home church (one of the questions
from the study notes which are available at www.themeetinghouse.com .
Simon Peter’s
response was, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” V.16
My response was a
bit different but that’s okay. Jesus is many things. He identifies himself as
many things. Among the long list are bridegroom, brother, Son, shepherd, teacher,
friend, Savior, and yes, the Messiah.
I have slowly come to
realize my greatest connection with Jesus is through the idea He is the “gate
for the sheep.” John 10:7
For a long time I have struggled with embracing my Lord under most of the other identifiers,
especially those that are seem more relational such as him being my Bridegroom.
That may change, but I realized on Wednesday night, it isn’t as big an issue as
I thought. You see, I was comparing how I viewed my relationship with Jesus
with how others do and judging my viewpoint as inadequate, “un-Christian”.
But that’s the
wonderful thing about Jesus. He is many things so we can meet Him where we are
at.
So what does this
gateway look like for me?
I have a greater
connection with my Abba Father because of Jesus, because of my deep gratitude
for all He did so this is possible.
And I can relate to Jesus as a gatekeeper on so many levels because I was a shepherd who opened gates for my sheep to head out to pasture. There were different gates for different
seasons because it was necessary to allow the grass to mature in order to
sustain the flock throughout the summer months. The spring pasture would then be
closed off until it was long enough to allow the flock to return.
I learned very
quickly to step aside once the gate was opened, my purpose fulfilled. Although,
it was an ideal time to inspect the sheep for any sign of illness or lameness as
they raced past, eager for the grass after being locked in the barn overnight
to protect them from predators.
My sheep would race
back to the barn when I called them in for the night, no matter where they were
on the 100 acre property. A bit of sweet grain served as a reward.
So I have realized I
have leaned on Jesus as my Shepherd since I became a follower. It is
relational. It has its foundation in trust. I have slept at His feet when the
nights were long. I have called to Him in times of distress. I have trusted Him
to lead me to green pastures.
I have also come to understand who Jesus is by investigating who He is according to the other identifiers He uses. They simply don't put the joy and fire in my heart for Him as much as knowing He is my Shepherd.
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