The Gate

Spend a few moments in silence before God preparing your heart to hear from Him.

“Open for me the gates of the righteous; I will enter and give thanks to the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice and be glad. Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. From the house of the Lord we bless you.”

- Psalm 118:19-26

Why might it be important to enter a space through the proper gate?  

Pray: Psalm 118 talks about the gate through which the righteous may enter the presence of God and experience His salvation. Jesus is the stone the builders rejected, who was crucified for us, so we might have eternal life in Him. Spend a few moments thanking God for His sending His Son, Jesus, to show you the way into His good presence.

“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”

– Psalm 100

Read: John 10:1-10

Listen: Check out the following video for further study.

What does this passage teach you about Jesus? Have you tried to get salvation your own way, or have you trusted in Jesus alone? 

Just before Jesus declared He was the gate for the sheep, He healed a man born blind. The Pharisees, in their attempt to figure out how a man blind from birth was now able to see, struggled to believe in Jesus. They struggled to see who Jesus truly was. In a sense, they were spiritually blind, even though they claimed to know the ways of God and to be able to see clearly. Jesus tells them that they can only enter into His salvation through believing in Him. They cannot get salvation any other way. Salvation is a gift only God can give. We cannot take it for ourselves. Those who come to Jesus and believe in Him are offered a full, abundant life. They are offered protection from Jesus as the Gate. When we enter salvation through Jesus, we become His sheep, able to hear His voice and recognize his call. We are fed and provided for by listening to Him and doing his will. Remember, we do the will of God by loving Him and others well. One way we can love others is by opening our hearts to them. When we welcome people into our lives by offering them genuine friendship we open up opportunities for us to show them the way to Jesus. We can show others the Gate of salvation by opening the gate of our lives to them.

What needs to change in your life as a result of hearing this message about Jesus? 

Pray: Use the following passage of Scripture as a guide for a closing prayer to your time spent with God today.

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” – Ephesians 5:1-2