Picking up at verse 7 of Chapter 10, We continue our study of the Gospel of John. Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle wrote:
Therefore, 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. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly – to the full.” John 10: 7-10
Jesus is talking about life here. He is not talking about literal things being stolen, He is talking about LIFE being stolen by people like the Pharisees. A life lived under the yoke and bondage of the Law they had created, instead of a life lived abundantly in the Spirit of love, and joy, and peace, and patience, and kindness, and goodness, and self control. A life of grace, free of working for salvation and forgiveness of sins through sacrifices and laws of ‘can do this’, and cannot do that.’ The Pharisees had stolen the Law of Moses that was given to Him by the Lord God, and were killing and destroying the joy of the Lord with it through their additions and demands in it. Jesus said, “I will set them free from that. He said I AM the gate to that freedom. Whoever enters the sheepfold through Me will be saved.”
He said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly! John 10:10. In Me they will have freedom to come in and go out and find pasture not available to them before. To enjoy and live life to the full through Me as they begin to live abundantly in the presence and power and abundant fruit of the Holy Spirit.” He was promising them a life not available before. A life they had not been told about before.. A new way of life as they entered it through Him. It meant trusting Him. It still does.
When I first asked Christ into my life, I only knew about Him, I did not know Him. I had just been moved by the Holy Spirit that morning in Church to accept Him as my Savior. I had no plan to, but He did, and as He opened the door, the gate, I went in. My life was changed forever. However, I did not come to know Him as Lord of all that I am for some time; there were some things I, not wanting to, yet held on to. But He gave me grace, a gift of discernment of the Word, and I began to teach it with great excitement and enthusiasm – learning as I was teaching. I loved John 10:10. I loved talking about the abundant life in Christ, and the joy it brought. I was red hot for Christ – in Church every time the door opened. Teaching, Preaching, ‘Pastoring’. But it took me a good long while to come to fully understand what the Abundant Life is. It is not material – though it certainly can be in addition to what it is – it is not about how great of a Christian you are, though we want to show clearly that our faith is in Him . It is about being free to live in love, and the fullness of the fruit of the Spirit. Free of fear, and anxiety, and pride and ego, and lust, and greed, and love of power. Free to give All that we are to Him. That is when the Abundant Life comes. That is when the Lord Jesus can totally fill and bless us with His love, and power, and fruit of the Spirit to the point it is ours to abundantly live life to the full in, as it freely flows through us to bless and fill others.