“So Jesus again said to them, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.'” (John 10:7-9)
It may surprise many of us to learn that there are over now 8 billion people living on earth, a figure which was reached in November, 2022. About one quarter of these profess to be Christians. Whether or not this is so, since only the Lord knows for sure who are His, the majority of people alive today do not profess faith in Jesus. Billions are sheep without a shepherd, seeking fulfillment in pagan religions, narcissism, sensuality, and esoteric spiritual beliefs. All of these are fodder for Satan and his wolves who are intent on dragging them off to join with them in an eternity of hell.
Although our world does not like us to say this, the only way to enter the Kingdom of heaven is through Jesus. Jesus, here speaking in metaphorical language, calls Himself the good shepherd. The truth He expresses with this metaphor, is that He is the only way to the Kingdom of Heaven. He is the gate, the entrance to the sheepfold. Only those sheep that belong to Him get in to the sheepfold of heaven for the shepherd acts as the door. He knows which belong in His fold. All those that do recognize His voice, that is, know and believe in Him, only they get in. And as a shepherd, His sheep trust Him and depend on Him for everything.
In these past years of pandemic and political crisis, this uniqueness of Christ seems to have been shoved aside. Unfortunately many of the Lord’s sheep are being led astray by message preached by false Christians and heretical churches as well as the media talking-heads, celebrities, politicians, and internet gurus who want us all to think that we are all one big brotherhood of human beings.
We all like to think that we are united on this planet for we are all human beings. But unity does not exist no matter how people may proclaim or advocate for it. It really is everyone for him or herself.Even if we all salute the same flag, live in the same communities, suffer the same fears, and shop at the same stores, only those who have faith in Jesus are truly united. They are in the sheepfold with the good shepherd. Those who worship other gods or no god or self or some politically correct false Christ are somewhere else, trusting in someone or something that will only leave them in the dark bondage of sin. The good news is that the Lord works in these times of tribulation to call these unto Himself. And He uses us, His Church to bring that message of unity and faith