I AM THE GATE - JOHN 10:1-10

GOSPEL READING: John 10:1-10
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

NOTES ON GOSPEL READING: Jesus says he is a piece of architecture (think of the capstone, the Temple), by identifying with the GATE. He invites listeners to discern between spiritual claims and competing authorities; Jesus claims unique, exclusive access to salvation, as the GATE, to spiritual safety, yet promises freedom, i.e., "come in and go out, and find pasture," whereas spiritual leaders/authorities who avoid Jesus, the GATE, and attempt to scramble into the fold some other way, try to lead, steal, harm, exploit sheep with malicious intent. What does it mean to enter "through" the gate? Jesus refers to those who "came before," imposters; who are the false shepherds, the thieves, of our time? Though we're likened to sheep, we are invited to choose a shepherd wisely - sheep with a conscience, free will; do we stray?

IDEAS FOR THE YOUNG: Jesus as the Gate seems kind of abstract for kids; but one actual, real life gate kids might relate to is a toll; imagine a game in which there is a toll collector, or a gatekeeper, and everyone else is trying to get through; the gatekeeper could make up all kinds of rules, tolls, taxes, fees, etc., which the travelers must pay; let the kids rotate through the roles, acting out the demanding toll keeper and the frustrating travelers. AFter the kids have fun getting into the gatekeeper and frustrated outsider roles, explain how Jesus is a special kind of "gate" or "gatekeeper," in terms of "opening the Way" for us to be close to God again, as God first intended for us to be; help the kids imagine what it would be like to come to worship one day and have scary greeters at the door who wouldn't let them in to worship; might we feel afraid of entering into God's presence, here or after this life, because we haven't been exactly God-like? This is the unique way Jesus is a gate, and the only gate: he has paid any fees, taxes, requirements, for us; all other "gates" or "gatekeepers" in life demand some other kind of tax, fee, price, etc. Do people always accept us into their fold, unconditionally, even after we've let them down, or are perceived to not be good enough? Ask the kids if they've ever been left out. Is God like that? Explain how the religious leaders of Jesus' day, and even in our own day in some places, try to use a different kind of gate, with different requirements, to keep people out of their "temples".