"Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly" (John 10:7-10).
This Bible passage may seem "exclusive" — but it is actually anything but, a Massachusetts-based theologian told Fox News Digital.
"In today’s world, many may reject the teachings of this passage because they sound too exclusive. Jesus claims to be the gate," said Dr. James Spencer, president of the D. L. Moody Center, told Fox News Digital. "Entering through the gate that is Jesus is the only way to receive salvation and abundant life."
The D. L. Moody Center is an independent nonprofit organization in Northfield, Massachusetts, inspired by the life and ministry of evangelist Dwight Moody, its website notes.
"Those who were once blind will see and those who can see will become blind," said Spencer further. "The Pharisees are guilty because they claim to 'see.'"
In the context of the verse, "claiming to see" refers to the Pharisees' presumption, Spencer explained.
"They believe that their knowledge and position place them above reproach. They are untouchable and their pronouncements are effectively divine," he said.
The Pharisees are the ones who claim to know "who is in and who is out," said Spencer.
"While their criteria for doing so may be arbitrary, they are the gatekeepers. They decide who may enter into and remain within the desolate pasture their leadership provides," he also told Fox News Digital about these verses from Holy Scripture.
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"It is within the near context of Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees after healing the blind man and the broader context of Israel’s history that Jesus claims to be ‘the gate of the sheep,’" he said.
And while the "gate" imagery draws comparisons to shepherding, there is another reason why Jesus used that term, said Spencer.
"By identifying himself as the gate, Jesus denies the legitimacy of the Pharisees and undercuts their authority," he said.
"The self-serving gatekeepers are shown to be false because the way of salvation is no longer a matter of remaining in the good graces of the religious elite, but of entering God’s kingdom through Jesus," he added.
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In the Gospel of John, "Jesus is shown to be the final locus of Moses’ request for a shepherd to guide the people of the Lord," said Spencer, and is "the one through whom God's people will come in and out."
He went on, "His presence ushers in a time when those who believe will be like sheep with a shepherd."
Unlike a thief, who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy," Jesus Christ "brings life that exceeds all expectations," said Spencer.
In today's world, often there are "leaders who are more interested in serving themselves than serving those they lead," explained Spencer.
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"While those who look after themselves while neglecting those under their care is bad enough, we also deal with the terrible simplifiers whose emotive soundbites and empty rhetoric are designed to garner support rather than solve problems."
Yet this verse is not simply about the need for good leaders, said Spencer.
"It is about recognizing Jesus as the gate."
"If thieves and robbers beckon us toward ‘greener pastures’ accessible by a gate other than Christ, we must be wise enough not to listen," he said.
"The Pharisees are corrupt shepherds because they hinder their flock from recognizing Jesus as the gate. What we need today are leaders prepared to guide us to the 'gate of the sheep.'"
Rather than be exclusive, Spencer said that Jesus was being "radically inclusive."
He added, "No one is excluded from the gospel message."
"No one who enters through Jesus will remain the same," Spencer also told Fox News Digital.
"Everyone that is saved is not only delivered from sin and death but to a way of life guided by God’s word rather than restrained by human wit and wisdom."
"Jesus’ claim is exclusive because he leaves no room for another gate," said Spencer.
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"Still, he does not deny anyone entry so long as they are prepared to enter through him and follow their shepherd as he leads them in and out of the lush pastures only he can provide."
