It’s easy for Christians to fall into a rut: Church is a thing you do, prayer is a box to check, and faith seems far from “the real world.” This fall we let Jesus himself confront our ruts. “Do you believe this?” he asks (Jn. 11:26).
To believe in Jesus is to experience him. It’s more than logic, argument, and doctrine. It is intimate knowledge of God himself. This fall, let Jesus himself speak to you in his seven “I AM” statements in the gospel of John. How is he changing you? What response is he inspiring in you? To believe in him changes everything.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ponder
Today we ponder the I AM statement: “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” Think about your favorite door – your house, your church, a favorite old building, etc. Ponder all the things that doors do – protect, guard, welcome into a home . . . . How is Jesus a door for you?
Word
John 10:7
“‘Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.’”
Meditation: Safety in the Door by Julianna Schults
It came as a surprise to me that as I got older, I started to enjoy scary movies. October for me is filled with putting pieces together to find the killer. I don’t like gore, but instead thrill at the ratcheting suspense, the chase to see who will come out alive. So I am familiar with the stereotypical moment when the killer has found a way into the house. A window is suspiciously left open. The camera glimpses a shadow the main characters can’t see. Even though they check that the doors are locked, the audience knows the killer is in the house.
In John, Jesus calls himself “the door of the sheep.” He knows the sheep and protects them from those who would steal them away. And while a door might seem like an odd metaphor, you only need to watch a few scary movies to know a sturdy, well locked door is critical protection from the villains.
Jesus is the strong door that protects us from all who want to take us away from him. Jesus’ love is so deep and powerful that He was willing to take on all our sin and die on our behalf. He wants only the best for us. Salvation in Jesus means that no matter what happens in this life, we can be safe and secure knowing we have a powerful God who has overcome it all.
I wish we could say that because Jesus is the door, nothing can ever touch us. But just like in scary movies, the sin and brokenness in this world have created other ways to get to us. They have made us unsafe and unsure of our surroundings. We don’t have to look far for the things around us that steal, kill, and destroy. In this world, we are going to experience loss and even death.
But in Jesus, they don’t have the last word. We will have moments where it seems as though the bad guy will win, where the villain has crept in with no escape in sight. Even Jesus says our lives will not be perfect and safe as followers. Instead, Jesus tells his disciples that thieves and robbers try to enter by another way, but the one who enters from the door is the one who loves and protects the sheep.
We can find safety in the door, Jesus, alone. No enemy, fictional or otherwise, can steal us away from his love and protection. In him we can rest secure.
Jesus, thank you for the safety of your salvation. Help us always to remain confident in your presence and power, even when life is scary. In your name we pray, amen.
Prayer
Jesus, you said, “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” I often feel left outside, far from you. Bring me in. Welcome me into the home of your presence. Be my door, for you alone are my security. Amen.
Benediction
The Lord preserve us from all evil; the Lord preserve our souls. The Lord preserve our going out and our coming in, from this time forth, and even forevermore. Amen. (Ps. 121:7-8)