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 good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Ponder the ways that Jesus is a shepherd. Look up descriptions of a shepherd on the internet. Search for videos on You Tube that show a shepherd and sheep. Ponder how Jesus is a “good” as a shepherd, as opposed to a hired hand.
Word
John 10:9-10
“I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture … I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”
Meditation: Already Inside by Jo Saleska Lange
As a little girl, I was obsessed with the movie The Secret Garden. We owned the 1987 Hallmark version on VHS, and I watched it so many times I could quote the entire film. I probably still can. If you’re unfamiliar with the story, The Secret Garden follows the recently orphaned Mary Lennox as she settles into her new home at a country estate in Yorkshire. Soon after her arrival, she learns of a secret garden on the estate, which has been locked up for years after a tragic accident. Mary spends the first part of the film searching for the key and the hidden door. When she finds them and at last enters the garden, she experiences a kind of rebirth: Her physical body grows stronger, her psychological wounds begin to heal, and she opens herself to relationships with others.
When I wasn’t watching The Secret Garden, I was play-acting it out in the woods behind my house—finding sticks shaped like old keys, forever searching for a secret door among the trees. I was enamored with the notion of my very own hidden garden: A place where I could retreat to find joy, peace, and friendship.
As I’ve reflected on John 10:1-10, I’ve realized that I’ve spent much of my life still searching for that illusive door—the one that, like the door to Mary’s secret garden, leads to a magical sort of restoration, a sense of perfect fulfilment and joy. I’ve searched for it within my career, my education, and my relationships.
As I read these verses, though, I’m reminded that, through Christ, I’m already inside the garden. “I am the door,” says Jesus. “If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture … I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (v. 9-10).
When we enter by the door of Christ Jesus, we are not only promised eternal life, but also an abundant life in the here and now. Christ offers us meaning and purpose within our vocations, fellowship with other believers, and eternal joy and peace through his presence.
What’s more, the door of Christ isn’t locked tight, and we don’t need to go searching for him. He is wide open before our eyes, waiting for us to walk through.
Dear Jesus, thank you for revealing yourself to us through your Word and for your promise of eternal joy, peace, and fellowship—the abundant life we’ve been searching for. Amen.
Prayer
Jesus, you said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” There are so many voices that lure me to danger. Tune my ears to hear your voice. Be good to me. Shepherd me away from trouble and toward green pastures. Amen.
Benediction
May the love of Jesus draw us to himself;
May the power of Jesus strengthen us in his service;
May the joy of Jesus fill our souls;
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon us always. Amen.