Access to Safety

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.” - John 10:27-28 
 
Perhaps in John 10, the main function of the door through which the sheep came was to provide protection and security from the enemy’s attack. In an insecure world, sheep needed a place of sanctuary and a place of safety where they could find refuge from threats and assaults of the enemy. 
In an evil world, we too need to know that in Christ we have found a sanctuary in a world filled with fear and instability. One of the reasons the shepherd sat at the entrance of the door was to keep watch over the sheep and to prohibit predators from gaining access to His flock. The only way a predator could get inside was to pass by the shepherd.  

Jesus is presenting Himself as the one who guards and protects us as His sheep. Sheep are perhaps the most helpless of all domesticated animals. Sheep are not only vulnerable and defenseless, but they are attractive hosts for predators, pests and parasites. Their wool is a desirable place for leeches to come and suck their blood.  

And so, the shepherd must ensure that the sheep are kept clean and that they are well-groomed so that bloodsuckers don’t sap them of their life. The shepherd must also protect them from predators such as coyotes, wolves, and bears. So the shepherd provides a place where the sheep can find safety and security from anything or anyone that would try to rob them of the peace, comfort, and tranquility they should have.
 
There is a reason that Jesus calls us His sheep. Because like sheep without a shepherd, we are hopeless. We cannot protect ourselves or survive without our Shepherd. But that is exactly why we have Jesus. When you are His sheep, you not only have access to solutions, but you have access to safety through Jesus Christ!