“I assure you: Anyone who doesn’t enter the sheep pen by the door but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The doorkeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:1-3 HCSB
My daughter’s car was locked and parked in front of our house. Overnight someone broke in and stole several items that were in her car. She had a collection of over 50 CDs that were taken. When we called the insurance agent, he said that if the CDs had been inside the house (less than 50 feet away) they would have been covered by our policy, but since they were in the car they were not. Our daughter was never able to replace all of her CDs that were stolen.
Jesus used a metaphor to describe how one who entered the sheep pen by any way other than the door was a thief and a robber. The sheep in the pen represented those who followed Jesus. The Shepherd was Jesus and the Pharisees represented the thief and robber. A thief or robber has no concern for the sheep; his only motive is to take or destroy something that does not belong to him. The Pharisees wanted to destroy Jesus and His sheep.
Note that the shepherd calls his sheep by name. Jesus knows each follower by name. He has a personal relationship with all of His followers. He knows the pain, struggles, and celebrations in each of our lives.
Challenge: Thank Jesus for being a good Shepherd. He will protect you, guide you, and lead you where you need to go if you will only trust Him with your life and your goals. He knows what you are going through and wants only the best for you.