Day 10, John 10

Guest Blogger: Dave Wilks

Throughout the last few chapters, Jesus has been openly revealing his identity in sometimes rather cryptic ways. Some of his listeners were able to understand; some were not. Some could understand, but chose not to believe, clinging instead to their own performance-based system of self-salvation that denies the true nature of God and man.

Here, Jesus provides perhaps the clearest metaphor yet of who he is and what he has been sent to do. It was an easy metphor to understand for those living in an agrarian culture and it is still easy for us to understand today. But those who heard Jesus' words were divided: some were willing to accept that the law and the prophets pointed only to Jesus as the sole means to gain salvation. Others chose to accuse Jesus of madness and demon-possession.

How do we react to the passage today? Are we overjoyed that our creator is a longsuffering God who bestows infinite and unmerited grace upon anyone willing to acknowledge his sovereignty? Are we endlessly grateful that we have been granted salvation and an eternal place in God's house, because of Jesus' infinite sacrifice made on our behalf? Do we allow that gratitude to transform us and re-order our lives?

Or do we find this passage offensive and intolerant, because it teaches that Christ is the only way? Might we get along better with others if we say that Christ is just one of many good ways?
It is easy to fall into that post-modern trap of placing all philosophies and teachings on equal footing. There is, however, no room in the truth for any untruth. No room in the light for darkness. No place in heaven for even a drop of hell. Either we accept who Jesus is and become transformed by the beauty and majesty of the gospel or we should simply reject him as a demon-possessed madman. There is, thankfully, no in-between.

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