The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. John 10:10 KJV
Jesus had running battles with the Jewish leaders of His time. He constantly challenged them on the principles and practices that they sought to enforce, whilst also teaching about the principles and practices of God's kingdom and rules. Jesus used parables to teach the crowd about these principles, and the verse above is one of such parables, teaching about the good shepherd and the alternative, who is referred to as the thief. The first thing I note about the identity of both the good shepherd and the thief is that both are known. The one cannot pretend to be the other; both of them have their pursuits and priorities clearly stated in the parable.
The parable refers to the one who enters into the sheepfold by any other way except by the door is the thief. Why is this important? To enter by the door is to be known to the owner of the house and the owner of the sheep. The One who owns the sheep loves them, and has provided safety and security for the sheep, and appointed a shepherd over them. It is to this shepherd, known to the porter, that the door is opened. This shepherd has spent time with the sheep, to the point where the sheep have come to recognise his voice. This shepherd is able to call each sheep by name, lead them out, find pasture for them, and also keep them safe from both natural weather elements and natural predators.
Of course, the thief does not even care to know anything about any sheep. The thief just needs quick satisfaction, so he does not mind killing the sheep to get something to eat. He does not care about the safety or well-being of the sheep because he has no investment in their welfare. He does not know the story behind any of the sheep, so he is not concerned if they perish or survive. The sheep know that the thief is a stranger, and they do not know the stranger, so they will not follow him. It has to be noted that the sheep is at the heart of the shepherd. The sheep is the one for whom the shepherd is willing to lay down his life.
Tell me - what could be the motivation for a man to face a lion or a bear, for the sake of protecting sheep? That is what Jesus did for us too: like sheep, we could not keep out of trouble, so Jesus came and took on the weight of sin, so we could be free to follow and serve Him with all our hearts. His love for us knows no boundaries; He still paid the full price, with no guarantees that we would accept His gift. That is what makes Him worth it; even in His Omniscience, knowing that some will reject Him to the end, He still offers us all access to life that does not end. He gives abundant life; the thief only seeks to take and destroy life. Now that you know the options, who would you choose to follow? God's time of favour is here.
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