Janice Kreider spoke on one of the metaphors found in John 10:7-10, where Jesus says, “I am the gate”. Since the King James Version translates this as ‘door’, Janice began by talking about Hilda Hildebrand’s photographs of doors. Doors divide the world into that which is inside and outside. Although doors help to create safe inside areas for sheep, they must be opened if sheep are to go outside and graze. After his crucifixion, Jesus was not hindered by doors, for he miraculously appeared to his followers hiding behind locked doors, and on another occasion challenged his friends to leave the safety of their locked doors and go outside to spread the word. Janice pushed the metaphor further by suggesting that our desire to remain safely inside was illustrated by a story in John 9, in which the frightened parents of the healed blind man refused to say anything which would give religious leaders cause to expel them from the synagogue (be outside the safety of the synagogue’s theological doors). But this story possibly points out that dangers are not only outside but may also lurk inside, even behind closed theological doors. Jesus spoke both of thieves (those doing inside jobs) and robbers (those threatening danger outside). Some commentators suggest that in his mind the thieves possibly represented some of his contemporary religious authorities (in John 9, frightened parents of the healed blind man refuse to say anything which would give religious leaders cause to expel them from the synagogue) and the robbers possibly represented the charismatics, zealots or other outside leaders tempting people to stray from Christ’s true religion. Jesus carefully noted that his sheep did not follow the ‘voices’ of either of these types of false religious leaders, only his ‘voice’. In John’s rich literary gospel account, Jesus is not only the gate/door, the way, and the good shepherd, but also the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world. [JEK]

Passage: Jn 10: 7-10
Communion: No
Ecumenical or Event:
Potluck Lunch: No
Congregational Meeting: No

Speaker: Janice Kreider
Worship Leader: Angela Ekkert
Song Leader: J Evan Kreider
Pianist: Ruth Enns
Usher: Erna Friesen
Zoom Coordinator:
Children's Feature Leader:

Bring Flowers:
Coffee Helper:
Sound Helper:

Child Care Volunteer: Mark Greenstreet