Session 12 John 10:7-14,25-30
Call for a volunteer to read aloud John 10:7-10,
as the group listens for how Jesus described His purpose.
7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and rob-bers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them.
9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.
10 A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abun-dance.
Display the pictures you have printed ahead of time
that show an ancient sheepfold with an opening for the shepherd to guard.
Share that Jesus is the gate,
while believers are the sheep and
false religious leaders are the thieves and robbers.
Guide the group to consider the actions of the sheep.
Help them see that the sheep (believers)
ignore the voices of thieves and robbers.
Emphasize how believers choose to follow Jesus’s voice,
rejecting false teachers.
Draw attention to verse 9 and Jesus’s description of the sheep’s freedom.
Frame abundant life as primarily eternal, not just earthly.
Note that Jesus was not focusing on health or wealth.
Share that the benefits of an abundant life here on earth are more about
purpose, peace, and contentment.
So, Jesus serves as the Gate,
protecting His sheep, those who follow His voice.
But shepherds in the first century did more than just guard the sheep pen.
Sometimes, they had to make sacrifices for the flock.
The next set of verses make it clear that Jesus was more than willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for His sheep.