Episode 330 SPECIAL EPISODE The Gate and the Good Shepherd (John 10:1-18)

On this special Ash Wednesday episode we’re discussing the image of Jesus as both the shepherd and the gate in John 10:1-18. We talk about what it means to be gathered into the sheep pen and why, according to this text, you can’t simply stay there. Somebody is going to lead you back out into a dangerous world—what matters is who you follow. We think about Jesus as the gate, who keeps out the thieves and outlaws and lets only the good shepherd in. And we think about Jesus as the good shepherd, who knows our names and is willing to lay down his life to keep us safe. And, on this Ash Wednesday, we ask what it means for us to be people of faith willing to go forth into a dangerous world, leaving the safe confines of our spiritual enclaves to bring abundant life to the world.