A Good Thing!

I came across a very familiar scripture verse this morning written in a different translation that really caught my fancy!  In John 10:9 Jesus told His audience that,

“I am the Gateway. To enter through me is to experience life, freedom, and satisfaction.”*

I like the way this translation brings out the full meaning to the original language in which this discussion of Jesus’ was written down by the Apostle John.  The much more familiar translation of this verse from the King James Version reads, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.” 

The word “find” denotes a continuous action on the part of the one who enters into the gateway of eternal life through Jesus Christ.  It means “to find a thing sought for, to find through enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny or by practice and experience.”  It also connotates the idea of “being present.” (Strong's/Thayer’s)  That tells me that Jesus wants us to be “present” in the now - with our attention of Him. 

A good example of this from my past, would be like my wife and I sitting on the couch watching a football game when she started telling me something special that she and the kids had done that day during homeschool… and me not hearing a thing because I was wrapped up in the pass reception that just happened during the game… and Piper would say, “Ah… hello!  Is anyone there?”

I know that this is something that was just common with me… but in this verse, Jesus is telling us about the rewards and benefits of staying “present” with Him.  I mean who knows… Piper and the kids might have made a fresh apple pie from scratch and she could have been offering me a piece… and I missed it!  (You might have guessed that I was thinking about her homemade apple pies last night!)

The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary also defines “Find” as “to devise something as feasible.”  In other words… when you are examining, practicing and experiencing the Gospel… you do so with the preconceived idea that whatever God says in His Word… is feasible in, for and through you unto others!

Besides the common definition of “pasture” in our verse denoting a place of “feeding or finding food” (Strong’s), the word also includes the provision of “growth and increase” and the ability “to not want the needful supplies for true life.” (Thayer’s)

Like I said before, I really like the way in which this translation brings out the fuller picture that Jesus was truly desiring to bring out to all of us who seek after Him!  Being a Christian… a follower of Christ… is meant to be a GOOD thing!  It is meant and designed to be an enjoyable and very beneficial part of our earthly existence!  In the next verse in Jesus’ discourse, He clearly tells us the source of the evil in this world… and then makes the startling comment… that many times seems to skip our attention… saying,

“But I have come to give you everything in abundance, more than you expect—life in its fullness until you overflow!” 

I mean to tell you… WOW!

Is that your experience of your Christian faith?  My hope is that today’s post would open up a whole new understanding to your faith and ignite a new preconceived idea in which you seek, study, experience and live your faith… both privately and in front of others!

Consider this a personal challenge that will enable you to live and experience life, freedom, and satisfaction in a new and better way… with the EXPECTATION of having:

“…life in its fullness until you overflow!” 

 

*The Passion Translation