'… By Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and
out, and find pasture.'—JOHN x. 9.
One does not know whether the width or the depth of this marvellous
promise is the more noteworthy. Jesus Christ presents Himself before
the whole race of man, and declares Himself able to deal with the needs
of every individual in the tremendous whole. 'If _any man_'—no matter
who, where, when.
For all noble and happy life there are at least three things needed:
security, sustenance, and a field for the exercise of activity. To
provide these is the end of all human society and government. Jesus
Christ here says that He can give all these to every one.
The imagery of the sheep and the fold is still, of course, in His mind,
and colours the form of the representation. But the substance is the
declaration that, to any and every soul, no matter how ringed about
with danger, no matter how hampered and hindered in work, no matter how
barren of all supply earth may be, He will give these, the primal
requisites of life. 'He shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and
find pasture.'
Now I only wish to deal with these three aspects of the blessedness of
a true Christian life which our Lord holds forth here as accessible to
us all: security, the unhindered exercise of activity, and sustenance
or provision.