Jesus as Shepherd and Gate

From an exposition on John by Saint Thomas Aquinas, priest

(Cap. 10, lect 3)

The remnant of Israel shall be led to pasture. They shall lie down to rest

I am the Good Shepherd. Surely it is fitting that Christ should be a shepherd, for just as a flock is guided and fed by a shepherd so the faithful are fed by Christ with spiritual food and with his own body and blood. The Apostle said: You were once like sheep without a shepherd, but now you have returned to the guardian and ruler of your souls. The prophet has said: As a shepherd he pastures his flock.

Christ said that the shepherd enters through the gate and that he is himself the gate as well as the shepherd. Then it is necessary that he enter through himself. By so doing, he reveals himself, and through himself he knows the Father. But we enter through him because through him we find happiness.

Take heed: no one else is the gate but Christ. Others reflect his light, but no one else is the true light. John the Baptist was not the light, but he bore witness to the light. It is said of Christ, however: He was the true light that enlightens every man. For this reason no one says that he is the gate; this title is Christ’s own. However, he has made others shepherds and given that office to his members; for Peter was a shepherd, and so were the other apostles and all good bishops after them. Scripture says: I shall give you shepherds according to my own heart.Although the bishops of the Church, who are her sons, are all shepherds, nevertheless Christ refers only to one person in saying: I am the Good Shepherd, because he wants to emphasize the virtue of charity. Thus, no one can be a good shepherd unless he is one with Christ in charity. Through this we become members of the true shepherd.

The duty of a good shepherd is charity; therefore Christ said: The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep. Know the difference between a good and a bad shepherd: the good shepherd cares for the welfare of his flock, but the bad shepherd cares only for his own welfare.

The Good Shepherd does not demand that shepherds lay down their lives for a real flock of sheep. But every spiritual shepherd must endure the loss of his bodily life for the salvation of the flock, since the spiritual good of the flock is more important than the bodily life of the shepherd, when danger threatens the salvation of the flock. This is why the Lord says: The good shepherd lays down his life, that is, his physical life, for his sheep; this he does because of his authority and love. Both, in fact, are required: that they should be ruled by him, and that he should love them. The first without the second is not enough.

Christ stands out for us as the example of this teaching: If Christ laid down his life for us, so we also ought to lay down our lives for our brothers

Commentary on the Commentary

What does Aquinas mean when he says, he enters through himself? Aquinas is expounding on the roles Jesus is fulfilling as the good shepherd and the gate of heaven. The shepherd is the role of protector and caregiver; as Jesus defends us from the legions of Satan, while also caring for our individual needs. What of the role of gate? I see a three fold significance in Jesus as gate. First, we must consider what is the operation of a gate, or what is a gate in its essence. A gate allows what is desired in, and keeps what is undesirable out; or it allows the good in while keeping the bad out. In here lies the first mystery. Jesus himself attests that only God is good when he is asked, ‘good teacher what must I do to inherit eternal life?’ Jesus answered him, ‘why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.’ (Luke 18: 18-19)

Thus, the first way we enter through the gate of Jesus is to live as he lived. If we wish to have eternal life, we must take on his heart as our own heart; his life as our own life. This is why we must both be hearers of the word, and doers. This is why the Apostle says, Or are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raise from the dead by the glory of the father, we two might live in newness of life. For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.(Romans 6: 3-5) And so, by taking on the life of Christ, we become like Christ who is God, who is the only good; and by becoming good, through the life of Christ, we are able to enter into heaven. Thus Jesus functions as gate, because we must pass through his life to become good, and so enter into heaven.

This leads to our second mystery, as is hinted in Paul’s letter to the Romans. What was the primary purpose and mission of Christ? To do the Father’s will is the first principle of Jesus’ incarnation, and the Father’s will is the redemption of mankind. So we see a distinguish mark of the life of Christ is obedience. Thus, if we are to live a life of Christ, we too, must be obedient and obedience leads to the sacraments. We have already noted the necessity of baptism through Paul. Jesus gives the apostles the authority to administer the sacraments, but in particular, Jesus commands us to partake of the Eucharist and communion with the church set on Peter, Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day. For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” (John 6: 43-60). But why is it that drinking the blood of Christ and eating his body gives life? since the life of all flesh is its blood I have told the Israelites: You shall not consume the blood of any flesh. Since the life of all flesh is its blood, anyone who consumes it shall be cut off.(Leviticus 17: 14). In the Mosaic law we are given a rule with a stipulation. Do not consume the blood of any flesh because it contains the life of that flesh. This is said because if the Israelites were to consume a life that perishes they too would perish. But what is to happen to one who consumes the blood of God? He will take on that life which is imperishable. This is the way we come to have eternal life within us. Thus, Jesus is the gates in this second way, that only through him do we have certainty of life. It is only through the consumption of his flesh and blood that we have eternal life; for by consuming his flesh and blood we inherit his life. And so in the second way, we both physically and spiritually enter through Jesus through the sacraments in the church, but this leads to our third mystery.

Through the sacraments, and by living in the life of Christ, we Christians become living members of Christ Jesus. This is why the apostle says, “For this reason a man shall leave [his] father and [his] mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This is a great mystery, but I speak in reference to Christ and the church. (Ephesians 5:31-32). If we become one flesh with Christ, then the words in 2 Timothy 2: 11-13 are true, This saying is trustworthy: If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him. But if we deny him he will deny us. If we are unfaithful he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. So in our judgment, Christ will not deny us so long as we do not deny him. This is because we are in reality apart of Jesus and he cannot deny himself. This is the third way we enter through Christ the gate; by becoming one flesh with him. As living members of Christ, at our judgment he will not be able to deny himself, and we shall inherit heaven. These are the three ways to eternal life through the gate of Jesus. Through taking on his life, through communion with the church and participation in the sacraments, and through becoming a member of the body of Christ by the marriage banquet of the Eucharist. Truly Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life of every Christian.