Beware of the Thief

For several days, the thought of the thief has been heavy on my heart. The passage in John tells us a little about the thief, he comes to steal, kill, and destroy. For years I have given all of this responsibility to the devil, and perhaps in a way it does apply, but that isn't what Yashua is speaking to in this passage, and I know the thoughts I have about the thief at this point reveal that there are more questions to be asked and answers to seek for them from this passage. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. We hear about why Yashua came, rarely if ever is the thief discussed, and the passage refers to the thief for a specific reason, a warning to His sheep to Beware of the Thief!

Jesus has spoken a parable to His disciples and the people who were following Him, a parable that has purpose and principles for daily application, the desired results for growth in a Christian's life of our Lord. Look at this verse, vs 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. Yashua speaks a parable to reveal to our understanding about thieves, and He compares the thief mentality and heart with His own heart and desire for His sheep, and the results are tremendously different as already seen! John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Therefore it is imperative to gain insight into the reason for the parable, and how to apply the truth in it to our daily living so that we may have that precious abundant life He so lovingly reveals is His desire for His sheep.

What does the thief steal, what does he kill or who does he kill, and what is destroyed? Let's look at the parable that Jesus spoke. John 10:1-5 ś Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. This is the parable that Jesus spoke, His words are revealing when we look at it closely. The obvious is what we miss in this parable. Look, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. Any attempt to enter the sheepfold from any point except the door, that person is a thief by his very actions. The thief is a person who attempts to make another way into the sheepfold, from behind, from the side, any way except through the door, the thief does not honor the door to the sheepfold nor the porter who is at the door.

Solomon wrote many of the Proverbs, and there's several that deal with arrogance and pride. Proverbs 16:18 Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. The thief is filled with pride, and the pride has blinded his judgment so much so that he attempts to make his own way into the sheepfold. According to this parable, there is only one way into the sheepfold that is acceptable, any other way except the door is wrong, and having the desire to go in one's own way makes that person a thief. Imagine what the person is saying, Yes, I see the door, but I can go in this way over the wall; besides who are you or anyone else to judge me for which way I choose to enter the sheepfold?" Now pay close attention to the comparison that Jesus uses for it is eye opening!

Yashua reveals Himself in the parable, but before we get into the Lord, let's look at the clear reference that He uses. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The first reference is the comparison of the thief with the shepherd: the thief attempts entry his way, the shepherd enters through the door. This statement shows the direct issue at hand and the main reason for the parable, the shpeherd knows and loves the sheep, but the thief, the one who makes his own way into the sheepfold, the thief doesn't care for anything but himself, what is in it for himself, even perhaps for his friends who are by nature thieves and robbers. Sheep may be followers of the shepherd, they may be stupid in their ways as pure and innocent sheep, but one thing that is clear and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. The sheep follow the shepherd, they know the voice of the shepherd, they go in and out of the protective sheepfold into the pastures for grazing, but vs 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. Sheep will follow the shepherd, and they will flee from the thief. This actually goes both ways, to be a genuine sheep, not a wolf in sheep's clothing, one follows the shepherd, and at the same time flees from the thief. This should be automatic, it should be well taught, it should be instinctive for his own protection, the sheep should run as much as the thief must steal, kill, and destroy. Sheep know the shepherd's voice, and they run from danger, from strange voices, they flee the stranger for one important reason , he is not the shepherd! Consider this point, if we, as sheep of Yashua, ran from all that we knew was not Him, how much hurt and heartache would we avoid in our lives? Perhaps we have just stumbled on to a very important piece of information, a principle that when enacted in our lives is part of the shepherd's protection.

We are coming closer to answering some important questions about the purpose and application of this parable. Notice that the thief is a fake, a sham, a primitive and bad imitation of a leader of a shepherd. Sheep know the shepherd, they flee from the fake shepherd, the "wannabe" shepherd. Let's look at Yashua's defining of some more details for us. vss 7-9 Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture. Jesus is the door to the sheepfold, so not only is He the shepherd, He is the Way into the sheepfold. One can not be a sheep unless they come through Him which answers a question recorded lated in John when Yashua was answering about the way to the Father. He said, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father except by Me." This gives us a clearer understanding of the sheepfold, it is a right relationship with the Father, and Yashua haMashiach is the door to the Father, any other way to the Father is a false way and those false leaders who would attempt to go to the Father any other way then through Yashua, they are thieves. A person who teaches another path to God they are a thief, and therein lies some more answers to questions we have asked earlier. One can not get into the presence of the Father by Islam or Mormonism or Satanism or Wicca or any false denomination or pretender of Christianity. The famous saying, "All paths lead to God," is a false doctrine, a false teaching and according this parable we would flee from anyone proposing such hogwash.

Therefore we can makes some simple statements of truth from this parable:

Now we have further answers at this point. The thief steals the truth of God's plan, His Way into a right relationship with the Father. Then the result of that loss will be the death of a spiritual relationship with the Father. Therefore what is destroyed is eternal life for the individual person. this is why Yashua said vs 10, "10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

It now becomes obvious that the purpose of Yashua for this parable was to warn the disciples of thieves who would teach another way into Christianity, another way to the Father, those who teach outright false doctrine. You see, where we go to pasture for grazing (where we receive the Word of God), who we listen to for direction and guidance (leadership), those we allow to protect us (in this case expose us), these issues are of grave concern for Yashua, and this is why He told this parable, because of the false doctrine the people have heard and those who propose themselves to be from the Father, and lead the sheep blindly into the ditch. John 9:39-41 ś And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind. And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth. After the ordeal of the blind man from burth and his healing and resulting expulsion from the synagogue, Jesus tells this to him, and He is overheard bysome very angry Pharisees who test Him again.

The principle issue of the parable is the Pharisees had placed together a belief system that they did evil, and yet they were calling themselves righteous and a son of Abraham and the Lord, yet the evil nulled any possible relationship because their doctrines from their belief system were carefully drafted so that they could judge, and not be accountable, they could be called teacher, and not be responsible to the Lord nor teach with authority. Their belief system is much like most today who want to live their lives the way that they desire, and yet believe they are okay with the Lord because All paths lead to God. These people of today are no different than the Pharisees who wanted their own little kingdoms, they wanted their cake and to eat it also. Jesus reveals the sin of the Pharisees because they declared that they see, they know God's Word and have twisted the truth to support their belief system, therefore Jesus said, therefore your sin remaineth. James states it this way. James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. The truth is that the Father remains righteous, and when one of His creation sins, His Spirit convicts them of that sin, they know it is sin, and the Spirit tells them to repent and let Yashua's blood wash them clean.

Let me close with this verse again. John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. Jesus is the Way into the sheepfold, He is the Good Shepherd, and He protects and loves His sheep laying His life down for them in order that they might have eternal life with Him. We hear about why Yashua came, rarely if ever is the thief discussed, and the passage refers to the thief for a specific reason, a warning to His sheep to Beware of the Thief! Therefore, Beware of the Thief