To Build a Wall or Not to Build a Wall?
What would Jesus Do?
To answer the question, “what would Jesus do,” concerning a wall, we would first need to have the mind of Jesus as the scriptures say.
We can look around the world and among other nations and see who are the people who are governed by rules and regulations. Some nations are more civil than others and have laws to protect its citizens. Can you imagine anyone entering a nation and expecting to bring with them their own beliefs, rules, laws and banners along with their own way of worshiping God? These people don’t want to assimilate with the people of the nation but want to change the sovereignty of that nation. That is what has been happening in many nations. The result of this practice takes away many of the freedoms enjoyed by its citizens, with more walls, doors,gates and locks for protection. If we are to look to Jesus Christ as an example, we would find that God’s way is not open borders. People should enter a nation legally upon request.
John 6:44, “No man can come to me , except the Father Which hath sent Me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”
God’s drawing is the same as an invitation. God would like to draw everyone but He realizes that most invaders of a nation have their own agenda. So we see over the years those entering the USA have a different purpose than to assimilate with the people of that nation. Their purpose is to gain something for themselves, not to build up the nation. And we read:
Matthew 7:13, ” Enter ye in through the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14, because straight is the gate and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
Does that sound like climbing walls or crashing gates,? of course not! The Kingdom of God is a nation the same as any another nation. Scriptures are the mind of God through His Son and finally to us who are believers.
Jesus, having His disciples feed the five thousand, is a Man of order:
Mark 6:39, And He commanded all to sit down by companies upon the green grass. 40, And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and fifties.
The Bible is the only known reference which speaks of Jesus and His Divine Revelations and teachings, for we read:
John 5:22, For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgment unto the Son.
We have on our money and coins, ” In God we trust”. If we are to put our trust in God, then we should do things the way God does things. We can’t rule ourselves by a different standard than the standard we read about in the scriptures.
The question then becomes, who is this Son called Jesus? The Bible gives us the answer.
Revelation 19:11, And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him is called Faithful and true, and in righteousness doth He judge and make war. And verse 13, And He was clothe with a vesper dipped in blood; And His name is called the Word of God.
Before we can understand who Jesus was, we need to start with His forerunner.
John The Baptist
Malachi 4:5, Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
John the Baptist was in type, Elijah, as a voice crying out in the wilderness, Matthew 3:3.
The wilderness is a land inhabited by wild animals or even untamed men. Those who responded to John;’s calling were led to abandon the life in the wilderness and be led to Jesus Christ and His teaching, known as a new and living way, Hebrews 10:20.
Hebrews 10:19, having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter the holiest by the Blood of Jesus. 20, By a new and living way, that is through His flesh.
These individuals, have begun a transformation of their mind and thinking, as we shall read, from the mind and thinking of those in the wilderness in which john the Baptist was teaching of a new way. They have become enemies of the god of this world, 2nd Corinthians 4:4, by becoming citizens of the Kingdom Of God. They were changing their allegiance from Satan to Jesus Christ as their Lord and King. Is it any wonder that they would need a door or wall for their protection.
Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”
Those who followed this new way of life are called sheep and needed protection from those still in the wilderness.
Jesus as a Shepherd and Door of the Sheep
John 10:7, Then said Jesus unto them again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.”
A door is an entrance way into a house or some other enclosed area, or a gate. Sometimes these doors or gates are locked to protect the sheep from those who are still in the wilderness.
John 10:7, Then Jesus said unto them again, “Verily, verily, I say unto you I am the door of the sheep. 8, All that came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. 9, I am the door, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and go in and out, and find pasture. 10, The thief commeth not but to steal, and to kill, and to destroy:”
In the case of Jesus being the good pasture and the door, His purpose was to protect and care for his sheep, John 10:2. His sheep are in an enclosed area where they are protected by a door or gate with a pasture for food from those who are still in the wilderness.
I heard someone say recently that a wall is not a separation from those who we dislike or hate on the outside of an enclosure, but a wall is needed because we love those on the inside who need protection from those on the outside of the wall. Because these were sheep/people redeemed by Jesus Christ, who were willing to undergo a change of heart from those in the wilderness, He was going to protect them within a gate or a wall. If we were to move this picture of a door or wall, sheep and pasture into a country or nation setting, would the purpose of a protected area be any different? I don’t think so!
The New Jerusalem
The book of Revelations tells us of a city called the New Jerusalem. This is the city or land promised to Abram in the Book of Genesis, 12:1. Speaking of Abram/Abraham we read that he looked for a city whose builder and maker was God.
Revelation 21:2, “And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride for her husband, Verse 12, and had a wall great and high and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written upon, which are the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.”
The book of Revelation describes a city, which is built by God, with high walls and twelve gates. We can read why this city had high walls and had gates.
Revelation 21:27, and there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lambs Book of Life.
These are those who we read earlier who were protected by Jesus Christ as the door of the sheep. If the great God of the universe sees fit to have gates and walls to keep dangerous animals and the unscrupulous liars out, shouldn’t we follow His example? It is also true that these who were on their way to the city or nation had to be vetted before they could have residence in the city. How do we know? Because Revelation 21:27 says so. They had to prove that they would leave their old life behind and learn to adapt to a new way for themselves and their families. These all would enter through the gate and want to assimilate with the others in the city, live their life lawfully, and help to build the city and others up. This is God’s mind as recorded in the pages of the Bible and we can understand it as a common sense principle.