I am the Gate

“I am the Gate,” is one of the statements that Jesus made about himself that we are going to look at in this Portraits of Jesus series. When Jesus referred to himself as the gate the real picture is much different than the one that people would often think of. When people hear the word ‘gate’ they often have a very specific picture in mind. Maybe it is a gate from their childhood. Maybe it is a gate at their present residence. Whatever ‘gate’ it is – it is probably a very specific picture.
Another statement that Jesus made about gates is found in Matthew 7. Jesus said: You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. (Matthew 7:13-14 NLT)
People gain entrance into God’s Kingdom through the narrow gate. The gateway to life is ‘very narrow.’ What restrictive statements. How exclusive. How ungracious and harsh. How NARROW!
There are many people in this culture who see Christianity and the church as just that – NARROW, exclusive, restrictive, ungracious and harsh.
I’m reminded of a story I heard recently about a Bible teacher who was playing golf with a fairly famous professional golfer. As they started their day together the golfer asked the Bible teacher what he did for a living. When the Bible teacher told the golf pro what he did – the golf pro’s response was something like: That’s too bad. Bible people and church people have to live such restricted and narrow lives.
The Bible teacher, ingeniously, responded something along the lines of: I live a restricted life? What about you? You restrict your life to these little fairways with very strict rules. I have seen areas of this golf course that you have never seen and experienced parts of the game of golf that you’ve never been a part of – yet you would see me as the poorer of the two of us because of that.
When the Bible teacher said these words it was like a light bulb lit up in the pro’s mind. He saw a truth about life that he’d never seen before.
Life lived without an element of ‘narrowness’ is a dangerous life. This is true financially, relationally, sexually, verbally and in almost every way. People who go ‘four wheel’ with their finances are quickly stuck in the mud. People who go ‘four wheel’ in their relationships, with their sexual life, with their mouth, etc. etc. are quickly stuck in the mud and are often looking for someone to pull them out of the mud.
Yes there is a ‘narrowness’ in following Jesus but the ‘narrowness’ is the way of freedom and not the way into the mud hole!
Go through the narrow – the very narrow – gate. It may be restrictive but it is the way to great freedom!