The Gate

[Jesus said,] “I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures.”

John 10:9

TO MAKE PLAIN his truth and ideas, Jesus often gave his listeners analogies, word pictures, parables and stories, and various other examples that explained some of the hard issues of Scripture. This verse is one of them. Jesus wanted us to think of him as a gate. If we walk up to him, push open the gate, and walk through, we will find salvation.

Instantly, like sheep, we find that Jesus is the gate to blessings in this world and the next. Our vistas become clear. We find freedom in the world to do what we most want to do, to seek fulfillment of our dreams, and to enjoy life to the fullest.

The foundation, though, is Jesus. He is the gate. No one else is, or could be, that gate. We must go through his gate. Believe in him. Trust him. Acknowledge him. Follow him. In other passages, Jesus makes clear that there are many false gates in this world. Only the one true gate leads to fulfillment and joy: Jesus himself.

Jesus’ great promise is that real blessing is to be found only in him. He is the way to all the hopes and dreams and blessings you seek, and he will give them to you freely and willingly.