Assertion of Jesus: "I AM the Gate"
I started a new series in my last post called, “Assertions That Unsettled The World.” I want to probe the identity of Jesus Christ through his own words about himself. And believe me, Jesus made a number of bold assertions that were unsettling to his religious and secular world; teachings that still shake people to the core today and call for a response. In the last post, I talked about Jesus claiming to be “I AM,” the name God used from his interaction with Moses. Today, we’ll be challenged to take personally an assertion Jesus made—his claim: “I AM the Gate.” There is an essential need every one of us has. We long for a caregiver; to have another person or people around us who love and care for us deeply. But Jesus said that longing can only be partially met by people and that ultimately our need is filled only by the Creator of the human soul and only through a genuine faith relationship with him. So, today, I want to look at one of the most comforting of all the outrageous assertions Jesus made when he said, “I AM the Gate.”
Jesus Asserted He is the Gate to God and Eternity
In the gospel of John chapters 9 and 10, we read the words of Jesus that would turn the religious world upside down 2000 years ago. Jesus was walking along and saw a man who had been blind from birth. He had compassion for the young man and miraculously gave him sight. Word got out to the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day and they were furious. They felt threatened as Jesus increased in stature and made assertions about himself and God, all backed up with miracles no one had ever seen before. He was stealing their thunder, challenging the religious status quo. So, they brought this once blind man in for questioning. They mocked him, harassed him, brought his parents in to get them to admit that their son was never blind; but none of it worked. In a fit of anger, they told the young man, “You were born in sin!” and threw him out of the synagogue.
Jesus was told what the Pharisees had done to the man and so he went to him to bring comfort and hope. John 9:35-41…
35 When Jesus heard what had happened, he found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 The man answered, “Who is he, sir? I want to believe in him.” 37 “You have seen him,” Jesus said, “and he is speaking to you!” 38 “Yes, Lord, I believe!” the man said. And he worshiped Jesus. 39 Then Jesus told him, “I entered this world to render judgment—to give sight to the blind and to show those who think they see that they are blind.” 40 Some Pharisees who were standing nearby heard him and asked, “Are you saying we’re blind?” 41 “If you were blind, you wouldn’t be guilty,” Jesus replied. “But you remain guilty because you claim you can see.
In John chapter 10, Jesus continues his dialogue with the Pharisees and gives them a lesson about sheep, gates and shepherding. John 10:1-10…
“I tell you the truth, anyone who sneaks over the wall of a sheepfold, rather than going through the gate, must surely be a thief and a robber! 2 But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep recognize his voice and come to him. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. 5 They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice.” 6 Those who heard Jesus use this illustration didn’t understand what he meant, 7 so he explained it to them: “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. 9 Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
In ancient shepherding, the shepherd would gather the sheep into a sheepfold at night to protect them from thieves, bad weather, or wild animals. The sheepfolds were caves, sheds, or open areas surrounded by walls made of stones or branches. The shepherd often slept in the doorway and functioned as a gate to protect the sheep.
Jesus used that picture to assert that he was the gateway to God’s salvation. When Jesus talked about the thief who steals and takes life, he was talking about sin and Satan. What Jesus did that day was to assert that he was the only way to eternal safety and security from sin and Satan. He claimed to be the one and only soul protector.
Not only is Jesus the gate to eternal life, he is the giver of a full life. He said (v. 10), “My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” To the believing person today, Jesus is the source of a true, abundantly rich, full, and yes, eternal life. And it all begins with genuinely believing that Jesus is Savior and affirming that belief each day by living under his Kingly rule and Lordship. Have you taken Christ’s offer of being your gate to God’s eternity and fullness of life?
An Unsettling Assertion
Jesus was identifying himself as the Messiah, something that was an unsettling shock to people 2000 years ago. It still is a shocking assertion for people today. Many today resent the claim that Jesus is the only way to forgiveness and eternal life. Instead, they have formed their own view of God based on their own opinion. Many more have have bought into what skeptics say about Jesus without doing their due diligence and really investigating Jesus. I know a skeptic who has essentially rejected the God of the Bible because he can’t intellectually make sense of why there is suffering in the world (if God is truly merciful); why God doesn't just break in and reveal himself in a big way; why Christians are so hypocritical and powerless, and on and on. Instead of getting to know Jesus, he dismisses a 2000 year movement of people who have embraced Jesus and found the miracle of a changed life, hope and purpose.
Still others have gone the way of pluralism. The thought is there are many gods, and as long as you're sincere in following your god, that's all that counts. But Jesus has always presented himself as God’s only Savior and Lord. The question of whether Jesus is who he said he is still comes down to faith. However, it's not a blind faith. We have enough evidence to render a personal verdict concerning Jesus (the testimony of the Bible, the stories of lives who have been changed by Jesus, the good and merciful work of Christ-followers over 2000 years that literally changed the world, etc.)
Jesus demonstrates that the Creator God desires an intimate, attentive relationship with people. That’s either true or false. There’s no room for a divided opinion about Jesus—we either receive him and enter into a loving and intimate relationship with him as Savior, Redeemer, and Lord or reject him as a crazy man.
I know this, at the core of every human being, is a yearning for someone bigger and more significant who knows, understands, and desperately cares for us. I believe this is the essence of the Gospel, the Good News where God desires to be intimately acquainted and involved with every one of us on a personal level. So important is that to God that he would become human, live a perfect life and then offer himself as the scapegoat for sin and separation from the God. I believe it’s possible that you and I matter that much to God. I believe that’s exactly why Jesus claimed to be the Gate and the only way to God. It’s an outrageous assertion that's worth a closer look.
Next Step
1. If Jesus is unsettling for you and makes you question his claims to be Savior and Lord, don’t look to sources who also are skeptics. Go to the source. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Honestly ask God to reveal himself to you. You may also want to do some reading of people who were once skeptics but after careful investigation of Jesus became followers. Here is a link to the ten most recommended Apologetics books: LINK
