Entering the Gate
7 Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
This past Sunday we looked at the narrow gates and roads, and the broad gates and roads. There are images of this text that show the two roads and gates. People walking single file on the narrow road and the crowds scattered across the broad road. The image can lead us to believe that we are always walking along the dangerously narrow road until we get to the narrow gate at the resurrection. But as we look at more teachings of Jesus around the issues of entering gates and following Jesus we see a different image emerge.
On Sunday we looked at the narrowness as how we focus on Jesus. John shows Jesus telling us that he is the gate. John shows Jesus speaking to us, saying that he is the gate and has brought us in and keeps us safe now. The narrow road shows that we are entering by Jesus alone. John will tell us in chapter 14 - 6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” We enter the gate by Jesus. Jesus is the gate that we enter.
Jesus is the way into the kingdom. We are already brought in as we have followed Jesus, and as we continue to follow Jesus. We are in as he has called us and led us through the gate, which is Jesus, himself. We are in that place now. That place of spacious generosity. Whether we want to see it in the image of Harry’s small tent with a spacious interior, the Dr’s Tardis, or the closet of the children heading to Narnia. We have entered God’s spacious place of his mercy.
That spacious place also connects us to what we heard with the children on Sunday. The spacious place does not mean we do anything at all or live in any way one would wish. As with God’s rules/laws, we are free to live inside of God’s ways. Brought to a place where our freedom is to have life and to live with him. As we follow Jesus we will want to live in the ways God showed us in his rules/laws already.
We have entered God’s spacious place of freedom to be his people. Free to be loved by God, to love God in return and to love the people with whom God gives us the privilege of working and living.