John 10:9–12 NRSV - I am the gate. Whoever… | Biblia (2024)

FAQs

What does Jesus mean when he says "I am the gate"? ›

Here, again, Jesus claims "I am the door." So far as this metaphor goes, Jesus means He is the gatekeeper—the person who controls access to the pen. He is also the opening, the single means by which the sheep can move in or out.

To enter the family of God, we only have one means of entry. We must go through Christ to be included in the Lord's sheepfold. He is the door, and there's no side entrance or secret passage. Only through Christ can we gain access to the family and kingdom of God.

“The narrow gate” is a fairly straightforward concept. A narrow gate is harder to pass through than one that is wide, and only a few people can go through a narrow gate at once. Jesus was describing the pathway to life—true, eternal life—as something requiring effort and focus to enter.

John 10:9 In-Context

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.

Gates in the natural are something that you enter through. The same is true in the spiritual. Every person has gates to their spirit, soul, and body. The Word tells us that when we receive Jesus we are sealed with the Holy Spirit in our spirit. The gates to our spirit are closed when our spirit become new creation.

Gates can also symbolize a barrier or obstacle that must be overcome in order to progress or achieve a goal. In ancient mythology and folklore, gates were often guarded by powerful figures or creatures, and passing through a gate could represent a test of strength, courage, or wisdom.

Delving into biblical references, doors are often regarded as spiritual symbols representing opportunities, transitions, or boundaries between different spiritual states. Door as a Symbol of Opportunity.

And so Jesus is saying that, as the door, as we enter into eternal life with him and through him, we will be saved. He is access to salvation. He is access to eternal life. And then he makes the statement that they will come in and they will go out and they will find pasture.

The Bible speaks of doors symbolically as passageways, communication, agreement, or opportunity. Matthew 25:10 Jesus tells a parable about 10 virgins and a shut door. Luke 13:22-28 Jesus relates a parable about the narrow door. Acts 14:27 speaks about an open door for Gentile faith.

Smith's Bible Dictionary - Gate

As places of public resort. ( Genesis 19:1 ; 23:10 ; 34:20 ; 24 ; 1 Samuel 4:18 ) etc. Places for public deliberation, administration of Justice, or of audience for kings and rulers or ambassadors.

How did Jesus compare the wide gate to the narrow gate? ›

For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Jesus makes it clear that we all stand at a spiritual crossroads, and there are two paths in front of us. The wide path leads to hell.

You need a Savior. And not only that, but you're allowed to enter also through with faith in Jesus Christ. Faith that the blood of Jesus shed on the cross is sufficient for all your sins. And so it is that we enter the narrow gate.

Jesus says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” If we long for pasture – for rest and provision and salvation – then we must come to Jesus. Jesus calls himself the gate for the sheep. He is the only way into the flock of God.

It means that anything this world may either give to you or take away from you doesn't really matter that much, because a life awaits you beyond the present that greatly surpasses this one in every way. It means that for the one who has faith in Jesus, the best is yet to come.

The so-called 'triumphal entry' was thus clearly messianic." The Golden Gate is located in the north section of the east wall of the Temple Mount. In Jewish belief, the gate is called 'The Gate of Mercy' (Sha'ar HaRakhamim), and is considered to be the place from which the Messiah will enter in the end of days.

The spiritual meaning of a gate, however, is a point of limited entry. It is symbolic of Christ being the entry point into the presence of God. It is through faith in His blood that we have access into the presence of God the father.

In John 10, Jesus describes Himself as the Gate. If we want all that God has for us, Jesus is the door that we must go through. When we walk through that door and hear His voice, He promises three things: we will be saved, we will come and go freely and find good pastures, and we will have a rich and satisfying life.

a. to reject (a person), as one's fiancé, lover, or friend. b. to dismiss from one's employ. They gave him the gate because he was caught stealing.