Chapter 20
THE NARROW GATE
(Matthew 7:13-14)
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the Name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Father, please open our ears, our eyes and our hearts so we can come to a better understanding of Your Word. Father, we also ask that as we read Your Word You would please strengthen our faith, belief and trust in You, in Your Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin this study by reading the Scriptures from,
Matthew 7:13-14
""[13] Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. [14] But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Since each one of us does not want to be destroyed but have eternal life, the question arises as to: "Who or what is this narrow gate?" In reading the New Testament and especially the Gospel according to John we find that,
JESUS CHRIST IS THE NARROW GATE
In other words, the Bible teaches us that for a person to enter into the Kingdom of God and have eternal life, they must pass through or enter by way of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ made this clear by stating that He,
Jesus Christ is the way to the Father
To see this let us read the following excerpt of what Jesus said to His disciples to comfort them for His upcoming ordeal of His crucifixion. The passage of interest for this study is,
John 14:6
"[6] Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
In other words, Jesus is the gate by which we enter into Heaven or God's Kingdom. In fact this is exactly what Jesus taught. To see this let us read from,
John 10:7-10
"[7] Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He 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."
Let us notice the following verses,
7 … Jesus said that He is the gate of the sheep. NOTE: The phrase "the Sheep" refers to those who are His disciples or followers.
8 … In other words, those who came before Jesus Christ or even those who now come to offer a different avenue other than Jesus Christ by which we can be saved from our sins and enter into eternal life have come to take us away from God's gracious Mercy and Grace. Also, note that the true disciples of Jesus Christ will not listen to or follow anyone else other than Jesus Christ.
9-10 … Anyone who enters into the sheepfold, that is God's Kingdom, through Jesus Christ, who is the Gate, will be saved. Thus, those who come to God the Father through Jesus Christ will have eternal life with Him.
As one reflects upon the above truths one might ask: "Who is Jesus Christ?” and “Why does He claim to be the "Narrow Gate into God's Kingdom?"
To address these questions we will:
1. Discover who Jesus Christ really is.
2. See why Jesus Christ is indeed the Narrow Gate to enter Heaven.
With this introduction in mind we begin our study by discovering that,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR
To see this it is helpful for us to recognize that the term “Christ” means “Messiah” or “Anointed One” or “The Lord’s Anointed One”. Thus, when we say the Name, Jesus Christ what we are saying is: “Jesus, the Anointed One.”
To find out exactly what this means and exactly who Jesus Christ really is we will:
1. Review Jesus’ birth.
2. Find that Jesus was not an ordinary man.
3. Discover that Jesus is the Son of God.
4. See that Jesus Christ is also our Lord and our God.
5. Briefly review the Sign of Jonah.
Let us begin by reviewing,
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
The Old Testament of the Bible teaches us that the Messiah would be born of a woman and be a man. In addition, it teaches us that His birth will be miraculous, for the woman will be a virgin. This was foretold, in approximately 734BC1, through the prophet Isaiah and is recorded in,
Isaiah 7:14
"[14] Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."
Each year at Christmas when we celebrate the time when Jesus Christ was born into this world, we celebrate the fulfillment of this prophecy. To remind ourselves of this, let us read about His birth from,
Matthew 1:18-25
"[18] This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. [19] Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. [20] But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. [21] She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." [22] All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: [23] "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us." [24] When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. [25] But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus."
Let us notice the following verses,
18 … Mary was with child before she and Joseph came together, that is consummated or finalized their marriage.
20 … An angel told Joseph that what is conceived in Mary was from God the Holy Spirit. In other words, the angel told Joseph that the Father of this child was God the Holy Spirit.
21 … Note that Jesus’ purpose was to save His people from their sins.
22-23 … The birth of Jesus Christ fulfilled the above prophecy recorded in Isaiah 7:14. In addition, Jesus would also be called, Immanuel, which means “God with us.”
24-25 … Joseph and Mary had no union till after she gave birth to Jesus. Consequently, there can be no legitimate argument that Jesus’ birth was not a miraculous conception by God the Holy Spirit.
In addition to being miraculous, the significance of the virgin birth is that Jesus did not inherit the sinful nature of Adam. Thus, His birth came outside of the natural course of things. Specifically, Jesus’ father was God not a man!
Consequently,
JESUS WAS NO ORDINARY MAN
This realization becomes clearer when we read about all the miraculous things He did. To get a flavor of these works and Jesus’ authority and power, let us read a sample of the things He did. We begin by seeing that
Jesus Demonstrated His Authority and Power over Sickness and Disease
As we read the Gospels we cannot help but notice all the times Jesus healed the sick and afflicted. A good summary of these works is provided for us in the account of what Jesus did while traveling throughout Galilee.
Matthew 4:23-25
"[23] Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."
In addition to having authority and power over sickness and disease, we also find from the above account that He cast out demons. In other words,
Jesus Demonstrated His Authority and Power over the Demons
To expand upon this a bit, let us read about the time when He healed two demon possessed men. To do this we got to,
Matthew 8:28-33
"[28] When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way. [29] "What do you want with us, Son of God?" they shouted. "Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" [30] Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. [31] The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." [32] He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. [33] Those tending the pigs ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the demon-possessed men.”
Let us notice the following verse,
29 … The demons knew that Jesus was/is the Son of God.
The bible also teaches us that,
Jesus Demonstrated His Authority and Power over the Physical Elements
We see this authority when, on His way to the region of the Gadarenes, He calmed a severe storm.
Matthew 8:23-27
"[23] Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. [24] Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. [25] The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" [26] He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. [27] The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!""
In verse 27 we read that His disciples came to realize that Jesus was no ordinary man. However, more was to come.
In addition to having authority and power over sickness, disease, the demons and the physical elements/forces of the earth, we find that,
Jesus Demonstrated His Authority and Power to Raise the Dead
This is revealed to us when He restored to life a widow’s son,
Luke 7:11-17
"[11] Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. [12] As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. [13] When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry." [14] Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" [15] The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. [16] They were all filled with awe and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." [17] This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country."
In addition to all the signs and wonders Jesus performed, the most glorious thing Jesus Christ did was to clearly demonstrate that,
Jesus had the Authority to Forgive Sin
To see this, let us read the account of when He forgave the paralytic of his sins. To do this let us go to,
Matthew 9:1-8
"[1] Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. [2] Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven." [3] At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, "This fellow is blaspheming!" [4] Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? [5] Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? [6] But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins. . . ." Then he said to the paralytic, "Get up, take your mat and go home." [7] And the man got up and went home. [8] When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men."
With the above observations in mind, Jesus Christ was clearly sent by God and is someone very, very special. “Was He a great prophet as some said?” (Or) “Was Jesus Christ much greater?”
As we study the New Testament we discover that,
JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
Previously, we read that the demons acknowledged Jesus to be the Son of God (Matthew 8:29)! The question is; “Were they right?” To find out, let us read about the time when Jesus asked His disciples the question of; “Who do people say that I am?” Jesus’ question is recorded in,
Matthew 16:13-15
"[13] When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" [14] They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." [15] "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?""
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … Jesus asked His disciples; “Who do the people think He is?”
14 … The disciples responded and told Jesus the various beliefs the people had.
15 … Jesus now made the question more personal and asked them, “Who do you say I am?”
So it is with us. We too must come to grips with this question. As it was with His disciples, Jesus is not only concerned about what others think of Him but is very concerned about what you and I think and believe on who He is.
Let us now move on and read Peter’s response to Jesus’ question in,
Matthew 16:16-17
"[16] Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." [17] Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven."
Let us notice the following verses,
16 … Simon Peter recognized who Jesus Christ really is … “The Son of the living God.”
17 … Jesus told Peter he did not learn this from man but from God the Father.
In other words, what Jesus told Peter and is telling us now, is that it is God the Father who reveals Jesus Christ to us. This saving knowledge of Jesus Christ does not come from the wisdom of man or his intellect but from God Himself. It is a miraculous gift from God!
If you have not recognized who Jesus is, please prayerfully ask God the Father to give you this same revelation.
In addition to the Apostle Peter, we find that John the Baptist also bore witness to Jesus’ true identity. To read what he said, let us go to,
John 1:29-34
"[29] The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! [30] This is the one I meant when I said, 'A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.' [31] I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." [32] Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. [33] I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' [34] I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God.""
Finally and most important of all we find that God the Father bore witness to His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. To read what the Father said about Him, let us read what happened when John baptized Jesus.
To do this let us read from,
Matthew 3:13-17
"[13] Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. [14] But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" [15] Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. [16] As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.""
Let us notice the following verse,
16-17 … God the Father proclaimed Jesus to be His Son. In addition God the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus. Also notice that at this time the Holy Trinity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit was also revealed.
This was not the only time the Father bore witness to Jesus Christ. He also bore witness to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. This is recorded in,
Mark 9:2-8
"[2] After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. [3] His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. [4] And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. [5] Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters--one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah." [6] (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) [7] Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" [8] Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus."
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Jesus became dazzling white. In other words Jesus’ true perfect, pure and holy nature was revealed.
7 … God the Father told Peter, James and John that Jesus is His Son.
So we see that Jesus is indeed much greater than a prophet or a great teacher. What we have found is that Jesus is the Son of God!
Now this raises the following question: “What does it mean that Jesus is the Son of God?” Actually we were provided a glimpse of what it means when, on the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus became dazzling white. As we continue to read the Scriptures, we find that Jesus Christ is really God come in the flesh. Specifically, He is the literal fulfillment of all the promises God gave us about His coming to save us from our sins and restore us to His Kingdom. As we saw earlier, this is the significance of the virgin birth and is why Jesus was called Immanuel or “God with us.”
In other words,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR LORD AND OUR GOD
To see this a bit more clearly, let us read about the birth of Jesus Christ as given through the Apostle John in,
John 1:1-4
"[1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [2] He was with God in the beginning. [3] Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. [4] In him was life, and that life was the light of men."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … The Word was God.
3 … Through Him all things were made.
4 … In Him was life.
It is noted the name “Word” is also a name that refers to Jesus Christ.
To verify this let us read an excerpt from the vision God gave the Apostle John of when Jesus will come to defeat Satan. To do this we go to,
Revelation 19:11-13
[11] Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. [12] His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. [13] He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.
Let us now continue our reading from the Gospel of John and read from,
John 1:14
"[14] The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Now some skeptics have said that Jesus never claimed to be God. It turns out Jesus made it very clear to the Jews that He was God. To see this, let us read what happened, between Jesus and the Jews, during one of the feasts of Dedication. We find this conversation in,
John 10:22-30
"[22] Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, [23] and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon's Colonnade. [24] The Jews gathered around him, saying, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." [25] Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe. The miracles I do in my Father's name speak for me, [26] but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. [27] My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. [28] I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. [29] My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. [30] I and the Father are one.""
Let us notice the following verses,
24-25 … Jesus told the skeptics that His words and all the miracles He did in the Father’s name made it clear that He was the Christ.
30 … Jesus also made it clear that He was equal to God the Father. More specifically, He was and is the second person within the Holy Trinity.
Given the above discourse, the following question comes to mind: “Did the Jews really understand what Jesus told them?” To find out, let us continue our reading from,
John 10:31-33
"[31] Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, [32] but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" [33] "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.""
In other words, the Jews knew exactly what Jesus had said. Notice the reason they went to stone Him was because He claimed to be God. Unfortunately, they actually believed that Jesus was only a man who claimed to be God. This was considered to be blasphemy. According to the Old Testament Law of Moses anyone who commits the sin of blasphemy against God was to be stoned.
This brings us to one of the most important and significant sign Jesus gave to prove that He was what He claimed to be. This was,
THE SIGN OF JONAH
While Jesus was preaching and performing various miracles, some of the skeptics asked Jesus to perform a sign to prove that He was who He claimed to be. Let us read Jesus response to their requests as it is written in,
Matthew 12:38-40
[38] Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” [39] But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
In other words, Jesus told them that as the prophet Jonah was swallowed up by a large fish for three days and nights and then coughed up alive on the beach near Nineveh, He would die and be buried for three days and then will rise up alive from the grave. Thus, the most significant proof that Jesus is the Son of God or the second person of the Holy Trinity was and is His resurrection.
To confirm this let us read the Apostle Paul’s introduction of his letter to the people of Rome.
Romans 1:1-4
[1] Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God [2] which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, [3] concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, [4] and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
Let us notice the following verses,
3 … Since Mary’s lineage is from King David (Luke 3:31), so it is with Jesus’ human ancestry, that is His human body … the flesh.
4 … Jesus’ resurrection from the dead declared Him to be the Son of God.
Before we close, let us read one more testimony. This one was given when Jesus, after His resurrection, appeared to Thomas for the specific purpose of showing him that He, Jesus, was not dead but alive! We find it in,
John 20:24-28
"[24] Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. [25] So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." [26] A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" [27] Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." [28] Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!""
Consequently,
JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONE AND ONLY SAVIOR OF MANKIND
To see this we begin by recalling that the main reason Jesus Christ came to this earth was to give you and I eternal life. He did not come to condemn us, but to save us. Jesus made this truth very clear during His conversation to a Jewish ruler named Nicodemus. To see this let us read the following excerpt from Jesus' conversation,
John 3:16-17
""[16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
“What did Jesus mean when He said that He came to save you and me and from what or from whom did He save us from?” In studying the New Testament we find that without Jesus Christ you and I are
DEAD IN OUR TRANGRESSIONS AND SINS
In other words, before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we were living life in accordance with the lusts and desires of our flesh. Hence, we were following the course or direction of this disobedient world. The end result of this activity would have been for us to receive God's wrath that is be cast into the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 21:8). This truth is clearly documented for us in the following excerpt from Paul's letter to the Ephesians,
Ephesians 2:1-3
"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath."
However, because of God's great love for you and me He, through Jesus Christ, has extended His Grace and Mercy to you and me. Thus, the New Testament teaches us that,
IN JESUS CHRIST WE HAVE BEEN SAVED FROM GOD'S WRATH
Yes, in Jesus Christ we are saved from the resulting punishment we deserve for violating God's laws and commandments. In addition, in Jesus Christ we are no longer spiritually dead. The Bible teaches us that in Jesus Christ we have been made alive so we can now do the good works that He prepared beforehand for us to do. To see this we continue our reading from,
Ephesians 2:4-10
"[4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Let us notice the following verses,
5 … We are no longer spiritually dead but are alive with Christ. By God’s grace we now have God the Holy Spirit living within us!
6 …We are now spiritually seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenly realms. Notice, this is not future but present tense. As we will see later this means we are now citizens of Heaven!
8-9 … It is by His Grace, which is unmerited favor, we have been saved. It was nothing we earned; it is God's free gift to you and me.
In other words, God has transformed us into a new creature or new person. This is recorded for us in,
2 Corinthians 5:17
“[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
As one reflects upon the above blessings, one may ask; “What did Jesus do to save me?” The answer is that when Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, was crucified on the cross, was physically buried and physically resurrected; He paid the penalty for our sins. To see this let us first read the following passage from,
Romans 6:23
[23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To give us this gift, Jesus Christ on our behalf accepted our wage of physical death. To see this let us consider the following Scripture,
“[24] He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.
Thus, we find that Jesus Christ is the way or gate by which we are saved from the consequence of our transgressions and sins.
Let us recall that during Jesus' sermon on the mountain He stated that the gate to God's Kingdom was a narrow one. In fact, as we read the Bible we discover that the gate to eternal life is extremely narrow. The reason for this is because,
JESUS CHRIST IS THE "ONE AND ONLY" SAVIOR OF MANKIND
To see this, let us read what the Apostle Peter said to the rulers, elders and scribes of the Jewish people when he explained to them why he was preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His remark of interest for this study is recorded in,
Acts 4:12
"[12] Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.""
CLOSING
In closing let us summarize this study by reading the following passage from the Gospel according to John.
John 10:1-9
""[1] I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. [2] The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. [3] The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." [6] Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. [7] Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture."
Blessed be the Lord forever
Amen and Amen