What is this narrow gate and who are going through it? Jesus called it away or an opening that leads off into life and few are the ones finding it. So, lets break down what Jesus was talking about.
Matthew 7:13-14… Go in through the narrow gate (G4439 pule); because broad and spacious is the road leading off into destruction, and many are the ones going in through it; 14 whereas narrow is the gate and cramped (G2346 thlibo) the road (G3598 hodos ) leading off into life, and few are the ones finding it.
Strong’s Concordance calls the Greek word #G4439 (pule) a door- gate and this typically refers to an exit people or livestock go out of, but there is a focusing on what proceeds out of it and that is the point.
The next word for consideration is the Greek word #G2346 (thlibo) as in you are compressed, like you are hard pressed figuratively, oppressively and distressed in your circumstances, as in there are things that rub us the wrong way and make us feel hemmed in, or even restricted.
Next, we have the word in Greek #G3598 (hodos) which is a road, journey, way, or path.
So, when you look at the context of what Christ Jesus was talking about, he was speaking about an exit, through a door-gate and on the way out, you are on a journey or path. You are going to find that on this journey that you are hard pressed and feeling oppressive, in difficult times and under circumstances that rub us the wrong way, but this is the way to life Jesus says.
Are we on our own as we go through the narrow gate? Is there someone leading us or helping us as we go on this life’s journey?
John 10:1-4… Most truly I say to YOU, He that does not enter into the sheepfold through the door but climbs up some other place, that one is a thief and a plunderer. 2 But he that enters through the door is shepherd of the sheep. 3 The doorkeeper opens to this one, and the sheep listen to his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has got all his own out, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will by no means follow but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.
Most surely, I tell you that as we exit the sheep pen we do so at the leadings of the shepherd, we are no longer to be found under the authority of the hired men.
Why would the sheep be in the pen? What was Jesus illustration alluding to?
There are only a few reasons why sheep would even be in a pen, first would be because it was wintertime. Next it would be time to fleece the sheep. Lastly, they would gather the sheep in to the pen for a slaughter.
Jesus gave his illustration to help his listeners understand that they needed to listen and follow him out from under the authority of the hired men. Who were the hired men? The Pharisees and Sadducees were the hired men under the Jewish system. Who are the hired men today? Those who would try to be masters of your faith.
Jesus has not stop gathering those who belong to him, they are those who are called to exit through the narrow gate and obedience is necessary to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Following
Matthew 10:32-39… “Everyone, then, that confesses union with me before men, I will also confess union with him before my Father who is in the heavens; 33 but whoever disowns me before men, I will also disown him before my Father who is in the heavens. 34 Do not think I came to put peace upon the earth; I came to put, not peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to cause division, with a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a young wife against her mother-in-law. 36 Indeed, a man’s enemies will be persons of his own household. 37 He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me; and he that has greater affection for son or daughter than for me is not worthy of me. 38 And whoever does not accept his torture stake and follow after me is not worthy of me. 39 He that finds his soul will lose it, and he that loses his soul for my sake will find it.
This path of life we walk with Christ has forever changed our course in life, it is a one-way, the only way because turning to the left or turning to right means eternal death. There is no better or other way to go in life but to follow Christ Jesus.
The Way
The Way is more then an action or direction in life, it is way more meaningful than that, it is the journey that Jesus Christ asked us to follow him in.
It is a way that is hard pressed and has lots of suffering along its path. Lets look at some examples found in the following Scriptures about The Way.
Acts 9:1-2… But Saul, still breathing threat and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, in order that he might bring bound to Jerusalem any whom he found who belonged to The Way, both men and women.
Why would Saul do this?
Saul did this because he believed that these Jews who belonged to the way were a part of an apostasy from God. Saul was zealous for the ways of God; he was not going to allow any Jew to follow another or come between God in some other way of worshiping God.
Eventually Saul got readjusted and Jesus called him to become the Apostle Paul. The Way became closely known as those who follow Christ as the next Scripture brings out.
Tribulation
Acts 11:19-26…Consequently those who had been scattered by the tribulation that arose over Stephen went through as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch but speaking the word to no one except to Jews only. 20 However, out of them there were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene that came to Antioch and began talking to the Greek-speaking people, declaring the good news of the Lord Jesus. 21 Furthermore, the hand of Jehovah was with them, and a great number that became believers turned to the Lord. 22 The account about them got to the ears of the congregation that was in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the undeserved kindness of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all to continue in the Lord with hearty purpose; 24 for he was a good man and full of holy spirit and of faith. And a considerable crowd was added to the Lord. 25 So he went off to Tarsus to make a thorough search for Saul 26 and, after he found him, he brought him to Antioch. It thus came about that for a whole year they gathered together with them in the congregation and taught quite a crowd, and it was first in Antioch that the disciples were by divine providence called Christians. (Followers of Christ)
See the persecution and tribulation that the followers of Christ had to endure? But there were great rewards along the way also.
First was the baptism of the Holy Spirit! Also see the message that was preached before Holy Spirit was poured out.
Acts 19:2-9… Did you receive holy spirit when YOU became believers?” They said to him: “Why, we have never heard whether there is a holy spirit.” 3 And he said: “In what, then, were YOU baptized?” They said: “In John’s baptism.” 4 Paul said: “John baptized with the baptism [in symbol] of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” 5 On hearing this, they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And when Paul laid his hands upon them, the holy spirit came upon them, and they began speaking with tongues and prophesying. 7 Altogether, there were about twelve men. 8 Entering into the synagogue, he spoke with boldness for three months, giving talks and using persuasion concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when some went on hardening themselves and not believing, speaking injuriously about The Way before the multitude, he withdrew from them and separated the disciples from them, daily giving talks in the school [auditorium] of Tyrannus.
Did you notice that there needed to be a separating oneself from those that speak injuriously about The Way of Truth those who would follow Jesus Christ? What is the definition for the word injuriously?
The meaning for the word injuriously has to do with offensive statements made toward another with defamatory, insulting, and abusive speech aimed at discrediting the person or the thought and or idea that was being expressed.
Why would they act like that toward the apostle Paul?
Because these people do not accept the good news about our Lord Jesus Christ. These Jews believed that this Way of following Christ Jesus was a sect, and this thought has not change down to this very same day.
Acts 24:14… But I do admit this to you, that, according to The Way that they call a ‘sect,’ in this manner I am rendering sacred service to the God of my forefathers, as I believe all the things set forth in the Law and written in the Prophets.
The Way that we are going is a following of Christ Jesus through the narrow gate and out on to mount Zion to feed in the open field. This is referred to as being Called by Christ.
There is a process to this calling, and we will talk about that in the next chapter as we look at the life experiences of those who were called in The Lords Day.
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