Jesus is talking to the Pharisees here. They would say that if you followed their rules you would be saved. They didn't like what Jesus was teaching or who Jesus claimed to be. It was to them that Jesus said "I am the gate".
We have gates for the purpose of getting somewhere. They allow people to get from one place to another. Jesus said He is THE gate and that we need Him to get to salvation. As humans, we stand in great need because we have rebelled against God. People know in their hearts that God is in control, no matter how they try to discredit Him or deny Him. Everybody knows there's a God and everybody knows what God expects of them, though we make excuses and try to rationalise our wrong. Our conscience tells us that we are not ready for God. If we're not ready to meet God, what lies ahead for us?
We all know there's got to be justice in the world. We know there's fairness because it's built into us by God. If there is no God, fairness and justice don't exist and every man can do anything they think is right in their own eyes. God will let us get what we want in the end. If we don't want God, He will eventually leave us and we will be away from God for eternity.
But God wants us to be His. He gives us every opportunity to turn from our rebellion and trust in Jesus who paid the penalty we couldn't pay. Jesus is the way to God - the only gate to God and we must enter through Him.
It means leaving our own selfish way of life behind, trusting in Jesus Christ and following His plan for our life. What will life be like then? Life will be good - the best life. Jesus came that we might have life to the full. God who created all the best things in this world, and the world to come, will guide our every step and bring us through every situation in life with satisfaction and joy.
Life without Jesus is a handful of dust. Everything else besides Jesus will come to nothing. Possessions, money and the pleasures of this world will tempt us to follow them whole-heartedly, but they are like thieves. Jesus, because of His life, death and resurrection, is the only way to have life to the full on earth and then life eternal after death, which is far better.
It's a promise.
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