John 10:7-12. Jesus says he is the door to the sheep. They enter through him and are saved and find pasture. They will go in and out and find pasture. All who came before Jesus claiming to be shepherds of the sheep were thieves and liars. They came only to destroy and steal, but the good shepherd lays down his life for his flock. Hirelings flee when they see the wolf coming, but, again, a good shepherd stays and defends his sheep.

I'm often struck by the image of Jesus as the door leading to salvation, pasture, and peace. I think this is partially what He meant when He said he is "the Way." There is no other door, no other way to salvation except through Him. But there are many false doors, gates, and ways leading to perdition, those have all been established by the thieves and the liars for the benefit of the ultimate thief and liar. Even those preaching what sounds very much like the Gospel are thieves and liars if they are not pointing the way to Jesus as the only Way. Some people can get caught up in their own wisdom and become false prophets, leading people to a false gate. I see priests and people in the Church doing that today.

I also think of this passage when I think of Jesus descending into hell having opened the gates of heaven by his death. Not everyone in hell at that time was going to stay there, but until Jesus did what he did there was no way out, there was no door, everyone was in Sheol who had died before Jesus. Now, though, Jesus comes to hell and, being the door, those who see Him and go to Him can pass through Him, even from hell, into heaven. There is now a way out! He is the door, the gate, the Way!