Verse: Matthew 7:13
Context: Matthew 7:13-14

Jesus continuing his teaching in the Mount admonished his followers to go through the strait gate and not through the broad way. “Strait” in this context means narrow and so Jesus was admonishing his followers to enter through the narrow away.

While the verse in consideration may have different applications, Jesus was basically referring to the difficulty his followers will face as they follow him but will find eternal life at the end.

Jesus refer himself as the gate (John 10:9) and the way (John 14:6) and just as following through a narrow opening is difficult, following him will be difficult as well. Following Jesus means laying down the life of pleasure and comfort and for this reason, Christ said that whoever desire to follow him must deny himself many things and take up his cross to follow him (Matthew 16:24) which means must be dead to self (to yield to his will and control that our own self-will have no preeminence).

Another application of this verse is that salvation which is by faith through Christ alone is God’s way that leads to eternal life but it’s difficult to live a life of righteousness while the wide gate that leads to destruction include relying on religious works and self righteousness which the Pharisees and the Sadducees were actively involved in.

The narrow way which is Jesus that leads to eternal life is narrow because is does not permit anyone to pass through with the things of the world, sin and ill-gotten wealth because they will permit no one who desire eternal life to go through. When passing through the narrow way, one must lay down the things of the world and go with holiness which is the main passport to eternal life.

Some false teachers who are already on their way to destruction teaches that both the narrow and the wide way leads to eternal life and that’s false. They have taught that the way to eternal life is easy with comfort and pleasure but as the scripture put it, there is a way that seem right to a man but the end is death and destruction (Proverbs 14:12).