Why is Jesus called “the Gate” and “the Gatekeeper”?

St. Augustine addresses the Father, saying, “We say that through Christ we have the gate by which we enter in to You.” In the Shepherd of Hermas we read, “‘This rock,’ he answered, ‘and this gate are the Son of God.’ ‘How, sir?’ I said; ‘the rock is old, and the gate is new.’ ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘and understand, O ignorant man. The Son of God is older than all His creatures, so that He was a fellow-councillor with the Father in His work of creation: for this reason is He old.’ ‘And why is the gate new, sir?’ I said. ‘Because,’ he answered, ‘ He became manifest in the last days of the dispensation (1 Pet. 1:20): for this reason the gate was made new, that they who are to be saved by it might enter into the kingdom of God. You saw,’ he said, ‘that those stones which came in through the gate were used for the building of the tower [i.e., the Church], and that those which did not come, were again thrown back to their own place?’ ‘I saw, sir,’ I replied. ‘In like manner,’ he continued, ‘no one shall enter into the kingdom of God unless he receive His holy name [i.e., Christ]. For if you desire to enter into a city, and that city is surrounded by a wall, and has but one gate, can you enter

757 St. Athanasius of Alexandria, Four Discourses Against the Arians 2.21.62 (NPNF II/4:381–382) amended.

758 St. Cyril of Alexandria, Letters, Volume 2 55.34 (FOTC 77:31).

759 St. Cyril of Alexandria, A Commentary upon the Gospel According to St. Luke: Parts I , trans. R. Payne Smith (Oxford University Press, 1859) Chapter 2: p. 10.

760 St. Ambrose of Milan , On the Decease of His Brother Satyrus 2.91 (NPNF II/10:189).

into that city save through the gate which it has?’ … so, in like manner, a man cannot otherwise enter into the kingdom of God than by the name of His beloved Son.’”⁷⁶¹