In a JFET the only insulation between the gate and the channel is a reverse biased diode junction, if this junction becomes forward biased then the gate and channel are effectively shorted and the device no longer acts as a transistor (it will act as a forward biased diode instead).
In the n-channel JFET, the gate is the P-side of this diode and the channel is the N-side of this diode. To keep this diode reverse biased (and the device operating as a transistor) therefor the gate MUST always be maintained at a voltage more negative than the most negative section of the channel.