Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
Revelation 3:20
For many, when we read this verse, the well-known painting above might come to mind of Christ standing outside knocking at a closed door. We must never ignore the context of this verse of whose door Christ is knocking. Jesus was knocking and calling at the door of the Church of Laodicea, a congregation of individuals whom He found no redeeming “deeds” (3:15,16), qualities, or characteristics notable to mention.
This is a picture of Christ seeking out Christians who are pridefully and sinfully self-reliant. Who thought that they did not need Him for anything in their lives. “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.” Revelation 3:17. This is a picture of Jesus wanting to be invited back into the lives of Christians to reestablish an intimate fellowship with those who have left Him out of their daily lives, and the life of the church.
With no malice intended, some have taken Revelation 3:20 out of it‘s context (Revelation 3:14-21) and applied an evangelistic meaning in order for this verse to mean that Jesus is knocking at the door of someone’s heart who needs to receive Jesus into their life as Savior and Lord. When this is done, we miss the loving and personal metaphor Christ is using to reestablish a vital presence and influence with a congregation who’s self-reliance caused them to be blinded to their own spiritual depravity, “But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.”, Revelation 3:17.
In keeping with this verse’s context, we see that this is the second time Jesus demonstrates His love and concern for the Laodiceans, the first time was in Revelation 3:18, when He tells them, “I counsel you…”.
Revelation 3:20a, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door…”. The half of the verse gives us a picture of Jesus coming to this congregation, to where they were, which demonstrates His love and concern for them. All they had to do was to recognize who was knocking and calling for them at the door and let Him come in.
Reiterating what was said in last week’s article are in italics which will answer some important questions.
Why was the door shut? As it was stated last week’s message. “When we need to be forgiven and restored from our sin, as did the Laodiceans, on most occasions, it is Christ who politely and lovingly initiates the intimate reunion of our fellowshipping with Him again by coming to where we are. He will never barge in or intrude; Jesus only enters when we open the door for Him to enter.”
Unless you have one of those new video doorbells, when someone knocks at your door, we need to get up and go to the door with some caution to find out who it is. When someone knocks at your door and calls out their name to let youknow who they are, you will not be hesitant or cautious to go to the door to let them in. That is unless there is something bad or wrong between you and that person knocking at your door. In the case of the Laodiceans, there was their sin that caused a barrier, such as a closed door between them and Jesus. “We have the responsibility to respond to His prompting and let Jesus through the door of our hearts and lives that sin had closed to shut Him out.”
What is it that Jesus wants? “I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20. Continuing what was said last week. “When we open the door, intimate fellowship is reestablished, we will once again enjoy His presence, we will once again feed in and on Christ’s presence, that door of sin had excluded us from experiencing.” The result of opening their door would be not only for them to be in the presence of Jesus, but also to have an intimate fellowship with Him as one would have eating a meal with a close friend.
It is just like our gracious and loving Christ to not tell or threaten this church with what the result would be if they did not open the door for Him. However, we do have a good indication in the last two verses of the context we are studying that we need to consider. If we do not confess and repent of our sin, it is the same as not wanting to open the door and refusing to invite Christ in to our lives when He comes to us. If that is so, then what right will we have to sit with Jesus on His throne when we go to Him? Revelation 3:21-22, 21 To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.”
Jesus says something important and He uses a word in verse 21 that can easily be ignored or not understood if removed from the context of the previous verses, “To him who overcomes…”, overcomes what? Jesus is referring to the sin of self-reliance that was separating the congregation from His presence and fellowship in their lives. “Overcomes” in Greek it means, get the victory. Wuest in his expanded translation translates “Overcomes” this way, “The one who gains the victory…”. We do not overcome because of our own efforts; Christ did everything for us that is necessary to be overcomers in Him. 56 For sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57 But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NLT.
Are we listening to what the Holy Spirit is telling us in relation to what Jesus said to the Church in Laodicea? If not, why?
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” Revelation 3:22
Pastor John
