Revelation 3:20-21 The Message
20-21 “Look at me. I stand at the door. I knock. If you hear me call and open the door, I’ll come right in and sit down to supper with you. Conquerors will sit alongside me at the head table, just as I, having conquered, took the place of honor at the side of my Father. That’s my gift to the conquerors!
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
See? Here I Am! Knocking
Revelation 3:20-22 Complete Jewish Bible
20 Here, I’m standing at the door, knocking. If someone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me. 21 I will let him who wins the victory sit with me on my throne, just as I myself also won the victory and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities.”’”
An unexpected knock at your door from a dear friend or family member is a welcome surprise.
Few occasions are as heart warming and precious as seeing a long-absent loved one unexpectedly comes from a great distance, who comes to visit his friend.
“Here I am!” they say as you open your door, their presence fills you with joy.
Jesus stands at our door, knocking.
We may think sometimes that he is far removed from us and our church bodies.
But here he is, by his own revelation, as close as the door to our homes and our church communities. He wants us to see, hear his knocking—he is that close.
And Jesus longs for us to do more!
He wants us to be immediately hospitable, respond and open all our closed doors we have somehow (purposely?) neglected to install any door knob on.
Maybe you are afraid to open the door of your life to Jesus. After all, how does one welcome the Son of God, the Almighty, into their whole life? Or maybe just having Jesus walk inside your church building is as close as you want him to be.
But Jesus keeps standing outside, keeps knocking on the door, eager for us to open our lives to him. He wants to be as close as a beloved friend in our lives.
Proverbs 17:17 Complete Jewish Bible
17 A friend shows his friendship at all times —
it is for adversity that [such] a brother is born.
Proverbs 27:17 Complete Jewish Bible
17 Just as iron sharpens iron,
a person sharpens the character of his friend.
Do not worry about how to welcome Jesus in.
Do not worry about his intentions or reasons for the unexpected visit.
Just be hospitable, just open the door with the biggest and widest smile you can.
He promises to take care of the rest.
He will come in and celebrate with whoever opens the door, bringing joy and abundance and a meal of the finest food, so your life will be filled—with even more than the greatest feasting, fun, and goodness of life you could imagine.
Taking a Selfie, Painting a Self Portrait of You, Jesus
There’s a famous painting that I first saw many years ago that still resonates with me today.
The painter portrays Jesus Christ, looking directly at you, holding a lantern, standing outside of a door, knocking on it and just waiting to be let inside.
However, if you notice, there is no knob on the door for Himself to open it.
Only the person inside of the home, church, can open the door and let Him in.
According to Wikipedia, “The Light of the World (1851-1854) is an allegorical painting by English Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (1827-1910) representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door, illustrating Revelation 3:20.”
Hunt said, “I painted the picture with what I thought, unworthy though I was, to be divine command, and not simply a good subject.” He also mentioned that the lack of handle on the door represented “the obstinately shut mind.”
How many of us have shut Jesus out of not only out of our mind, but our heart?
Over the years, I’ve heard these popular reasons why people don’t choose Jesus.
It is not fashionable or the hottest or latest craze being spread on social media.
Mom and Dad did not do it so why should I?
Who has the time?
Who has the money?
Who has the inclination?
I spoke with a young woman who believes you only live once, so you need to party hard and have fun. She told me that Christianity just isn’t her “thing.”
An older woman told me that one of her Christian friends “finally” stopped talking to her about Jesus and beating her over her head with the Bible.
She was offended because she said that she held her own beliefs with the right to think and say whatever she wants to whoever, and however she wants. Pop culture also says to live your own truth and be the charter of your own destiny.
While all of these takes sound solid and reasonable to a point, they could not be further from the truth.
The Bible clearly teaches us that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.
And the only way to Heaven is through Him (John 14:6).
But Jesus is gentle, kind, so He will never force His way into our heart and life.
Just like Hunt’s painting of Revelation 3:20 shows us, we have to invite Him in.
Revelation 3:20-21 Amplified Bible
20 Behold, I stand at the door [of the church] and continually knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him (restore him), and he with Me. 21 He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne.
This passage of Scripture matters because this world is not our forever home!
Human history on Earth will end and eternity in Heaven will begin for all who have confessed Him as Savior, let Jesus in and have decided to follow Him there.
We are all the worst kind of sinners incapable of saving ourselves, in desperate need of a Savior, but the Gospel news is we have a living Jesus to fill that role. (Romans 3:23)
Meanwhile, we cannot on our own successfully lead ourselves alone, navigate anything and everything in this thorn laden briar patch-life, without a Guide.
The good news is that God is willing and ready and able to lead us through our journey, help us survive all the figurative most energetic storms we encounter.
We have an everlasting hope when we have Him!
He is our only promised and willing and capable and able, everlasting hope!
Genesis 9:11-16 Complete Jewish Bible
11 I will establish my covenant with you that never again will all living beings be destroyed by the waters of a flood, and there will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.” 12 God added, “Here is the sign of the covenant I am making between myself and you and every living creature with you, for all generations to come: 13 I am putting my rainbow in the cloud — it will be there as a sign of the covenant between myself and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth, and the rainbow is seen in the cloud; 15 I will remember my covenant which is between myself and you and every living creature of any kind; and the water will never again become a flood to destroy all living beings. 16 The rainbow will be in the cloud; so that when I look at it, I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of any kind on the earth.”
There’s a beautiful song by Cheri Keaggy called “Part of Your Story.”
She sings that Jesus wants to be part of our life story, but we often don’t think we need Him.
Yet, He continues to shower us with blessings! He wakes us up every morning.
He sends sunshine to brighten our days and rain to water the grass. He’s given us a wide variety of beautiful flowers for us to admire and lovingly share with each other. Yet, the greatest demonstration of God’s love is the sacrifice of His Son (Jesus Christ) who unquestionably knows we are each worth dying for. (John 3:16-17)
The gift of salvation is completely free!
There’s nothing you nor I can do to earn it or deserve it (Ephesians 2:8-9).
All we need to do is hospitably open our doors and let Jesus into our heart.
He wants to spend eternity with us!
John 14:1-7 Complete Jewish Bible
14 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also. 4 Furthermore, you know where I’m going; and you know the way there.”
5 T’oma said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. 7 Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him.”
That’s the whole point.
We have seen Him standing at the door.
We have heard Him knocking at our door.
Now, we need to be hospitable enough to open it and invite Him in?
In these most unusual and distressing of times, are we hospitable enough?
Jesus wants to spend time with you.
He knows you much better than you do and wants the same, you to know Him.
Only He can offer you an abundant life (John 10:10).
If you let Him, He will be your most faithful friend, advocate, counselor, and brother, ultimately your Savior who is the bridge between Earth and Heaven.
Will you go, let God in, and allow His glory to change your story for the better?
Intersecting Faith & Life:
John 10:7-16 Complete Jewish Bible
7 So Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, since he isn’t a shepherd and the sheep aren’t his own, sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf drags them off and scatters them. 13 The hired worker behaves like this because that’s all he is, a hired worker; so it doesn’t matter to him what happens to the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me — 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father — and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep. 16 Also I have other sheep which are not from this pen; I need to bring them, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
If you haven’t invited Jesus to be your personal Savior and truest friend, what do believe are the excuses, the rationales, the theologies behind the hesitation?
How might it feel for you to know that the Creator of the Universe, the One who created you in His own image, loves you and wants to be part of your life story?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord Jesus, what a gift of love and honor you bring by knocking at our door. Please forgive our inhospitality and do come in and transform us by your presence. Amen!
Psalm 23 Complete Jewish Bible
23 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 