I Stand at the Door and Knock
Revelation 3:20 has been on my mind a lot recently. For some reason I keep getting stuck on the complexity of that one piece of scripture. It has some interesting implications - let me share a few with you.
First, let’s read the scripture:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” - Revelation 3:20
Where do we begin breaking this down? Here are some things that jump out at me:
Jesus is knocking at the door. He’s the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords - He doesn’t need to knock at the door. He has the authority to kick down the door and claim what belongs to Him. He owns the house, and really, the people inside the house as well. The asking of permission Jesus demonstrates in just the first sentence shows just how much He cares for us. God doesn’t want to force himself on us - that would be unloving, and therefore it would be against His nature. He asks to be let into our homes and into our lives, but He gives us the freedom to resist Him.
Jesus wants to sit with us and share a meal. Imagine for a moment that the President shows up at your door around 5:45 tonight, and he wants to share dinner with you. Last night, I made grilled cheese sandwiches on Wonder bread for dinner. I don’t think that’s a meal fit for the leader of the free world, do you? To create a meal that honors such a person would require intense preparation and effort; Planning the menu, getting the ingredients, cooking, then serving, not to mention the house cleaning that needs to happen before guests arrive. Compare that earthly reality to Jesus in this verse - Jesus doesn’t require rich food and drink. He doesn’t criticize our inability to provide Him the honor of which He is worthy. He is humble and kind to us. He doesn’t burden us with extra duties. He meets us where we are, and enjoys what we have to offer him, even if it’s a plain grilled cheese.
Also, consider what happens when people sit down for a meal together. It’s a time of connection and sharing. It’s a time of nourishment for the body, and also the spirit. It’s no coincidence that Jesus spent some of the last hours of His life sharing a meal with His closest friends. How fitting, then, that He desires to do the same with us. He made us co-heirs with Him, adopted brothers and sisters. Closer than merely friends, we are bonded together as family.
I would urge all of us to pause during our routine scripture reading and consider the implications of the words we’re reading. In two sentences, Jesus demonstrates his faithfulness and kindness, without ever having to tell us that He is faithful and kind. Those attributes are apparent in His words and actions, and they line up perfectly with His nature in the New Testament, and with the Father’s nature throughout the entirety of the Bible. I’m so thankful that God reinforces what I know about him in new ways through His Word!
Jordan Martin
JULY 14, 2021
First, let’s read the scripture:
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” - Revelation 3:20
Where do we begin breaking this down? Here are some things that jump out at me:
Jesus is knocking at the door. He’s the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords - He doesn’t need to knock at the door. He has the authority to kick down the door and claim what belongs to Him. He owns the house, and really, the people inside the house as well. The asking of permission Jesus demonstrates in just the first sentence shows just how much He cares for us. God doesn’t want to force himself on us - that would be unloving, and therefore it would be against His nature. He asks to be let into our homes and into our lives, but He gives us the freedom to resist Him.
Jesus wants to sit with us and share a meal. Imagine for a moment that the President shows up at your door around 5:45 tonight, and he wants to share dinner with you. Last night, I made grilled cheese sandwiches on Wonder bread for dinner. I don’t think that’s a meal fit for the leader of the free world, do you? To create a meal that honors such a person would require intense preparation and effort; Planning the menu, getting the ingredients, cooking, then serving, not to mention the house cleaning that needs to happen before guests arrive. Compare that earthly reality to Jesus in this verse - Jesus doesn’t require rich food and drink. He doesn’t criticize our inability to provide Him the honor of which He is worthy. He is humble and kind to us. He doesn’t burden us with extra duties. He meets us where we are, and enjoys what we have to offer him, even if it’s a plain grilled cheese.
Also, consider what happens when people sit down for a meal together. It’s a time of connection and sharing. It’s a time of nourishment for the body, and also the spirit. It’s no coincidence that Jesus spent some of the last hours of His life sharing a meal with His closest friends. How fitting, then, that He desires to do the same with us. He made us co-heirs with Him, adopted brothers and sisters. Closer than merely friends, we are bonded together as family.
I would urge all of us to pause during our routine scripture reading and consider the implications of the words we’re reading. In two sentences, Jesus demonstrates his faithfulness and kindness, without ever having to tell us that He is faithful and kind. Those attributes are apparent in His words and actions, and they line up perfectly with His nature in the New Testament, and with the Father’s nature throughout the entirety of the Bible. I’m so thankful that God reinforces what I know about him in new ways through His Word!
Jordan Martin
JULY 14, 2021
Recent
Archive
2022
March
But Do You Know His Heart?When God Gets in the WayMended with GoldYoung WarriorsRepentance and BaptismThe Trap of ComparisonCleanses from Dead WorksHeavenManna No MoreDon't Miss What God is DoingI Stand at the Door and KnockLovesickSeek WisdomPrescription for a Forgetful HeartImagine This Story...Give Him EverythingHopeRahab and IttaiObedienceHis Love Makes All the Difference: A TestimonyPromisesTruth and FeelingsCount the CostKeep WatchNew Year, New YouNot Me, But HimReflectionA Good BossTo Know the Love of ChristDon't Be Stuck, Be Trained Up
July
August
September
Categories
no categories
No Comments