A knock at the door:
What is your first thought?
‘Who is it?’ your mind rapidly asks. “Who is it?’ your voice may even inquire loudly?
Perhaps you know who to expect and will just open the door to welcome your guest. Or in a more hostile environment you might even ask, ‘Friend or foe?’
The door stands as the remaining barrier between you and the unseen ‘friend or foe,’ the known guest or unknown visitor who has come to meet you face to face in the place where you live.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” invites the painting which does grace the walls of many homes and houses of worship.
The friendly guest is none other than the Lord, Jesus.
I have heard a sermon or two using the illustration of Jesus at the door – some based on the actual scripture; other messages from the pulpit using the picture to illustrate other applications of other scriptures.
(Personally, I had forgotten for a moment the source of this scene.) The author, through the Spirit, is not an unexpected guest to the Apostle. The context, perhaps a bit unexpected for this tranquil scene, is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John.
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John…
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Greeting to the Seven Churches
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia:
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, 5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth.
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood 6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
The Apostle John then describes his vision and prophesy from the Risen Christ Jesus and continues with Christ’s word to each of seven churches.
STOP. Do not be deceived for an instant that this Revelation of Christ Jesus does not apply to you and me (even though addressed to ‘seven churches of Asia’ in the first century).
We are the church – the churches of Christ Jesus in this day. The Revelation is timely to Christ’s Church worldwide (catholic, universal, orthodox, protestant, Greek, Roman, etc.): ALL who are true Christians, faithful to our One Lord, who IS faithful and true.
Behold, it is Christ who knocks at the door.
Look! See the Word of scripture. Listen to the Voice of Jesus.
What is your answer to His word to each of the seven churches? [See Revelation 2-3]
To the Church in Laodicea
[He has kept this Revelation until last for the seven churches.]
14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.
15 “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot.
Is Jesus (at the door of your heart) a friend?
OR is Jesus, the Amen and final Judge of all souls, a foe?
“I know your works,” says the Lord.
He knows our love. (OR He knows our lack of love.)
He knows our faith or lack of faith.
He knows our service for Him or our lack of fruit for His Kingdom.
Imagine that our risen Lord Jesus comes to your door and confronts you with this:
Would that you were either cold or hot!
16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold,
I will spit you out of my mouth.
To be continued…
