Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me. Revelation 3:20
Our text today must be one of the most popular Bible verses for artists! If you Google the first part of the verse, you will see the efforts of many dozens of different artists, most of them good to excellent renderings of the meaning of the verse. Most of them show Christ with knuckles upraised to a closed door that has no knob on the outside. The verse is also very popular – and with good reason – with Gospel preachers. The truth that the Lord Jesus is earnestly pleading for sinners to open to Him is encapsulated in the children’s chorus: ‘At the heart’s door, the Saviour’s waiting, at the heart’s door that’s closed by sin. Don’t you hear Him gently knocking. Draw the bolt, and let Him in.’ While the artists and preachers and chorus authors are making valuable applications of this verse, they do not address its primary purpose, which is directed at Christians, not to sinners, and which is an invitation, not to salvation, but to fellowship.
The context of our verse is a message to those who are Christians, or who at least claim to be Christians. And there are many around us who make that claim. The word Christian refers to that which belongs to Christ. And yet, many of the religious organizations around us have plenty of room for anything and everything but Christ. Some of them are well endowed with formality and ritual and elaborate ceremonies, with lots of lovely singing and fancy ornaments. What does that have to do with the meek and lowly Jesus? Some of them have powerful and influential organizations that have a strong impact on public policy. What does that have to do with the One Who instructs us simply to ‘Follow Me’? Some groups have programs to promote harmony and togetherness with other groups, bridging the gaps of differences in doctrine to unite for common purposes. What does that have to do with the Lord Who instructs us to come out from among them and be separate? Yet other groups will use the Name of Jesus to engage in emotionally charged gatherings that display a lack of control of people’s behaviour. What does that have to do with the Saviour’s desire to have us remember and worship Him? Is the Lord Jesus in those places? Not if they leave Him outside to enjoy their own ideas of Christianity!
In our text, what is the Lord Jesus looking for? He is looking for someone to allow Him to come in and share a time of refreshment and fellowship. Sharing a meal is the way in which we fellowship, and it is the way in which the Lord Jesus fellowships. He instituted a very precious meal only a few hours before His betrayal and arrest, and He instructed His followers to continue that meal until He come. In a more individual way, the Lord Jesus entreats each one of us to allow Him to draw near each day and appreciate time with Him.
The Lord Jesus is not looking for religion today; He is looking for Assemblies and for individuals to admit Him and to appreciate His presence. -Jim MacIntosh