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REVELATIONS 3:20 “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.” (KJV)
“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.” (NKJV, NASB)
“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.” (NIV)
“Look! I have been standing at the door, and I am constantly knocking. If anyone hears me calling him and opens the door, I will come in and fellowship with him and he with me.” (TLB)
The Light of the World (1851–1854) is an allegorical painting by the English Pre-Raphaelite artist William Holman Hunt (1827–1910) representing the figure of Jesus preparing to knock on an overgrown and long-unopened door. It is probably the most famous painting of Jesus at the door. Of course, He is knocking at the door of my heart. But as a child, looking at a copy of this painting week after week, I had to wonder, how long would Jesus stand and knock on that door?
I didn’t notice it until someone pointed it out years later. There is no door handle on the outside of the door. We suppose this meant that Jesus was ever knocking, but it was up to us to open the door. Hence, the reference in our memory verse this week…if any man hear my voice and open the door.
Later in life, I had a well meaning Christian try to tell me that Jesus already has determined whose door He would knock on and that that, and several other facts were already pre-determined. He believed that only the chosen ones would have salvation open to them. Of course, I had to remind him of Rev 3:20 in which Jesus tells us that if ANY MAN would open the door, He would come into him and have supper with him too! I have given my life to and serve an “any man” Savior!
I couldn’t resist also including above a photo of (anonymously) your hand or mine knocking on a door too. Of course, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus knocks on the door of every man, just begging to come in and give him eternal life. I don’t believe He ever stops knocking (although Scripture tells us that the longer we resist, the weaker that knock can become on our heart). But I also believe, that the door-knocking on people’s lives to accept Jesus needs to be our knuckles too!
Almost gone seem to be the days of door-to-door evangelism. We even go so far as to deride the group that goes from door to door, seeking to spread their “truth” about Jesus in their own way. They may not have all of the truth, or may have even avoided some serious Scriptural truths in what they are attempting to spread…but give them credit, they are out there! When was the last time you knocked on your lost neighbor’s door and tried to tell them about Jesus. We are very much the physical knuckles that are supposed to be knocking on peoples’ doors to tell them about the spiritual knocking Jesus is doing. Oh my! Convicting?
Here again, we are reminded that the road to salvation is not paved with good works. How well you open the door will not save you. How quickly doesn’t either. When we are faithful to tell them, to live a life that reflects Jesus and pray for the lost over and over again, I believe it is possible to see the Holy Spirit working on their lives. Through our spiritual ears, might we even hear that gentle knocking of Jesus on their door?
Surely, it can’t be as easy as just opening up the door? Yes it can. Paul tells us in Romans 10:13, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” We don’t have to be the judge of how effective that call is. We just need to tell them. Then we need to let the Lord keep knocking until they open the door.
What a patient Lord we serve. He doesn’t barge the door down, although He could. He doesn’t just open the door, walk in like an unwelcome guest and overrun us with the logic of His sacrifice for us. He just stands there knocking. Every man’s spirit will hear that knocking at one time in his life. We can resist. We can ignore the knocking. We can choose to not hear it like a child with his fingers in his ears. But Jesus just keeps on knocking.
Apparently, when we open the door to Him, this Scripture tells us He does the rest…He comes in to me, sits down and eats with me and tells me the way to eternal life. And what a way! Nothing I could do would ever earn me eternal life. He did that all for me. I just have to open the door.
We need to remember that. We need to tell others that. What better way to help us do that than to memorize Revelation 3:20 and say it over and over. I hope you will.
Questions to ponder: What did Jesus’ knocking at the door of your heart sound like to you? Do you remember the urge, sensation or feeling you had when you knew you were hearing Jesus call to you and you answered? In what ways can we “drown out” the gentle knocking of Jesus asking to come in? Does Jesus knock on the door of our heart for other reasons too, or just for salvation? Does the reality of our prayer life reflect our ability or inability to continue to hear Jesus as He speaks to us daily?
Other Scriptures to consider: Roman 10:14-15, “…how shall they hear without a preacher.” Paul described his experience to resisting Jesus’ call upon him in Jesus’ own words,
“it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.” (Acts 9:5) Does that bear application to the tendency for some to resist the call of the Lord? 1 Samuel 3:10, the third time the Lord called, he answered, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”
A song to remember: By now you get it. A lot of memory verses I want us to learn have been incorporated into songs that have been sung for years. You may remember I said that I sang a lot of these since my childhood. Here is another example. There are actually several recordings of Revelation 3:20 on YouTube. But I purposely chose this one sung by kids because it reminded me so much of those memories. And a child shall lead them. Enjoy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rtv1SXy9c8
 
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