Christ is Knocking
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20
There’s a saying that “a text without context is a pretext.” The way this verse is often used by Christians is a classic example of that. This passage is often referred to in evangelism. A Christian approaches an unbeliever and says, “Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart. Won’t you please allow him to come in? Invite Jesus into your heart.” That way of speaking supposedly comes from Revelation 3:20.
Except it doesn’t. Revelation 3:20 says nothing about the door of your heart. That’s something people have read into the passage. But even more importantly, the context shows us that Jesus wasn’t writing to unbelievers out there in the world. He was writing to the church at Laodicea. He was writing to professing Christians. If we look at verse 19, Christ was addressing those whom he loves. This isn’t a passage relevant for evangelism. It’s a passage relevant for the church.
The original church addressed was in Laodicea, a city located in present day Turkey. One of the things Laodicea was known for was its bad water. There was a river nearby, but it was muddy. The city got its drinking water from some hot springs about 8 km away. The water travelled via aqueduct, and by the time it arrived in the city, it was lukewarm. It wasn’t the most refreshing water to drink.
In this letter to the church of Laodicea, Jesus compares the church to that water. It’s neither hot nor cold. Just lukewarm. It was indifferent and complacent. These Christians had no passion or enthusiasm for Christ and for the gospel. It was like they were in a spiritual coma. They were still Christians, but they were just barely hanging on.
That’s what occasioned the words of verse 20. Jesus said that he was standing at the door of the church and knocking. Not only is he knocking, but he is also calling out to have the door opened to him – notice the mention of his voice, “If anyone hears my voice…” When we hear that Christ is calling out to be let in, we shouldn’t imagine he’s begging to be let in. That’s sometimes the picture portrayed when this passage is used evangelistically. Then Jesus is desperately pleading for the door to be opened for him. It’s almost a picture of Christ as a sort of beggar. But that’s not what’s happening here. He is calling to have the door of his church to be opened for him. Our Lord Jesus has the right to command for the door of his church to be opened for him.
That leads us to the question of exactly what he’s asking for. What does it mean to open the door? Here again, as always, context is crucial. We’ve already noted the sad spiritual condition of the Laodicean church. But then notice what Christ commands them to do in verse 19: “be zealous and repent.” Verse 20 elaborates on that. When Christ calls for the door of the church to be opened for him, he is calling for them to repent of their lukewarmness. The emphasis here is on their human responsibility as Christians to do what Christians do – turn away from sin and turn to God.
The one who is standing outside and knocking and calling is the one who loves them. If he loves them, if he has proven his love for them, then shouldn’t they also love him and respond to his call by repenting? He proved his love for them at the cross, by suffering and dying for them. But he’s also proving his love by reproving and disciplining them. Such love calls for a response of love, a response which is concretely demonstrated by repentance.
Does your church need to open the door for Christ the same way the Laodiceans did? Is your church lukewarm? Every church struggles with lukewarmness to varying degrees – the Laodiceans did to a more significant degree. But really, what about us? What about you personally? Let’s consider this from the perspective of what a church that’s not lukewarm would look like.
If we look at verse 15, it’s about the works such a church does. A non-lukewarm church, a hot church if you will, has a lot of positive, healthy things going on. There is love and unity, a strong sense of fellowship, of being a church family. People look out for one another. No one is lonely or forgotten. No one is bullied or abused. In a non-lukewarm church, a zealous church, the whole congregation loves to study the Bible. Everybody reads it habitually for themselves, but they also love to study it with others. In a non-lukewarm church, there are always plenty of volunteers when something needs to be done. In a healthy church people love the gospel and share whenever they can with whomever they can. I could go on, but I think you get the idea. Is your church lukewarm? Perhaps more than you would care to admit. What is Christ doing knocking at the door? What is his voice saying to us? Repent. Change your ways.
That repentance begins not with others in the church, but with you, personally and individually. The church is a body but it consists of individual members. If we want to see the church be less lukewarm, more zealous, the responsibility falls on us as individuals. If you want to see the church grow hotter, grow stronger, then humbly start with yourself and not with others. Where do you need to repent, change direction, in how you live as a church member?
If we would hear Christ’s voice and open, then there’s something beautiful he promises that will happen. He says, “I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” When Jesus says that he “will come in to him,” he doesn’t mean that he’s going to take up residence inside someone’s heart. It’s just a picture of Christ coming in through the door, entering in.
When there’s repentance, Christ promises that there will be fellowship. That’s what the dinner in this verse symbolizes. In ancient times, eating a dinner together was a way to show that you accepted and honoured someone. There was a good relationship between everyone around the table. Things are beautiful and harmonious.
That harmonious fellowship is portrayed in the Lord’s Supper. Each time we come to this sacrament with repentant hearts, Christ promises to be present with us. We enjoy communion with him as we participate in the Lord’s Supper. We’re then encouraged in our faith and strengthened to continue living a life of repentance, including as members of Christ’s church.
This passage is then pointing ahead to an even greater meal, the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. There’s a reserved seat at that feast for every repentant sinner. Christ has a place for everyone who hears his voice and opens the door through repentance. If someone should refuse his call, then there’ll be no place for them at this feast. It’s much better to hear the knocking, hear the command to open up, and then do it. Repent and you’ll not only feast with Jesus, as verse 21 says, you’ll also sit with him on his throne. You’ll be exalted with him. But it all starts with humbling yourself now.
Christ is indeed knocking at the door. Will you open it for him? “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
