Together in Christ: 'Open the Door of Your Heart' — Revelation 3:20

Friday, September 13, 2024

Merry Christmas!

We pray the Lord blesses you with the grace of Jesus' presence this Christmas!

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[Jesus said,] "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."
— Revelation 3:20 NLT

Key Thought

When Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem to register for the census, no one offered them a room. [1] They stayed where animals slept. Joseph and Mary's family forced the newborn Messiah to be born in a stable. Remember, this was the ancestral family home for Joseph and Mary. [2] It was where all of their family members would have gone. In other words, their own family members would not invite them inside. They were alone; even their families rejected them.

The community and family rejection of Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus rightly infuriates and saddens us. However, the Holy Spirit wants us to ask ourselves, "Have I left Jesus outside the door of my heart?" Please notice that this message is directed to church members, NOT unbelievers. [3] Jesus gave this message to the members of the church in Laodicea who were lukewarm and repulsive to Him! [4] He was begging them to let Him in the door of their hearts and their congregation to bring them life and hope again! Because they thought they were rich and "had it all," they allowed themselves to become spiritually poor and blind. [5] They may have talked about Jesus frequently, but He wasn't their Lord, only their mascot. Their faith was on the verge of extinction. The Lord was on the brink of not recognizing them as His church! [6] They were as bad — even worse — than all those family members who refused to provide a room for the Messiah to be born!

Please, dear brother or sister in Christ, let's open the doors of our hearts to Jesus! Read the four gospels — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Let's seek, learn, and obey the real Jesus! Let's invite Him into our lives and ask Him to live in us and do His work in us and through us. Jesus longs to come into our lives. He wants to be God's presence to live with us, sustain us, empower us, and provide us with lasting hope! [6] Jesus yearns to share life with us as our friend [7] as well as our Lord.

[1] Luke 2:5-7.
[2] Luke 2:1-5. At first glance, there appears to be no definite statement that Mary was descended from David, but you will notice slight differences in the genealogies of Luke 3:23-38 and Matthew 1:1-16 (NASB). The traditional understanding is that Matthew traced Jesus' lineage through Mary to David. The tip-off of this truth is Matthew's deviation from his norm of talking about a father begetting a son in his genealogy, which avoids saying Joseph was the father of Jesus: Jacob was the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, by whom Jesus was born, who is called the Messiah" (Matthew 1:16 NASB).
[3] Revelation 3:14, 22 — Some might argue that the invitation is to "anyone" as said in Revelation 3:20 NIV, but we must remember the context of that "anyone:" those who were a part of one of Jesus' churches!
[4] Revelation 3:15-16.
[5] Revelation 3:16-18.
[6] Revelation 3:19, 2:4-5.
[7] John 15:14-15. John 14:23 indicates that these two verses are part of what Jesus said about "all who love me."

Today's Prayer

Father, revive us through the power of the Holy Spirit and the presence of Jesus in our hearts. Draw close, indwell, and empower us. We need Your presence and power to be the people and the churches that bring honor to Jesus as Lord and share His Good News with the lost and broken. I ask this in His name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Revelation 3:14-22
  • John 14:21-23, 15:9-17

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Illustration

Illustration of Revelation 3:20 NLT — [Jesus said,] "Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends."

About This Devotional

Together in Christ is a daily devotional that focuses on what Scripture teaches about godly living in relationships.

'Together in Christ' is written by Phil Ware.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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