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7. Jesus Christ’s Message to the Church Leader of the Laodiceans (Revelation 3:14-21)
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: Jesus told the leader of the church in Laodicea that He was already on the way to him, that He had reached his place, entered his house, and now stood before the living room door. He stood there for the simple reason the door was closed. The preacher had not kept the door of his heart open to the coming Savior. He lived without expecting His imminent coming. That the Lord should come, or when He would come, was not an important matter to him. He thought he had everything he needed; he did not wait for a Savior.
Jesus did not forcibly enter the house or heart of this man, as the executor of God’s judgment. The Lord of the worlds stood humbly at the door and knocked. He did not push the door in, but called clearly the name of the householder and waited. The door had no knob on the outside, for it could only be opened from the inside. The Islamic idea of double predestination finds its end in Jesus. In the Gospel when the Lord decides upon an affair, He does not say, “be”, and it is (Sura 3:47); much more, the Lord waited for the decision of a questionable minister. Jesus does not raise slaves who submit to Him unconditionally, but calls to life children of God who obey Him willfully, in the spirit of love. The image of the Lord knocking at the door of our world had a strong impact upon Islam. In the Qur’an, the Day of Judgment is also called Al-Qari'a (Suras 13:31; 29:4) (In Arabic: the Knocking One), which signifies the end time disaster to break in upon the whole earth.
What a difference we find in Jesus’ revelation to the minister of the church in Laodicea! The Lord of the worlds stood at the door of the heart of the enterprising preacher and knocked. He called his name and waited. His coming did not mean the passing away of the world, or signal a disaster. Rather, His coming was an expression of the “first love” of the Son of God for His messenger, who had become repugnant to Him. The Lord did not destroy him, but struggled for his salvation and the continuance of his church.
The seventh promise in the Revelation of John, about the second coming of Christ, did not have as its goal the execution of justice; rather, it intended to save the worldly church leader from his god – Mammon!
Jesus hoped that the voice of His love would reach and pierce the heart of the indifferent preacher, so that this man might finally remain standing, listen, and open wide the door of his heart to Him. It is a great blessing for a person to hear the voice of Christ, to set the reception of his heart for divine long wave, and to recognize what the Lord wants from him. Jesus is prepared to enter every repenting heart that opens to him at His coming.
Jesus comes to us as a guest. He wants to come to us with His Father and the Holy Spirit to take up residence in us. His coming means the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in us, the entrance of the eternal One into mortal man, and the communion of the Holy One with sinners (John 14:23).
The centurion in Capernaum confessed saying, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof” (Matthew 8:8; Luke 7:6). As such, no man is worthy of receiving Jesus. Yet this heavenly Guest cleanses and sanctifies us that we may become worthy to receive Him. The guest brings the Lord’s Supper with Him. He offers Himself as the meal and says: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life” (John 6:54). Christians are not cannibals, as they were accused of being on the basis of this verse. Rather, Jesus wants to dwell in us, just as the bread and the wine in the Lord’s Supper enter into the body and there form the power for life.
How does our preparedness appear? Are we looking forward to the coming of this holy Guest? Do we express our deep love to Him? Are we thankful for His coming? Do we bow in worship to him? Lord, abide with us, for the evening has come and the day is far spent.
To him who Overcomes I Will Grant to sit With Me on My Throne, as I Also Overcame and Sat Down With My Father on His Throne: Jesus offered the church leader in Laodicea, who had miserably failed, the highest promise! To him that was not worthy of love, Jesus offered all the love that He had. This promise of Jesus Christ is able to melt the most frozen heart. It can warm the heart of those most indifferent and satisfied. The love of Jesus is stronger than sin and death.
Passage through the eye of the needle of self-denial and the putting off of the old man is sparred no one. Only the one who overcomes himself and his love for money in the power of Christ is entitled to take this promise literally. Only the death of the proud “I” and our being freed to become a “you” in the Spirit of Christ forestalls our resurrection. Jesus said in His high priestly prayer, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am” (John 17:24). The indescribably great honor that was offered to the satiated church leader in Laodicea contains an offer to all church leaders on earth, for “there is none who does good, no, not one” (Psalm 14:1; Rom 3:9-18; 23-24).
Jesus made His own overcoming a measure for ours. He trusted that His work of salvation was completed, even though it ended with His death on the cross. He loved His enemies and prayed to God to forgive their sins even when He was being nailed to the cross. It was on the cross that He overcame the wrath of God, the last temptation of the devil, and the right of death over Him and us. Christ is the Victor. From His victory we receive the power to overcome. In us dwell only weakness and failure. But He assures us, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). This is why John could testify, “This is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith” (1 John 5:4).
Jesus testified of His sufferings, death and victory. He also testified of His resurrection, ascension to heaven, and to His glorious sitting on the throne of His Father, as the Holy Spirit testified a thousand years ago through David, “The Lord said to My Lord, ‘sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool’” (Psalm 110:1).
Thrones in the orient are often wide couches on which the ruler can seat his honorable guests beside him, so that they may visibly share in his rule, honor and dignity.
But things are different at the headquarters of world history. It was there that the Father gave the Son all authority in heaven and on earth. He is not afraid of His Son instigating a revolt against Him in heaven, for Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart (Matthew 11:29).
All power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, praise and blessing are centered in Him who sits on the throne and in His Lamb (Revelation 5:12). In this last promise of Jesus, He once again called God His Father. The radiant brightness of the sun pales beside the glory of the Father and the Son. Muhammad denied the divine Sonship of Christ 17 times in the Qur’an. Yet this alters nothing from the fact that the Son sits on the throne and holds world history firmly in His hands.
The hidden glory of the throne of God is illuminated when we recognize how Jesus handled, led and encouraged the church leader in Laodicea: to this indifferent preacher who, because of his love for money, had loaded great transgression upon himself, to this one who heard the strongest words of threat from the mouth of his Lord, who heard the most urgent call to repent, even to this loser Jesus offered His most intimate love and His highest promise. This miserable man was called to sit with Jesus on His throne, to rule and judge with Him, and to behold His glory.
The throne of God and of His Lamb does not only signify glory, power, greatness and judgment, but, above all else, the love of God, which surpasses all understanding. The Holy Trinity is prepared to receive every broken sinner and to take him into Himself if he obeys the draw of Christ’s love and lays aside all his evil, lying and pride (John 17:20-24).
Jesus wrestles for every one of His followers. No one is too bad or evil for Him. He does not give you up, either. The ropes of His love reach to every son or daughter that has gone astray, and especially to every guilty church leader.
PRAYER: We magnify You, living Crucified One, because You approached the unsuccessful minister, who was ugly in Your eyes, and stood at his door to enter and to continue in him. You promised him with the greatest honor to sit with You on Your throne in heaven if he would repent and overcome, by the power of the Holy Spirit, his haughtiness and false imagination, and accept You as his personal Savior. Be merciful to us, O God, in our false imaginations that we may open the door of our hearts immediately to You to enter into us and make us partners of Your greatness by grace.
QUESTION:
- What are the great promises of Jesus to the minister of the church of the Laodiceans?