REVELATION 3:14-22
2. Christ counsels them to be zealous and to repent. Note what Christ says: He loves them. They are lukewarm and in-
different to Him, only half-committed to Him, but He still loves them. The word used for love (philo) means a dear love, a
tender, fatherly love. This is the reason He rebukes and chastens the lukewarm and half-committed person. It is not out of
anger that Christ tells people they are doing wrong, sinning, coming short, and are doomed. He tells them out of love. They
must know they are doing wrong in order to correct their behavior. They must know that judgment lies ahead so that they
will do whatever is needed to save themselves. The Lord’s rebuke and chastening hand is for one purpose only: Christ loves
them and wants them to see their wrong, correct their behavior, and change their lives. He wants people to possess the ful-
ness of life and the hope of eternal life.
Note: the matter is so critical that Christ exhorts them to be zealous in repenting. The word zealous means to boil and burn
with zeal, sincerity, and earnestness in repenting. It means to burn a path to repent; to get to the matter of repenting immediately.
Being lukewarm and half-committed to Christ is so serious a matter that a person must repent immediately. A person cannot af-
ford one minute more before repenting. He is bordering on being spued out of the mouth of Christ (v.16).
3. Christ counsels them to open the door of their heart and to let Him in. This is one of the most beautiful and mea-
ningful pictures of Christ in all of Scripture. At least five scenes are being pictured.
a. There is the standing Christ. He stands at the door. This symbolizes His readiness to enter the life of a
person. He is the One who takes the initiative to save man.
g159 He is the One who has walked over and come to man. Man has not come to Him.
g159 He is the One who has approached man. Man has not approached Him.
Jesus Christ stands before the heart of man as the Savior of the world, as loving man so much that He has
come into the world to save man. He is the One who has travelled such a great distance from the majesty of
heaven down to man’s heart.

“The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a con-
trite spirit” (Ps.34:18).
“The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth”
(Ps.145:18).
“And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even
the Son of man which is in heaven” (Jn.3:13).
“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the
world....For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent
me” (Jn.6:33, 38).
“This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and
not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread,
he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life
of the world” (Jn.6:50-51).
“Jesus said unto them, If God were your Father, ye would love me: for I proceeded
forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me” (Jn.8:42).

b. There is the knocking Christ. He stands at the door and knocks. This symbolizes the seeking Christ. Christ
has not only come to earth and walked over to man’s heart, He knocks upon the heart of man; He actively
seeks to enter man’s heart. He knocks and knocks at the door of man’s heart and He refuses to give up. He
keeps on knocking and knocking for man to open up and let Him in. Christ knocks so much that a person
has to either open up or deaden his ears to the knock.

“How think ye? if a man have an hundred sheep, and one of them be gone astray, doth
he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains, and seeketh that which is
gone astray?” (Mt.18:12).
“What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the
ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” (Lk.15:4).
“Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a
candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it?” (Lk.15:8).
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk.19:10).
“The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto
him, Follow me” (Jn.1:43).
“Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made
whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee” (Jn.5:14).
“Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him,
Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” (Jn.9:35).

c. There is the pleading Christ. He pleads for entrance. This symbolizes the compassion of Christ. He not only
knocks, He pleads and begs for man to open His heart. He is merciful and full of compassion. He knows
what life should be, for He created life. Therefore, He knows that life must be lived in wholehearted
commitment to righteousness or else it is wasted and doomed. He longs for man to have real life, abundant
and eternal life. Therefore, He knocks and keeps on knocking at the door of a man’s heart, and while He is
knocking, He pleads and begs for the man to hear Him.

Thought 1. How often people hear the voice of Christ yet they refuse to let Him in! They hear His voice when
they hear the Word of God preached and taught or witnessed to by a dynamic minister or some believer or from
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