Introduction
Have you ever missed someone knocking on your door? Whether because you didn’t hear it, were too busy, or just intentionally ignored it, how would you feel if you discovered that you missed out on something special at the door?
One of the strongest calls to revival to the church is given by Jesus in His revelation delivered to the Apostle John through supernatural vision:
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
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.
It’s long been my opinion and interpretation of Scripture that if we knew Christ better, we would live differently and most certainly seek revival. After the last of Jesus’ messages to the seven churches, specifically to the lukewarm church of Laodicea, He reminds us of several things that provide evidence that supports this opinion (Revelation 3:19):
- He loves the church – this should be beyond any doubt, but Christ Himself expressed it in Word again to ensure we understood – He reminds the church of His love for us, a love so strong and without condition that He willingly died to demonstrate His love.
- He rebukes and chastens the church – in the midst of our indifference and rebellious heart, Christ rebukes the church with His Word and Spirit.
- He desires for the church to be zealous – in many ways, this relates directly to revival: be energetic, passionate, devoted, committed, dedicated, intense and even fanatical in some ways – crazy in love with Christ!
- He calls the church to repentance – that is, the church needs to have the same opinion of sin as Christ and be willing to turn from that sin and return to Christ, recognize who He is: the supreme focus of our first love.
Immediately after this call to repentance, Jesus issues a declaration that is shocking, especially considering that He is speaking to the church: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door…” This statement should haunt believers who dwell in the body of Christ, yet often don’t hear Him when He speaks and even more often don’t respond. I’ve come to the conclusion that the door doesn’t get opened because we as a church don’t recognize WHO is behind the door.
With this passage in mind, I’ll begin to explore that person knocking at the door of revival – Jesus. Rather than ask the question, “Who is He?”… I’ll marvel at WHO HE IS!
I plan to examine this in four parts:
- The Immediate Revelation of Jesus from the three chapters leading up to the startling passage from Revelation 3:19-20
- The Old and New Testament Revelation of Jesus through apostolic testimony and prophecy
- The Personal Revelation of Jesus from His own testimony in the gospels
- The Finished Revelation of Jesus from the final passages of the Bible in Revelation 4 through22
Part 1: The Immediate Revelation of Jesus
To learn much about Jesus Christ and wonder at the marvelous glory that is His alone, one only needs to start reading the Book of Revelation. The first three chapters provide much that describes Jesus and learning these things, reflecting on them and keeping them in remembrance at all times, would benefit the individual and the church much. In fact, the study of this particular book brings a guaranteed blessing as each element that describes Jesus calls us to worship and adore Him.
The revelation and realization of Jesus Christ brings new life to the lost and revival to the church. So, let’s start at the beginning and list those things that can help us marvel at who’s behind the door knocking…
1. He is Jesus Christ
2. He is the Faithful Witness
3. He is the First Begotten of the Dead
4. He is the King of the Earth
5. He is the One Who Loved Us
6. He is the One Who Washed Us From Our Sins in His Own Blood
7. He is the One Who has Made Us Kings and Priests unto God
8. He is the One Who Cometh in the Clouds
9. He is the One Who will be Seen by Everyone
10. He is the Alpha and Omega
11. He is the Beginning and the End
12. He is the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come
13. He is the Almighty
14. He is the One with a great voice, as of a trumpet
15. He is the First and the Last
16. He is the One like unto the Son of Man
17. He is the One with eyes as a flame of fire
18. He is the One with a countenance as the sun shineth
19. He is the only One Who Lived and Died and is Alive Forevermore
20. He is the One Who possesses the keys of hell and death
21. He is our First Love
22. He is the One Who has the sharp sword with two edges
23. He is the Son of God
24. He is the One Who has eyes like a flame of fire
25. He is the One Whose feet are like fine brass
26. He is the One that has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars
27. He is the One that is holy
28. He is the One that is true
29. He is the One that hath the key of David
30. He is the One that openeth, and no man shutteth
31. He is the One that shutteth, and no man openeth
32. He is the One Who comes quickly
33. He is the Amen
34. He is the faithful and true witness
35. He is the beginning of the creation of God
Revelation 3:14 (KJV)
Think about what is written in these three brief chapters – the revelation of Jesus Christ from His own testimony. How marvelous it is to know Jesus; to realize Who He is and to have sweet communion with Him! These thirty-five characteristics reveal much to marvel at, to wonder about and to fall in love with – the One behind the door knocking waiting for a response… what will that response be?
Coming next: Part Two: The Old and New Testament Revelation of Jesus
