An exposition on Revelation 3:20 (Inspired by John G. Reisinger)
(Scripture taken from the Berean Standard Bible)
“See! 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 (BSB)
This verse is often quoted warmly, as though Jesus is gently pleading outside the hearts of all people, waiting—perhaps even hoping—that someone will hear and let Him in. But is this really the picture given in the full counsel of Scripture? Is our Lord wringing His hands outside every human heart, helpless unless the sinner opens the door? Let’s take a closer look.
Who May Hear and Open?
The question is simple: Who is able to respond to Christ’s knock? Is this invitation to every man, woman, and child without distinction or limitation?
To answer, we must read beyond the single verse and examine what the Spirit says. Verse 22 of the same chapter gives a clarifying call:
“Let anyone who has ears to hear listen to what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Revelation 3:22 (BSB)
There is the key. Not everyone has ears to hear. Not everyone is spiritually attuned to the voice of the Savior. The invitation in verse 20 is given, but it is heard only by those who have been given ears to hear. So, who are they?
The Nature of Man’s Heart
The natural man does not desire to open the door. He loves his sin. He is not merely sick—he is dead in trespasses (Ephesians 2:1). Scripture does not flatter us in this regard.
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” – Revelation 21:27 (BSB)
There is a restriction here. Those whose hearts remain in impurity and deceit will never enter the kingdom, let alone sit in fellowship with Christ. Only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life—those chosen, called, and cleansed—will come in.
Not All Can Open the Door
Some will say, “Christ has done His part; now it’s up to you to open the door.” But is that the teaching of Scripture? If left to ourselves, we will never open. In fact, we would bolt the door shut.
Let us consider Jesus’ own words in John 10:1–5:
“The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens it for Him, and the sheep hear His voice. He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out. … The sheep follow Him because they know His voice.” – John 10:2–4 (BSB)
Christ is not calling out to goats hoping they might become sheep. He calls to His sheep, and they respond. They know His voice. Others may hear the sound of preaching, but it is only the sheep who recognize the Shepherd’s voice and follow Him.
This aligns perfectly with Revelation 3:20. Who opens the door? Those who hear His voice. And who hears? The sheep.
Ability and Grace
The doctrine here is plain: Not all men have the ability to open the door. We cannot preach that salvation is available to all in such a way that God becomes dependent on the sinner’s willingness. Christ does not stand as a beggar. He stands as King.
He initiates. He calls. He awakens the dead. He gives ears to hear. Without this divine work, no one would open the door.
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him.” – John 6:44 (BSB)
Imagine an ear—not merely the outer ear of flesh, but the inner ear of the soul. It is not shaped by cartilage and skin alone, but by the sovereign hand of God, who forms hearts as easily as He shaped the stars.
This ear, once deaf to divine truth, was like stone. The voice of the Lord would thunder, yet it heard nothing but silence. Preaching would fall like rain on hard ground—no echo, no fruit, no life. The heart was closed, the soul asleep, the spirit uninterested.
But then—ah, then!—God touched it.
“Then the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.” – Isaiah 35:5 (BSB)
With the same voice that called Lazarus from the tomb, Christ called, “Live.” And the stony ear softened. The soul stirred. The silence broke. The voice that once seemed distant now spoke with warmth, with weight, with life.
The ear that hears God’s voice is not proud, not distracted, not defiant. It is humble. It leans in. It listens.
It is like the ear of Samuel, lying still in the night, whispering, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 3:10)
It is like the sheep’s ear, pricking up at the familiar sound of the Shepherd’s voice. It does not follow strangers, for it knows the difference between noise and truth.
This ear is attuned—not by discipline alone, but by grace. It has been circumcised of its dullness. It is awake, and it loves the sound of the Master’s call.
And when Christ knocks, it doesn’t merely hear a sound—it recognizes a Person. The door opens.
“My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.” – John 10:27 (BSB)
Yes, the ear that hears God’s voice is a miracle, not a merit. It is evidence of a heart made alive. And from it flows a life of following—step by step, word by word, forever drawn to the voice that called it out of darkness.
The Wonder of Fellowship
But oh, the beauty of this promise! “I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with Me.” This is more than entry—it is fellowship. It is union and communion with the risen Christ. It is the intimacy of shared life, shared joy, shared love.
It is a personal visitation from the Savior of the world. And it is only possible because He first loved us. He first came to us. He knocked, yes—but He also gave us ears to hear and hearts made willing by grace.
Conclusion
Revelation 3:20 is not a sentimental invitation to human effort, but a gracious promise to those whom the Spirit has awakened. He knocks at the door of His own. The sheep hear His voice. And when the door opens, He comes in—not as a stranger, but as a Friend, a Redeemer, a King.
Let us proclaim this truth clearly: Christ is mighty to save—but He saves those whom the Father has given Him. To such as these, the knock is not futile—it is effectual. And the fellowship? Glorious.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” – Revelation 3:22 (BSB)
May our ears be such ears—graced, awakened, and always listening.
Amen.
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