THE GOD OF THE OPEN DOOR
The Garden Tomb, Jerusalem
We have a dog named Picasso. He’s an 18-month-old Goldendoodle who loves it when we take him for a walk or drive. Recently, my wife Christina took the trash out to our garage, came back inside, and continued with her day.
Several hours later, a thought hit her: Where is Picasso? When was the last time I saw Picasso? Oh no, where is Picasso? She started calling out, “Picasso? Picasso? Where are you? Picasso, come.” Nothing.
Just about the time panic was ready to really set in, she heard a sound through the garage door. She opened it and ... there in the dark stood Picasso, tail wagging – even after a couple of hours locked in the garage – and happy to come running back inside.
DOORS
Picasso is not the only one whose life has been impacted by a door.
There are metaphorical doors that have opened for us. A career path may open up, or the door is shut in our face. A relationship can end or find a new beginning.
Then there are actual doors. Doors can be used to welcome people in. When we have friends over, we welcome them with a wide-open door. Doors are also used to shut intruders out. We close and lock our doors before going to bed at night. Doors can be used as an entry point or an exit, a gateway or a barrier.
We see all sorts of doors in the Bible. I want to call your attention to one, because we can easily make the case that it is the most important door in the history of the world, and the most significant in your life.
THE CLOSED DOOR
In Jesus’ final hours, he was wrongly accused before the Chief Priests and the Roman governor Pilate. Soldiers stripped off his clothes, placed a crown of thorns on his head, and then struck him on his head again and again. They made him carry his cross and then crucified him between two thieves.
After he died, a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea, took his body and placed it in his own tomb. Then, “He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away” (Matthew 27:60).
That stone appeared to be a closed door on Jesus’ story. He had claimed to be God. He let people know that God is for everyone, not just the pure and religious, but also the sinful and irreligious. Everyone was invited into a relationship with God.
But now this. Jesus was dead, and so was the hope of everyone who had put their faith in him. The closed door of the tomb containing his dead body left everyone believing the pathway from them to God was closed as well.
That was Friday.
THE OPEN DOOR
But on Sunday, something happened to that door.
“After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone” (Matthew 28:1-2).
The stone was rolled away – the door was open – and the tomb was empty.
Typically, if you find something empty, it’s a bad thing.
You grab the milk container out of the refrigerator, only to discover it’s empty. Why did whoever drank it last put it back in the fridge?
You go into the pantry, grab the bag of Doritos, and ... only crumbs are inside. Noooo!
Some people feel empty inside. That’s a bad thing.
But on this day, finding something empty was a great thing. It meant Jesus was alive.
It took a minute for Mary to understand that. At first, she was confused when she saw the stone was rolled away, but God sent an angel to speak to her. He explained, “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead” (Matthew 28:6-7).
I love that the angel invited Mary to “come and see the place where he lay.” He wanted her to go into the empty grave and see for herself.
I grew up thinking the stone was rolled away so Jesus could get out. That’s not what the gospel writers record. The stone wasn’t rolled away so Jesus could get out; the door was opened so we could come in, see, and believe.
Jesus was already out. The door was opened for us!
No one could overcome the closed-door barrier they erected with their sin that kept them from God ... until Jesus broke down the barrier and opened the door for us.
And, if we accept his grace offer through faith, we will experience life after death, just like Jesus did.
“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins ... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ ... For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:2, 4-6, 8-9)
God wants to make you alive in Christ, and he can because Jesus opened the door.
GOD WANTS TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR YOU
Our dog Picasso was stuck in the garage because he didn’t have the ability to turn a door knob. He needed someone to open the door for him.
We’re the same way. Just like Picasso locked in the garage, we’ve become imprisoned by our sin, shame, guilt, addictions, and hopelessness.
The good news is that we can you can be free through Jesus. It needs to happen through Jesus because you don’t have the ability to turn the door knob that leads to life. Remember that verse in Ephesians said, “you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”
You couldn’t free yourself, so Jesus did it for you. He turned the knob by dying on the cross, and opened the door through his resurrection. Because of his great love for us, God will make you alive in Christ through your faith in saying yes to his offer of grace.
If you are a Christian, you are no longer imprisoned and without hope! What a blessing!
If you are not yet a Christian, Jesus wants you to know you are welcomed in. He says, in Revelation 3:20, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Another translation puts it, “I will come in and we will share a meal as friends.”
I love that. Jesus wants to come into your life, not to condemn you or point out your sins, but to make you alive and to share this new life with you as your friend.
God has opened the door for you and me. The only question that is left to answer is whether we will walk through.
TAKE ACTION
If you desire to walk through the door that Jesus has opened through his death and resurrection, I invite you to pray this simple prayer with me right now and tell God that you are ready:
Heavenly Father,
I am a sinner in need of a savior.
I believe Jesus died for my sins
and rose again on the third day.
And I am choosing today,
to confess my sin,
to receive your forgiveness,
and to follow you all the days of my life.
Amen.
If you just prayed that prayer, welcome to the worldwide family of believers who have done the exact same! I believe your future is bright, and there is a wonderful adventure of faith ahead of you.
I encourage you to begin reading the story of Jesus for yourself (start with the book of John in the Bible) and find a church near you that can help you grow in your newfound faith.
*If this has been helpful, please send me a message and let me know. And please share this post with others who could benefit. My writing aims to help people enjoy a vibrant relationship with Jesus, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. To read previous newsletters, visit www.bradjenkins.me/blog. To sign up for my free newsletter about life, leadership, and the Bible, subscribe at www.bradjenkins.me/subscribe.