173. Fellowship Meal
Revelation 3:20 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.
In His writing to the failing church in Laodicea Jesus is calling on them to repent (“be zealous and repent”). Then He gives this conditional promise: if you repent, hear my voice and open the door, then He will come in to you and enjoy table fellowship. Jesus is urging repentance: be willing to admit your fault and guilt and turn to me for forgiveness and life. Repentance includes not only a sorrow for sin and a desire to change but also faith. The Holy Spirit who uses the very words of the Gospel produces repentance and faith in the Gospel. The Lord is ready to forgive and restore a friendly relationship. The Holy Spirit convinces us that the Lord will receive and welcome us into His presence. He makes us willing to listen to Jesus and open the door.
Your sins have separated Me from you; repent and believe the Gospel. When the Holy Spirit opens the door we are surprised by the grace of God that loves us and forgives us because of Christ. He assures us that He is not going to hold our sins against us but rather take them out of the way so that a loving relationship is restored. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to see that God really does love us unconditionally. He loves us so much that He desires an enjoyable relationship with us, and then He actually makes it happen. We enjoy His presence and bask in His love while we share a fellowship meal together. This sharing of life goes on all the time and every time we repent and believe (hear His voice and open the door).
This fellowship and eating together is especially powerful when we participate in the Lord’s Supper: He sups with me and I with Him. Holy Communion is a wonderful foretaste of the Feast to Come. One of the taken-for-granted joys of life is eating together with family and friends; we enjoy this gift every day; the experience is greatly enhanced when we invite Jesus in as Host and Guest. He is the One who prepares a good meal and enjoys the fellowship time with us. This daily blessing is nothing compared to the Marriage Feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom.