THE PURPOSE OF DOORS

Doors are designed to restrict access into a space under the authority of the owner.  In order to enter a room, one should have his or her permission.  But because many would violate the wishes of the owner, it became necessary to find a way to secure the area.  Doors were originally barred, but that only worked when someone was inside to bar and unbar it.  Eventually, locking systems were invented to enable everyone to leave and still have access to the vacated space.  

With that in mind, the Bible has much to say about doors.  The word "door" appears 189 times in 173 verses in the King James Bible; it is found in 78 verses in the Pentateuch (the first five books in the Old Testament), and in 66 verses from Joshua to Malachi, for a total of 144 verses in the Old Testament.  And while it appears in only 29 verses in all of the New Testament, it is there that we discover the "Mysterious Door"; the "Only Door" to heaven:  Jesus! 

The Mysterious Door
In John 10:1-9, Jesus identified Himself as the "Door" (v. 7, 9).  Mark wrote that Christ's First Advent was a mystery to the Jews (Mk. 4:11), and it was a constant theme of the Apostle Paul as well (Rom. 11:25; 16:25; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:9; 3:3, 4, 9; 5:32; 6:19; Col. 1:26-27; 2:2; 4:3).  Perhaps the verse that expresses this best is 1 Timothy 3:16, in which Paul wrote, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory."

The Only Door
Jesus is not just a "door to heaven," He is THE Door to heaven!  He, in describing Himself, said, "I AM THE Way, THE Truth, and THE Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me" (Jn. 14:6, emphasis mine).  There are those who try to "break in" by doing religious works, by Jesus called them thieves (Jn. 10:1-10).  In Revelation 3:8, Jesus tells the Church having a relationship with Him, "I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My name."  Unfortunately, in the same chapter, we find "the religious church" slamming the door in the Lord's face.  John wrote, "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."

Jesus opened the Door at the cross.  Will you enter, or slam it in His face?