Jesus is the Door

“Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7)

This verse is part of the teachings of Jesus which began in chapter 5 with the Beatitudes and ends in chapter 7:29. “And it happened, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His doctrine. For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” (Matthew 7:28-29) When Jesus taught them the law, He was teaching them something that came from God. As the second person of the Trinity, God the Son, they also came from Him. He taught them as having authority, because He did have authority over what He was teaching them.

Our Scripture of study is one that is both hopeful yet controversial.  People apply this to things in the natural, but it’s not talking about the natural realm.  Jesus ends this discourse with this verse. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11) Luke’s Gospel gives us more insight. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” (Luke 11:13) Luke mentions the Holy Spirit whereas Matthew doesn’t. The Gospels of Mark and John do not mention this teaching but make references to answered prayer.

Luke’s mention of the Holy Spirit seems out of place since the teaching didn’t mention the Holy Spirit, but it’s even more specific in the Vulgate Latin version, “the good gift of the Holy Spirit.” This makes us realize that in Matthew when he wrote “good gifts,” he meant the Holy Spirit and all the benefits that are a result of having the Holy Spirit indwell. That being the case, we can see that asking, seeking and knocking have to do with asking, seeking and knocking for spiritual things.

The NIV translation specifically has translated Matthew 7:7 to read that we knock on a door to be opened. “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” The NIV translation for the Luke verse also refers to knocking on a door. Now Jesus said He was the door. “I am the door. If anyone enters in by Me, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pasture.” (John 10:9) When we know that Jesus is the door, we understand that we knock to enter into salvation through Jesus. We ask for forgiveness. We seek God’s kingdom. We knock to enter. And Jesus opens the door for us to enter into life, into eternity and into salvation by His grace and mercy.

Jesus was not merely teaching about a response to prayer. He always taught in mysteries so that these things would only be revealed to His children by the Holy Spirit. He spoke in allegories in which were hidden deeper spiritual truths. Our flesh focuses on the words, “it shall be given to you” and immediately we think of things we want. But what about the words, “you shall find” and “it shall be opened to you?” In fifty years of Christianity, it has never been explained satisfactorily. 

What are we seeking? We are seeking spiritual things, God’s kingdom, salvation and the Holy Spirit. “Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which when a man has found it, he hides it, and for the joy of it goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.” (Matthew 13:44) The Lord told these parables. The kingdom of God is hidden from those who don’t believe in Him. “Again, the kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46) Again, from a previous teaching, the priority is seeking God’s kingdom. Jesus is the door to the kingdom of God where we knock, and He opens for us to enter.

So, our Scripture of study is about asking for spiritual things and the Father, Who is a good Father, more than any natural father will give us spiritual things. When we seek His kingdom, we will find it. And when we knock at the door of salvation which is Jesus, the only way to salvation, He opens that door so that we can enter in and receive the Holy Spirit.