“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 him, and he with me.” – Revelation 3:20
William Holman Hunt was born in London in 1827. A clerk for several years, in 1844, he left the world of trade to study at art at Britain’s Royal Academy. There he joined with John Millais and Dante Rossetti to develop the Pre-Raphaelite theories of art and, in 1848, to found the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood. In the winter of 1851, Hunt became interested in Revelation 3:20 and began painting the scene. For two years he worked at his Worcester Park to paint The Light of the World. Millais was present when much of the work was completed and he saw how enraptured Hunt was as he painted the allegorical painting. In The Light of the World, Jesus is holding a lamp and knocking on a door. The door is overgrown with brambles; there are rusty hinges; and a sad, clear stare on the face of Christ. When Hunt was finished, he turned to Millais and asked what he thought. “Holman,” said Millais “you have left off a very important part of the door. You left off the handle of the door.” Hunt replied, “This door is a picture of the human heart, and the handle of the door is on the inside.”
Christ stands knocking at the door of every human heart. But each of us has a choice whether to open our heart’s door or not and to receive Him as Lord and Savior. Do you hear Christ knocking at the door of your heart? Today in prayer, welcome Christ into your heart and receive Him as Lord of your life.
“The Lord Jesus Christ has moved heaven and hell to get to the door of your heart, but when He gets there, He will stop and knock. You will have to open the door to let Him in.” – J. Vernon McGee
God’s Word: “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-” – John 1:12
By Peter Kennedy, Copyright 2002, Devotional E-Mail DEVOTIONS IN REVELATION pkennedy@devotional.com