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.
Stand - waiting in wonderful condescension and long-suffering.
Knock - a further manifestation of His loving desire for our salvation. Himself "the door" (John 10:7), who bids us "knock," that it maybe "opened unto" us (Matthew 7:7), is first Himself to knock at the door of our hearts. If He did not knock first, we should never come to knock at His door. Song of Solomon 5:2; Song of Solomon 5:4-6, is plainly alluded to; the Spirit here sealing the canonicity of that mystical book. The spiritual state of the bride there, between walking and sleeping, slow to open the door to her divine lover, answers to the lukewarm Laodicea. 'Love toward men emptied God; for He does not remain in His place and call to Him the servant whom He loved, but comes down Himself to seek him; He who is all-rich arrives at the lodging of the pauper, with His own voice intimates His yearning love, seeks a similar return, withdraws not when disowned, is not impatient at insult, and when persecuted still waits at the doors (Nicolaus Cabasilas in Trench).
If any man hear - for man is not compelled; Christ knocks, but does not break open the door, though the violent take heaven by force of prayer (Matthew 11:12). Whosoever hears, does so not of himself, but by the drawings of God's grace (John 6:44): repentance is Christ's gift (Acts 5:31). He draws, not drags. The Sun of righteousness, the moment the door is opened, pours in His light, which could not previously find entrance.
My voice. He appeals to the sinner not only with His hand (His providence) knocking, but with His voice (His word: or rather, His Spirit applying to man's spirit the lessons to be drawn from His providences and His word). If we disregard His knocking at our door now, He will disregard our knocking at His door hereafter. As to His second coming, He is even now at the door (James 5:9); we know not how soon He may knock; we should always be ready to open to Him immediately.
I will come in to him - as I did to Zaccheus.
Sup with him, and he with me. Delightful reciprocity. Compare John 6:56, end. Ordinarily, the admitted guest sups with the admitter: here the divine guest becomes Himself the host, for He is the bread of life, and Giver of the marriage feast. Here again He alludes to Song of Solomon 2:3; Song of Solomon 4:16, where the Bride invites Him to eat pleasant fruits, even as He first prepared a feast for her: "His fruit was sweet to my taste." Compare the same interchange, John 21:9-13, the feast being made up of the viands Jesus brought, and those the disciples brought. The consummation of this blessed intercommunion shall be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, of which the Lord's Supper is the foretaste.