March 24: LOVE IS THE KEY
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:14
Today we come to the seventh Beatitude of Revelation. John conveys this pronouncement of blessing to the bride from the Bridegroom. In the Jewish wedding tradition, there are Seven Blessings pronounced over the couple as they stand under the wedding canopy, called a chuppah. These blessings are then repeated throughout the following week, expressing joy and hope for a lasting union. It is no coincidence that human history, from the very first wedding in the Garden of Eden, is laid out as seven “days”: Beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day (2 Peter 3:8 – see also Psalm 90:4). We are now very near the end of the sixth day. For the redeemed, the seventh day will be spent in the Heavenly City with the Lord (20:4). Our weekly Sabbath, the seventh day blessed by God (Genesis 2:3), helps us to gain perspective on the Master’s plan to be with His children.
Those who truly desire to honor the Ten Commandments, know that, apart from the power of God’s grace, they are so easily broken. This is why He comes to us to rescue and forgive before we are instructed to “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11 – see also 5:14). It is why the following words appear as a preamble to the Commandments: “I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” (Exodus 20:1) He saves us first, and then He cleans us up (not the other way around!) The key is love. He gave the commandments out of love for us, for our peace and happiness. If we love Him in return, our heart’s desire is to keep them — thus honoring Him with our lives (John 14:15) instead of pursuing our own way (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25). My love for Him allows Him to put His law in my mind and write it upon my heart, as Jeremiah expressed and Paul quoted (Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 10:16).
It is the robe of Christ’s righteousness that brings along with it the right to the tree of life. This is a far cry from the “entitlement mentality” so prevalent today. Such a mindset is from the evil one and is the outworking of self-centeredness. We are to come early and often to the foot of the cross, in utter humility, to present our weaknesses to Him in exchange for His strength. The mention of the tree of life is a beautiful reminder of God’s magnificent plan of restoration: full restoration into His image (God is love!) for all who desire. And where is the tree of life? It is in the beautiful garden of Eden, preserved for us in the Holy City. The right to it means free entrance through the gates into the city.
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:10
For further study: Job 23:12; Psalm 119:98; Isaiah 40:29; 61:10; Jeremiah 32:40; John 15:14; Romans 5:19-21; 2 Corinthians 12:9; 1 John 2:4
Note: In place of “do His commandments” a small minority of Greek manuscripts read “wash their robes.” This may be a copying error, though some see the change as deliberate. Even so, others believe that either reading is true. It is the cleansing blood of Christ that provides us with white robes (7:14) resulting in keeping God’s commandments.