Are You Wedding Ready?
"Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is READY, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore GO into the highways, and as many as you find, INVITE to the wedding . . . And the wedding hall was FILLED with guests." (Matthew 22:8-9)
READY...
GO...
INVITE...
FILL...the wedding hall
In short, these key words in this parable reveal the gracious heart of the Lord to gather as many people as possible who are willing to believe and receive Him in order to become united with Jesus in the glorious marriage supper that is now ready. O how amazing it is to be invited...and then to be united with Christ in perfected glory forever! That is truly the happiest of endings for all who believe!
READY: All things have been prepared by God so the invitation has gone out...But those who should have been first to receive the invitation were NOT WILLING to come. They made light of it and gave their own excuses. This tells the tragic story of Israel's history as they did not remain true to the covenant that God entered into with them. But it also speaks to all those who have heard the truth and are not living according to the words of the Lord.
God was ready and willing but the people were not. The children of Israel and its leaders had turned their hearts away from God and worshipped and served other gods, committing harlotry with them. They were more drawn and enticed by the things of this earth and were more mindful of the things of men than of God.
How about YOU? ...Are you making light of the calling of God that has come to you? Are you prepared for the wedding feast that you have been invited to?
GO and INVITE: The parable has a living and timeless dimension to it in that God is still calling out to all who hear His invitation. Will you not only respond to this invitation and receive the salvation the Lord has provided for you but will you GO out and INVITE others to this wedding? Will you be His faithful servants?
This gracious invitation should go to you and also through you!
The parable teaches that not only did some reject the invitation but some even murdered the faithful servants who were sent to make it known. This represents the persecution of God's prophets of old and continues with those who are still witnesses of Christ today. Although it may come with opposition, the invitation is too great to keep to ourselves. We must KNOW CHRIST and GO and make Him known until all hear and the house is filled! This represents the Great Commission until the end of the age.
FILLED: What an amazing thing it is that our loving and merciful God wants His house to be FULL. He keeps sending out the invitation in all directions to all peoples and nations at all times. And why? Because our God desires that all men be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) and that none shall perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), so that the marriage between Christ and His redeemed bride will be absolutely full of His grace and glorious forever!
But...here lies the main issue, "many are called but few are chosen."
This brings up the issue of the missing wedding garment. Did you know that there is a dress code for this wedding? We cannot say yes to the invitation while trusting in our own righteousness at the same time. We learned in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteousness is like "filthy rags" to the Lord. Therefore, we must say as David did, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You" (Psalm 16:2).
Instead, we must be clothed with the right wedding garment for such a holy occasion. Since in ancient times, the host would often provide appropriate garments for the guests, we can see how this matches what the prophet Isaiah declares concerning the garments that are given by our king and bridegroom...
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)
Beloved, just think, you and I have been invited to be united with Jesus and to be filled with His Spirit! We are among all those on the highways and byways who have been both called and chosen. The Lord chose you and me to be His! Thus, let us live with hearts full of gratitude and great expectation of the wedding to come!
Revelation 19:7-8 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
...So how can we make ourselves ready and found waiting for this wedding?
Romans 13:11-14 gives us the answer, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
READY...
GO...
INVITE...
FILL...the wedding hall
In short, these key words in this parable reveal the gracious heart of the Lord to gather as many people as possible who are willing to believe and receive Him in order to become united with Jesus in the glorious marriage supper that is now ready. O how amazing it is to be invited...and then to be united with Christ in perfected glory forever! That is truly the happiest of endings for all who believe!
READY: All things have been prepared by God so the invitation has gone out...But those who should have been first to receive the invitation were NOT WILLING to come. They made light of it and gave their own excuses. This tells the tragic story of Israel's history as they did not remain true to the covenant that God entered into with them. But it also speaks to all those who have heard the truth and are not living according to the words of the Lord.
God was ready and willing but the people were not. The children of Israel and its leaders had turned their hearts away from God and worshipped and served other gods, committing harlotry with them. They were more drawn and enticed by the things of this earth and were more mindful of the things of men than of God.
How about YOU? ...Are you making light of the calling of God that has come to you? Are you prepared for the wedding feast that you have been invited to?
GO and INVITE: The parable has a living and timeless dimension to it in that God is still calling out to all who hear His invitation. Will you not only respond to this invitation and receive the salvation the Lord has provided for you but will you GO out and INVITE others to this wedding? Will you be His faithful servants?
This gracious invitation should go to you and also through you!
The parable teaches that not only did some reject the invitation but some even murdered the faithful servants who were sent to make it known. This represents the persecution of God's prophets of old and continues with those who are still witnesses of Christ today. Although it may come with opposition, the invitation is too great to keep to ourselves. We must KNOW CHRIST and GO and make Him known until all hear and the house is filled! This represents the Great Commission until the end of the age.
FILLED: What an amazing thing it is that our loving and merciful God wants His house to be FULL. He keeps sending out the invitation in all directions to all peoples and nations at all times. And why? Because our God desires that all men be saved (1 Tim. 2:4) and that none shall perish but that all should come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9), so that the marriage between Christ and His redeemed bride will be absolutely full of His grace and glorious forever!
But...here lies the main issue, "many are called but few are chosen."
This brings up the issue of the missing wedding garment. Did you know that there is a dress code for this wedding? We cannot say yes to the invitation while trusting in our own righteousness at the same time. We learned in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteousness is like "filthy rags" to the Lord. Therefore, we must say as David did, "You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You" (Psalm 16:2).
Instead, we must be clothed with the right wedding garment for such a holy occasion. Since in ancient times, the host would often provide appropriate garments for the guests, we can see how this matches what the prophet Isaiah declares concerning the garments that are given by our king and bridegroom...
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
My soul shall be joyful in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
He has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments,
And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." (Isaiah 61:10)
Beloved, just think, you and I have been invited to be united with Jesus and to be filled with His Spirit! We are among all those on the highways and byways who have been both called and chosen. The Lord chose you and me to be His! Thus, let us live with hearts full of gratitude and great expectation of the wedding to come!
Revelation 19:7-8 says, "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.
...So how can we make ourselves ready and found waiting for this wedding?
Romans 13:11-14 gives us the answer, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."
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