THE WEDDING FEAST
"Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests" (Matthew 22:8-10).
Since Calvary, the gospel has gone out to all humankind: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor, good and bad alike. This is how "the wedding was furnished with guests" (22:10). Please understand, this scene isn't about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. These guests are those who heed the call to receive Christ as Lord.
Think of it. According to Jesus, this Bride is comprised of "as many as they found, both bad and good" (22:10). Such a group includes formerly bad people: addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, murderers, gamblers, drug pushers. Yet it also includes formerly good people, those who once relied on a righteousness of flesh.
Now they all have been changed. They've confessed their sins and been washed clean by Christ's blood.
Typically, we think of wedding feasts as lasting a few hours. In the Jewish culture of Jesus' day, such feasts could last up to seven days. Yet to God, a day is as a thousand years. And in this parable, the feast we are seeing has lasted since Calvary. It has been going on for centuries. And it won't end until the Bridegroom returns.
Dear saint, do you realize what this means? Every day is your wedding day. As a member of Christ's Body, you are a part of His Bride. That means each morning when you rise, you are to put on your white wedding garment. If it becomes spotted or soiled, you are to bring it to His Word to be washed clean. And you are to wear your wedding ring at all times. It signifies your married status, as sealed by the Holy Ghost. Finally, you are to feast on the Bread of heaven: Christ, the heavenly manna.
This wedding feast is taking place every day in Christ’s Body.
Since Calvary, the gospel has gone out to all humankind: Jew and Gentile, slave and free, rich and poor, good and bad alike. This is how "the wedding was furnished with guests" (22:10). Please understand, this scene isn't about the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. These guests are those who heed the call to receive Christ as Lord.
Think of it. According to Jesus, this Bride is comprised of "as many as they found, both bad and good" (22:10). Such a group includes formerly bad people: addicts, alcoholics, prostitutes, murderers, gamblers, drug pushers. Yet it also includes formerly good people, those who once relied on a righteousness of flesh.
Now they all have been changed. They've confessed their sins and been washed clean by Christ's blood.
Typically, we think of wedding feasts as lasting a few hours. In the Jewish culture of Jesus' day, such feasts could last up to seven days. Yet to God, a day is as a thousand years. And in this parable, the feast we are seeing has lasted since Calvary. It has been going on for centuries. And it won't end until the Bridegroom returns.
Dear saint, do you realize what this means? Every day is your wedding day. As a member of Christ's Body, you are a part of His Bride. That means each morning when you rise, you are to put on your white wedding garment. If it becomes spotted or soiled, you are to bring it to His Word to be washed clean. And you are to wear your wedding ring at all times. It signifies your married status, as sealed by the Holy Ghost. Finally, you are to feast on the Bread of heaven: Christ, the heavenly manna.
This wedding feast is taking place every day in Christ’s Body.