It’s such an exciting time around our house. – we’re planning for a wedding. Yep. Jon and Livi are getting married next October. This time next year, Jon and Livi will be embarking on their new lives together. Exciting stuff!
We’re just starting to gear up for that joyous day. Some would say we’re behind in planning. They may be right. Who needs a year to plan a wedding? We’re slowly finding out — we do. Weddings take a lot of planning, preparation (and money) – who knew? To-do lists are being made and better yet, check marks are being made. The venue has been secured, attendants have been invited, colors have been chosen, engagement pictures have been taken, the DJ has been booked, the feast food selected, caterers consulted, decorations bought (at 80% off, I might add, my grandmother would be so proud). Piece by piece it’s coming together. Every week one more step is taken towards the great celebration of a new life together for Jon and Livi.
Another check mark recently made was the selecting of the bride’s clothing, you know, the wedding gown. Loaded with family, we traveled to a shop where Livi tried on dresses, I guess you can’t really call them dresses, gowns. I’m not sure the difference except that gown seems to mean a whole lot more fabric and embellishments, cool word. Anyway, she was looking for the perfect gown. She was selecting the gown she would wear when her daddy presents her to her groom.
You see it coming, don’t you? As much as we’re preparing for this big celebration for our family, there’s an even bigger wedding feast, just around the corner. One much more important than any wedding we could plan, even think, or even imagine. One with eternal consequences. This is one wedding you absolutely cannot miss. The wedding feast of the Lamb.
Hallelujah! The Master reigns, our God, the Sovereign-Strong! Let us celebrate, let us rejoice, let us give him the glory! The Marriage of the Lamb has come; his Wife has made herself ready. She was given a bridal gown of bright and shining linen. The linen is the righteousness of the saints. The Angel said to me, “Write this: ‘Blessed are those invited to the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.” He added, “These are the true words of God!” Revelations 19:7-9
Everything all of history has been proclaiming, and what we wait for, the wedding, the union, the joining of the Holy Lamb of God — the Messiah, with His bride, the Church – all faithful believers – us! What a wedding feast that will be! The very best part – you’ve received an invitation – a save-the-date! Come on guys, put the wedding on your calendar!
However, no one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the father knows. Matthew 24:36
That’s just it. We don’t know exactly when it will be. That’s why we must prepare now. We must make ourselves ready now. How? By accepting what we must have, yet we could not secure for ourselves – righteousness. Scripture says that the Bride was given a gown of bright and shining linen. Linen, the righteousness of saints. Failing to prepare will have catastrophic eternal consequences.
“The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify everyone that it was time to come. But they refused!
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But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. ‘Friend,’ he asked, how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?” And the man had no reply. Then the king said to his aides, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there I weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:2-3, 11-14
God, the King, has prepared a great wedding feast for his son – Blessed are those who are invited! Many are invited to the great feast, but refuse to come. Some that do come, refuse to wear the wedding clothes – either because they don’t want to, or think they don’t need to. The problem is that those clothes represent the gift given by the Groom to the Bride, righteousness, the clothing needed to attend the feast. To refuse to wear the clothing will have eternal catastrophic consequences.
For God made Christ who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:21
Do you follow? God is preparing a wedding banquet for His Son and the Church – the Groom and the Bride. Folks are invited. Some will attend and some will not. Some who do attend don’t really want to be there and refuse to fully participate – they refuse to put on the clothing provided to them by Christ. They accept the invitation but they fail to fully participate, an act they later regret.
So, are we prepared? Have we made ourselves ready? Are we prepared for the wedding, prepared for the feast, prepared to wear fine linen, prepared as a Bride to be welcomed by her Groom?