The Wedding Feast

Good morning, everyone! It's good to see you all here this morning. Do you know how hot it is? It is so hot I just was too lazy to think about any new hot jokes, so forget that. It is just too hot for all of that. Thanks for the special music, Mitch. It was really enjoyable. Big, full, rich chords. I really appreciate that. This week has been a busy week for our family. As many of you may know, our number two son is getting married tomorrow.

For some reason, weddings have been on the mind this last week. Instead of hot jokes, I couldn't help but think of a couple of wedding jokes. You probably had heard about the little boy who had never been to the wedding before. The bride came down the aisle. She was a beautiful wedding gown. He leaned over to his mom and said, Mom, why does the bride wear white?

And mom leaned over, it's because it's the happiest day of her life. The little boy thought about that, looked up on the stage, and he said, then why is the groom wearing black?

Weddings are amazing occasions. And there is much said about weddings in the Bible. There's so much about it. In fact, in the Bible, you know that weddings are representative of God's church, aren't they? The church is described as the bride of Christ throughout the Bible.

And in fact, it's not just us as a whole, God's church as a whole. There's quite a few passages that also focus on us as individuals, that each of us as individuals have a personal responsibility and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and God the Father to be that bride to our coming groom. And so in a modern wedding ceremony, we emphasize that fact. We emphasize the fact that marriage is a divine institution that was established by God.

All the way back at creation, God established marriage. And there was an important understanding that we're supposed to be able to achieve by realizing what marriage is all about. Because we know marriage was also representative of Jesus Christ and His bride, Israel. He compared that to a husband and wife so many times throughout the Old Testament.

And so as you begin to think about marriage and weddings, there is much that we can learn from weddings through the Bible. So I thought it might be helpful to take a little bit of time to look at several aspects of marriage, looking back at patriarchal times as well as the times of Jesus Christ and maybe even throw in a little bit of Jewish tradition in the first century as well, to look at a couple of lessons that we can learn as we prepare ourselves to be the bride of Christ. Now, as you think about that, first you've got to make sure that you're with God.

And as you begin to think about that, you probably didn't hear about these two television antennas. Two television antennas got married. Did you heard about that? You didn't hear about that. Okay. The ceremony was terrible, but the reception was fantastic. All right, let's think about this for a minute.

Did you realize that parents chose the bride and groom? If you go back to patriarchal times, moms and dads did the choosing. Go back to Genesis 24, right at the very beginning of Genesis 24. We find a section of Scripture that I've teased my children about endlessly in more recent years that would they trust their mom and dad to choose their mate for them? Boy, that sounds so distant from where we are in modern times.

But there is no doubt, in patriarchal times, the bride and groom were selected for each other by their parents. So moms and dads did the choosing. Let's notice an example of this. All the way back in the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis, Genesis 24 is where we begin, right at the very beginning of that chapter. It says, Abraham was old, well advanced in age. The Lord had blessed Abraham in all things.

So Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Please put your hand under my thigh. I'll make you swear by the Lord, the God of heaven, the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites among whom I dwell. But, verse 4, you shall go to my country, to my family, and take a wife for my son Isaac. So here Abraham, the father of the faithful, sends his servant on behalf of mom and dad to arrange a marriage for Isaac, for his firstborn son.

And so he says, Perhaps a woman wouldn't be willing to follow me to this land. Must I take your son back to the land from which you came? So his servant asks him that, and Abraham says, Beware that you do not take my son back there. For the Lord God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my family, and spoke to me and swore to me, To your descendants I give this land.

So he said he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there, and bring her back to his land, to the land that was promised by God.

And so we have that situation then mapped out for us as Abraham's servant goes, and he finds a daughter, a bride to go with his son, the groom. And it's interesting as this scenario plays out that this young woman met the servant. And where does it happen? It's interesting exactly the way that it plays out. It plays out at the well. Down in verse 13 it says, He's at the well, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. The servant says in verse 14, Now let that be the young woman whom I say, Please let down your pitcher that I may drink.

And she says, Drink, that I will also give your camels a drink. Guess what happens? That woman shows up. Answer to prayer. Verse 15, it happened before he'd finished speaking that behold, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milka, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder.

And she was beautiful to behold. Verse 16, And she was a virgin, no one had known her. She went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up. Guess what? She fulfills that prayer that the servant had prayed. And so we begin to see that God was in this situation, this marriage situation, that the father and the mother were choosing a mate for Isaac.

All the way down in verse 50, we see something interesting. It says, Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing comes from the Lord. We cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before her, before you. Take her and go. Let her be your master's son's wife, as the Lord has spoken.

And so we begin to see that Rebekah then was promised to Isaac.

So, girls, how many of you would be willing to go along with something like that scenario?

That somebody's mom and dad sent a servant to choose you as their bride. Let's say, forget it. No way am I going to do that!

But you know, that was tradition. And it's interesting to see who was backing this up.

God was backing this up. I mean, when you think about it, who knows you better than your mom and dad? Who knows you better? Who loves you more? Other than, you know, God, the Father, and Jesus Christ, who loves you more than your mom and dad? You think they could find a suitable individual that would mesh with you in the best of ways?

Well, I think when we think about it in those terms, no wonder Rebekah was willing to go along with that. No wonder. And God was backing that up. And as you begin to think about this, this concept of the bridegroom, the representative of the groom, and the parents choosing that bride, it really fits perfectly with how we are chosen. God has chosen us to be the bride of Christ, hasn't He? He's chosen us to be the bride of Christ. When you look over at John 6, verse 42, a very familiar section of Scripture, Gospel of John 6, verse 42, we see God the Father playing this role of Abraham. John 6, verse 42, we know this passage, it comes so clearly, but have we thought about it in these terms in relationship to what Abraham was doing with his servant? John 6, verse 42, Christ himself said, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And so in the same way that Abraham sent his servant to draw a bride, the Father draws us to be the bride of Christ. This is John 6, verse 44. Did I say 42? Verse 44, No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And so God does the calling. He calls us to be a part of his family, a little bit farther down. Chapter 6, verse 65. John 6, look at verse 65. Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me unless it has been granted to him by my Father. And so the parents, God the Father selects the bride for Christ. That's you and I. He's chosen us to be wed to his son.

Did we do that? Did we choose for ourselves? Did we take it upon ourselves to do that? Well, like we choose our mates today. You see, that's not the way it works spiritually, is it? God does the calling. The Father draws them to Christ. He's drawn us to Christ. And so I think it's an important spiritual connection here that God the Father does the choosing for his son's bride. And in fact, it's an amazing situation. If you held your place there in Genesis 24, you can flip back there if you didn't hold your place. In Genesis 24, verse 52, we see another aspect that connects to the spiritual reality of lessons that we can learn from the wedding feast. First of all, the parents choose. God the Father chose us to be a part of his spiritual family, to be the bride of Christ. Back in patriarchal times, as that bride was chosen, we see an interesting aspect that comes into play here as well. Genesis 24, look at verse 52, continuing on with the story of Rebecca and Isaac as Rebecca is chosen. In verse 52, we see an interesting aspect that also adds to the story. It says, it came to pass when Abraham's servant heard the words that he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebecca. And he also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. You see, what was happening here was this was the price for the bride. Or maybe more recently, we call it the dowry. This is the dowry for the bride. There was a price to be paid.

And so we see here in this situation, it was silver and jewelry of gold and fancy clothing. And so as a representative of the groom, here this servant arranged the marriage and arranged the gift or the dowry or the price for the bride. Now think about that, spiritually speaking. Spiritually speaking, what is our dowry? What was the price that was paid for us to be the bride of Christ? Hold your place here in Genesis 24. Go over to 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1, verse 17.

Here we see there is a spiritual connection here between the bride that Abraham's servant was selecting and the dowry that he was to pay. And spiritually speaking, what has been paid for us to be a part of the family of God? 1 Peter 1, verse 17. It says, if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear. So there's an expected set of conduct. Just like Abraham's servant prayed about a certain type of bride, we're to be a certain type of bride ourselves. Verse 18. Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold from your aimless conduct received by the tradition of your fathers. But instead, what is our dowry? What was the price that was paid for us? What was the gift that was given so that we could be a part of the family of God? Well, it says here, the dowry, verse 19, was the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. He was indeed foreordained before the foundation of the world, but manifest in these last times for you. See, the price that was paid was the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. For Rebecca was gold and silver and beautiful clothes. But spiritually, for you and I, the price that was paid was the death of our Savior. He gave His life for us. And so, as you think about this example physically of Rebecca and Isaac, this is an example physically of what is represented spiritually for us today. So, if you still have your place back there in Genesis 24, look at verse 54. Genesis 24, 54, it says, And he and the men who were with him, this is the servant, ate and drank and stayed all night, they arose in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master. But her brother and her mother said, Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten. After that she may go. And so, he said, Don't hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way. Send me away so that I may go to my master. And then verse 58, they called Rebecca and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. And so, they sent away Rebecca, their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and their men. And they blessed Rebecca. And so, here we have a whole change of scenery, a whole change of country. She was going to be relocated to be with her groom. With her new family. And that's much the same way we are. Once that price is paid, we're to be in a different country altogether. We're to be of a different mindset, because our life is now changed. And so, we have a whole different perspective. Because what comes next, then, is the betrothal. The betrothal is what comes next. Once the price was agreed upon, then the couple became betrothed. In other words, they became absolutely sworn to one another. Now, they're not married yet, but in a legal sense, they're bound together. They're absolutely committed to each other. And so, they are set, in other words. We find an interesting example of this in the New Testament. We know the story of Mary and Joseph. Go over to Matthew 1, verse 18.

verse 18, Now, they're to become a couple, they're to become sworn to each other.

Now, I don't know if it was Mr. Griffith that said this the other day, when it was their 50th wedding anniversary. I think I overheard them talking about, you know, what was the secret of their success? You know, how could they be married so long and be so happy for all those years?

And what I think was said is, Mr. Griffith said, well, I've never tried to be selfish, because after all, there's no I in marriage.

But then, Betty said, for her part, I've never corrected my husband's spelling.

Now, he didn't really say that, but gave me an excuse to get it in there a little bit.

Now, think about this concept of betrothal for a minute. In Matthew 1, verse 18, we have the example of Mary and Joseph. In Matthew 1, let's read that in verse 18. It says, now the birth of Jesus was as followed. It goes through some of the scenario here. After his mother, Mary was betrothed to Joseph before they came together. She was found with child of the Holy Spirit. And, of course, Joseph, not initially knowing what was going on, thought Mary had been unfaithful. And they were supposed to be absolutely committed together. They were sworn to be together. And so, this was very disconcerting for Joseph. It says, not wanting to make her a public example. In verse 19, he was minded to put her away secretly. So, it was almost as though they were already married, that he was going to have to divorce her in the sense. But, verse 20, while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you, Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And so, being betrothed, we see the seriousness of this commitment between them. They were forbidden to live together. They were forbidden to have sexual relations. They were bound together, in a sense, absolutely committed to the point that if something were going to change, he would have to put her away.

And so, we see the seriousness of what a betrothal was really all about.

Now, for you and I, think about that spiritually. Who are we betrothed to? As the church, as individuals, we are betrothed to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11, right at the very beginning of that chapter, we see it spelled out very clearly. 2 Corinthians 11, verse 1.

Here's Paul is writing to God's people in Corinth. He tries to make an important point to them, so they'll understand more thoroughly their responsibilities as the church, their responsibilities to each other, and their responsibilities to God as well. Notice what he writes here in 2 Corinthians 11. Verse 1, he says, O that you would bear with me in a little folly, and indeed you do bear with me. Verse 2, For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

He says, But I fear lest somehow as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

And so he points out very clearly, we are betrothed. We are absolutely bound and committed to our bridegroom, to Jesus Christ. And so as we are called by God, it moves us to a new country. And we are then absolutely committed to marrying Jesus Christ. We've already been paid for. We've been purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ our Savior. And so we are betrothed to Him, just as Rebekah was betrothed to Isaac, just as Mary was betrothed to Joseph.

We see a little more of this over in Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5 is a section of Scripture we often will read at wedding ceremonies, because it gives instructions to husbands and wives. Oftentimes when we read these sections, we have a tendency to say, well, I've been married for a long time. I get it. I know what that's all about. And sometimes we forget the spiritual impact of these things. It's not just physical instructions that we're receiving, but these are spiritual instructions that we have to take to heart. So when we look at Ephesians chapter 5, we begin to see that these apply so much more importantly to our spiritual life, our spiritual betrothal. Notice verse 23 in Ephesians chapter 5.

It says, The husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church. He is Savior of the body. So as our Savior, as our head, it's not just a church thing, but it's also an individual thing. Christ is my head. He is your head. He is your groom. We are His bride. He is our Savior. So verse 24, just as the church is subject to Christ, let wives be to their own husbands, subject in everything. So as a spiritual wife, even though I'm a guy, I'm a spiritual wife to Jesus Christ. Am I subject to Him in everything? That's my spiritual responsibility, to be more and more subject to Christ in every aspect of my life. And of course, that's the challenge. It's not just a physical thing. Our physical families are representative of awesome spiritual truth. Look at verse 32. Verse 32, it says, This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Because that's the greater spiritual lesson, that in this betrothal, we are to become like Christ. We're to be submissive to Him in everything. Not just a few things, not just in a little part of my life, or not in just my Sabbath part of my life, but in all, in every aspect of my life. Because that brings glory to this coming marriage. This brings glory to God the Father, who has arranged this marriage. This brings glory to our husband, Jesus Christ, because we are submissive to Him in everything. And so, are we doing that? Are we preparing for the coming wedding? Because once the bride and the groom were betrothed, that was the next step in the process, to prepare for the wedding. To prepare for that wedding. There's an interesting passage over in the book of Hosea. You look over to the minor prophets. Hosea was an interesting character when you think about the things that he went through, and some of the things that God expected him to preach, and proclaim, and prophesy about.

In Hosea 2, verse 18. Let's look at verse 18. Of course, it's interesting. Hosea literally means salvation. And as we look through his story, God instructed him to marry a specific individual.

And there are so many connections. I don't have time to go through Hosea specifically, but he's a living, breathing example who physically went through a particular marriage to learn lessons and give us insight into what a spiritual marriage should be all about. And so when we look a little bit further into the story, Hosea 2, verse 18, it says, In that day I will make a covenant for them, with the beasts of the field, he says, with the birds of the air, with the creeping things of the ground, bow and sword of battle, I'll shatter to the earth, and I'll make them lie down safely. He says, I will betroth you to me forever. So not just like Hosea's physical wife, but this is a wedding, a marriage that won't last just a little bit of time, not just 25 years or 50 years, but here a marriage forever, it says. Betroth you forever. Yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness and justice, in loving kindness and mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you shall know the Lord. You see, that's really what it's all about. It's all about knowing God, living His way, being that bride with those beautiful wedding garments on.

That's what Hosea was picturing in his life, physically speaking. Spiritually speaking, we're to be betroth to Christ forever. And just like you prepare for a physical wedding, there are so many things that need to be done. If you've ever had children get married, suddenly you realize all these details that, oh, do we really have to worry about all these things? And then there's this and that. And what about who's picking this up and who's going to take care of that? And, oh, what about this song? And, oh, it's amazing how many details keep piling up and there's more and more and more to be prepared for. And I think there is a spiritual connection there as well. As we're preparing for the wedding, how are the details working out for you? And we've been called. God has chosen us. We've answered that call. And so, are we ready?

Are we ready for the marriage? You see, what would happen after the betrothal, the wife, the coming wife, would start to get prepared. She'd get all the things that would need to be done for the bride and for all of the bridesmaids and take care of all of those kinds of things and get ready for that sermon, ready to become a wife. How do you know what the groom would do? What do you think the groom would begin to do? It's a good example of this over in John 14. John chapter 14, the bridegroom would prepare a little bit differently for the wedding. In John chapter 14, we see the preparations that our bridegroom is doing for us because they mirror what the groom would do, especially during the first century. What the groom would begin to do would be to prepare a home for the bride. Where are they going to live? How are they going to take care of things? How are they going to earn a living? How are things going to work out after their wedding? Well, that's what the groom's responsibilities were, to make sure that that home is prepared and ready for that wedding day. And of course, here in John 14, we see that mirrored spiritually as well. John 14, verse 1, Christ Himself says, Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in Me. Boy, a bride has to do that, doesn't she? A bride has to have faith in her husband when they take that vow. And that husband promises to love her, to cherish her, to provide for her. That wife has to believe that when he says yes, he's going to do that, that he will follow through on those promises. That he's not going to flake out, that he's not going to be irresponsible. And so when we made that commitment to Christ and we were called by God, is he going to follow through on his promises? Hear Christ is saying, believe it. Believe it. He is not going to flake out on us. He is going to carry through on his responsibilities. So He says, verse 2, in My Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you. So here we are betrothed to Christ. He is preparing our home. He's preparing for the kingdom of God, that we can be a part of the family. He's preparing the Promised Land, that new country that we will live in, will live and reign and rule with Christ as His bride. And so He is preparing for that right now. Verse 3 says, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself. There's the wedding. I'll receive you to Myself that where I am, there you may be also. So there are preparations that must be done. And we can count on Christ. We can believe that Christ is preparing that place. I can only imagine that it must almost be ready to go. It's ready to be rolled out. We are ready for the wedding.

Now as the bride, we have to be ready as well. As the betrothed, we have to have our preparations in order. So how are our responsibilities? Isaiah chapter 61 has some interesting insight into our personal responsibilities as the bride of Christ. Take a look at Isaiah chapter 61.

Let's see where we should begin here. Isaiah chapter 61.

Let's begin in verse 10. Isaiah chapter 61 verse 10. As we are preparing for the wedding, as the spiritual bride of Jesus Christ, we've got to make sure our preparations are in order. We have to make sure that we are ready for this marriage because Christ will be. There will be no doubt when He returns, everything will be in order. Now will we be ready? Here in verse 10 of Isaiah chapter 61, we see very clearly there are things we must be doing. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, Isaiah writes, My soul shall be joyful in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He's covered me with the robe of righteousness. So it's reminding us we better be putting on that robe. We better be putting on those garments. Are we preparing and becoming righteous? Have we put off sin? Are we putting on the mind of Christ? That's what Christ wants to cover us with so that we'll be beautifully adorned with righteousness. We've got to make sure we're taking all of those things on. It's becoming a part of who we are. He goes on in the middle of verse 10, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as the bride adorns herself with jewels. So we have to have the jewels of righteousness. So are we reflecting those jewels? Or how beautifully adorned is our wedding garment? If you could picture that in your mind.

We're going to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and the Father will most likely be there as well. Maybe He's going to be conducting that wedding ceremony, in a sense. We're standing there with our groom. What's our outfit going to look like? It's going to look tattered? Maybe not beautifully white? Is it going to be beautifully adorned, as it says here, with jewels? With righteousness? Or maybe just an off-white, just a little bit? What is it going to be like?

Can you imagine that? Here, we're told, it's going to have to be beautiful. It's going to have to be wonderful. And so it's described here as just a wonderful thing that we don't earn ourselves, that we've got to put on Jesus Christ, just like we're putting on this robe of righteousness. We've got to become more like Him, submit ourselves to Him. Verse 11 says, As the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations. So certainly that happens through Jesus Christ. And hopefully it's happening through us, as His bride. It's happening through us as well. And so how are the wedding preparations going?

I've realized this week, you get to a certain point, that's all there is. That's all I can do. I can't do anymore. I've reached the limit, and it's too late. It's done. It's going to happen, and that's the way it's going to happen. Isn't that about the way it's going to be when Christ returns? There's a certain point, too late to prepare. We've got to be preparing while it's day. We've got to be preparing while there's still time, because there is a certain point that the wedding's in hand, and the preparations are done. This is what you get. And so how are the preparations looking for each of us? It can be a real challenge.

As you think about this wedding, there is a time the groom is going to arrive. The groom will arrive. And in the first century, that was a big deal at the weddings, when the groom would finally arrive and come to the ceremony. He would come for his wife and receive her. So that after the vitrothal, after the preparations, finally the wedding day finally arrives. The groom arrives at the ceremony itself. I know for little ones, it can be kind of confusing what her wedding's all about and how does this all work and all of that sort of thing. You may have heard the story about the little boy was at his very first wedding, and a little five-year-old kid. And they got to talking with his little cousin after the wedding. And he said, you know, I don't get it. He said, you know, Uncle Jim was marrying that lady and can you only marry one person? How many people can you marry? And so his seven-year-old cousin had all the facts. He said, you can marry 16. The little boy said, wow! 16? How do you know you can marry 16 women? He said, well, come on! Weren't you listening? All you got to do is add it up. The preacher said very clearly, four better, four worse, four richer, four poorer. 16, right there.

Matthew 25, verse 1, is where the groom arrives. Let's notice the spiritual connection to the arrival of the groom to wed his bride, Matthew 25, right at the very beginning of that chapter. Matthew 25, verse 1, here Jesus Christ himself is comparing the kingdom of God with the ten virgins. Of course, this is happening in what scenario? It's a scenario of a wedding. This is a wedding that's happening. So you've got the bride with her bridesmaids. Well, in this case, you can call them the ten virgins. The bride and her bridesmaids are all waiting for the groom to arrive. And of course, this would immediately come to mind the traditional ceremonies that were held at the time of Christ, where the groom would actually come to that wedding, and it's time for the ceremony then. And so here are the bridesmaids all waiting for the groom to arrive. And of course, we know what happens. It says, five were wise, five were foolish. Those were foolish, took their lamps with no oil. Those that were wise. Verse 4, took oil in their vessels with their lamps. So while they're waiting, what happened? The party died down, and they fell asleep.

They fell asleep. Verse 5, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight, verse 6, a cry was heard. The bridegroom is coming. Let's go out to meet him. Too late to prepare, right? It's too late to prepare. You got oil? Or you don't? It's time for the wedding. And so here comes the bride, the groom, to receive his bride. And what happens? The foolish said, verse 8, give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answer is saying, no, lest there should not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. You see, each of us have the personal responsibility to be ready and prepared for the return of Christ. And all too often we think, well, he's coming at midnight. It's not right now. It's going to be way late in the day. There is plenty of time. Well, who knows how much time there is? Who knows how much time? It could be a few short years. We see things on the horizon right now that are pointing to that way and that's ever closer. You know, it could be just around the corner. There is no doubt about that. It could be a little farther away. But you know, any of us could die tomorrow. You know, strange things happen. Are we prepared? You see, we may think that wedding is a ways off.

But you know, the groom may already be arriving at the door for us, for you and I. The time may be very short individually for us if crazy things happen. And so we have to be ready now. We can't afford to slumber. We have to be buying that oil like it says right now. We have to be continuing that process of growing and grace and knowledge, putting on the mind of Christ. Being more of a Philippians chapter 2 kind of person, that we are esteeming others better than ourselves, that we are honoring others, that we are true servants of God. We've got to be filling that lamp with oil because for you and I, that arrival could be at any time. So we can't fool ourselves into thinking it's a ways off. That's what these bridesmaids did. And so we see what happened, verse 10, when they went to buy. Sure enough, that's when the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. So the others were left out. They were left out. And so we've got to be ready to meet the groom. You might write down in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. We know that the time is coming. There's going to be a great shout. If we're alive at that time, there will be that great shout, and Christ will return. And what's going to happen? Well, if we're alive, we're going to rise up and meet Him. Just like those with the oil in their lamps met the groom as he arrived at the wedding, we're going to rise. And we'll meet Jesus Christ, and we'll welcome Him. And we'll be escorting Him in a way back to earth, ready for the ultimate marriage.

Can you imagine that time? What a fantastic time that will be when the groom finally arrives for the wedding. So we have to be prepared for that.

Now, in a traditional Jewish wedding, even some of the first century weddings, as they went through the ceremony, there was an interesting part of the ceremony in their traditions that they would have as a vital part of the ceremony. And if you've ever watched the fiddler on the roof and the little wedding ceremony that they go through, the bride and the groom would always drink a little cup of wine, a little glass of wine. And they would smash the glass and stomp on it, and suddenly the celebration would just break out.

And there's an interesting connection with that. I don't know if you've ever thought about this, but since we're here in Matthew, if you just flip over to chapter 26, I think this cup of wine in a traditional ceremony has some spiritual implications as well. As the bride and groom would drink this cup of wine, what it did in that time, it would symbolize their agreement. It would symbolize the covenant that they would make between themselves to always be loyal, to always be dedicated, to be sworn only to each other. That cup of wine was representative of that agreement. Now think about that spiritually for you and I. Have we had a cup of wine?

Well, we do, don't we? Symbolic of the Passover. Look at verse 27 in Matthew 26, Matthew 26, 27.

Christ said, it says, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to them, and said, Drink from it all of you. This is the blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. So the Passover has a connection to our wedding covenant, doesn't it, to our marriage covenant? That we are bound to Jesus Christ. This symbolism of the agreement that we have made is like this marriage agreement. And we've made that covenant with God. You know, we've drank that wine. We make that and renew that covenant year in, year out, year after year. We make that agreement and we rededicate ourselves to our coming marriage, don't we?

And so the connections are remarkable when you begin to think about it, this symbolic aspect of the covenant that we've made being wed to Jesus Christ.

Now, of course, that leads to finally the ceremony being completed. Some people will say, well, marriage is kind of a difficult thing. It's almost a little bit like a card game.

You start out with a pair. He shows a diamond. She shows a flush.

And you end up eventually with a full house.

Okay, that's what happens in marriages sometimes, right?

But bless this, he who has a full quiver of arrows, right? All right, over in John 17, I think here we have the ultimate aspect of marriage, and that would be when the marriage is consummated. When the marriage is consummated, the bride and the groom ultimately come together. They have kept themselves pure all the way until the marriage is completed. And after that, the marriage is consummated. So the bride, the groom, they go to the wedding chamber. The marriage is consummated. And spiritually speaking, look at the representation of this in John 17. John 17, of course, is this prayer that Christ prayed just before the crucifixion. And do you wonder, was marriage, Christ marrying His church, Christ marrying us as individuals? Do you think that was on His mind just before His death, just before His sacrifice? Boy, there's no doubt that it was. Look at chapter 17, verse 20. Here Christ is praying not just for the disciples. He says, I don't pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word. That's you and I. That's all Christians throughout time that Christ was praying for. And He says, verse 21, that they may all be one, that we, in a sense, have that oneness, that unity of a bride and a groom consummating their wedding, that they may be one, as you, Father, are in Me and I in you, that they may also be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent Me.

So we see very clearly, we are to be unified. We are to be together. We are to be whole. We are to be one. We are to be complete. We are to be spiritually mature. You can say it a number of different ways, but it all means the same thing. We are to be in total agreement with our groom, with our Father. It shouldn't be anything that is outside the bounds of unity, because we are one. So Christ prayed, verse 22, the glory which you gave Me I've given to them, that they may be one just as we are one. I in them and you in Me, that they may be made perfect in one.

We see perfection in unity. Can two walk together unless they be agreed? Can we walk unified with the Father and with Jesus Christ unless we are in total unity, perfect in one? That's the way Christ said it. And that the world may know that you've sent Me, that you've loved them as you have loved Me. How do we preach the gospel to the world? We be one. We be unified. Unified in thought, unified in purpose, unified in effort. That's how you preach the gospel to the world. He says the world's going to know that they sent Jesus Christ. They're going to understand the gospel because we are united, because we are wed, we are bound, we are whole, we are spiritually mature, we are unified, we are one. The world will know. That's the result of the kind of unity that can be achieved, especially in this spiritual marriage that we are to have with Jesus Christ. We are to be whole and complete. And that can only happen through Him. And so it's amazing how many lessons there really are when you begin to think about this spiritual union that we have with Jesus Christ.

So in the meantime, let's be prepared. Let's be prepared. There's an amazing passage over in Revelation 19, verse 7. Revelation 19, verse 7, gives us the insight into the things that we need to be doing right now, because that wedding date has been set. The Father knows when it's coming. Right? Christ is going to return. And then it's time for that wonderful ceremony. Look at Revelation chapter 19, verse 7. It says, Let's 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. And He said to me, Right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He said to me, These are the true sayings of God. And so we have to be prepared. We have to be finally arrayed in this beautiful white linen. We have to be about our Father's business, doing righteousness, living righteousness, being obedient to our betrothed husband. Our wedding garments have to be pure and white without the ugly spots of sin and pain. And so we've got to be doing that righteousness. Not just believing it, but acting it out in our life, the actions that are pleasing and bring honor and glory to our husband and his Father. Colossians chapter 3 describes those traits that we must be putting on. Let's read a few of those for ourselves. Colossians chapter 3, right at the very beginning of that particular chapter, we see some of these righteous acts that identify the fact that we do have beautiful, clean, white linen that's pure. Colossians chapter 3 verse 1. In fact, this is probably something we should keep in mind. Maybe as we're living our life this week, can we make it our goal to make these attributes more and more a part of our thinking, more a part of our actions, more a part of our way of life? God requires that of us if we're going to be at that wedding. Colossians chapter 3 and verse 1, he says, if you were raised with Christ, if we are betrothed to Christ, if we have dedicated ourselves, if we are sworn to Him, He says, seek those things which are above where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things on earth, for you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. That's what we're looking forward to. We're looking forward to the arrival of the groom.

So verse 12, can we make it our goal this week, even more ever thoroughly, to put these things on as our wedding garment? He says, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies. Put on kindness. Put on humility. Put on meekness.

Put on long suffering. You see, it's interesting the way that he words it here. It's not just that I already put it on. I was patient once. I was long suffering once, and I was humble. No, it's a continuing process that throughout our life we're continuing to put it on, and it's starting to fit better all the time. You know how wedding dress is? You just don't go to the store and pick one out and you throw it on. It's like, that's perfect. They've got to adjust this and adjust that and take this in and make this a little bit different and make all these little alterations. It's no different with us. As we're called, yes, we've begun this process, but now it's time for our final fitting. It's time for that final fitting. So to thoroughly and completely put on these things, making it a part of who we are. This is not just a trait that I have once in a while, but this is who I am. Isn't that what Christ wants to hear from us when we stand at that altar at His return? So He says, bear with one another. Forgive one another. If anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, you also must do.

And He says, but above all these things, put on love, which is the bond of perfection.

So can we make it our goal this week for that final fitting? To make sure that in every situation, in every thought, I'm going to be kind. I'm going to be merciful. I'm going to be humble. I'm not going to allow a grudge to continue to smolder. But I'm going to put that thing out, and I'm going to live that frame of life. Because that's what God wants us to do. And is it interesting that as the bride, do we get to determine what we're like?

Do I get to say, well, that's just the way I am. Take me or leave me? See, we can't do that. The groom determines the actions that are pleasing of his bride. The groom and his father do, don't they? The husband determines. The husband is the head of the house. As wives, we're supposed to be submissive to our husband and put on these characteristics, which are, you know, he's not expecting us to do something that he hasn't already done. Because that's who he is. He is all of those traits. And ultimately, he is love. And so he's determined the actions that are pleasing to him. Revelation 22, verse 12 summarizes the things that we must be doing to be pleasing to our husband, to be ready and a wide awake at his return. Revelation 22, verse 12, our groom tells us himself, Revelation 22, 12, Behold, I am coming quickly. My reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

And we're told, 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.

So now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to get to know our husband, our betrothed, that much more thoroughly. Maybe we can make it our goal this week. Do we know him? Do we understand how he lived his life? Do we know every example? How did Christ handle problems when he walked the earth? What was his reaction when he was mistreated? How did he live his life? How did he apply God's laws to the things that he did? Are we that motivated to please our husband that we've studied the life of our husband? That we know it? We understand it? We've gone through the Gospels? We know how he dealt with people? We know his attitude? We know his approach? We're making that our approach? You see, if we're going to know our husband and be ready for our wedding, we have to understand those things. We have to have spent time with him to thoroughly understand the kind of individual he is and his expectations for us as his bride. Because he is returning. So now is the time. Now is the time to do those things. Now is the time to rededicate ourselves, not only to our Father, but to Christ as our betrothed husband. And so as we do that, we can be his bride collectively as the church. And we can ask God to pour out his spirit on us because we know that wedding feast is getting closer every day.

So let's be the proper bride and make ourselves ready.