The Greatest Celebration Ever
Written by Sherri Bergmann
Prior to Christmas, the host will be planning for one of the biggest holiday events of the year. Who and who not to invite? All relatives to bring everyone together, or just those that get along to avoid potential conflict? As for the meal – homemade, catered, or make it a potluck? Should there be a seating arrangement? What ambiance do I want to create?
God has it planned out. He simplified the guest list. He detailed His plans for giving the biggest celebration and feast ever, also known as The Marriage Feast. His bride is the Church (those who believe in Him and are in the body of Christ), and the Marriage Feast is the celebration of the eternal union of Christ and the Church, which will happen when Jesus comes again to take His bride with Him to their eternal home.
This Marriage Feast is mentioned several times and reveals what will be served, who will be invited, who will actually be dining at the table, and who won’t be.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah 25:6-9 described this grandest feast in detail, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” The menu will consist of the very best of the best.
To emphasize the promise of the grand feast, the New Testament mentions it several times, confirming Isaiah’s prophecy. To seal this promise, the last book of the New Testament, Revelation 19:9, states: "And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.'" This serves as a reminder and confirmation that God’s plans and promises are true and will happen.
WHO WILL BE SEATED AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER?
Many invite those who have a high status or prestige in society, or those who are at least respectable, to their special event. Jesus had a radically different desire.
Isaiah mentioned God will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples. However, this invitation to all people gets rejected by many.
In Luke’s Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus illustrated the response of the master who was unhappy that people rejected his invitation, “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room’” (Luke 14:21-22).
In short, Heaven doesn’t have a maximum capacity, nor is there a preference in monetary, physical or health status.
Christ has invited all of us to accept Him as Lord and Savior and to follow Him. Those who have accepted Christ’s invitation are included in His Book of Life and will be seated.
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)
WHO WON'T BE AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER?
Matthew 22:1-14 tells of The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Similar to Luke's parable, it deals with people rejecting the invitation to a great banquet and serves as an illustration of Isaiah’s prophecy and the prelude to the coming of Christ to gather His bride.
Matthew 22:2-3 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” Matthew 22 goes on to explain the servants extending a wider search to invite others, but only some accepted. If you do not accept the invitation, you will not have a seat at the great banquet.
The king also rejects those who are trying to come on their own accord. We must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ through faith, but some are trying to come by their own righteousness through their own efforts and good works. When he found one improperly clothed, he casted him into the “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:13-14).
WILL THERE BE ANY SEATING ARRANGEMENTS?
From those who loved God since Adam and Eve to those who have clung to Him to the time of His return, Jesus confirmed they all will be together at The Marriage Feast, “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).
Because seating arrangement was very important during Christ’s time, Jesus made it a point that His people would be sitting among the presence of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He didn’t say where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would sit, but that they would be among others.
We do know that he shows favor to the less fortunate. Matthew 19:30 says, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
THE AMBIANCE OF THE MARRIAGE SUPPER
Joyful! "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready'" (Revelation 19:6-8).
HOW TO HAVE A GUARANTEED PLACE AT HIS TABLE
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)
The invitation is already sent, we just need to RSVP.
Prior to Christmas, the host will be planning for one of the biggest holiday events of the year. Who and who not to invite? All relatives to bring everyone together, or just those that get along to avoid potential conflict? As for the meal – homemade, catered, or make it a potluck? Should there be a seating arrangement? What ambiance do I want to create?
God has it planned out. He simplified the guest list. He detailed His plans for giving the biggest celebration and feast ever, also known as The Marriage Feast. His bride is the Church (those who believe in Him and are in the body of Christ), and the Marriage Feast is the celebration of the eternal union of Christ and the Church, which will happen when Jesus comes again to take His bride with Him to their eternal home.
This Marriage Feast is mentioned several times and reveals what will be served, who will be invited, who will actually be dining at the table, and who won’t be.
In the Old Testament, Isaiah 25:6-9 described this grandest feast in detail, “On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines.” The menu will consist of the very best of the best.
To emphasize the promise of the grand feast, the New Testament mentions it several times, confirming Isaiah’s prophecy. To seal this promise, the last book of the New Testament, Revelation 19:9, states: "And the angel said to me, 'Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.' And he said to me, 'These are the true words of God.'" This serves as a reminder and confirmation that God’s plans and promises are true and will happen.
WHO WILL BE SEATED AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER?
Many invite those who have a high status or prestige in society, or those who are at least respectable, to their special event. Jesus had a radically different desire.
Isaiah mentioned God will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples. However, this invitation to all people gets rejected by many.
In Luke’s Parable of the Great Banquet, Jesus illustrated the response of the master who was unhappy that people rejected his invitation, “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ ‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room’” (Luke 14:21-22).
In short, Heaven doesn’t have a maximum capacity, nor is there a preference in monetary, physical or health status.
Christ has invited all of us to accept Him as Lord and Savior and to follow Him. Those who have accepted Christ’s invitation are included in His Book of Life and will be seated.
"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven." (Matthew 10:32-33)
WHO WON'T BE AT THE MARRIAGE SUPPER?
Matthew 22:1-14 tells of The Parable of the Wedding Banquet. Similar to Luke's parable, it deals with people rejecting the invitation to a great banquet and serves as an illustration of Isaiah’s prophecy and the prelude to the coming of Christ to gather His bride.
Matthew 22:2-3 says, “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.” Matthew 22 goes on to explain the servants extending a wider search to invite others, but only some accepted. If you do not accept the invitation, you will not have a seat at the great banquet.
The king also rejects those who are trying to come on their own accord. We must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ through faith, but some are trying to come by their own righteousness through their own efforts and good works. When he found one improperly clothed, he casted him into the “darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are invited, but few are chosen” (Matthew 22:13-14).
WILL THERE BE ANY SEATING ARRANGEMENTS?
From those who loved God since Adam and Eve to those who have clung to Him to the time of His return, Jesus confirmed they all will be together at The Marriage Feast, “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 8:11).
Because seating arrangement was very important during Christ’s time, Jesus made it a point that His people would be sitting among the presence of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He didn’t say where Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would sit, but that they would be among others.
We do know that he shows favor to the less fortunate. Matthew 19:30 says, “But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.”
THE AMBIANCE OF THE MARRIAGE SUPPER
Joyful! "Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: 'Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready'" (Revelation 19:6-8).
HOW TO HAVE A GUARANTEED PLACE AT HIS TABLE
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10)
The invitation is already sent, we just need to RSVP.
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