After Jesus sat down with His apostles, He instituted the Lord’s supper. Fellow Christians around the world still commemorate this act in remembrance of our Lord and will do so until He returns. It was in this setting that Jesus warned of His betrayer. After the apostles discussed who among them would do such a thing, they began to argue as to who was the greatest among them. Jesus instructed them concerning servanthood and afterward encouraged them with a wonderful promise. Just as Jesus needed men to be with Him in His trials, He is the One Who is with us during our trials. Granted, we know this, but when the fat really hits the fire, it’s such a comfort to remember this guarantee and the future promise it holds for the most important wedding of all time.
“But you (the apostles) are those who have continued with Me in My trials. And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My Father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” (Luke 22:28-30)
Since we’re not one of the original apostles from millennia ago, we’ll not be sitting on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel, but we will be eating and drinking with Jesus, our Bridegroom, at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb if we have accepted Him as our personal Lord and Savior before we pass away.
Partaking of communion regularly helps us to continually anticipate the day in which we will be able to celebrate with Jesus our Lord at this all-important marriage feast.
https://sheilaeismann.com/clues-in-communion-bread/
The Wedding Supper of The Lamb.
Jesus is the Lamb of God and the Bridegroom.
“The next day John (the Baptist) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!’” (John 1:29; Revelation 6:16; 12:11; 17:14; 21:27 and 22:3)
“And Jesus said to them (John the Baptist’s disciples), ‘Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.’” (Matthew 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35; John 3:29; and 2 Corinthians 11:2)
Believers in Christ, the church, are His bride.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:25-27)
Two Parables For Double Emphasis.
Thankfully, we are given clear instructions from Jesus in the gospel of Matthew about preparing for and receiving our invitation to the great feast ahead of time. In both of these settings, Jesus is addressing the chief priests and elders of the people. Interestingly, He taught this vital lesson with back-to-back parables.
#1. The Parable of the Tenants, a/k/a The Wicked Vinedressers. (Matthew 21:33-44)
#2. The Parable of The Wedding Feast at Matthew 22:1-14,
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 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.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Emphasis mine)
“For many are called, but few are chosen.’”
Both of the aforementioned teachings help believers, the Bride of Christ, to ultimately prepare to meet and dine with their Bridegroom.
It’s so encouraging that a wedding invitation is being extended to those who have yet to come into the kingdom of God through His Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. (John 3:16 and Romans 10:9-10)
When reading through this parable, I was especially struck by the word Friend at Matthew 22:12.
The Greek word for friend in this verse is hetairos (pronounced het-ah’-ee-ros), Strong’s G2083. The meanings are a comrade, mate, partner, in kindly address, and friend (my good friend). https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g2083/kjv/tr/0-1/
In the parable, Jesus immediately spotted the man who was not wearing the proper garment. Thankfully, the word of God includes instructions for how to clothe ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ and His imputed righteousness.
“But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” (Romans 13:14)
Colossians 3:12-17 speaks of the characteristics of a new person in Jesus Christ and putting on the equivalent of Christlike garments.
A Future Glimpse Into The Wedding Hall
While he was exiled on the Isle of Patmos, the Apostle John was given the privilege of hearing and seeing the multitudes who were in heaven praising God at the Wedding Supper of the Lamb.
“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.
“Then he said to me, ‘Write: ‘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.’” (Revelation 19:7-9)
The Great Commission Goes Hand-in-Hand With The Wedding Invitation.
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.
“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.’” (Matthew 28:16-20)
Jesus’s command to go and make disciples of all nations is a double invitation in that acceptance of the first one leads to the assurance of the second one which is the Wedding Supper of the Lamb. We can only imagine what it will be like to finally meet the One Who Is With Us on earth as it will be in heaven. What a joyous occasion and feast that will be!
Prophetic Insights For Daily Living.
#1. Have you accepted your invitation of believing in Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? (Romans 10:9-10)
#2. Is there anyone that God is laying upon your heart to share the good news, i.e., the gospel of His Son, Jesus Christ, to assure a seat inside the Wedding Feast?
#3. Try to imagine what the Wedding Supper of the Lamb will be like!
#4. Were Jesus’s words to His disciples acknowledging their reward for staying with Him in His trials a surprise to you?
#5. Just as there will be rewards for Jesus’s apostles for continuing with Him, there will be different types of rewards for us according to 1 Corinthians 3:5-15.
#6. What type of trial are you or someone you know enduring right now? How have you been led to comfort and encourage them?
I’m extremely grateful for the One Who Is With Us, and I would like to close this week’s blog post with some comforting words from the Apostle Paul penned to the church at Corinth,
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Sheila Eismann, Prophetic Seer, Blogger, Author & Teacher, publishes her weekly blog posts endeavoring to encourage others through God’s word. Her writings include teaching and instructions on how to apply prophetic insights for daily living.
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