The Wedding Supper of the Lamb
Luke 14v12-15
31st July 2020
Jesus was at a dinner party at a Pharisee's house. It had already been an interesting evening.
Luke 14v12-15
Then Jesus said to his host, "When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite
your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbours; if you do, they
may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,
and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous."
The basis of Christian behaviour is agape love - the love that wants to give, more than it receives. Jesus isn't forbidding us to eat with our families or our friends. He's saying that there's no reward for us in heaven for doing so. But when we invite those who can't invite us back, those who can't afford food as good as ours, those who really need a free lunch, that's agape love. And agape love will be rewarded in heaven.
Luke 14v15
When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed
is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God."
This man was absolutely right. The great celebration that will happen when Jesus Christ returns to earth is described as "the wedding of the lamb" in:
Revelation 19:6-9
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.
Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for
the righteous acts of God's holy people.)
Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to
the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of
God."
On that day, when Jesus Christ the Lamb of God returns for us, the church will be ready, the rejoicing will be tremendous, and the greatest party of all time will take place. Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb! You and I will be present with Jesus, and we will celebrate with Him His total victory over the forces of evil. And there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21v10). We can't really imagine how wonderful that day will be, but it will be wonderful, and we'll be there!
And the Apostle John makes this wonderful prediction:
1 John3v2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been
made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we
shall see him as he is.
On that great day, at that great celebration, when we sit down with Jesus for His wedding banquet, we'll sit next to Him as His bride. And we'll see him as he is. And we shall be like him. Praise be to God!
Life may be difficult for you right now, but hold on the Jesus. Hold on to your faith. Keep on loving your neighbours with agape love. All your struggles will be infinitely worthwhile, because Jesus will give you the seat of honour at His banquet.