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“So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.” (Matthew 22:12 NKJV)
In the book of Matthew, chapter twenty-two, the Lord Jesus gives the parable of the Wedding Feast. This Parable features a certain King who prepared a marriage feast for his son and sent out his servants to call those invited to the marriage feast, but they would not come.
Parables can be prophetic, most of the parables in Matthew 13, have prophetic or Eschatological
elements in them.
- The parables of the sower.
- The parables of the wheat and tears.
- The parables of the mustards seed.
- The parables of the leaven.
- The parables of the dragant.
What's parables, the Etymology placing one thing besides another. Popular , an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.
Again, the King 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.”‘ (Matt. 22:4 NKJV).
But again, those invited made light of the King’s call and went their ways, one to his farm and another to his business. Sadly, not only did those invited to the King’s son’s wedding continually turn down the King’s invitation, but they also seized the King’s servants sent to them, treated them spitefully, and killed them (Matt. 22:5).
How did the King respond to their wickedness?
Matthew 22:7 – NKJV
7 “But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Moreover, the King told his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. ‘Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” (Matt. 22:8-9 NKJV).
As instructed, the King’s servants went into the highways and gathered all they found, 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 among them who did not put on the wedding garment provided for him out of the King’s generosity and love.
Therefore, the King confronted him, asking, “Friend, how did you come in here without wearing the wedding clothes [that were provided for you]?” And the man was speechless and without excuse.” (Matt. 21:12 AMP).
Consequently, the King commanded his servants, saying, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 22:13 NKJV).
The Lord Jesus concluded the parable, saying, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt. 22:14 NKJV).
What are the spiritual truths or lessons to learn from this Parable? Let us examine some of them.
First, God is the King in the Parable who prepared a marriage feast or wedding for His son. The Lord Jesus Christ is the King’s Son for whom the feast was prepared (Rev. 19:7).
Second, the wedding speaks of union, intimacy, or a relationship with Christ. The wedding invitation speaks of the Gospel of Christ. The wedding feast implies the blessings of the Gospel of Christ (salvation) (Romans. 1:14-16).
Third, the Jews (the nation of Israel as a whole) are those whom the King first invited to His Son’s feast but who continually declined the King’s invitation and seized, maltreated, and killed the King’s servants sent to them (Matt. 23:29-34, Luke 11:49).
Fourth, the King’s servants are the prophets and apostles of God sent to the children of Israel to preach and proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom of God and call them to repentance (Acts 7:51-52).
Fifth, the Gentiles (non-Jew nations) are the latter guests invited and brought to the wedding from the highways (Matt. 8:11-12, Mark 16:15).
Sixth, the wedding garment represents the righteousness of the saints (Isa. 61:10, Rev. 19:8).
What is the righteousness of the saints?
God’s righteousness imputed to them at the new birth!
That is the gracious bestowment of God on all those who put their faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, the Scripture refers to it as “the righteousness of faith” (Romans. 3:20-23, 9:30).
Sadly, like the guest who did not put on the wedding garment the King had graciously provided for all his guests but clung to his filthy rag, there are some religious folks in the world today who have rejected God’s gift of righteousness available to all men through faith in Jesus Christ are clinging to their self-righteousness (filthy rag) as a basis for having a right standing before God or relationship with God.
Based on the works of the law, our human or self-righteousness is insufficient and incapable of earning and securing for us a loving and intimate relationship with God, or right standing before God, or God’s favor and blessing.
Why?Because it is imperfect, filthy, and stinking in God’s sight (Isa. 64:6)!
God’s righteousness (the wedding garment) is available to all men as a gift. It is received by pure faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work (2 Cor. 5:21, Ephesians. 2:8-9). Either you accept and cling to God’s righteousness (the wedding garment) by faith alone in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work, or you cling to your righteousness (filthy, stinking rag) by the works of the law.
You cannot stick to God’s presence and your relationship with God!
Today, some religious zealots do not have on the wedding garment, not because they don’t acknowledge the Lord Jesus and His finished redemptive work, but because they are unwilling to trust absolutely in the finished redemptive work of Jesus. Instead, they still strive to keep the law to obtain salvation, favor, or blessing from God (Romans. 10:1-4).
Lastly, without putting on the wedding garment (God’s righteousness) received by faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption, you cannot stand before God or escape God’s judgment or wrath at the close of the ages.
According to the Parable of the Marriage Feast, the guest without the wedding garment was judged and condemned. There was no room for mercy. He received no second chance.
The King commanded, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt” 22:13 NKJV).
A severe judgment of God awaits all who refused or rejected God’s gift of righteousness through pure faith in Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice (Hebrew. 10:28-29).
Beloved, today is your excuse for not receiving and putting on the wedding garment (God’s righteousness) that God has graciously made available for you through Jesus Christ.
You will be speechless, without any excuse, when you stand before the King of kings on the day of Judgement without putting on the King’s garment (God’s righteousness).
As seen in the Parable, it takes you having on your wedding garment (trusting in, holding unto, and walking in God’s righteousness) to dine, fellowship, and reign with the King in this life and eternity (Romans. 5:17).
Today, some believers are not reigning in this life because they are not always wearing, putting on, or clinging to God’s righteousness, which they have received through faith in Jesus Christ.
You cannot enjoy God’s blessings constantly or incessantly in this life based on your performance, self-righteousness, or good works but only based on your faith in Jesus Christ and His perfect work of redemption.
Therefore, Apostle Paul’s pursuit in life was to be always found in Christ, “not having my righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith.” (Philp. 3:9 NKJV).
Friend, make it your resolution and pursuit today to be found in Christ, always having your wedding garment—the righteousness from God by faith.
The price you will pay in this life and eternity for not having the wedding garment (God’s righteousness) on you is too enormous.
If you die without receiving and putting on your wedding garment (God’s righteousness by faith alone in Jesus Christ), your judgment will be the same as the guest without the wedding garment in the Parable.
On the day of Judgement, the King will command, “Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt” 22:13 NKJV).
Prayer:
My Heavenly Father, thank You for making the wedding garment (Your righteousness) available to me as a gift through the Lord Jesus Christ. I receive it by faith today, acknowledging and confessing Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Saviour, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Our mandate is to strives to persevering the Faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.
AWH, Blogs.
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