“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.” (Revelations 19:6-7)
There is an air of excitement all around us right now. We have just come through our American holiday of Thanksgiving and now the world prepares for Christmas. Many of us have just spent time with our relatives and/or loved ones – hopefully drama-free – and are now in pursuit of those special gifts to exchange in the days and weeks to come. I’m sitting here looking out the back door of my office, watching snowflakes slowly drift to earth. Our first snow of the season – just a dusting – and it speaks of the season upon us. Our minds are jumbled and racing from one thought to the next. Excitement.
As Christians we are especially aware of the real meaning of Christmas. It was some two-thousand years plus that mankind received the greatest Gift – the beloved, only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Just in His mere birth He fulfilled thousands of years’ worth of prophecy, yet His birth was only the beginning. The world knew there was something special about this birth, but only throughout the following thirty-three years was the true weight of this event manifest.
Jesus came as a baby that we might be drawn to Him out of our natural affection. He didn’t come as a King – although He would have been within His rights to do so. He didn’t come as a Deliverer – though that was His mission. He didn’t come as a Prophet – though He became the Prophet of prophets. He didn’t come as a rich man, a sage, or anything else. He came as a baby that we could watch Him grow.
Throughout His life, Jesus revealed to us the heart of God. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed of the devil. Jesus taught the true meaning behind the Ten Commandments, He taught us of the love of the Father for all mankind. He taught us that God wants all of us to come back to Him – to be purchased back from our natural, sinful nature to become all He created us to be. Jesus taught us the true meaning of holiness – to be in the world but not of the world. He taught us how to have meaning in our lives – to have a mission, to be totally sold out to God. I challenge you to spend a whole year reading through each of the four gospels, to spend time with Jesus, to watch and learn from the Master. Maybe take the whole book of Matthew and read through it over the course of a week, then the next week read through Mark, then Luke, then John. Just keep re-reading each gospel over and over again throughout the course of the year. Each time read it as if for the first time. Let it soak into your spirit. See Him as, perhaps, never before.
Christ went on to fulfill all the prophecies concerning His earthly life over those thirty-three years – including His arrest, conviction, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection. There remain a few yet to fulfill – and that is what this Advent season of Christmas reminds us of. We look back to celebrate His first Advent – His first coming. But we also turn our faces into the future and anticipate His second Advent – His second coming. As with all things forward-looking, there are several interpretations about the rapture of the Church, the millenial reign, etc., and it is not my intent to address them here. But we do know the passage quoted at the beginning to be universally accepted – the Marriage Supper of the Lamb – when Christ will one day “walk the aisle” as He is re-united with the body of believers who have devoted themselves and saved themselves for Him. As I said, many of us have just finished our Thanksgiving feast, around which we gathered with those we love, and it was truly amazing! Good galore, conversations about everything under the sun, love flowed like wine, fellowship and renewal of relationships was shared. It was great!
BUT – have you ever stopped to consider what it will be like to sit down at a similar table and eat, talk, share, laugh, and remember with such people as Adam, David, Moses, Paul, Daniel, John the Revelator, and others – not to mention, of course, our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ Himself? What a time that will be!!! We’ll share times when our car stalled out in a freezing storm and God brought along a wrecker or tow-truck at just the right time, then listen as Elijah talks about what it was like to be swept away in a chariot of fire! To hear first-hand from Daniel how it must have felt to spend the night in the den of lions and see God miraculously deliver him, or shake hands with Samson – the same one who tied foxes’ tails together and set them on fire then released them into his enemies’ fields, the same one who literally collapsed an entire building with his bare hands! Oh, but nothing will compare to the hard time we will give Adam for eating that apple! I can only imagine the tormenting he will receive, But to then turn and see those eyes of love eminating from the head of the table as He welcomes us all home – never to be away from Him again.
My friend, it is my desire that you are among those gathered around that crowded table. I want to watch you get to know all the others around the table and hear you laugh as they tell their stories. I want to see you relaxed – maybe for the first time – as you finally feel at home and accepted. If you haven’t received Christ as your Savior, please do it today. We are not guaranteed tomorrow – or the next few minutes. I’m sure you have already seen that in your own lifetime. I don’t want to scare you into the family, but I also don’t want to risk the opportunity of NOW with you. Do it while you’re reading these words. Get eternity settled in your heart and begin to enjoy today in Christ.
As we gather around our own family table for dinner or breakfast, let these images flood your mind. Instead of that bratty, unruly child at the table, imagine him or her as the next Peter, Paul, Deborah, or Esther. Let your mind briefly see this marriage supper of the Lamb and may that stir your heart to draw closer to Jesus Christ today.
Be blessed.
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