Another beautiful illustration from Jesus - Matthew 25:1-13

 

Being 61 and approaching 62, it is part of me to be "old school."  I count it a privilege to live through all the technological changes in the life of not only our world but the church.   I went from bulletin boards to handouts to overhead projectors to screens to webpages to video platforms to apps and it keeps going on.  The picture above is some of my "old school" coming out that you see in the lobby of our church.  I try to keep this white board up to date with the latest at SCC.  You have to be able to read my printing and I am amazed at how we have adapted to pull out our cell phones and take a pic of it.  What was old still works at times and sometimes it has even more impact than the new stuff.  I think I have well adapted to communicating via email and cherish personal responses that come into my inbox but a hand written letter that has made it through the USPS system to my mailbox still takes it to another level.  

Jesus gives an illustration in this passage that is as old as Genesis 2.  It is an illustration that is used throughout the Bible to explain God's love for us, His children.  In the Old Testament you find the creation of it in Genesis 2 and you find the use of it from the lips of the prophets to attribute the bridegroom (groom) to God and the bride to us, His true church.  In the New Testament Jesus uses it to describe His return and later Paul uses it to explain the witness of a loving, godly marriage actually being the picture of Christ and His Church.  But, you always need to put marriage in the context of the Bible rather than our modern times.

In our modern times, marriage is pretty much a decision made by the couple.  An announcement is made but rarely this days is a permission asked for.  Sadly in many cases, the union of those getting marriage has already been partially fulfilled by co-habitation or sexual union.  Save the dates are sent out; invitations follow with RSVP stamped envelopes; and all the details for the wedding are provided.  You know when, where, what time, attire, colors and the most important, where the couple is registered at find out what they want for gifts.  This is so different than the wedding process of Jesus' day.

1) The fathers of the prospective bride and groom make a plan for a holy union.

2) A betrothal ceremony commences where vows of marriage are pledged to one another.  They are now officially married even though they have not been with one another physically.  If one was to die before step 4, they would be considered a widow or widower.

3) A separation immediately follows where the groom returns with his father to prepare a place for he and his bride to live.  This separation could last up to 1 or 2 years.  He waits for his father's approval and permission to go and retrieve his bride to bring her to where he is.

4) Permission from the father is granted and the groom with grand procession retrieves his bride and they travel back to their new home.  The celebration can last up to 7 days.  

Do you see the plan of God here.

1) The fathers (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) make a plan for redemption of man.

2) A betrothal ceremony is performed with the Son making the vows to the bride, the church, via the cross to those who lift up their eyes and see Him as the Christ.  The bride, the true church, makes vows of repentance and belief to live a life glorifying God.

3) A separation happens where the Son returns to the Father to prepare a place for His bride, the Church.  He is waiting for the Father to give the "go" sign to retrieve His bride to bring her to where He is.  All the while He is interceding for her before the Father.

4) Permission is granted from the Father and the Son, the Bridegroom, returns in grand procession to retrieve His bride, the true church.  They will be together forever and the celebration will be for eternity.

In the passage covered, Jesus has taken His disciples to step 4.  The separation is ending and the return is not only being waited for but prepared for.  Some are ready while others are not.  I think the part that struck me most was that Jesus is stating to His disciples and to us that there is a "too late" moment.  The door is shut on the party just like the door was shut on Noah's ark.  Those one the other side of the door, the Lord did not know.  They were calling out His rightful title but their lived out response was still all about themselves rather than about Him.  The 5 foolish virgins had their own plan to get in instead of following God's plan.

How often do we let people know when sharing about Jesus that there will be a "too late" moment and the plans they have devised to be good enough won't work?  This last teaching discourse of Jesus prior to the cross, the Olivet Discourse, has a lot of "black and white" in it from Jesus.  Whose words will we live our lives by?  His words, man's words or even our own words?  Which words last forever?

Adam