In Jesus Holy Name November 8, 2020
Text: Matthew 25:1-2
“Don’t Be Late for the Wedding Banquet”
In the Walt Disney movie ‘Snow White” The rabbit looks at his clock and says: “I’m late, I’m late, I’m late for a very important date, no time to say hello, no time to say good bye… I’m late, I’m late I’m late for a very important date”. Jesus has a great parable for us today. The great Wedding banquet is being prepared for Himself and His bride, the Church. The warning is simple and straight forward. “Don’t be late for the Wedding Banquet or you will be too late and the door will be closed!!!.
Preparations have been made for the “wedding banquet” in heaven. Like the Wise and Foolish virgins, we are waiting for the bridegroom to return from heaven.
Jesus is coming back and we should not be unprepared. His return is certain Shortly before returning to Heaven Jesus told His disciples that someday He would come back to establish His Kingdom. But before that could take place, He said, certain things would have to happen—. For example, He said that before His return the Gospel must be preached throughout the world.
Jesus warned that Satan would try a final attempt to halt God’s work through a massive onslaught of evil. Our world is no stranger to evil; Satan has always been working to stop God’s plans. Jesus said, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. … Nation will rise against nation” (Matthew 24:6-7).
The real question, however, is this: Are you ready for Christ’s return?
Over the years, many people have promised that they will return. On March 11, 1942 the Japanese were invading the Philippines and General Douglas MacArthur, under direct orders from the President was preparing to leave Corregidor. In spite of the difficult situation, General MacArthur promised: “I will return”. Two and half years later he was able to return.
Jesus always kept His word. He told his disciples that on upcoming trip to Jerusalem, he would be arrested by the Chief Priests, put on trial and that He would be crucified. He also promised that three days after His death He would come back. Jesus emerged from His borrowed tomb, and showed to all the world that His death on the cross had been accepted as a sufficient sacrifice to appease the wrath of God against our broken commandments. Jesus proved that His resurrection was not a myth.
He spent 40 days with his disciples and friends. In casual conversations He walked with His disciples. He ate meals with them. He did a lengthy bible study taking them through all the Old Testament passages that spoke about God’s plan to redeem the world through His perfect life, death and resurrection.
On one occasion after Jesus and the disciples had left the Jerusalem and were returning to Bethany, they stopped to enjoy the view of golden city of Jerusalem from the Mt of Olives. It was a magnificent site. Jesus surprised them by telling them that one day all the glory of the temple would be destroyed. “Not one stone would be left on another”. He spoke about the end of the world. They of course wanted to know “when”? They wanted to know “what” would be warning signs of His return.
When will Jesus be coming back from heaven? That’s still a question on the minds of many people. Countless books have been written by Hal Lindsey. “The Great Late Planet Earth”. Others have tried to analyze the prophecies of Revelation and Daniel. People want to know so they can be prepared. They are pretty sure Jesus will be their Judge. They want some advance notice. They want to do some quick cramming for the final test. These folks are obsessed with the “last times”. Some are afraid of the future when Jesus returns.
Every time a country changes government. Every time sabers are rattled in the middle east. Every time a mob swarms into the streets, people comb the book of Revelation trying to match of the signs of Jesus’ return with what they have just seen on the evening news.
According to the media the world is one scary place. Fear sells. The News media knows how to grab our attention. “Don’t eat eggs, they will raise your cholesterol, and you know how dangerous that is.” Here is a list of things you must do to avoid the dangerous chemicals in your drinking water?” Global warming! We only have 12 years left on Planet Earth unless we do something! COVIN 19… better shelter in! “Plan ahead …the world will collapse. Grocery stores will be out of food. Buy this book now… Lost Foods, make and store foods like our grand parents used to make.” Does the bad news ever stop? We are the most worried and anxious culture that has ever lived.
Even though life expectancy has doubled and disease research is at an all time high, you’d think the bubonic plague is raging in the streets.
Jesus is coming back. When? Did you know that Jesus gives
the answer to their first question in Matthew 24:34? (read) He was correct. Jerusalem fell to the Romans within their generation. The year was 70 A.D. But what about the end of the world? Well He answered that question in v 36. “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the do I know, only the Father knows the day and hour of my return.”
Jesus is coming back. Jude called it the “Great Day”. People will be drinking coffee. People will check the weather. Playing on the beach. Jesus reminded the disciples of the days of Noah. People were having a good time, right up the time Noah entered the Ark. They expected nothing unusual until the rains came.
Jesus is coming back. We don’t know everything but we do know that on that day there will be a great shout. The voice of the archangel and the trumpet call will sound. The dead will hear the voice of God. All who are in their graves will come out. Angels will be dispatched from the “4 winds” and gather all believers who have ever lived. In a moment we will all be caught up and changed. The “church” through the ages will be brought to the great wedding banquet in
heaven. (Revelation 19) History is not an endless succession of meaningless circles, but a directed movement toward a great event. God has a timeline. And, because of Bethlehem, we know where we stand on it.
Jesus said: “I will come again” (Jn. 14:3). The author of Hebrews declared: “Christ will appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly waiting on him” (Heb. 9:28).
At the first coming, few people noticed. At his second, “All the nations of the world will be gathered before him” (Mt. 25:32).
In Bethlehem, Joseph placed Jesus in a manger. At his return, Jesus will be seated on a throne: “The Son of Man will come in great glory, with all his angels. He will be king and sit on his great throne” (Mt. 25:31). (Max Lucado December 2014)
Jesus is coming back. Then Jesus tells a parable about a wedding.
There is a nighttime wedding where everything seems to go wrong. The groom shows up so late that the bridal party falls asleep by the side of the road. When the groom finally arrives at midnight, half the bridesmaids have forgotten to bring enough oil for their lamps and end up banned from the celebration.
As the story concludes, the rejected bridesmaids are standing outside the door asking for admission, but to no avail. They have been shut out from the wedding banquet. It is a sad, strange ending to what should have been a most joyful occasion. Other than that, it was a perfectly normal wedding!
The parable is a masterpiece. There is one phrase that we dare not miss. “And the door was shut.” There is an awful finality about those words. It means that the door was shut and locked. It will not be opened again. Those on the inside were safely inside; those on the outside could never get in no matter how hard they tried.
There is a “door” that leads to heaven. It is the door of God’s grace, held open by the bloody cross of Jesus Christ. For 2,000 years that door has been open to the entire world. Today the door is open but our Jesus reminds us that the door will not be open forever.
One striking feature of the parable occurs when the foolish virgins ask the wise virgins to borrow some of their oil. The refusal may seem selfish and unkind unless you understand the situation. To loan the oil would mean that no one would have enough oil. And the larger point is clear. No one can “borrow” another person’s faith. You can’t get into heaven by living near a saved person. One day you will stand before the Lord and he will say, “Why should I let you into my heaven?” What answer will you give?
“My mother was a godly woman,” you might say. “And that’s why she’s in heaven,” the Lord will reply, “but what about you?” “My dad was an elder,” you say. “Fine, but that’s not why he’s in heaven, and anyway his eldership won’t do you any good,” the Lord replies.
A number of years ago, a father who had taken his two children swimming in the Atlantic, realized the tide was pulling them out to sea. Knowing his limitations, he told his daughter, the older of the two little one. “Honey, I’ve got to get your brother to shore. When I do, I’ll come back for you. I want you to float on your back till I return. You don’t have to swim. Just float on your back.” With that the father swam away, brought his son to shore, and in a state of near exhaustion, with some lifeguards, went back out to find his daughter. She wasn’t where they expected her to be
Further out to sea they searched. After two hours, they spotted a little body floating in the water. No, don’t worry, she was OK. After they brought her aboard one of the lifeguards asked, “Were you frightened being out in the ocean all by yourself?” She answered, “I wasn’t afraid. My father told me to float on my back, and he promised that he would come back. I trusted him. He loves me, and never lies.” (from a sermon by Rev. Ken Klaas)
This is the attitude Jesus expects of us. He expects us to remember that He loves us. He has not forgotten about us. He expects us to live our lives, serving our families, telling our neighbors about God’s love, and practice Christian values and characteristics until He comes. Martin Luther said, “If I knew that Jesus was coming tomorrow I would plant a tree today.” John Wesley said, “I would spend my last day exactly as I expect to spent it now.” Jesus said: “Keep watch, because you do not know the day nor the hour.”
