Wedding Clothes
This study asks the question: Are You Wearing Your Wedding Clothes?
Matthew 22:1-14
Yeshua (Jesus) again used parables in speaking to them: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son, but when he sent his slaves to summon the invited guests to the wedding, they refused to come. So he sent some more slaves, instructing them to tell the guests, ‘Look, I’ve prepared my banquet, I’ve slaughtered my bulls and my fattened cattle, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding!’ But they weren’t interested and went off, one to his farm, another to his business; and the rest grabbed his slaves, mistreated them and killed them. The king was furious and sent his soldiers, who killed those murderers and burned down their city.
“Then he said to his slaves, ‘Well, the wedding feast is ready; but the ones who were invited didn’t deserve it. So go out to the street-corners and invite to the banquet as many as you find.’ The slaves went out into the streets, gathered all the people they could find, the bad along with the good; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
“Now when the king came in to took at the guests, he saw there a man who wasn’t dressed for a wedding; so he asked him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him outside in the dark!’ In that place people will wail and grind their teeth, for many are invited, but few are chosen.” The Jewish New Testament
Important points of parable:
• The original guests were the people that rejected Jesus (Jewish leaders of the day, Pharisees, etc.).
• Jesus says they did not deserve to come into the kingdom due to their rejection of God.
• Banquet symbolizes our blessings through Jesus through the Grace of God.
• All people were invited after the original guests refused to come.
• Two invitations -- they probably had already accepted the first.
• King made a decision about a person based on clothes that person was wearing.
Clothes are used to represent many different things about a person.
• Joseph, an example of the symbolic importance of a person's clothes.
• Many colored coat -- Represented the favor of his father.
• Potiphar put a new robe on him -- Represented blessing for perseverance and new position
• Potiphar's wife used his robe against him -- Represented satan's attempt to turn God's blessings into a curse.
• Pharoah put a new robe on him -- Represented God's blessings and authority
• Joseph gave each of his brothers a new set of clothing (Gen. 45:22) -- represents his forgiveness and spiritual knowledge of God's plan.
Other scriptural examples of symbolic importance of clothes:
• Zechariah 3:3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4) The angel said to those who were standing before him, "Take off his filthy clothes." Then he said to Joshua, "See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you."
• Psalm 30:11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,
• Psalm 104:1 Praise the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.
• Psalm 132:9 May your priests be clothed with righteousness; may your saints sing for joy."
What are the right Wedding Clothes?
• Salvation
• Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
• Holy Spirit
• Luke 24:49 I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
• Eternal Life
• 1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
• Messiah (Christ)
Galatians 3:26-28 "For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one." The Jewish New Testament
• Righteousness and justice
• Job 29:14 I put on righteousness as my clothing; justice was my robe and my turban.
One more passage to illustrate the importance God puts on our "clothing."
• Colossians 3:12-17 Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13) Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14) And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16) Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Matthew 22:1-14 NIV "Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: {2} "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. {3} He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. {4} "Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.' {5} "But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business. {6} The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. {7} The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. {8} "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. {9} Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' {10} So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. {11} "But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. {12} 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. {13} "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' {14} "For many are invited, but few are chosen.""
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