As I have been thinking about what to say about the gospel at Adam Cress and Shannon Smith’s wedding, I have been continually struck by the fact that the body of Christ should see every wedding as a continual reminder of the fact that God the Father is preparing a bride for His Son.
The bride is the body of Christ—the church. The church, of course, consists of all those who have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ by faith.
Eventually in the future there is going to be quite the “wedding” when God the Father presents the bride to the Son. Then there will be a celebration—a huge celebration. Something unlike anything any of us have ever participated in and it is going to be a glorious time.
There is going to be a dinner of sorts and I certainly do not profess to have any idea what all that means exactly but I do not the Bible presents it as a banquet or party. And when God throws a party you can be sure you will not want to miss it. Somehow it is very easy to get so caught up in the affairs of this life that we forget about future glory.
Weddings and the dinners/parties afterwards should serve as continual reminders that there is a party coming for all who have been united to Christ Jesus by faith in the promises of God. This must be what Christ is referring to in Matthew 22 when he makes reference to a man who shows up at a wedding banquet without the right clothes.
The right garment must be the righteousness of Christ for this man is told he is not wearing the right garment and is cast out into outer darkness. I can’t imagine that but I have no reason to deny the truth of the Word of God. Jesus said it and I believe. Therefore, every pastor must see a wedding as another opportunity to call people repent and believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ—the Ultimate Prophet, the one true High Priest and the Lord of the Universe—God’s only begotten Son.
