THE GIFT OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

In Matthew 21:1-13, Jesus taught prophecy through a parable concerning His own future wedding.  The King (God) sent His servants (the prophets) out to gather those who had earlier received an invitation (Israel) to His Son's (Jesus') wedding, but they refused to come (v. 1-3).  Later, the King sent more servants, but this time, the previously invited guests beat and killed His servants (v. 4-6).  The King was furious, and He sent His army (Rome) to kill those who had murdered His servants, and destroy their city (Jerusalem) (v. 7). 

Time passed, and finally the King sent more servants, telling them to invite any and all (Jews and Gentiles), good and bad, to His Son's wedding; this time, they responded, and the wedding was filled with guests (v. 8-10).  At last, all was ready, except for one small problem:  one of the guests was not wearing a wedding garment, and before the ceremony began, the King had him removed and severely punished (v. 11-13).

You and I are left with the obvious question:  What is a wedding garment, and why did an invited guest attempt to attend without one?  Believe it or not, the Bible reveals exactly what it is!

Let's first look at Revelation 19:7-8 - "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.  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints."  Notice that the wife is given permission to wear her garment, and that we are told it is "the righteousness of the saints."  But how can that be?  Doesn't God's Word say that our righteousness is far from "clean and white?"  Isaiah wrote:  "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags" (Isa. 64:6).

It is obvious, at least to me, that the rest of the guests were not wearing their own garments, but they were wearing the garments which had been provided for them.  Remember that they were there, both good and bad; and remember that even the "good," are far from righteous.  So, from where did the wedding garments come?  The Apostle Paul tells us who provides the wedding garments:  "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor. 5:21).  God offers us the garment of righteousness, and obviously, all but one of the guests humbled themselves and accepted God's gift.  His self-righteousness prevented him from receiving what God offers all who will come to Him:  the righteousness of Jesus Christ, His faithful, obedient, and loving Son!

Will you accept His garment, or will you insist you don't need it? 

Today may be your last opportunity to make the right decision!