Did you know that it is not uncommon to see church attendance DOUBLE on Easter Sunday. Why is that? Is it because people gear up for family time and bring in all their relatives? Is it because on Easter more than any Sunday, they feel like they should attend church to fulfill some moral obligation? I suspect for many non-regular churchgoers, it is just what you do on Easter.
But does it matter to God if we go to church on Easter? I was reading the following parable from Matthew reflecting on that question...
Read the passage here. The synopsis of the story found on gotquestions.org is found below:
In Jewish society, the parents of the betrothed generally drew up the marriage contract. The bride and groom would meet, perhaps for the first time, when this contract was signed. The couple was considered married at this point, but they would separate until the actual time of the ceremony. The bride would remain with her parents, and the groom would leave to prepare their home. This could take quite a while. When the home was ready, the groom would return for his bride without notice. The marriage ceremony would then take place, and the wedding banquet would follow.
The wedding banquet was one of the most joyous occasions in Jewish life and could last for up to a week. In His parable, Jesus compares heaven to a wedding banquet that a king had prepared for his son (Matthew 22:2). Many people had been invited, but when the time for the banquet came and the table was set, those invited refused to come (verses 4-5). In fact, the king’s servants who brought the joyful message were mistreated and even killed (verse 6).
The king, enraged at the response of those who had been invited, sent his army to avenge the death of his servants (verse 7). He then sent invitations to anyone his servants could find, with the result that the wedding hall was filed (verses 8-10).
During the feast the king noticed a man “who was not wearing wedding clothes” (verse 11). When asked how he came to be there without the furnished attire, the man had no answer and was promptly ejected from the feast “outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (verses 12-13). Jesus then ends the parable with this statement: “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (verse 14).
Israel and her decedents are considered as the first group of people invited by the King (God) who reject the invitation and killed the messengers (the prophets). After their rejection, the invitation is opened to everyone else, the non-Jews, the Gentiles.
The part of the story I want to focus on is the man who was not wearing wedding clothes. He was kicked out of the banquet and thrown into darkness. Harsh dress code if we are just taking this at face value, but what does this mean? The banquet is meant to symbolize heaven, so this man was thrown out of heaven just because of his clothes? What does it mean to be invited but not chosen? That is a scary thought if you ask me.
9 After this I looked, and there was a vast multitude from every nation, tribe, people, and language, which no one could number, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were robed in white with palm branches in their hands.
So where did they get these white robes? Why didn't this guy that got thrown out have one?
Revelation 7:14 says: They washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
So this guy accepted the invite, but didn't wash his attire in the blood of the Lamb, whatever that means?
Isaiah 64:6 says: "All of us have become like something unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags."
Here we find the true meaning behind the story. The man tried to show up, clothed in his own righteousness, and not that of Jesus Christ. He tried to show up and say look at the attire I have made for you!? Look at the things I have done for you my King! ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Didn't I write a blog post about you? Didn't I go to church on Easter Sunday? Didn't I go on Mission Trips and listen to nothing but Christian music? But still the man was thrown out. In another parable, we see a man clothed in his own righteousness thrown out of the Kingdom and told "away from me, I never knew you."
Scary stuff if you ask me, especially if you are still striving for your salvation. Striving to do good on your own. Trying to be a good person. Trying to earn your reward. This is something that I struggle with still- but with God's help, we can strip ourselves of the filthy rags of our self-righteousness and live under the freedom of knowing that we have been redeemed and washed clean by the righteousness and the blood of Jesus Christ alone. He died so we can live in freedom to do His will and bring Him glory! And we can do this not by our own power, but by His power and grace alone. I think people on the outside of the church look in and see a group of people that is consumed by "dos and don'ts." Let us put on the robes of Christ and show them the true freedom that is found in Him! There is nothing that we have done, or can do to be worthy of the sacrifice Jesus made, and yet He still did it, and restored us so we can have a relation with our Heavenly Father!!! That is the love of God on display!
So this man was invited, but chose to show up in His own attire, his own righteousness. God's chosen people will be identified by casting off their own works and standing on the righteousness of Jesus Christ alone!
So where does that leave us with our initial question? Does it matter if we go to church or do anything else for that matter? If we are doing it as part of our "good-person checklist," than it really doesn't. If you are doing it to honor God and give him praise and glory for the sacrifice He made in sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins, than there is no better reason to get up on Easter morning or any other day of the year! We would love to see you at FBC Carr St!
Not quite sure about this Jesus guy everyone talks about? Then you can still give church a shot, but remember, it is full of a bunch of sinners too! Don't look to them alone to show you who God is, open up a Bible and explore the Word for yourself! Jeremiah 29:13 says, "You will seek me and find me when you search for me with your whole heart."
HAPPY EASTER!!!
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