Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text is the Old Testament Lesson just read, from Isaiah 25. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- One of the key concepts in our text is the “covering that is cast over all peoples . . . the veil that is spread over all nations.” Much discussion can be found among the commentators as to what this refers to.
- Perhaps the nature, function, and purpose of a “veil” or “covering” best helps us understand – and insofar as our text describes this veil or covering being “swallowed up” by God in the day of His salvation, just as He will “swallow up death forever,” obviously the “veil” is an evil thing, part of the reality of sin being in the world.
- So what does this evil veil or covering do? You cannot see through a veil or covering, it obscures and hides what is real. I suppose in this way it is like a fog or thick clouds – and we often read of things hidden or “veiled” in fog. In that the veil in our text is evil and hides or obscures, it must be referring to sin and all that it covers and hides from human minds.
- What is hidden from humanity principally is a true and accurate knowledge of God, of what He is really like and what He sincerely and zealously wills for human beings. It is also hides truth from us in regard to what sin has done to us, what it has made us, what hideous distortions it has produced in human being.
- Obviously, this “covering,” this obscuring and ignorance must be “removed” before human beings can even be aware of “THE FEAST OF GOD,” believe in it, and consider God’s invitation to enter into it. And obviously we must aware of the principles of this “FEAST,” the problem of our sin and the solution of God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness, if we are to enter into this feast. This is also what Jesus speaks about in the Gospel Lesson for today.
- A “feast” is a good thing, and “THE FEAST OF GOD” is the ultimate good – and it is the greatest tragedy and inexplicable insanity that some human beings refuse God’s invitation – but this the nature of the “veil” that plagues and afflicts humanity. But the good news is that:
I. Christ Has Now Come, Has Died To Take Away All Human Sin And Guilt, And Has Been Raised Again For Our Justification And Salvation
Rom. 4:25 “Christ was delivered up for our transgressions, and was raised again for our justification.”
A. So The Veil Is Removed That Obscures And Hides God’s Love
John 3:16,17 “God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
B. So The Veil Can Be Removed In Regard To Hiding Our Sin In Impenitence And Self-Justification, Self-Righteousness
Rom. 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
Eccl. 7:20 “There is not a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not.”
C. In Place Of The Veil Which Hides Our Sin And Hides God’s Goodness And Love, We Are Supplied With A Wedding Garment – Which Is Christ, His Righteousness, Which Is God’s Gracious Forgiveness, Mercy, And Love
Gal. 3:27 “As many of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”
Is. 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my God, for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness.”
1 Cor. 1:30 “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”
Statement: In the Garden, following their descent into unbelief, disobedience, and rebellion against God, Adam and Eve no longer knew God – they tried to hide from Him. Though aware of their sin, they were not able to acknowledge it – they immediately began to justify themselves by explaining away their sin. They were unaware of God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness – though God quickly promised them salvation and deliverance.
One of their children demonstrated what this inherent veil of sin does to us – he angrily cringed at giving offerings to God, and ultimately killed his own brother. Then he minimized his sin by complaining about the consequences of it.
This is the very veil and covering that continues to cover all human beings by birth, and which can only be removed by God – through His grace and mercy in Christ Jesus, when He brings us to faith in Jesus, whether by baptism into Christ Jesus or by the power of His Word, the Gospel message of His salvation in Christ Jesus. We know the power of this veil, and continue to struggle with its pervasive influence.
Application: But Christ has come – and the veil is clearly taken off of God, and He seeks to take it off of us as well, as He leads us to true and genuine repentance and into the wonders of His gracious love, mercy, and forgiveness. The promise is of feasting – for those willing to receive His wedding garment, His forgiveness and mercy, His gracious justification. This is the glorious good news of our text, the promise of God’s salvation, now accomplished for us in Christ Jesus. And so:
II. All People Are Now Called To Rejoice In The Lord
A. He Has Prepared The Feast And Invites Us To Enter In Through His Grace And Salvation In Christ jesus
Text: “God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of His people He will take away from all the earth . . . this is our God; we have waited for Him, that He might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
B. So Let Us No Longer Resist His Grace Nor Abuse His Servants And His Guests
Gospel Lesson: “Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared My dinner, My oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast. But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.”
C. And Let Us Surely Put On Christ, God’s Wedding Garment, Through Repentance And Faith – For Without It None Can Participate In His Feast
1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned we are calling God a liar and His Word is not in us.”
Gospel Lesson: “When the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
D. Then, In The Knowledge Of God’s Love And Salvation, We Will Trust In God And Practice What Is Truly Good And Right
Epistle Lesson: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me – practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Statement: Yes, God Himself will be with us; we will be with Him in His feast, and our lives even now reflect this blessedness. We trust not in our own goodness and righteousness; we know that we have none, and we confess our sins, rejoicing in God’s gracious mercy and forgiveness, wearing Christ as our wedding garment at all times. And we do not resist His Word, and abuse His servants, those who bring His Word and invitation to us – only those how reject His invitation do so! Rather, our lives are filled with joy in God’s gracious gift of life and salvation, and the promises He has given us regarding His heavenly feast.
Application: We rejoice in His gracious blessings here and now, and look forward to what is to come! The veil and covering has been lifted, so we know God, that He is love, and His will for our salvation! The veil is also lifted, the fog of sin in our minds, so that we increasingly confess our sin and cling to Christ as our covering and righteousness. And our goal and aim in life is all that is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely commendable, and excellent – all that God’s Word calls good and loving. And God is surely with us, the God of peace.
Conclusion: It is a helpful imagery, looking at the world around us filled with sin, unbelief, self-righteous delusion, and ignorance of God. This is a veil of ignorance, a covering of dark fog cast over the peoples. Knowing the truth about God and ourselves, we recognize what a dismal and miserable darkness it is that covers the world. And so we are compelled also to bring the light that dispels this darkness into our world, the light of the world, the Lord Jesus Christ.
We invite others to the feast as servants of the King and His beloved Son. First, we rejoice to enter in ourselves, and then we encourage others. We do so understanding that though “many are called, few are chosen,” that “narrow is the way that leads to life, and few there be who enter in.” Let us pray that by His grace we always be on that way that leads to life and to “THE FEAST OF GOD”! Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.