It is difficult for us now to conceive how entirely new this was. So new that none could understand it until redemption was accomplished, and the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven.
Will you turn to Luke 18:17? Here we have from the lips of Jesus the announcement of the new truth, “Verily I say unto you, whoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein.” For fifteen centuries men had been on the principle of “Do this and live.” A ministration that could only condemn, could not give strength to do or live. Mark the immense change. It is not now, Whosoever shall not do, but receive; and receive as the helpless, dependent little child. For what is so helpless as a babe? Everything has to be done for it.
In order to see the force of this, we must contrast it with the ministration of the law for fifteen centuries. “All that the Lord hath spoken we will do.” This was the ground that the tribes of Israel took at the foot of Sinai. Then “there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people that were in the camp trembled.” “And the Lord said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the Lord to gaze and many of them perish.”
And when the tabernacle was set up, and the divine service ordained, the Holy Ghost there signified that the way into the holiest was not yet manifested. Let us remember then, that even when Jesus uttered this wondrous parable, the veil still shut man out from the presence of God.
When invited to supper there is but one thing you have to do, as it is said in another place, “Make the men sit down.”
Who is the Provider here? Is it not God? What a contrast to Sinai! Then priests and people were forbidden to come near; now many are invited, but all make an excuse and refuse to come. When man makes a supper, it takes some time beforehand to arrange and provide. The very guests at this feast were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. The world has indeed rejected Him. They to whom the invitation was first given rejected Him. But grace, free grace, has gone out to gather its own company. And oh, what a company! Bring in hither the poor and the maimed, and the halt and the blind. All this sets forth an entirely new truth; the very contrast of the law. And it is Jesus that thus sets it forth—“Bring in hither.” Surely the veil had to be rent before this could be fulfilled. Is this grace suited to the reader? Do not say, I am too far off to be brought so nigh to God. The Lord says? “Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in.” Here the contrast is complete. Under the law man was shut out. Now he is compelled to come in.
Let us notice over the door as we enter two important texts, John 3:14, 16. These should never be separated. Yes, before the supper could be announced the Son of man must be lifted up. The righteousness of God must be manifested by His propitiation on the cross. Christ must needs suffer.
It is on this ground alone that the love of God could flow out to the guilty, however vile, lame, maimed, or blinded by Satan. First, then, this fact is presented, the absolute need of the death of Christ lifted up. “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up.” “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
Yes, the door stands wide open; it is God that gave His Son for this purpose. Now the way a soul is compelled to enter is this. A deep need is created by the Spirit in that soul, that nothing can satisfy but the supper prepared of God—that is Christ. There are things we can say with certainty of this great supper that cannot be said of anything else. First, it meets the need, whatever that need may be, of every soul compelled to enter and sit down. Secondly, it is inexhaustible and everlasting. To be this, it must be wholly of God. This is exactly what it is. The law was the test of what man could bring to God. The supper is the disclosure of what God has done and provided for man. Old things are passed away, behold all things are new, and all of God. As the waiter takes off the covers when the guests are seated, so the Holy Ghost in the word uncovers, reveals Christ, meeting the sinner’s every need.
Twenty thousand readers will probably read these words in a few days. Now could each one take his seat as a little child at this great supper, not one could have a felt need in the soul that would not be met.
Do you say, “I am laden with sins and oppressed with the fear of death and judgment?” “Be it known unto you that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins.” (Acts 13:38.) “To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins.” (Acts 10:43.) “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Heb. 10:17.) Would a friend invite you to supper and then, when covers were taken off, tell you he only intended you to hope you should have a supper? Does God intend to mock you? Does He intend that you shall merely hope for forgiveness of sins? If we confess our sins, is He not faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness? “Why should you doubt God? Is not this full love, everlasting forgiveness, exactly what your soul needs? How blessed to sit down believing the words of God!
Well, and what is the need of your soul? I long, says another, for the absolute certainty that I am justified from all things. Sit down then, and read this, “And by him, all that believe are justified from all things.” Is this certainty or uncertainty? The supper, or the hope of one? Can anything give more certainty than this? “If we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification.” Of course if we do not believe God, all must be uncertainty, yea, absolute darkness. Anxious soul, sit down. Was Jesus delivered for our offenses? Was He raised from the dead! Is there any uncertainty as to these facts? Not the slightest. What, says a debtor, has such a friend paid my debts? And has the Creditor put on the receipt stamp and written it settled? How can I doubt then that I am justified from those debts? And has Jesus been bruised for my iniquities, delivered up to the atoning death of the cross for my offenses? Has He finished the work that God gave Him to do? And has God raised Him from the dead for the very purpose of our justification? Has God thus written settled to the dreadful list of my sins? God, who spared not His own Son, but gave Him up for this purpose, shall I doubt Him? “It is God that justifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.” Ah, reader, this may be new to you, but not the less true. Believing God, we are thus accounted righteous.
Do you say, I long to sit at this great supper in perfect peace with God? Oh, that the cover may be taken off. Why, see this is the very thing you have on believing God. “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1.) Yes, “Jesus having made peace by the blood of his cross.” The parable of the supper gives certainty that, believing God, we have peace with Him. Oh, sit down in rest, in perfect peace with God.
I am so blind, says another, I understand so little. At God’s supper all is light. All there are translated from darkness to light. God hath made Christ Jesus to be just what you need, “made unto us wisdom.” (1 Cor. 1:30.) Talk of the stones, or the stars, science of things great or small; what is this compared with the knowledge of Him that made them all?
All, says another, I want to be clothed with the best robe: I want righteousness. Have you sought it diligently by keeping the law as the Jews of old? Have you sought to establish your own, and is all failure? Then sit down, Christ Jesus is also made of God to be unto us righteousness. Yea, all of God. Oh, look up and behold the righteous One raised from the dead, your subsisting, unchanging righteousness.
But must I not make an effort to attain to sanctification? Is not this most desirable? The effort is just the mistake. Sit down. Would you turn to the friend who invites you to supper, and say, Must I not make an effort to bring to the supper what I most need? The great point is this, that Christ Jesus is, of God, made unto us “Sanctification.” We say this is the very point of the new truth; it is not bringing, but receiving, as a little child. Christ Jesus made of God your sanctification? What a separation to God!
And what are you seeking? “Long have I been seeking redemption; I have prayed, fasted, taken the holy communion, hoping to get redemption.” Is not this a mistake? All things are ready, Christ Jesus is made of God to be also unto us “redemption.” Hark, what all these are saying who have sat down at the supper. “We have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Can you say this? No! then you have not sat down. Oh, the untold riches of this feast! Are you despising it all?
Yes, again we repeat, our every need is met at this gospel feast. Do you need life? “The gift of God is eternal life.” Do you say, I am too vile, I abhor myself, I have spent all in loathsome sin, it is impossible that I can be welcome to the holy, holy God? Stay, read the parable of the prodigal and the father’s welcome. “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.” “And him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out.” Now come to Jesus, tell all out to God, and sit down in the joy of the Father’s presence.
“But who are you and what is your need? how miserable you look.” “Nothing that you have said meets my case, at least I do not feel so. My name is Experience. I delight in the law of God after the inward man. I am born again, I have a new nature that would ever do good, but I find a law, when I would do good, evil is present with me: you may read all about me in Rom. 7:11-23.” I am glad to hear all you say, for, wretched as you are, not a soul can be more welcome to sit down at the great supper. It is sin, the root, that troubles you, and the absence of all power in your efforts. Well we say, sit down. Here is double deliverance. a God hath made him to be sin for us.” Oh, deep wondrous words! (2 Cor. 5:21.) Clearly you can find no help in the law, the more you try it the greater your wretchedness; but mark these words, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak, through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin [or by a sacrifice for sin] condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3.) Through faith we have deliverance from all condemnation as to sin in the flesh; sin having been judged in Jesus made sin for us. And secondly, we are delivered from its power by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost. (Read Rom. 8:2-11.) Sin is not eradicated, “The flesh lusteth against the Spirit.” (Gal. 5:17.) “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.”
Oar space is filled up, we can only ask the need of one or two more. “You seem rather perplexed, what is it?” “I have been looking at the world and at the church, and at myself, and all the jargon of discord around; and I want to have the calm certainty, that when Jesus comes again, I shall be with Him; like the sailor buffeted with the storm, I want to be sure of the haven at last.” Dear soul, sit down and see what is spread before you.
He says, “In my Father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself; that where I am there you may be also.” (John 14:1-4.) What can you want more than the sure words of Christ? Yes, let twenty thousand awakened sinners speak, and all they, need they find in Christ? There is no supper like this supper.
All is everlasting. God says, “I will remember their sins no more.” “Everlasting righteousness.” “Eternal redemption.” “Life everlasting.” “Perfected forever.” “Forever with the Lord.”
Inexhaustible! Oh, this feast, they that eat shall hunger no more; they that drink shall thirst no more. (John 4:14; 6:35.) Ah tell us, ye boasting sons of human progress, is there such another feast? Tell us, where it is, and what is its name? Man never conceived such a thought: a feast infinite and inexhaustible for time and eternity. God is the giver, and man as a little child the receiver.
Stay before we close, will you turn to Matthew where the parable is presented more directly to the Jews? There was a guest who had not on the wedding garment. When the man was questioned on the point, he was speechless. “Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt, 22:13) What a question is this? One of eternal moment to all who have professed to have come to Christ. Tell us then, which of the two garments have you on? For there are only two. The Jews went about to establish their own righteousness,—that is one; and the other is that which is of God, even Christ and His propitiation, by which God is righteous in justifying the believer. (Rom. 3:19-26; 10:3-4.) Not what man can do for, or bring to God; but what God has done for us in the gift of His Son. Yes, such is the grace of God displayed in this great supper, that it will not do even to come in bur own ragged clothes. “Put the best robe upon him.” Oh happy, happy child of grace, washed and clothed, and royal sandals, with boldness to enter by the blood of Jesus. As thou sittest down, remember nothing can ever separate thee from the love of Christ. God our Father grant that we may walk in holiness as becomes the children of the feast!