At the Marriage Feast
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was seeking to break down the barriers which separated the different
classes of society, that He might bring men together as children of one
family. His attendance at the marriage feast was designed to be a step
toward effecting this.
God had directed John the Baptist to dwell in the wilderness, that
he might be shielded from the influence of the priests and rabbis, and
be prepared for a special mission. But the austerity and isolation of his
life were not an example for the people. John himself had not directed
his hearers to forsake their former duties. He bade them give evidence
of their repentance by faithfulness to God in the place where He had
called them.
Jesus reproved self-indulgence in all its forms, yet He was social
in His nature. He accepted the hospitality of all classes, visiting the
homes of the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, and
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seeking to elevate their thoughts from questions of commonplace life
to those things that are spiritual and eternal. He gave no license to
dissipation, and no shadow of worldly levity marred His conduct;
yet He found pleasure in scenes of innocent happiness, and by His
presence sanctioned the social gathering. A Jewish marriage was an
impressive occasion, and its joy was not displeasing to the Son of man.
By attending this feast, Jesus honored marriage as a divine institution.
In both the Old and the New Testament, the marriage relation is
employed to represent the tender and sacred union that exists between
Christ and His people. To the mind of Jesus the gladness of the
wedding festivities pointed forward to the rejoicing of that day when
He shall bring home His bride to the Father’s house, and the redeemed
with the Redeemer shall sit down to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
He says, “As the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God
rejoice over thee.” “Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; ... but
thou shalt be called My Delight; ... for the Lord delighteth in thee.”
“He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will
joy over thee with singing.”
Isaiah 62:5, 4
, margin;
Zephaniah 3:17
.
When the vision of heavenly things was granted to John the apostle,
he wrote: “I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the
voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying,
Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and
rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come,