Monday, October 29, 2018

Wedding Meal Tasting

 

[Photo of a couple at a food tasting]


“Blessed are those who are invited
to the wedding supper of the Lamb.”
—Revelation 19:9

Wow! I didn’t know just how involved it gets to sample and taste foods for a wedding dinner. In looking on the Internet, I found a large number of articles similar to the following:

  • “100 Things to Know About Wedding Tasting”

  • “Eleven Tips for Wedding Tasting”

  • “Questions to Ask When Attending Your Wedding Tasting”

  • “18 Tips to Get the Most from Your Wedding Tasting - On The Bride’s Side”

  • “Wedding Tasting Etiquette: 10 Things You Should Know”

  • “What to Expect at Your Caterer’s Tasting - Vibrant Table Catering”

Let me just say how crazy it all sounds to this woman who served homemade Jello® salads and homemade “fancy” sandwiches at her very own wedding reception!

However, I do see some parallels between preparing for current wedding dinners and preparing for the Wedding Supper of the Lamb mentioned in the Scripture passage at the top of this blog post. For one, the invited guests truly know the Bride and Groom.

Often in Scripture, we read the title for the church: “The Bride of Christ.” If you truly know the Groom and His Bride, you will find yourself included in this invitation to the heavenly wedding. Notice that I didn’t say, “If you know about the Groom and His Bride.” But rather, do you “truly know” them.

In fact, those already invited can taste the heavenly banquet now, while awaiting the joyous full table, the laughter, the tears of gratitude, and the true company of the righteous in Heaven.

Now, in the present—even as we await the future celebration in the Kingdom of God—we can enjoy our fellowship with other believers, our sampling of the words of Scripture, Holy Spirit-filled prayer and preaching, and pleasure from the gifts given to us by God. Only those who truly know the Bride and Groom and experience these blessings now will actually get a full helping of the rich stores awaiting us in eternity.

I particularly like the familiar old gospel hymn that uses the word “foretaste.”1

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, This is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, This is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.

Right now, we believers experience a foretaste of what will someday come to pass. How blessed we are when we belong to God through His precious Son.

______________________

1 Crosby, Fanny, Blessed Assurance. Gospel hymn. Public Domain.