Thursday · Jun 4
The Most Expensive Clothes
People often wear nice clothes to show that they are rich. But in heaven, one thing matters: our relationships ( Matthew 6:19–21 ). Who we are must be connected to who we know: Jesus and His life of perfect obedience.
Read the picture story in Matthew 22:1–14 . What messages do you read about in this picture story?
Do you see that Jesus names this man ‘friend’? So, Jesus and this man have a relationship. The man knew about the wedding clothes. But he chose not to wear them. The wedding clothes are a symbol for Jesus’ life of perfect obedience. Jesus offers us this life as a gift. God gives His people “clothes to wear that are bright and clean. These special linen clothes show the good things that God’s holy people have done” ( Revelation 19:8 , EASY). These clothes have “no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw [spot or sin]” ( Ephesians 5:27, NIrV ).
Jesus gives the wedding clothes “to everyone who accepts Him with faith as their personal Savior.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 310, adapted.
Before Adam and Eve sinned, they wore white clothes made from soft light. After they sinned, they lost these clothes ( Genesis 3:7 ). So, God made them something to wear. An animal needed to die so that God could make them clothes. In the same way, Jesus died so that we can put on His perfect life of obedience, the same as clothes. “Adam and Eve knew that they weren’t wearing clothes. They felt ashamed. So, they tried to replace their clothes made from light with clothes they sewed from fig leaves. . . . We can’t make anything to replace the clothes we lost in Eden. We can’t wear clothes made from fig leaves or any other cloth. Not when we sit down with Jesus and His angels at the Lamb’s marriage supper. God can accept us only when we wear the covering Jesus made for us. Jesus will put this covering on us. But we must be sorry for our sins and believe in Him. Then we can stand in front of God.”—Ellen G. White, Christ’s Object Lessons, page 311, adapted.
We must put on Jesus’ life of perfect obedience, the same as clothes. Why must we put on these ‘clothes’ daily? What does this symbol really mean? How do we do this?