There is a Parable of getting ready for Jesus in Matthew 25:1-13 planning for a beautiful wedding, 5 we’re ready and 5 we’re not. This is not physical readiness but Spiritual readiness.
Right now we must prepare for our wedding with Jesus, this means having Spirit-filled faith (the oil) and being clothed in Christ’s righteousness not just outward religious acts, to be ready for Jesus’s return as a bride getting ready for her groom.
I once heard a good example of being prepared for Jesus’s return. Imagine a groom standing and waiting for a beautiful bride. When she came down the aisle and he was awed at her beauty knowing she had prepared for this day with great excitement. Now imagine the same groom waiting for his bride but when she came down the aisle, she was in an old stained dress, and she hadn’t prepared at all and wasn’t excited in the least. Do you think the groom would accept her?
This parable symbolized the wise virgins’ preparedness with extra oil for their lamps, representing inward spiritual life, not borrowed faith. It’s about an intimate relationship with God, making us holy and prepared for the unexpected arrival of our Bridegroom Jesus.
There are a few key meaning we need to pay attention to:
- Bridegroom (Jesus): Coming for His Church (us) at an unknown time.
- The Virgins (Believers): They all looked similar, but have different levels of readiness.
- Lamps: These represent outward profession of faith or testimony.
- Oil (The Crucial Element): This represents the Holy Spirit, genuine faith, inner spiritual life, and a personal relationship with God.
- Wedding Grament: This symbolizes, righteousness, holiness, and being pure for Jesus. This is described in Revelation 19:7-8,
“Let’s rejoice and be exceedingly glad, and let’s give glory to Him. For the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. It was given to her that she would array herself in bright, pure, fine linen for the fine linen is the righteous act of the holy ones.”
- Wise Virgins: They took extra oil prepared with inner substance and relationship with God.
- Foolish Virgins: They took lamps but no extra oil, lacked genuine spiritual supply and intimacy with the Bridegroom.
I think we need to prepare our garments for the wedding and spiritual readiness. It’s important to cultivate our intimacy with God, not just with activity. We need to focus on abiding and receiving the God and the Holy Spirit, rather than just preforming religious duties and stop confusing activity with intimacy.
Actively seeking the Holy Spirit, he is the source of true faith and readiness, which cannot be earned or borrowed.
We need to live in righteousness which clothes us in Jesus’s righteousness through a life transformed by Him, this makes us holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:27 tells us we should not have a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but should be holy and without defect. The only ways to do that is through living righteously.
We need to stay, vigilant and present. This parable stresses constant readiness for Jesus‘s return, which could be at any moment.
The foolish virgins were unknown to the bridegroom, we need to be focused on knowing Him, not just knowing about Him.True preparation involves a personal, relational knowledge, and not just outward appearance.
In essence, preparing our wedding garment means having a heart filled with God’s spirit and a life clothed in his righteousness, ensuring we have genuine “oil” of faith and a relationship to welcome Jesus when He comes.
From Pity to Praise 