In the Bible, God went out of His way to tell His people that He wanted them to have parties on Earth.  These parties certainly weren’t drunken, but they were fun gatherings with great amounts of good food, good friends, and good times.

The Jewish law stated that every year all Jewish families were to gather up one-tenth of their crops from that year and bring them to Jerusalem.  What were they to do with all of that?  Were they to feed the poor, clothe the naked, or possibly add a family life center onto the temple? No, they were to use it to have a humongous party!

This was to be an amazing celebration.  Everyone would be there.  Farmers, merchants, family leaders, large families, soldiers, priests, grandmas, and little kids, widows, orphans, lame people, the blind—everyone was welcome.  No one was excluded.  There would be plenty of food, singing, and lots of fun. And it would all be done to honor God.

The Lord was honored by their party! Our God is a God who loves celebration. He is a God whose very presence breathes joy into living. God loves a good party.

God loves parties so much that He commanded His children to take time off work and to faithfully enjoy parties together. He even ordained that the entire Jewish religious calendar be based on national parties or “feasts.” If God prescribed parties such as the following for inclusion in the Jewish calendar, don’t you think He’ll have them in Heaven?

• The Feast of Dedication [John 10:22]
• The Feast of Jubilee [Leviticus 25:8-12]
• The Feast of the New Moon [Numbers 10:10][Samuel 20:5,18]
• The Feast of Pentecost [Leviticus 23:15-16][Deuteronomy 16:9-12]
• The Feast of Purim or Lots [Esther 9:17-22]
• Feast of the Sabbatical Year [Leviticus 25:2-7][Exodus 23:11]
• The Feast of Tabernacles [Exodus 23:16-17][Leviticus 23:34-41][Deuteronomy 16:13-15]
• The Feast of the Passover (or Feast of Unleavened Bread) [Exodus 12:6-18][Leviticus 23:5-6]
• The Feast of Trumpets [Leviticus 23:24-25][Numbers 29:1-6]
• The Anniversary Feasts [Exodus 23:14-16][Psalms 122:4;42:4][Samuel 1:4-9]

Jesus Loves a Good Party

Q: Where did Jesus do His first miracle?
A: At a wedding party [John 2:1-10]

Q: Where was Jesus anointed for His burial?
A: At a dinner party [Luke 7:36-50]

Q: Where did Jesus eat His last meal with His disciples?
A: At a supper party [Matthew 26:17-30]

Q: What did Jesus say happens in the presence of God when a sinner repents?
A: The Father throws a party [Luke 15:5-7, 9-10,22-24]

“When he finds [his lost sheep], he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’” [Luke 15:5]

“When she finds [her lost coin], she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’” [Luke 15:9]

“‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing.” [Luke 15:22-25]

I absolutely love this. When I lead people to Jesus, I tell them that they cannot possibly fathom the profound, life-changing importance of the commitment they made. “It is so significant” I say, “that this very moment the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, the angels, and a whole bunch of people like your godly great grandma are ‘high-fiving,’ dancing, and laughing. They are having a party in your honor, in the honor of one day having you join them in Heaven, and in the honor of Jesus Christ, who died to make it possible!”

Q: Why did the Pharisees get so upset with Jesus?
A: He was too interested in parties [Luke 7:34]

“The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” [Luke 7:34]

Pharisees were the "no-fun” bunch in Jesus’ day. They consistently valued man-made rules over eternal relationships. They loved their policies more than people. Jesus gave them fits. He refused to make religion a dull, dry, rigid, sober, stupefying act. He was obviously a very holy person who connected with people and knew how to have fun with them. He frequented the parties of “sinners,” prostitutes, and tax collectors in order to bring light into their darkness.

Q: To what did Jesus compare the kingdom of Heaven?
A: A big-time banquet [Luke 14:15-24]

Jesus was the master storyteller. He told simple stories with profound meaning. In one He compares Heaven with a great banquet.

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

“But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

“Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’

“Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’

“The servant came back and reported this to his master.  Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’”

“’Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’

“Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”  [Luke 14:15-24]*

*This parable applied to Israel and its rejection of Christ.  It also applies today to the churches and every believer who professes to be a Christian.

Jesus told this tale to teach us about God’s huge heart of love for hurting, helpless people and something of His nature as the heavenly host with the most.

So What?

This very moment God is preparing a party in Heaven. An invitation has been sent to you.  I hope you will accept. We could have a great time together in Heaven.

- From The 21 Most Amazing Truths about Heaven, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc.  Used by permission.