43 years ago today the music festival Woodstock drew nearly half a million people. How will it be different when God calls us to celebrate with him?
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” Revelation 19:9
Photo of a portion of the monument Peace and Music created by sculptor Wayne C. Saward
The most famous rock festival of the sixties, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, opened on this day in 1969 and lasted three days. Even though the three promoters who organized the event were inexperienced, they managed to sign major artists for the “Three Days of Peace and Music.”
The festival was almost canceled when the towns of Woodstock and Wallkill, New York, both denied permission. A farmer named Max Yasgur eventually offered his property in Bethel. Although few advance tickets were sold, approximately 400,000 people showed up. (Some sites state 500,000.) Most of the concert-goers demanded free entry and obtained it because of the lack of security.
For a few interesting facts about Woodstock, see 1969 Fast Facts: Woodstock. Also don’t miss the video at the end of this post about a different kind of music festival!
Let’s talk now about a different kind of celebration:
In one story, Jesus compared the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast, telling this parable:
When all the preparations had been made, the king sent out the final summons, but the guests refused to come to the party. So the king had his servants go out into the streets and invite everyone they saw. The hall soon filled with guests, but when the king saw a man who had come without proper wedding clothes, he had him bound and thrown into the outer darkness (Matthew 22:1-14).
God is preparing a party for the end of the age, a wedding feast for his Son. Everyone is invited, but unlike the Woodstock festival, we can’t just show up when the time comes and demand free entry. We have to accept the invitation in advance. Like the wedding feast in Jesus’ story, we can only be there with proper attire. We must be clothed with the righteousness of God by accepting Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. God’s “festival” will be perfect in every way—an eternity of peace and music.
If you think you’d enjoy a Christian faith-focused music festival here on earth, check out the annual Creation festivals at creationfest.com:
Have you ever been to a Creation festival? How was it different from other music festivals? Tell us your stories!
