The Parable of the Wedding Feast- Matthew 22:1-14
Notes
Transcript
Greeting: “Peace be with you! And also with you.”
Prayer: “Father may your will be done. Jesus, may your word be proclaimed. Spirit may your work be accomplished in us. Amen.”
INTRODUCTION:
Pick up where we left off- The produce of “the fruit of the vineyard” as it is said in this parable “everything is ready” we now get to dine with Jesus at the feast. So who gets a seat at the table? Who are the persons invited to the wedding of the King?
A lot of verses/stories to fully capture the significance of this parable. This is the “rule of Faith.”
I. Elements of the Parable
I. Elements of the Parable
A. Jesus is driving home his point. [1]
A. Jesus is driving home his point. [1]
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
Jesus is speaking to the Pharisee who are biting at the bit ready to “seize” him.
B. Kingdom is like a wedding feast. [2]
B. Kingdom is like a wedding feast. [2]
2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
From vineyard making wine to drinking wine at the wedding feast.
This can be seen as a continuation of the vineyard parable.
C. Three kinds of Servants of the King: [3- 4, 8-10]
C. Three kinds of Servants of the King: [3- 4, 8-10]
1. Prophets:[3]
1. Prophets:[3]
3 “And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.
The First might be understood as the prophets who prophesied about the coming wedding.
2. John and Jesus:[4]
2. John and Jesus:[4]
4 “Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.” ’
The Second, might be John the Baptist and Jesus himself which they jailed and killed both as they declared the feast is ready and appointed.
3. The Apostles: [8-10]
3. The Apostles: [8-10]
8 “Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 ‘Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, invite to the wedding feast.’ 10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
The Third, will be the Apostles who took to the street inviting all who they met.
D. Three kinds of responses to the invitation:
D. Three kinds of responses to the invitation:
1. Those who care less.
2. Those unlikely guests.
3. Those unwelcome guests.
1. Those who care less. [5-6]
1. Those who care less. [5-6]
5 “But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
Those for which the wedding feast doesn’t matter:
Paid no attention.
Content with "their own way”
Those who took offense. Maybe like a stalker who invited you to your wedding.
The Rule of Faith:
Hand to the plow.
62 But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Profit the world.
which should remind us of the words of Jesus
26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
Implications:
What we value most in this life does matter.
what we believe about the future.
The Point: The Kingdom above all. Those who do not thing so are not worth to enter it.
2. Those who are Unlikely Guests. [10]
2. Those who are Unlikely Guests. [10]
10 “Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all they found, both evil and good; and the wedding hall was filled with dinner guests.
Who would be deemed as evil and good? Given the fact that Jesus is speaking to the pharisees (Jews) in this parable, it would make the most sense to understand those terms in the way they would. “evil” would refer to those who are tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. and “good” would refer to themselves. The ones adopted by God to be His people.
Notice that the invitation is not based on works. The invitation is offered out of the sheer loving-kindness of the King.
This also tells us that believing Jews are still included in the invitation but the invitation is open now to all now just them.
Bring a Plus one: What initiates this “open” invitation is the guests originally on the list where supposed to fill the seats of the wedding. To bring a plus one. But not only did they not invite others, they declined their own invitation.
3. Those Unwelcome Guests. [11-12]
3. Those Unwelcome Guests. [11-12]
11 “But when the king came in to look over the dinner guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless.
A. Rule of Faith:
A. Rule of Faith:
1. The significance of wedding clothes?
1. The significance of wedding clothes?
1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel. 4 He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” 5 Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the Lord was standing by. 6 And the angel of the Lord admonished Joshua, saying, 7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘If you will walk in My ways and if you will perform My service, then you will also govern My house and also have charge of My courts, and I will grant you free access among these who are standing here. 8 ‘Now listen, Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who are sitting in front of you—indeed they are men who are a symbol, for behold, I am going to bring in My servant the Branch. 9 ‘For behold, the stone that I have set before Joshua; on one stone are seven eyes. Behold, I will engrave an inscription on it,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 ‘In that day,’ declares the Lord of hosts, ‘every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree.’ ”
Clothed with garments.
10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord, My soul will exult in my God; For He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
Righteousness by Faith.
9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith,
Become the righteousness.
21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Clothed with Christ.
27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.
Putting on Jesus.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
Judas Iscariot (example)
This declares that righteousness is not the requirement for entrance to the wedding, but by responding to the invitation, you will be clothed with a righteousness that is not your own (given wedding clothes). For the Kingdom of Heaven will be comprised of only those who have been made righteousness and Holy through faith in Jesus Christ. There is only one way in, through Christ.
The king will cast out all who are not clothed with the righteousness of Christ.
2: How the man came to be present at the wedding?
2: How the man came to be present at the wedding?
The Parable of the Wheat and tares.
24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 “But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 “But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 “The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 “And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 “But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 ‘Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
The Good Shepherd Parable.
1 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 “To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
Separate the Sheep from the goats determined by their service to Christ.
31 “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 “All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45 “Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
This man must not have entered through the door which is Christ, we can assume that he came in by another way, over the wall, creeping in or having been sowed as a tare among the wheat and is waiting to be sifted. Regardless, he is not clothed in Christ’s righteousness which must mean he had no faith, and his motive for being there is hostile to the king. This is affirmed because he is sent to the place where there is weeping and “gnashing of teeth.”
E. The Judgements.[v.7,13]
E. The Judgements.[v.7,13]
Burning of the city- (your kingdom destroyed)
Binding of his enemies.
1. The Burning of the City [v.7]
1. The Burning of the City [v.7]
7 “But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.
Those who have killed and abhor the king.
Those who are not clothed in righteousness. Those who may be neutral to the King but do not have a righteousness that exceeds the pharisees. They are not clothes in the righteousness of Christ.
It seems that while the wedding feast is going on the world outside of it is being burned up along with those who did not want to be a part of it, and those who seek to crash the wedding feast who do not belong will be sent out into that is prepare for them. Both suffer the King’s wrath and justice all while the Feast is taking place.
2. Binding the enemies. [13]
2. Binding the enemies. [13]
13 “Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Weeping and “gnashing of teeth.”
16 Like godless jesters at a feast, They gnashed at me with their teeth.
16 All your enemies Have opened their mouths wide against you; They hiss and gnash their teeth. They say, “We have swallowed her up! Surely this is the day for which we waited; We have reached it, we have seen it.”
9 “His anger has torn me and hunted me down, He has gnashed at me with His teeth; My adversary glares at me.
10 The wicked will see it and be vexed, He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked will perish.
Weeping and gnashing teeth- is not as much about what is being done to them as it is the hatred towards the King. This tells us the heart of those who will be in Hell. There is no remorse, there is no sorrow, there is only hate, and torment of the one who put them there. Either you love God above all or not at all. You are either hot or cold, being neutral is just as bad as being cold. Rev. 3:15-16
· A Binding up the strong man. Matthew 12:29
29 “Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Rule of Faith: Genesis 19: Abraham, Lot, two angels, and the Destruction of Sodom.
God takes counsel with Abraham who asks not to destroy the righteous with the wicked.
Angels got to rescue Lot and His family
The people of Sodom sought to defile the angles
The sons-in-law of Lot were not willing
The wife of Lot looked back
Lot and Abraham were saved but Lot did not remain righteous and may be cast out.
F. The Chosen.[14]
F. The Chosen.[14]
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
The offer of salvation, the invitation has been given to the “good and the bad” but only those who respond in faith will be clothed in righteousness and presented to the King as worthy.
II. Application:
II. Application:
1. Above All: How important is the Kingdom of Heaven to you and how are you showing its primacy in your life? Consider the cost of following Jesus. He calls us to leave everything behind to follow him.
25 Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple. 27 “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
60 But He said to him, “Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God.”
2. Filthy Rags: Your good or evil deeds don’t qualify you or disqualify you, only faith in the King who will provide all things for his people who respond to Him. (Washing with the water of the word to be presented to the king)
6 For all of us have become like one who is unclean, And all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; And all of us wither like a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
3. For or Against. You are either for Christ or against Him. There is no such thing as neutrality.
30 “He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
16 ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.
4. Communion: The reality of this wedding feast, is remembered through communion. Those who have faith in Christ are invited into the wedding and the response to that invitation is to go and celebrate. In a sense, when we take communion we accept the invitation to attend a feast with the king. We keep the future wedding feast before us in morsel of bread and sip from the cup, that will one day end in feasting and gulping. No longer remembering but experiencing Jesus’ fellowship in community.
5. The Supremacy of Israel. Let me be careful here but I think this point needs to be spoken in the midst of current events. What is taking place in Israel today is not devastating because it is happening to Israel as if they are still the chosen people of God. It is devastating because great evil is taking place at all. The shedding of innocent blood regardless of race is wrong and should be defended against. If we learn anything from these last two parables is that Jesus is telling us that Israel’s adopted status has been revoked and now given to all nations and all peoples. Due to their rejection of Christ, their kingdom status has been transferred to the Church of the believers. Christ’s return to consummate his kingdom is not contingent on Israel but on the gospel being proclaimed to the four corners of the world. A particular belief in the supremacy of the Jews over any other people, would be the same of someone who fell victim to a Judiazer’s claim that Paul and the early church fought against that being Jewish matters and all must become a jew because that is the chosen people. Those who are the Church are the chosen people. It is not an attack on Israel that we should expect but the attack on the church. The Left Behind Series is not a biblical Eschatology that any of us should follow. We need to understand scripture rightly so that we can discern the times correctly. I would be glad to speak more on this if you would like but I felt that this parable is timely and speaks to how some may interpret the current events in the middle east.
6. “everything is ready, come to the wedding feast.” This is the invitation for everyone today. Christ has made all things ready for you. He invites you to come and dine with him. For some to leave behind the things of this world and place him above all, for others to continue to Christ through his word and in his church. For the Church to be warn those who reject, and pay no mind to clothing themselves with Christ. Do you live like one who is going to a wedding feast? How has your life demonstrated a life that is chosen?