JESUS’ PARABLES - MARRIAGE OF THE KING’S SON

MATTHEW 22:1-14 - MARRIAGE OF THE KING’S SON

As we continue with Jesus’ parables – two weeks we started with Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and Jesus tells the parable the two sons speaking to the Pharisees, Priests and Scribe – last week Jesus’ parable of the wicked tenants addressed to them describing God as the vineyard owner, Israel as the vineyard, them as the tenants and Jesus as the Son of God, son of the vineyard owner.

Today we continue as Jesus continued and used still another parable to address the people who were looking to arrest and kill him. This is a continuation of the two previous parables and teachings.

Let us pray!

MARRIAGE OF KING’S SON

Matthew 22:1–14– And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Wedding feasts in the Bible were important, sometimes lasting for days. Jesus used the wedding feast as an example of the marriage supper of the Lamb. How often other things are deemed more important than doing the will of God.

I.  The Invitations Sent—vv. 1–7

A.      The parable—vv. 1–3. Many are invited to serve Christ, but few follow.

Matthew 7:13–14 – “Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

John 6:66 – After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”

The Kingdom of Heaven is often referred to as a great banquet, feast, celebration

The invitation has been sent

They were already aware of the date, time and plans

Custom to send a 2nd invite – reminder – today is the day

Prophets all pointed to Jesus!  They all knew!

A large meal was planned. Remember that Jesus started with the Kingdom of Heaven will be like…Christ has planned a heavenly home for us—

         John 14:1–3 – “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Some will accept and others reject—

Mark 16:16 – Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Slaves were given specific information about the preparations that have been completed to entice those who were invited to make sure they came

         The fatten oxen and calves have been slaughtered and prepared –

They were too busy with what was important to them –

Their farm, their business,

Those serving selfish desires and everyday concerns even killed the slaves, the messengers

Prophets killed – those who do the work of God – will face trials

The ultimately rejected Christ

John 1:11–12 – He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

B.      The punishment—v. 7. Those who rejected the invitation were destroyed. Compare the fate of those who reject Christ

The King sent His army to kill them and burn their cities – prophecy of Rome’s final judgement on Israel in AD 70 and also for those that reject Christ

Revelation 20:11–15 – And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 21:8 – The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

II.  The Invitations Shunned—vv. 8–10

A. Corrupt—v. 8. Those invited were not worthy to attend. None are worthy of salvation. All have sinned—

Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

We deserve to die for our sins—

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 We don’t want justice—we need mercy.

B. Command—v. 9. Compel people to come. The word compel means not to quit trying.

John 15:16-17 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

Matthew 28:18-20 – And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Note the judgment upon those who refuse to win the lost—

Ezekiel 3:18-19 – If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul.

Ezekiel 33:6 – But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

C. Complete—v. 10. Both good and bad people attend. God wants all men to be saved—John 3:16. He doesn’t want any to be lost—2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. He accepts all those who truly repent—Romans 10:13- For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”; John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out..

III. The Indifference Shown—vv. 11–14

A. Sin—v. 11. A man was present without a wedding garment. We need the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God—

Isaiah 64:6 – We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

Christ is the only way to the Father—

John 14:6 – Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.”

This person represents the person who thinks he is right with God but is not.  He has done nothing to be right with God – he does not have God’s righteousness imparted on him –

He responded to the call – to the invitation but did nothing with it – nothing to prepare – why? Laziness, Carelessness? Pride?

Many hear the Gospel but do nothing with it – they hear it – maybe even like and look into it – but nothing with it!  Judas – saw it – heard it – did nothing with it except tried to get self-gain from it.

B. Speechless—v. 12. He had no excuse. When man stands before God, excuses will not be accepted—Jesus paid the price for our salvation; to reject Him is to be lost.

Romans 2:1 – Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.

True conviction when we stand before God – no excuses – people will be speechless –

All our efforts avail nothing without Christ as Lord AND Savior – Savior AND Lord

Beware of being so busy that you have no time for God. The judgment day is coming—

Revelation 20:11–15 – we read that last week Those who accept Christ will not face this judgment—

Death is coming—

John 5:24 — Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

After this comes judgment. Heeding these verses will help you put Christ first in your life:

Heb. 9:27-28 – And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Matthew 6:33-34 – But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 22:37 – And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Romans 12:1–2 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Proverbs 3:5–7 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

Brief Closing Idea

The Marriage of the King’s Son reminds us that God’s invitation is gracious, but our response matters. The King has prepared the feast, everything is ready, and the invitation has gone out. Yet some rejected it because they were too consumed with their own priorities, while another accepted the invitation outwardly but came unprepared. Jesus teaches us that hearing the invitation is not enough—we must genuinely respond to Christ in faith, repentance, and surrender. We cannot clothe ourselves in our own goodness; we need the righteousness that only Christ can provide. The question is not simply, “Have I heard the invitation?” but “Have I truly responded to the King?”

Final Summary

The King has prepared the invitation. God has made salvation available through Jesus Christ, and He invites people into His kingdom.

People can become so consumed with everyday life that they neglect eternal things. Farms, businesses, careers, possessions, and responsibilities must never become more important than God.

Rejecting God’s invitation has consequences. God is patient and gracious, but His invitation should never be treated casually or continually rejected.

None of us deserves the invitation. We have all sinned and need God’s mercy rather than His justice. Eternal life is His gift through Jesus Christ.

The Gospel invitation is for everyone. God sends His people into the world to invite others to Christ, make disciples, and bear lasting fruit.

Receiving the invitation outwardly is not enough. The man without the wedding garment pictures someone who hears the Gospel but never truly responds to Christ.

Our righteousness cannot save us. We need to be clothed in the righteousness of Christ; He alone is the way to the Father.

Jesus must be both Savior and Lord. Christianity is more than hearing about Christ or appearing religious—it requires genuine faith, surrender, and a transformed life.

There will come a day when excuses are gone. Death and judgment are realities, making our response to Christ an eternal decision.

God must have first place. We are called to seek His kingdom first, love Him completely, surrender ourselves to Him, and trust Him with every area of life.

Final Challenge

The King has prepared the feast. The invitation has been sent. Everything is ready. How will you respond?

Don't allow your career, possessions, relationships, plans, or everyday responsibilities to become more important than the One who invited you. And don't settle for merely knowing about Christ or appearing to belong at the table. Receive Christ, surrender to Him as Savior and Lord, and live like the King truly is your priority.

As you leave today, ask yourself the question your sermon closes with:

“What can I commit to doing to show God that He is my priority?”

Let Us Pray!