A Royal Invitation
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If people know anything about Jesus, it is that he was the greatest storyteller. Jesus’s parables spoke in parables,
hid the truth from those who refuse to believe
engages our imagination by using familiar scenes to drive His point
challenges our assumptions and understandings
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 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.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 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. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Jesus’ parables are so rich and alive that it leads us to reexamine even our most cherished and deeply held beliefs against eternal truths.
Jesus’s parable of the wedding feast does just that.
Outline:
I. The Wedding Feast
Jesus’s parable of the wedding feast does just that.
II. The Invitees.
III. The Wedding Attire.
IV. Essence of the Parable.
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 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.” ’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 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. 11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 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.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Matthew 22:
I. The Wedding Feast
This parable is a beautiful picture of the coming wedding feast between Jesus, and His bride, the church.
Have you ever been invited to a royal wedding? (image)
Image of Royal Wedding here:
Since you are here, you are already invited to the grandest wedding which is to come, the wedding of the Lamb of God, Jesus.
Tell the person to your right, “you are invited”
Now ask the person on your left “are you coming to the wedding?”
Quick picture of a Jewish wedding ...
II. The Invitees
II. The Invitees
a. Those who were invited.
There were people who already received the invitation. Israel first received the invitation.
4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises.
Lesson 1: God honored His promise by giving the invitation of salvation to Israel first.
But they refused to come.
3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Again the King sent His servants
4 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.” ’
What was the response?
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,
There are more important things I have to do. I run a business, I have no time for this royal invitation.
When Jesus teaches in parable, it is to make us realize in very simple terms the grandeur and importance of God’s Kingdom and the seriousness and even the stupidity of not being part of it.
Look at how he framed it - it is a Royal invitation.
Yet this is what people do in the world today.
The invitation was met with insult
This actually refers to Israel
Insult and murder.
First Response to the Invitation: Outright Rejection.
Insult and murder.
6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
This talks of the Jewish Nation, they were sent prophets from the old testaments, the last of which was John the Baptist - and they killed all of them.
Yet God loves them anyway, a yearning kind of love...
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!
Their ultimate crime in rejecting the invitation of God is the murder of the Son Himself.
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
This judgement of the Jewish nation actually took place, in 70 AD when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and burned the city.
Mathew 22:7
Notice the delay..
Lesson 2: The Grace of God is seen in both the offer of salvation and the delay of judgement of those who reject it.
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.
Image of the fall of Jerusalem
Image of the fall of Jerusalem here
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
So now since who were originally invited did not bother to come, the invitation went out to others..
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 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.
Now the invitation has gone out to the gentiles, those who are not Jews.. you are here today because you have been invited by someone.
Today, This wedding invitation still goes out to everyone..
17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
The invitation of God does not come with a price for us.. it is paid by the precious blood of Jesus.
Lesson 3: God’s invitation came at a high price that Jesus paid.
Today, the invitation of God goes out to everyone..
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 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.
8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’
Today, the invitation of God goes out to everyone..
III. The Wedding Attire
III. The Wedding Attire
In order to enter the wedding banquet
The requirement to enter the wedding banquet:
the invitees do not have to bring gifts.
Illustration here of ideas of wedding gifts for someone very important
The only requirement is that you wear the wedding garment.
11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless.
Matthew 22:11-
Someone crashed the wedding.
What is this wedding garment?
What is this wedding garment?
We get the clue from the book of Isaiah..
10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
We don’t enter heaven with our own garments of righteousness..
Bible says that our righteousness is as filthy rags.
Filthy rags is a graphic depiction of something that is polluted..
the invitees do not have to bring gifts.
You need to have the righteousness of Christ in you. The righteousness of Jesus is imputed on us only by the finished work of Jesus..
Illustration here of ideas of wedding gifts for someone very important
Lesson 4: We are invited, but we only enter the wedding banquet through the righteousness of Jesus.
The only requirement is that you wear the wedding garment.
“he was speechless”.
My experience with people who believe in works,, (Einjel, M.Ro)..
The time will come that they will be so dumbfounded in the Holy presence of God and they cannot make the same argument before Him...
IV. The Essence of the Parable
14 “Many are called but a few are chosen”.
Two different kinds of call:
External Call -
It is the summons of God through the gospel message. This call bids men and women to come to Christ by way of repentance and faith.
This comes from God’s pursuing love for all of mankind.
God desires for all of mankind to be saved.
4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
1 Tim 2:
1 Tim 2:
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.
John 3:16
2. Internal call -
This is the effective, saving work of the Spirit of Christ as a response to the gospel’s outward call. This internal call powerfully and effectively turns the sinner from his sin to Jesus Christ. The external call goes to all people. But only the elect will, in God’s time, experience the internal call.
24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
6 including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Lesson 5: While you are most certainly called. Make sure that you have been chosen.
4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love
14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
‘Imagine that the cross has a door in it. All you are asked to do is to go through. On one side, the side facing you, there is written an invitation: “Whosoever will, may come.” You stand there with your sin upon you and wonder if you should enter or not. Finally you do, and as you do the burden of your sin drops away. You are safe and free. Joyfully you then turn around and see written on the backside of the cross, through which you have now entered, the words “Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.”
‘Imagine that the cross has a door in it. All you are asked to do is to go through. On one side, the side facing you, there is written an invitation: “Whosoever will, may come.” You stand there with your sin upon you and wonder if you should enter or not. Finally you do, and as you do the burden of your sin drops away. You are safe and free. Joyfully you then turn around and see written on the backside of the cross, through which you have now entered, the words “Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.”
‘Imagine that the cross has a door in it. All you are asked to do is to go through. On one side, the side facing you, there is written an invitation: “Whosoever will, may come.” You stand there with your sin upon you and wonder if you should enter or not. Finally you do, and as you do the burden of your sin drops away. You are safe and free. Joyfully you then turn around and see written on the backside of the cross, through which you have now entered, the words “Chosen in him before the foundation of the world.”