The Great Wedding Feast.

Opening:

Good-morning again Connection Church. It is so good to gather together with you. I am so happy that you have come together to worship God on the Lord’s Day. This is a blessed act that we are commanded to participate in. We come and worship God through singing, through the learning of truths, through the reading and preaching of God’s Word, and through the gathering around the Lord’s Table.

Introduction of the Text:

With this in mind, we are now transitioning into our time of the reading of and preaching of the Word of God. This morning we will be in Matthew 22:1-14. As you turn there, a little bit of context. Matthew wrote this book to a first century Jewish audience. Matthew has emphasized the kingship and the authority of Christ as well as the kingdom of Heaven. In the last few chapters, we have entered into the hardest part of the gospel of Matthew. Jesus has begun to pronounce judgments and woes. Specifically, Jesus has been harshly condemning Israel for it’s rejection of Him. He has done this through several events and parables. We do not neglect these hard passages. We embrace them and study them in wisdom. With this in mind, we are going to open in prayer, ask for wisdom, and then dive into the study. So stand with me for prayer, followed by the reading of God’s Word.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, we come before you in humility. We do not come before you in great wisdom. We come before you knowing our limitations. We ask you for guidance. We come before you seeking the Truth. We come before you seeking not validation for our own opinions. We come before you asking you to conform our thoughts and opinions to what you have said. Oh God, open our hearts to hear your Word. Prepare our minds to be changed according to your Word. Give us wisdom. Guard my mouth to speak the truth. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Reading of the Text:

Matthew 22:1-14.

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.3 And he sent out his slaves to call those who had been called to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come.4 Again he sent out other slaves saying, ‘Tell those who have been called, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast.”’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.7 But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire.8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy.9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’10 And 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.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.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.’14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Behold, the Word of God.

Transition:

You may be seated. Let us first walk through what happened. What did Jesus say?

What Happened:

The first thing we see is that Jesus speaks again in parables.

Jesus Speaks Again in Parables. v.1

Jesus has just spoken two parables answering the Chief Priests and Scribes.

Jesus has just finished speaking two parables. Specifically, Jesus was answering the chief priests, scribes, and pharisees. They had come and questioned Jesus’ authority. If you will recall, Jesus had just done some radical things. Most notably so, He entered Jerusalem by being hailed the King. The people were calling Jesus the messiah. Jesus endorsed this behavior. After this, Jesus went in and drove out those buying and selling in the temple. Jesus by action claimed to be Lord of the Temple and Lord of the worship of God.

The Chief Priests were challenging Jesus, longing to kill Him.

Because of this, the chief priests, scribes, and pharisees came to challenge and question Jesus. He has so far told two parables that they clearly understood to be about them. They hated Jesus and were longing to kill Him. But they were not alone, and they feared the people. This shows us that there is a crowd of people there as well. So, Jesus is addressing the religious leaders and the people. And Jesus begins another parable. He does this in a rather familiar way. He says that “the Kingdom of Heaven is like...”

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like: v.2

This is a fairly common description that Jesus uses in telling parables. It is especially common in Matthew. Remember, Matthew is emphasizing the fact that Jesus is the King. And this is Jesus speaking about what His kingdom is like. So Jesus is giving a descriptive parable about the nature of the kingdom of Heaven. What is the Kingdom like? It is like a King who gave a wedding feast.

A King Gave a Wedding Feast. v2.

Jesus starts off this parable speaking of a royal affair. A King’s Son was to be wed. The King had gone to great lengths to prepare for this event. Royal weddings were and still are a grand affair. One can think of few things as noble and incredible as a royal wedding.

The King has prepared all and calls for those invited to come. He calls them twice.

The King Called for Those Invited to Come Twice. v.3-4

He sent out His slaves to call for those who had been invited to this event. In those days, one would send out initial invites to people for weddings. They were to be prepared for the day when the wedding would happen. Then all would be prepared. When the time was right, you would send and gather all those who were to come. It was an honor to be invited to weddings. Imagine the honor of being invited to a royal wedding. One would not think of missing that event. But all those invited refused to come. The King then sends out the invite saying that food is cooked. This was a big deal. In essence, the King is saying, “you are late. All is ready.”

But, those invited mistreated and killed the King’s slaves.

Those Invited Mistreated and Killed the King’s Slaves. v.5-6

This is not just a refusal to come. This is blatant insurrection. They are obviously declaring war against the King. The refusal to come was a spit in the face of the King. But to murder the slaves sent out to gather you was an outright declaration of war against the king. And it is clear that these people were not prepared for the consequences of what they did. The King killed these wicked people.

The King Killed the Wicked. v.7

At first the King had sent out the slaves. Now the King sends out the armies. The people who were invited had declared war on the King. And the King answers them in kind. He goes to war. He sends out His armies and destroyed the murderers. He burned their cities. He rains down righteous anger and judgement on these wicked people.

Then the King sends more slaves out. The King gathers people from the streets.

The King Gathers People From the Streets. v. 8-10

The King sends out more slaves because the ones invited were not worthy. So the slaves go out at the bidding of their Lord to gather people from the roads and streets. These were the undesirables. they were the unwanted. But they are gathered in. These unwanted receive invitations to this grand event. But during the wedding feast, the King sees one who is not wearing wedding clothes.

The King Sees One Who is Not Wearing Wedding Clothes. v. 11-12

We read this and wonder what the big deal is. So what? Why is the King so upset by this one man. This lies in the custom of the day. If you were invited to an event like this and did not have the proper clothes, you would be dressed. You would not enter into this even without proper clothes. Often a king would give the proper attire to the people who came. So this man is not dressed as he ought to be. And the King acts within His authority. The one improperly dressed is bound and thrown out.

The One Improperly Dressed Is Bound and Thrown Out. v. 13

Again, this may seem harsh. Our “modern” sensibilities would have us say, “How dare the King do this! He invited that man in, He must accept him just as he is.” To this I would respond, the King graciously invited the man. Is it not well within His rights to throw the man out when He insults Him? The King is under no obligation to invite any of these vagabonds. It is by grace that they were brought in. Therefore, the King is acting well to send the man where he would have justly been otherwise.

And Jesus closes out this parable with a bizarre phrase. Many are called, but few are chosen.

Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen. v. 14

Don’t worry, I won’t skip this. We will cover this later.

Transition:

That is the parable. But what does this mean?

What Does This Mean?

This is a bizarre parable. It is not as straight forward as some of Jesus’ other parables. And, as we have seen with some of the other parables, it offends our sophisticated sensibility. This offends our sense of social justice. So what does this mean?

We must remember that this is a description of the Kingdom of Heaven.

We Must Remember That This is a Description of the Kingdom of Heaven. v. 2

Jesus is not just telling a story. It is a descriptive story. What is it describing. It is describing the Kingdom of Heaven. This is what the Kingdom of God is like. It is an allegorical parable. It is a story describing a real thing. And we have to keep in mind Jesus is describing the real Kingdom of God. Jesus has often referred to the Kingdom of Heaven. And we must remember that Jesus uses immanent language. Jesus says the Kingdom is at hand, or has come. Jesus is describing something real and present while He tells this story. So who are the players in this story and who do they represent?

I think the first one is obvious. The King is God the Father, The Son is God the Son.

The King is The Father, The Son is Christ. v. 2

This in one way is a picture of the great wedding feast at the end of time. When all is done, we will feast and celebrate the ultimate victory of Christ. In yet another way, it is describing something much nearer than that. It describes the state we are now in. We are now gathering the lost and even now beginning to celebrate the victory of Christ. The King is the organizer. This is clearly a picture of God the Father. God the Father is the one who has orchestrated all things. He has divined this grand plan. He is the author of the plan of redemption. And this plan is for the celebration and glory of the Son. Clearly this is a picture of the Godhead glorifying one another. The Father has planned this to glorify the victory of the Son.

Those first invited are the Jews.

The First Invited Are the Jews. v. 3-6

Remember the context of this parable. Jesus has been pronouncing woes on Israel for it’s rejection of Him. Clearly this is another one of these woes. The religious leaders were the representatives of Israel. And in general, they had rejected Christ. The Son had come and they had rejected Him. But it is more than this. Israel had a long history of rejecting God and His messengers. This brings us to the first group of slaves. The first slaves are the Old Testament prophets.

The First Slaves Are the Old Testament Prophets. 3-6

This parable is very similar to Jesus’ parable about the vineyard. One of these similarities is that of the slaves. The slaves were the prophets. God had send His prophets to the people of Israel. How had they responded? They did just as the people of Jesus’ parable did. They treated them poorly and murdered them. They had rejected the ones God had sent. And God would not bear this forever. And this is where Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem.

Jesus Foretells the Destruction of Jerusalem. v. 7

In two chapters, Jesus will more clearly speak of what is coming. But here, Jesus hints at it. In the coming years, judgement would rain down on those who rejected Him. God had exiled the people of Israel before, but nothing would compare with what was coming. In A.D. 70, the armies of Rome would come and utterly destroy the city of Jerusalem. The streets would run with blood. And this was no accident. Here, Jesus is speaking in shadow, but soon He will speak it clearly. God would send armies to judge these people.

But if the first slaves were the prophets, who were the second slaves? In broad generality, I believe these are the apostles.

The Second Slaves Are the Apostles. v. 8-10

One ought to widen this out and say that it is representative of all Christians. We are all to call people in to celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death. However, this began with the Apostles. And if the first slaves are picturing the prophets, then I think the second group are to picture the apostles specifically. And who are those on the street? The ones on the street are the gentiles.

The Ones On the Street Are the Gentiles. v. 8-10

Jesus has been speaking often of the fact that the gospel would go out to the undesirables. The Jewish people rejected the gospel, and God sent it out to those who were unthinkable. And this began under the apostles. Specifically, this was headed up by God through the Apostle Paul. God had gathered in the ones on the streets. The good and the bad. The good and the bad are the true and the false converts.

The Good and the Bad Are the True and False Converts. v. 10

This is like the wheat and tears of previous parables. We do not know the heart of man. But God will separate them out. We may have some idea, but we do not know who is truly saved. In every church it is likely that there are some of the good, the truly saved; and the bad, the false converts. We are not the ultimate judge of this, though there are times we must attempt to judge this. But in the end, some will be wearing the wedding garments and some will not. What are the wedding garments? The wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ.

The Wedding Garment is the Righteousness of Christ. v. 11-12

I agree with Saint Augustine. The wedding garment here is the righteousness of Christ. Those who are truly saved are washed clean. The filthy rags of their righteousness are removed and they are dressed in Christ. They are given the white robes of Christ’s righteousness. Any who claim to be saved, but are not dressed in this are liars. They are false converts. They are still dressed in their own sin and will face the same fate as the man in the parable. What happened to that man? The man improperly dressed is thrown into hell.

The Man Improperly Dressed Is Thrown Into Hell. v. 13

The phrase, “There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” is a descriptor of hell. It is common imagery used by Jesus. Jesus spoke more often of hell than anyone else in the Bible. And this is a dark picture. God commands those who are not dressed in the righteousness of Christ to be bound and throne into hell where there will be endless weeping and gnashing of teeth. But what does that mean? It means there is endless sorrow and anger. The term weeping denotes deep sorrow. The term gnashing of teeth denotes hatred and anger. Hell is filled with sorrow and hatred toward God.

One person said (though it escapes me now who) The sinner in hell does not cease to sin, instead he goes on in that sin forever.

And again we come to the place where Jesus utters that curious phrase, many are called, but few are chosen.

Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen. v. 14

What does this phrase mean? Why does Jesus end this account in this way? He just described one not dressed appropriately being thrown into hell. What does this have to do with being called or chosen? Jesus is putting the weight of who is present at this feast in the hands of the Father. The great King has many called, but only chooses a few. Clearly the implication of this is that the one thrown out was called, but was not chosen.

Transition:

That is what this parable means, but why does this matter?

Why Does This Matter?

What is the deeper significance? Clearly there is much subtext in this passage. But what is it? What is the importance of this? What does this matter? Make no mistake, this is a very important parable. First and foremost, this matters because it is speaking of the Kingdom of Heaven.

This Matters Because It Speaks of The Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus is giving us another picture of what His Kingdom is like. And as members of this Kingdom, we would do well to pay close attention. If you recall, I have described the Kingdom of Heaven in a specific way in our study of Matthew. The Kingdom of Heaven has come, is currently coming, and is yet to come.

The Kingdom of Heaven has Come, is Currently Coming, And is Yet to Come.

What does this mean? It means that when Jesus came to redeem us, He established the Kingdom. The Kingdom is real and currently in existence. All those who are saved are part of this Kingdom. The Kingdom is also currently coming. This is the great commission. We are to go disciple the nations, because of the authority of Christ. Jesus is King and we are to tell the nations of this. In this sense, the Kingdom is always growing. And the Kingdom is yet to come. This means that when Jesus returns, it will be to finally consummate His Kingdom. When every enemy is placed under His feet, He will return in glory and the Kingdom will be forever. So in this way, we can see that this parable informs us greatly about the Kingdom of Heaven. We can see this parable speak of the current and coming aspect of the Kingdom.

This Parable Speaks of the Current and Coming Aspect of the Kingdom.

How so? It does this because the good and bad are brought in. This parable is speaking of the current state of the Kingdom because there are good and bad. In short, the current state of the Kingdom is the state of the church. And the church has saved and unsaved. There are many unsaved in the church pretending to be saved. They are dressed in their filthy rags and pretending to be saved. We may never fully know who the saved and unsaved are. This is why we always share the gospel. But it also speaks of the coming aspect of the Kingdom. At the final judgement, God will remove the tares from the wheat. He will remove the goats from the sheep. He will remove the bad from the good. This is known as judgement day.

And this also matters because it addresses how we are to share the good news.

This Matters Because It Addresses How We Are to Share the Good News.

Think of this, the slaves that were sent out into the streets to invite the vagabonds were not charged with perfectly identifying who was good and who was bad. They were to share the good news that the King had invited them to the wedding feast. All who came with them were permitted to come. This is so comforting to me. I as the pastor of this church am not charged with perfectly identifying who is truly saved or unsaved. I am to preach the gospel and trust God with the result. And this should give you peace as well. You are not charged with an impossible task. As Christians, we are Christ’s slaves. We were bought with a price. He owns us. And we are to go out and share the good news. We are not given an impossible task. We are to go out to all and share the good news. We do not know who is called and who is chosen.

We do not know who is called and who is chosen.

Ah, and there is the final matter. Here is a thought that makes many uncomfortable. But remember, we do not shy away from the uncomfortable passages or thoughts. This matters because it addresses the doctrine of election.

This Matters Because It Addresses The Doctrine of Election.

This is one of the most hated doctrines in Scripture, but we must not pass it by. We must truly examine this, because Jesus clearly speaks of it. Verse 14 is very important to understanding this passage.

If verse 14 were not there, this passage would look clearly as if Jesus is saying that whoever chooses of their own volition to come is welcomed. And in a sense this is true. All those who came, came at their own behest. They all came because they chose to. And likely, the man who was dressed improperly refused the robe given Him. He did that. But Jesus does the unthinkable. Jesus says something that offends us. Jesus says something that is distasteful to us. How dare He. Jesus says that all of this is in God’s plan of election.

Jesus says this is all part of God’s plan of election.

Jesus walks through the story of the people reacting as they will, and then says that this is all because many are called but few are chosen. Jesus is saying that the man who was improperly dressed, was so because He was not chosen. At the final judgement, when those who pretended to be saved are thrown out into hell, it is because they are not chosen. They recieved the invite. They somehow responded, but they refused the righteousness of Christ. Why? Because they were not chosen. We are not allowed to refuse this verse. We are not allowed to change what Jesus is saying. So how do we reconcile it? How do we understand this?

These people are acting of their own will, but it is within the sovereign will of God.

We understand this in the light of Scripture. Clearly these people are acting and reacting according to their own will. They are responsible for their own actions. But somehow, God is still in complete control. The actions of these people are within the sovereign will of God. Jesus is giving us a picture of how this works. To simplify, the will of man exists within the will of God.

To quote R.C. Sproul, “God is free, and all His creatures are free. But God is more free than His creatures. To say anything else is blasphemy.”

God’s Will Supersedes Man’s Will.

What does this mean? It means that God’s will supersedes man’s will. Man cannot act outside of God’s will. The man without the robe was acting exactly as He wanted. But this will exists within the will of God. God is more free than that man. God is free to act in and with His creation as He wills. All things exist by and for Him. He determines all. This is what it means to be God. All is His. But perhaps you think I am merely pulling this out of my hat. Turn with me to John 6. In our passage, Jesus addressing this concept in a parable. Let’s quickly look at a passage where this is addressed, not in parable, but directly. Same concept, different circumstance.

John 6:36-44 says this:

But I said to you that you have seen Me, and yet do not believe.37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will never cast out.38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.39 Now this is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

41 Therefore the Jews were grumbling about Him, because He said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.”42 They were saying, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does He now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”43 Jesus answered and said to them, “Stop grumbling among yourselves.44 No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Jesus is addressing the Jews who were following Him because He gave them bread. They were false followers. And what does Jesus say? He says that all the Father gives Him WILL come to Him. Why do they come? Because the Father has given them to Him. The one who comes will never be cast out. The truly saved cannot lose their salvation. Jesus came to do the will of the Father. What is the will of the Father? To lose none of who? Of the ones who the Father GAVE to Him.

The Jews did not like this. They grumbled. They got angry. And what does Jesus say? He says stop grumbling. No one CAN come to me UNLESS the Father draws them. That word “draws” is like drawing water from a well. It is to pull something. You cannot come to the Christ unless the Father PULLS YOU TO HIM. So let me ask you this: does God draw you or do you come?

Did God draw you or did you come?

The answer is yes. Both those things happen. But one happens first. God acts first. You cannot come unless God draws you. It is the action of the Father to draw those whom He chooses to the Son. So you see, God draws and then the person acts. The person acts as they want, within the will of God. This is the same thing Jesus is saying in this parable. The people who were invited came. But their coming was within the will of God. And those who came, but were not dressed in the righteousness of Christ, were cast out. They were cast out ultimately because they were not chosen. But temporally, they were cast out because they were not dressed in the righteousness of Christ.

Transition:

And that may seem out there. That may seem like some strange principle that has no bearing on us, so let’s bring it down to earth. Let’s bring it down to the practical level. What do we do with it?

What Do We Do With It?

The ultimate question is how will you respond to the invite?

How Will You Respond to the Invite?

Will you be like the first group and outright reject the invite. The invite is placed. God has provided a way of salvation. Will you respond? He has invited you out of your sin, and into the kingdom of God. You have an invitation to come into the Kingdom of Heaven. Will you come? You can be free of your sins and be made righteous. Will you accept this invite or reject it?

Many will accept it. But some will accept it for the wrong reason. So here is my second question. Will you be clothed in the righteousness of Christ?

Will You Be Clothed in the Righteousness of Christ?

You see, the man was at the table. But He was not clothed in the righteousness of Christ. He was happy to be seated at the table. He ate with others. He was inside where it was warm, but he had rejected Christ. There are many in church like this. They come in for the social aspect. They come in to be made to feel good. Perhaps they come for the kindness of the people. They will accept the initial invite to come. They will come and sit at the table and partake of all the benefits, but they are still wearing their own rags. They like their filth. They want to sit at the table, but they do not want to be changed. These will be cast out on the last day. On judgement day, they will be cast into hell.

I fear this is the current state of many in churches. They are content to feel religious. They are content to feel like they are sitting in the right place. But they refuse to be changed. Some have heretically labeled these as “carnal Christians,” after a phrase Paul used. But make no mistake, this is not what Paul was speaking of. Scripture is clear. If you are not dressed in the righteousness of Christ, you are not saved. So how does one receive the righteousness of Christ? You repent and Believe.

Repent and Believe.

You cannot save yourself. Your greatest deed is like a filthy rag to God. You must surrender all to Christ. You must turn away from trying to be good enough. You must turn away from trying to save yourself. You cannot save yourself. You must abandon all attempts to earn your way into God’s favor. You must abandon all attempts to try to be good enough to be saved. You can never make it. You must turn away from your sin and turn to Christ. You must turn your eyes on Christ.

Isaiah 45:22 says 22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: For I am God, and there is none else.

You must look to Christ. There is no work you can do. There is no effort to be tried. You must lay down arms and surrender to Christ. You must stop, and look to Christ. Lay aside your sin. Lay aside your hate. Lay aside your manipulations and lies. Look to Christ. You may have been in church your entire life, but that will not save you. You may have the greatest Christian parents, but their faith won’t save you. Have you looked to Christ? If you have not, then you are like the man who dressed improperly. You may be hoping that God does not notice, but He sees all. If you have never done this, then I beg you to do this today. Turn away from your sins and turn to Christ.

But there is an encouragement I give to those of you who are saved. Though the apostles were the first slaves to share the invite, we are to continue to share the invitation.

Continue to Share the Invitation.

We are the blood bought saved of Christ. We are His slaves and we are to invite all we can to the wedding feast. But what about Jesus’ words about the called and the chosen? If God chooses, why would we invite? Why would we share the gospel if God has chosen who is to be and is not to be saved? Beloved, that is God’s prerogative. We are still to share. The slaves are to pass out the invites. We are not tasked to determine who is numbered among the elect.

Charles Spurgeon said on this subject, “If God would have painted a yellow stripe on the backs of the elect I would go around lifting shirts. But since He didn’t I must preach “whosoever will” and when “whatsoever” believes I know that he is one of the elect.”

In other words, we are not commanded to know who will and who won’t. We are to preach the gospel freely to all. We are commanded, as Christ’s slaves to share with all. Go into the streets and invite them in. Go to the roadways. Go to the parks, the bars, the restaurants. Go wherever people are and tell them that the King has come. And do not be discouraged when people reject. Trust God with the result. You see, while we know that not all will be saved, we know without a doubt that some will. When we go out, we know that we have guaranteed success. God has already determined that. He has tasked us with going out and gathering them up.

But before we do that, we need encouragement. We need to be strengthened and sent out. For that, I have good news, beloved. While we await the ultimate wedding feast at the consummation of the Kingdom, we are not left to starve. Christ has commanded us to even now gather at the table and partake. He brought this table to us. He brought to us His own body and blood, that we may be strengthened and encouraged for the task ahead of us. So before we go out, let us eat and drink in remembrance of the gospel of free grace to us.

Communion:

Closing Hymn:

Closing Benediction:

Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were called were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find there, call to the wedding feast.’ 10 And 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.