Matt. 22:1-14~ PARABLE OF THE MARRIAGE FEAST OF THE KINGS SON~ 12-29-12
Let me remind us first of all that the gospel of Matthew was given primarily too the Jews, it was written by a Jew, (Matthew) to the Jews, and it tells about a Jew (Jesus) but all of us can glean from Matthews gospel.
Only in Matthews gospel do we find the words "the kingdom of heaven" these words are found 32 times in this gospel and their not found any place else in the N.T., there's many references too the "kingdom of heaven", but not in this order of words. --- A parable is a earthly story to explain an heavenly truth.
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This parable about the "kingdom of heaven" was directed to His enemies, to warn them about their impending doom.
The King in the Lord's story represents God the Father, who gave a large banquet for His Son, Jesus Christ.
> Rev.19:7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
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The King sends His servants, referring to the Apostles who would appeal to the nation of Israel one last time, but unfortunately two responses of rejection were received.
The emphasis here in this parable is about how and why this age began, rather than upon the conclusion of the age, which the parables in Matt. 13: tells of.
ƒÞ The king in the parable is God the Father, and Jesus Christ is the son.
No one can attend this marriage feast unless their saved, unless they receive the SON. -- Rejection of the invitation to attend shows disloyalty to the King, (God) as well as discourtesy to the Son, (Jesus) and this brings about the severe treatment of the rejecting Jews as we'll see in verses 6- 7 which includes their city being "burned up," an obvious reference to the coming destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. - 40 years after Jesus was crucified, 40 the number of judgment.
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Matt. 21 closed with the religious rulers determined that Jesus would die. Matt. 21:46 "They sought to lay hands on him" but they were afraid of the multitude at that time.
Here in chapter 22, Jesus continues to answer the chief priests and elders which He began in chapter 21.
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* Listen as I read today's text found in Matt. 22:1-14.
1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, 3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. 9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
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Some folk seem to think that the gospel is not really good news but bad news; but here in this parable we're told that God has planned a marriage, there's going too be a wedding, and that He has made ready a great and wonderful feast.
> Revelation 19: 7-8 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
How could this possibly be bad news? A marriage and a banquet are times of rejoicing; we know that the Gospel is not bad news but good and joyful.
We notice here that God has supplied every thing that is needed for the wedding feast, the food to be enjoyed, and even the wedding garments.
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* The only people that might say that the gospel is bad news are them that have been blinded by the devil.
> 2 Corinthians 4:3-5 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
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Many people that reject the good news feel as though they would be loaded down with so many rules that they'd have a miserable life from then on.
> Matthew 11:28-29 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
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1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables,
The word "again" tells us that Jesus is still talking too the chief priests and elders mentioned back in Matthew 21:23.
1And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
The bidden guests are the people of Israel, whereas those in the highways are the Gentiles. Both bad and good refer to moral and immoral sinners who alike need God's gracious invitation, the Lord Jesus had sent His apostles to them, the prophets had been the messengers back in the Old Testament.
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4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
This was Israel's rejection of God's invitation. They killed His messengers, including the Lord Jesus Himself.
Some simply ignored the offer by going to their farms and others ignored the offer by going to their "merchandise" or business. But they all responded with indifference at the invitation.
„« Ps. 118: 22 The stone which the builders refused is become the head stone of the corner.
This shows the hardness of the human heart, the deceitfulness of sin, the way sinful people respond.
This is exactly how men and women treat the Gospel invitation, and the person who gives it today.
What more could God have done than to sacrifice His Son, who died willingly on the Cross to bear away the sin of the world?
Yet the attitude of men and women is ungratefulness and unreasonable.
> John 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
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7But when the king (God) heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
This happened in a.d. 70 as Jerusalem was completely destroyed by the Roman general Titus.
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Then the King sends another group of servants, others than the Apostles, this is referring to the great missionary outreach of the early church that traveled the highways of the ancient world to bid lost men and women to come to the wedding, by the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Missionaries are still even today preaching this same message.
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8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. -- Speaking of the Jews.
9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
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During this time that we are in today, people hear the Gospel invitation, and many respond with a positive acceptance to the banquet, some "bad and some good."
Some were morally and ethically evil and some were morally and ethically good, but both were unworthy of the gracious invitation of the King, God the Father.
Obviously this represents the universal Gospel offer, to religious or ethical people and to ungodly and immoral people.
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11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
Let's remember that this is an earthly illustration, a parable to revile heavenly truths.
When the rapture of the true Church takes place no one will go unless he or she has been saved, every member of the True Church will be clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us the second we're saved.
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11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
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It was the custom in the East for the host to provide each of the guests with a garment.
Here we read of a man who accepted the king's invitation but he refused to wear the wedding garment provided by the king.
The man had been offered one but had refused it, presumably because he thought he would be accepted the way he was.
The wedding garment speaks to us of the righteousness of God which is offered to us in Christ Jesus, and which is upon all who believe.
> Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: --
„« In our sinful natural condition we have no righteousness of our own.
> Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
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But when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal Savoir, then God imputes His righteousness to us.
> Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
„« God reckons Christ's righteousness as ours.
> 1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
> Philip. 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
„« It is foolish for anyone to try to establish his own righteousness; the only way to be accepted by God is to submit to His righteousness, to His way, the only way of being saved.
„« Rom. 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
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„« Listen too verse 12 again,
12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Notice that he was speechless, some people have the idea that they don't need to receive Christ that they will take their chances before God, that they intend to argue their case their self, but Jesus said that this fellow without the wedding garment was speechless.
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13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14For many are called, but few are chosen.
-- cast into outer darkness, this speaks of the torments of hell where "weeping and gnashing of teeth" will accompany their self condemning conscience.
How many opportunities will He extend to you, until you finally receive Jesus Christ as your Savior? Will you put it off forever; do you think that God will make an exception in your case? Do you think that you'll make it in by your good works?
> Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
