This evening’s message is entitled “The Wedding Invitation.” We’re going to learn tonight how the Lord delivers a wedding invitation to each and every person in the world, and that He expects our attendance. A traditional wedding invitation might conclude by saying, “If you are unable to attend, then we ask your presence in thought and in prayer.” The thing about God’s invitation is that if we are unable to attend the marriage of the Lamb, He is going to say, “If you are unable to attend, then you’re out of luck.” So what’s this all about, you may ask? Well, let’s dig into the Scripture and we’ll discover a message about attending the greatest wedding of all time!
An Invitation from the King (vv. 1-3)
1 And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.”
This parable is bulging with symbolism and will be expounded as we go along. The first question I would like to ask is this: In verse 2, who does the king represent? The king is symbolic of God who sends out a call, or invitation, to His people to live for Him and honor Him in all of life. If His invitation is heeded, then those who obey will be allowed to enter the wedding.
What does the wedding represent? It is symbolic of the day when Christ returns and all who are perfected in Him and obedient to God join Him. Revelation 19:7-9 speaks of this wedding, saying, “Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb’.”
The Bride, though not mentioned here in the text, is the New Jerusalem comprised of its citizenship of believers, or all those who have experienced salvation and are committed to Christ. In Revelation 21:2, we read, “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In Ephesians chapter five, Paul said, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her . . . that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish” (Ephesians 5:25-27).
In verse 3, we see how the king sent out servants to call forth the guests; however, the guests refused to attend the wedding. So, who do the servants represent? David Garland says, “The word ‘servant’ is a frequent designation in the Old Testament for the prophets whom God sent to the people.”(1)
Now that the identity of the servants has been established, who do the guests represent? They are symbolic of God’s chosen people, the Jews, whom He set apart as an elect nation to worship the God of Israel alone. They were not supposed to worship any other gods. When the Jewish people are termed as “chosen,” what this really means is they are God’s “invited” people; or rather, the first to be invited into His kingdom. This is a major distinction, as we will see later.
2 Chronicles 36:15-16 reveals how the Lord sent out His servants, the prophets, in order to extend an invitation to His people to live in holiness; and how Israel rejected His invitation. We read, “And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.”
Moving right along, we already know that the king is symbolic of God. So, what did the Lord do after His invitation was refused?
Refusal to R.S.V.P. (vv. 4-7)
4 “Again, he sent out other servants, saying, tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”
Verse 4 shows how the Lord sent out other servants, or other prophets, to plead with His people. These other prophets likely included John the Baptist who declared that the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matthew 3:2); and Jesus, God’s one and only Son, who came to reveal the one true way to heaven (John 14:6). But what happened to both John and Jesus? Verse 6 says they were seized, treated spitefully, and killed. John was killed, and his head was delivered to the daughter of Herodias (Matthew 14:11), and Jesus was beaten, mocked, and crucified.
In verse 6, the invited guests, or the Jews, refused to acknowledge the Lord’s R.S.V.P (this means “please respond” in French). One went to his farm and another to his business. In the “Parable of the Great Supper,” located in Luke chapter 14, Jesus revealed some of their excuses for not attending. He said, “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come’” (Luke 14:18-20).
Why were these numerous excuses made? Because the Lord’s people had slacked off in their devotion to Him, and didn’t feel the need to dedicate as much time to worship. Many became devoted to their work. Others became preoccupied with new toys, like this one man who couldn’t wait to test out his new team of oxen. Some loved their family more than God, deciding that family time should come first before worship; having their priorities all mixed up. We know that our priorities should be God first, family second, church third, and work fourth; and even if things don’t work out the way we think they should, God still must be number one.
What did the Lord do to those who failed to honor and obey Him? Verse 7 says, “He sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.” The city of God’s chosen or invited people, the Jews, was Jerusalem. In Matthew chapter 24, verses 15-21, we see a reference to the destruction of the holy city; and history records that Rome sacked Jerusalem in A.D. 70 just as Jesus had prophesied.
The King Invited Others (vv. 8-10)
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.”
In verse 8, we observe how those who were first invited became as unworthy, and that’s why they were destroyed. When we apply this passage to followers of Christ, we might become concerned that God will destroy us should we fail to honor and worship Him; but don’t worry, for the salvation of believers is eternally secure.
I stated earlier that the Jews were God’s chosen people in that they were the first ones invited. They were invited; however, they had not all necessarily made it into the kingdom. People who are truly chosen are those who confess the name of Jesus Christ, both Jews and Gentiles. Just because the Jews were invited first didn’t make them automatically chosen, as they had thought. They needed to make a commitment to Jesus Christ; and any Jewish person who would choose to believe in Jesus as the Messiah would gain salvation and eternal life.
Just being invited doesn’t make you saved. You have to accept the invitation. In other words, you have to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. Many of the Jews were unready and unwilling to make a commitment to God, and it cost them their soul and eternal life with the Lord. If anyone today fails to accept the Lord’s wedding invitation because they feel they have better things to do, then they too will be destroyed.
In verses 9-10, the king (or God) told the servants to go and find people wherever they could, and invite them to attend the wedding. These verses symbolize God’s call to the Gentiles to enter His kingdom. If the Lord couldn’t find guests among those whom He invited first, then He would have to find guests from among those who were last on His list.
Here’s a scenario to consider. Imagine a woman who has attended church all her life believing that going to church is what saves a person. She feels like she is one of God’s chosen people because she is in church; however, the Lord speaks to her heart each and every week about a relationship with Him, and she refuses the invitation because she believes that going to church on Sunday will fulfill her obligation to God. Why does the woman do this? It’s because she realizes that a deeper commitment to Christ will require more time than what she wants to give.
Now imagine that on one particular Sunday morning a man walks into the church that is not dressed well and has long hair. The woman says to herself, “I’m glad that I am not like him, for the Lord wouldn’t allow me into heaven if I looked like that.” At the end of the service an altar call is extended, and the man with long hair walks forward to receive Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. The woman, however, continues to think to herself that a man like that shouldn’t be allowed in church; and what she really means to say is that he shouldn’t be admitted through the gates of heaven.
Now consider that they are both standing before the judgment seat one day. The Lord looks at the woman and asks her why she should be allowed into His kingdom, and she replies, “I went to church each and every Sunday for my entire life.” God then asks the man with long hair why he should be allowed to enter His kingdom, and he replies, “I accepted your invitation and received Jesus Christ into my heart.” The Lord then allows the long-haired man into His kingdom; however, the lady who attended church all her life was cast into hell; or rather, her city was burned, as verse 7 says.
You can be doing any number of things in the name of the Lord, but if you haven’t accepted Jesus Christ, then you remain among the invited group; close, but not quite there. If you don’t accept the invitation and go, then you will never arrive at the party. God doesn’t care if His guests look good or appear to be serving Him; He is concerned about what’s in their heart.
For instance, the Scribes and Pharisees looked like they were worshipping God, and they put on great shows of faith for people to see. When God accepted the Gentiles, then the Scribes and Pharisees became appalled because the Gentiles were considered unworthy in their eyes. A person may appear less than perfect on the outside, but if they know Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then they have heavenly riches beyond measure, and they will inherit a place in God’s kingdom.
You Need the Proper Attire (vv. 11-14)
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
In verse 11, we see mentioned a man without a wedding garment. First of all what wedding garment is required at the wedding of Jesus Christ and His bride the Church? Revelation 7:13-14 provides the answer to this question, saying this: “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ And I said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’ So he said to me, ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’.”
This man didn’t have on a robe washed spotless by the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. We observe in verse 13, that because he didn’t have on a wedding garment, or because he wasn’t saved by the blood of the Lamb, that he was cast into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. This description is of none other place than hell. If you are not covered by the blood of Jesus Christ, then there is only one place that you will go when you die, and that is hell.
We have established that attending the wedding means that an individual has confessed Jesus Christ as Lord; and refusing God’s invitation to the wedding means that a person has rejected Him. So, how did this one man somehow get into the wedding, or make it into the kingdom, while being unsaved? We know that he was unsaved because he didn’t have on a wedding garment, and he was cast into hell. There is no easy answer to this question found in the commentaries. Perhaps these verses are referring to how everyone will stand before the Lord’s presence on the Day of Judgment, where He will identify those who are saved and those who are lost.
In verse 14, the fact is reemphasized that “many are called, but few are chosen.” Many people are invited, but only a few make the commitment to accept God’s invitation and show up at the wedding.
Time of Reflection
If you don’t know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, you need to know Him. His invitation has been mailed straight to your heart, if you will just receive it. Jesus might be saying to someone right now, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him” (Revelation 3:20). The Lord extends His invitation at all times; and right now, we are going to have a “time of invitation” and an altar call for anyone here who doesn’t know Jesus Christ, so you can invite Him into your heart tonight.
If you are a Christian here this evening who is too preoccupied with the things of this world, to the point that you can’t devote any time to the Lord, then you need to consider your actions. Though your salvation is secure in Christ, keep in mind that the Lord despises non-commitment so much that He destroyed His own Holy City when His chosen people refused to serve Him. If you are a believer who is seeking to please the Lord, then you need to consider whether there are any worldly distractions that you need to put aside, in order to better serve Him.
NOTES
(1) David Garland, “Mark,” The NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), 452.
