The Wedding Banquet
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Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Introduction
Who doesn’t enjoy a royal wedding? Next one will be Harry and Megan.
“Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.’”
Jesus is following up His answer to the Pharisees and Chief Priests from the previous chapter with a parable.
[Move 1] In this Parables God is the King and the invited guests are Israel and the servants He sent are the prophets.
Jesus connects the reluctant wedding guests to the Israelites. God chose the descendants of Abraham to inherit His Kingdom on earth. He sent messengers to turn the hearts of His people back to Him after they had fallen away. But the Israelites had turned away from Him, worshiping other gods. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: “My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’”
Although rejected, God continued to woo His people. He warned and disciplined them. Still, they refused to repent. God would not give up on them.
“But they paid no attention & went off -- one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.”
God sent prophets to warn them. But the Israelites beat up these messengers. Through the armies of Syria, Babylonia, and Rome, God chastened the nations of Israel and Judah.
“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. God to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.”
But God did not give up on humanity. He wanted to find someone to follow Him (redemption).
He sent His servants to the Gentiles, (not of Israel). To this day, most of Israel is still rebelling against the Messiah – but you and I are here in SMH responding to the invitation to come and worship.
Here’s The Real Lesson Of The Parable.
The wedding garment represents His righteousness. (See it both Old and New Testaments). Isaiah described our righteousness as ‘filthy rags’ (Isa 64:6) and God’s as “garments of salvation” and “robes of righteousness” (Isa 61:10) again using (in the OT) the picture of clothing given us at a wedding. In Revelation 19 the church is seen prepared as a bride having been clothed in white linen, again representing righteousness.
[Illustr] Prince Edward staying when family went to Maritius to big hotel, on bed was a T shirt. Amusing to see guests at reception wearing their T shirts. I’ve just had a wedding of daughter and trad = father of bride pays. But I couldn’t have afforded it of I had also to pay for all the wedding suits and dresses of the guests. Jewish wedding customs (1st Cent’y) the father of the groom was in charge of the event and bore the cost of wedding and reception. For wealthy or royalty this included providing a specially made garment to be worn over guest’s clothing. This wedding garment was given to the guest on arrival. It was considered an insult to the Father of the groom if guests refused to wear it and guest could get ejected. It was also identification & discouraged uninvited guests from gate-crashing the party (only one way into this banquet).
In this Parable the King is God. Invited guests = Israel and the servants. Others = a picture of the early church, who went out as servants spreading the good news and we (at SMH) are people who have responded to that and now we are invited as wedding guests.
Others say the symbolism and timing are wrong. The Church is the Bride of Christ, not a group of last minute substitute guests. Since Israel had already refused their invitation, and the Church (being the bride) would not need an invitation, who could these guests be? They have to come from a time after the Bride is chosen and prepared, the wedding banquet ready and only the guests are lacking for the festivities to begin. Therefore, some argue they are ‘Tribulation Saints’, people who come to faith after the Rapture of the Church in Revelation 4 but before the Wedding Banquet of Revelation 19.
The clothing is given (gift) = righteousness (not bought/earned). This is the message of Grace. The fact that one is thrown out for not wearing wedding clothes indicates all have to be clothed in “garments of salvation” Christ’s free gift. The only garment/righteousness that gains us admission into the presence of God is by GRACE ie that which is given us as a gift and received by faith (Rom 4:5).
Many are invited, but few are chosen (2 Peter 3:9). God longs than none should perish, but for the wedding guests, All who know Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ’s garments (Gal 3:27). For God made Him Who had no sin to become sin for us, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).
In the parable, the one who insulted the king (refused garment) was thrown into the darkness. Nothing is hidden from God. If you pretend righteousness, He knows. the Bible warns (Rom 6v23). Nothing will save us except Jesus. The invitation is for, everyone doesn’t respond. Have you ?
If you are trying to hold onto the world and maintain your salvation, it won’t work. You cannot serve two masters Matt 6v24. Accept God’s free gift of salvation today. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” “The wages of sin is death,”. “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Joshua 24 v15 “Choose for yourselves this day, whom you will serve. ... as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord”this day of every member ministry).
