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Lord God, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the opportunity to come around your word one more time father to study to learn more about you to learn today about your kingdom and father this great invitation that you've Sent out.
Oh father for all those who are willing to come and who are Willing to repent and seek forgiveness. Oh father that you opened your riches in heaven. Oh father to them. And we just pray that you bless this word bless our worship this morning.
Oh father, maybe be focused on you and give all our worship all our thoughts Dedicated solely to worshiping you this morning in Christ's name. We pray. Amen. Glad pastor Mike opened the invitation to whoever would come this morning.
I know he sent out the email and canceled Sunday school. So pretty good crowd. Today we're gonna be doing the parable. It's in Matthew 22 so you might want to open your Bibles there to start and we're gonna read there in a second, but you know, I was trying to think of a You know a good equivalent or a good introduction maybe from personal experience and I was I kept thinking about was You know the point of this parable Jesus directed it at the the Pharisees and some of the the really religious elite.
I guess the chiefs priests the scribes and Basically addressing their unbelief addressing their self-righteousness and Essentially it's self-righteousness is an overconfidence, you know thinking that you are able to Please God on your own and your own righteousness your own deeds your own works and I just kept thinking about a time in college.
Where at the beginning of the semester we go into class and the professor was some sociology class, I don't remember exactly but She clearly lays out, you know, what what our expectations are said. This is what I expect from you this semester.
These are how the tests are gonna be. I am going to tell you everything that's gonna be on the test this is what I want from you and I want you to just you have to Regurgitate it onto the page when I give you a test.
That's exactly expectations. I'm preparing you. That's what it's gonna be. Well me, you know, I always kind of skated through school and did fine I never probably got below a C on anything in my life and you know, it's my first semester in college.
Just whatever, you know, I can do this on my own I can but she clearly laid it out this how it's gonna be well Whatever. I took the notes. I kind of read them over did my normal preparations. Went in there thinking I'd be fine and I bombed I was completely exposed.
There there was nothing I could do. I bombed the test I got like a 40 it was it was pathetic. When she said this is how it's gonna be. That's what she meant. Those were expectations and You know, I think we're gonna see some similarities of that here today on this parable God has always laid out clearly his expectations for his people what he expects and what he demands and There are people that think they can just kind of skate through and said, you know, I'm You know in this case the Pharisees they were they were heirs to the kingdom.
That was theirs. It was theirs by right they thought and You know God had other ideas he laid out his commandments and His expectations and those who are willing to to come and obey and repent as he as he wanted.
The kingdom was open to them instead. So anyway jumping into the text. Can somebody tell me where we are? We're in Matthew 22 in Matthew 21. Can anyone tell me what what was going on just a week before?
If we go back a little bit Where is Jesus right now in his earthly ministry? We're pretty late in the game. It's Matthew 22. So it's the last week of Jesus on earth what happened the beginning of 21 we had a Triumphal entry.
Jesus came into the city. The crowds flocked waving, you know waving their their palm branches Hosanna to God in the highest that whole thing and You know, the next step was that the the Pharisees and the scribes and the chief priests they saw this and They demanded that Jesus.
You know, he rebuked the people don't don't accept their praise. Yeah. Are you hearing what they're saying? You see at the beginning of 21 beginning about verse 12 Jesus in the temple and He goes in and he doesn't endear himself to him.
Anyway, he goes and flips the tables over again and drives out the money changers and Scatters the animals and again, he's not endearing himself to the to the chief priests and the scribes and the Pharisees and So Even in the midst of that Jesus is there, you know, he's in the temple.
He's turned over the tables he's people are coming to him being healed, you know, he's healing people in the temple and The works of God are clearly visible, you know, he's he's got a zeal for God's house.
You know, that's visible The power of God and healing people that's visible and here come the Pharisees. Well, you can't be accepting their praise. You can't be taking The praise of for the Messiah, I mean you're clearly not him.
I mean Even when the works are being done right in front of them. They still come with this this blatant unbelief. Chapter 21 goes on. It's just the next day. The whole deal with the fig tree curses the fig tree.
It doesn't produce any fruit and there's some application there as well but we don't have time to get into everything and The next step it is Jesus he goes the next day to the temple again and he's teaching.
And what happens? The Pharisees come interrupt him, you know start questioning his authority and You know, they asked him to give an account for himself, well, how can you teach like this? How can you be doing the things that you're doing?
You know, who do you think you are essentially that sort of thing and so just more unbelief right in the face of you know all the great works of God that he was doing and that just all forms the background of The tip the parables that are going to follow here so we got the triumphal entry, you know, Jesus in the temple.
Jesus being confronted by the Pharisees and Jesus gives these parables. All with essentially the same theme all with essentially the same point and that is to confront the Pharisees to confront them in their unbelief to confront them in the rejection of John the Baptist the rejection of Messiah and.
So the first parable that he gives it's the parable of the two sons. You know, we can read it over quickly going but anybody. The first son. The father has asked this first son to work in the vineyard.
Son says no. No, I'm not gonna go and work in the vineyard. He has a second son. The son says sure. Yes, sir. I'll go, you know respectful, you know on the outside. He's he's you know falls in line under his father, but he doesn't go.
He doesn't didn't want to work didn't want to do the work. What's the point of this parable? Anybody want to venture a guess, you know, who's the first son. Jesus says hey. You know go and do the work they don't go but later they repent and they go and do the work.
Well, Jesus tells us that in verse 31 and 32 of Matthew 21 that these are the tax collectors the prostitutes says in verse 31 Jesus said to them truly I say to you The tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you.
For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you do not believe him. But the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him and even when you saw it. You did not afterward change your minds and believe him.
So there we see Jesus explaining the parable. That the else the outcasts the tax collectors the prostitutes who Didn't obey God's law who didn't do what they were supposed to do. But later if they repented like at the coming of John the Baptist they heard his message.
They repented and They obeyed God and the kingdom of God was open to them. But on the other hand we have the religious leaders the the second son here who said yeah. Yeah, yeah, we'll do your work dad and didn't do it.
He was equating that to the Pharisees the chief priests the scribes. Well outwardly said they obeyed God's law. But essentially they weren't doing that. And that the kingdom of heaven was not open to them.
Jesus goes immediately in the next parable. It's a parable of the tenants. We have a master of a house. He has a vineyard. He rented out to these different tenants different sharecroppers tells him to go To farm the land to prepare it and he would send servants to give an accounting.
To go and see the tenants and see what they produce for fruit. Send his first round of servants killed him stone them beat them up. Graciously sends another set of servants kill them beat them up stone them and Finally, he says, you know what?
I'm gonna send my son. I'm gonna send my son and Have Him give me. I have them given accounting to my son. They won't they won't hurt him. They'll respect my son well sends a son and they kill him as well and Jesus in verse 21 40 He asked them he opens the question.
He says what what should be done to these guys? What should be done these servants who are these sharecroppers these tenants who have mistreated my servants and. They answer and essentially condemn themselves the Pharisees and in verse 41 they said to him he will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons and The people giving the answer I mean that that was them, you know, that was essentially them and they.
At the end we see that they perceived that Jesus was talking about them. They're a little slow on the uptake and but Jesus was pointing to them and they've condemned themselves with their own words. Jesus explains the parable in verse 43 therefore I tell you the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and Giving given to a people producing its fruits.
So he's addressing the The religious elite and said look, you know, you know the Word of God. You should be able to perceive the works of God in your midst. I'm here. I'm the Messiah. I'm healing in your midst.
I'm teaching with authority in your midst and you reject me and you reject what I'm doing and You're just like these these wicked tenants who killed with God sir who killed the servants of the master.
You've done the same to the prophets. You've done the same to all the messengers that That God has sent so Two parables immediately leading into ours and they both have a similar point, you know, Jesus again confronting the unbelief of the Pharisees.
Confronting their self-righteousness. And again, they are thinking they're the heirs to the kingdom and Jesus explaining that that's that's not how it works God's God's requirements are clear from the beginning and you're not you're not.
You're not meeting those requirements. You you give lip service to his commands. You give lip service to what he demands. But ultimately you're not you're not doing what he says, you know. You're out in the vineyard.
You're not producing any fruits. Yeah, you don't even go, you know. Does anybody have any questions before we jump into the parallel any questions on those two parables. A question on the themes or all right.
I'm gonna read or if anyone wants to volunteer to read. I don't know how we usually do it, but You should have a volunteer for reading. All right, Brian Barlow. You want to stand up and read? Chapter 22 verses 1 through 14.
Nice and loud. Thanks, Brian. It's a great story, I mean it's Jesus had just a way of using the most Colorful language, you know and just drawing your attention to certain points through that language and I mean we'll get more into that but Just some of the things you read in each of these perils just shocking, you know and it'd be shocking to the people listening to it, you know, how can even anybody even act like that and.
Yeah, it's it's a story and it's meant to make a point. So again, we talked about the main theme and I think you see some similarities there, you know the kingdom here's people that think the kingdom is theirs and that.
You know. They're invited. They were invited originally and they just take it for granted or You know just spurn the invitation. Whereas we have other people that it go and they accept the invitation and go to the to the feast.
So Jesus he's speaking this is his third parable in a series and they all have a similar theme. In verse 2, he says the kingdom of heaven may be compared to and so that should right away go set off alarms in our mind.
He's just going to talk about the kingdom and this is what the kingdom is going to be like and It's essentially his main purpose for telling this parable to teach some important truths about the kingdom.
Quickly, can anyone what does he mean when he says the kingdom of heaven? What does it mean when he that's used in the Gospels, what is he talking about the kingdom of heaven any other guesses? What could the be kingdom of heaven?
Okay. She said it's kind of like a spiritual reality. Right, and how you know God how he deals with people and you know, they're they're all Home for believers, I guess kind of the church the community of believers anybody else any other ideas kingdom of heaven Salvation.
Okay. So I think there's a lot of things that go into that and that's a huge topic. But you know, essentially it's Salvation it is the community believers. You know, there's an ultimate ultimate kingdom of God when everybody gets to the kingdom of heaven the redeemed universe the redeemed The new have a new earth that God's gonna make and it's also could be understand as God's Sovereign rules God's kinship kingship over everything, you know, so there's all different senses both temporal and eternal I think for the kingdom of God and I think everything can be probably squished into that.
That term here in this this particular parable John MacArthur says it is the continuing ongoing sphere of God's rule by grace in an arrow narrower sense. The phrase is also used in scripture to refer to God's dominion or redemption is divine program of gracious salvation.
So Again I think it's can incorporate a lot of things but you know, essentially it's you know has a temporal theme. It's the church. It's the believers. It's but it's also a greater, you know, God's sovereign rule guy Brian, right?
I think that's a good. You know, that's part of the illustration. I think Christ is trying to make and trying to adapt You know temporal things to to show greater truth and eternal truth. Good she was just saying that you know, this is a we'll get into that how it is, you know, the royal wedding feast and the whole how that's used here and Another question I would have you know, we have a good pretty good understanding Kingdom of heaven.
What what do you think the Pharisees or maybe the scribes they're listening to this? What would they understand is the kingdom of heaven? What wouldn't maybe they had a wrong idea, you know. What would be something they would think they'd hear a kingdom of heaven.
Yeah, they might think a hierarchy they might think We're God's chosen people take pride in that and you know, they had a very perverted idea of what? The kingdom of heaven was and and Jesus I think is trying to straighten that out, too.
You know just throw that in their face that you know, you don't you don't really understand as you as you think you do. You know and so here we go, there's some other purposes for parable go ahead do right he does correct him a couple occasions definitely.
Yeah, I think everybody heard that that you know. The the Pharisees had a very narrow focus on what the kingdom of heaven was. They want to see something tangible. They want to see it right now. And you know, Jesus Corrects him often, you know, he says the kingdom of heaven is within you at one point.
Or in your midst or you want to whatever version you're reading? Think the SV says it's in your midst, you know, the kingdom of heaven is here. So I think he's pointing himself personally and you know that he he embodied that he embodied what the kingdom of heaven was all about and The Pharisees didn't quite understand that so There we go.
Well, that's the introduction to the whole parable. Jesus is gonna tell us something about the kingdom of heaven. He's gonna tell us something about God's sovereign rule and This story can be divided up into several parts.
I think the first part Talks about the invitation being rejected. All right in verse 2. It says the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. So, I mean, I think there's pretty there's three elements to note in this.
This invitation you have first of all the king I mean, that's the first player mentioned and I think we have no problem. We could you know attribute this King to being God. I think that's clear from the start that in the previous parable It's clearly God the master of the household and I think in this parable we can make that connection as well.
So the the King's the first First character introduced the second is the Sun. What do you think the Sun tells us about This story. What do you think the Sun's role is in the story? Can anybody venture a guess there?
I Think Pam hit on it earlier. That's important. Can the Sun can we assign him to anyone? Is that anyone in particular and that's what most people would say and that's what I probably thought and the more I got into it Is the Sun mentioned again in this in this parable after this verse 2 do we see the Sun again?
Right. So I think the Sun is pretty Inconsequential character other than the father's throwing a banquet for him. And so what should that tell us about this particular banquet? What we have the king and he's throwing a banquet for his son.
Is there anything bigger than that. Is there anything larger than this is a royal wedding feast? The king is throwing a banquet for his son. And so I think the purpose of the Sun in the parable is just to point out that this is a huge deal this is the feast of all feasts, this is a Huge event a huge event and I think that's the Sun's role in this we don't hear from him again.
We don't the Sun doesn't have any we don't know the bride is we don't know, you know where the party is. We don't know anything about the Sun and his dealings or anything so I think we could be tempted to say that this is Jesus, but You know, I think that would be taking it further than Jesus meant it to go.
So I think we really want to avoid maybe assigning flesh and blood to the Sun and just say that this is Pointing to something that the king has given us a banquet and it's not just Hey For some victory or something.
This is for his son. It's a huge deal. So I think that's the role of the Sun here and It's a wedding feast. You know and as we as we said, this is a to teach us something Jesus right at the start so this teaches something about the kingdom of heaven and also the nature of pride of this King and the vehicle for doing that is the story of the wedding feast and Like I said, this is a monumental event.
In the Near East weddings were huge deals. Anyway, you know Went on for days on end lots of partying celebrating. Different ceremonies different parades and processions and all that sort of thing as I read about I was kind of intrigued.
I mean, this is the king is this would be everything times a hundred, you know, it would just be a huge deal. And so again, it's it's a it's a royal wedding feast. Anyone else who's given a wedding feast for their son they would give a feast and You know as much as they could afford they would do and it would just be a huge deal.
But this is the king. I mean his his resources are limitless. He he has no budget. It's just let's have a feast and let's do this up and let's celebrate my son and celebrate his wedding. And I think that's what we can take from this.
The second verse there and 22 is that it's a big deal. Verse 3 it says in his sir, and he sent his servants to call those who invited the wedding feast, but they would not come. So there seemed to be an invitation that sent out first, you know, probably some sort of written decree or whatever.
Hey, you're invited, you know, you're a big shot and then Kingdom. Hey come to the wedding feast this wouldn't be for anyone this would be for honored guests and There's probably an invitation that went out first and then then the king sent his servants and they went around and they You know a wedding feast you're going for a wedding.
It's gonna last days or even weeks. It's a big deal. You're gonna come probably from far away. It's not like you're going down to You know your local Church and VFW for the reception or whatever the case may be.
You're going to travel and you're gonna go there and you're gonna leave your estate and you're gonna leave Your farm and you're gonna leave your job for however long and you need to prepare you need to have your house in order and you need to be ready to go to the Go to the party.
So the second call is to say, okay, you were invited. You knew it was coming. Now he sent his servants to say it is ready. The feast is ready. And what's the response, you know, this is this is the king I mean who wouldn't be honored to be invited by the king.
So he sends out the invitation. He sends out his servants to collect people say hey, I'm ready come to the feast. They won't come. I Mean, what what's the story here? And what what do you think? The reaction would be what would be a reasonable reaction for the the sovereign ruler this, you know in those times In in this part of the the world.
I mean you're a king. You were just a despotic Ruler, I mean you ruled with an iron fist and what we think an appropriate response would be and what do you think? The people would expect the king's response to be be insulted.
Shocked, you know, what what's the deal here? These are I'm the king. They don't want to come to my party. This is my son's wedding. You take it as an affront. What another reaction? I mean, what what would be reasonable?
Not not be merciful at all and You know, like I said this when an invitation goes out from the king in this time in this place good Joni. Yeah, it seems that way doesn't it? Definitely. Definitely a point that could be pride.
Brought into the story, you know and especially as we get to the end I'll explain more the point of the parable and some symbolism here and She said it's a contempt for a king. That seems to be a good king and gracious and we're gonna see that he is very Exceedingly gracious.
So this is a colossal disrespect for the king and You know you would expect It's just unthinkable. It'd be unthinkable to them. It'd be shocking to Jesus's listeners to say what what are you talking about?
They didn't they didn't come to the feast that that's ridiculous and then You know, they wouldn't come and Jesus goes on you think that the next Verse verse 4. It says again. He sent other servants. Well, what are these servants gonna do?
They're probably the you know. The the army or whatever. Let's let's go and take revenge. Let's go and arrest these or whatever the case may be arrest. These people are so dishonored the king so dishonored his son.
But instead we see something that again would be shocking to his listeners. Sent the other servants saying tell those who are invited see I Prepared my dinner my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered and everything is ready.
Come to the wedding feast. So he sends out a second, you know group of servants to With his invitation instead of being angry instead of being vengeful. He sends out a second group and they invite them.
They don't invite them. They implore them. So how would we categorize this response? What would you say this King? I see and they're the very people that should understand the meaning of this invitation, you know, you know well again get more into the meeting of the parable at the end, but You know Jesus the God sent his prophets.
He sent his lie sent his prophets. He continually Warned and was gracious to his people and said come back repent, you know, and what was the reaction? You know, we see constantly Jesus making reference to you killed the servants and he it's gonna be here as well.
You killed my servants. You killed what I sent and the people that should most recognize. You know God's servants God's work God's commands are completely oblivious to Go ahead. Yeah, so this is a good King and they you know, they might even think this is a weak King.
I mean, what's the matter with this King? He's not gonna go and just crush these people. They did they disrespected him. No, he sends more servants. He calls him and You know, not only is he calling them not only inviting him again, he's saying see, you know, behold as Brian read behold I've prepared everything.
Everything the dinner the calves have been slaughtered the oxen. Everything's ready. The musicians are here the wine. Everything is ready to go. We're gonna party it up. Come he's imploring them please come to the feast and You know, I don't I don't know what else you need to hear.
I mean, this is the King he's he's essentially Begging you come let's go. Let's do this. Let's see imploring them to come Just showing how his riches and what he's ready to Give and how do the people respond?
You know, they should be willing to let go of the mundane day-to-day we're going to a wedding feast. We're gonna have a good time. It's gonna be days on end of just partying and in fun and you know, just seeing other people it's gonna be great, you know celebrating the king and his son and And the king wants me there the king wants me there, you know, they yeah, they don't respond quite that way verse 5, but they paid no attention and Went off one to his farm another to his business.
Verse 6 while the rest seized his servants treated them shamefully and killed them. So we see that Whole theme again of the servants being treated badly and being even killed. So How would you categorize the first response in verse 5 what would we call that hard-hearted, okay.
Right, no recognition of the Kings authority who he is how great and powerful he is and what he can do to them. How else we categorize this first response Bruce? Yeah, no appreciation. Country stops, you know, and this would be the same deal.
I mean Disinterest and that's what I was going to indifference just not caring and and that's Probably most apropos to their response and many people's responses here now, you know, what it will too busy too much stuff going on.
These people they just ignored the Kings requests. They they deemed their daily Mundane, you know taking care of the firm taking care of the ranch there. Whatever the case may be whatever their business was.
That was more important than a royal Wedding invitation no fear of the king no regard for his authority. No regard for his son. One commentator that already said none of the guests seems to have compelling conflicts in their schedule which requires immediate attention.
None of the invites invitees face a crisis. In fact, they don't even bother to make excuses. There's a parallel some people think of the parallel but not not really in Luke where there's another Feast given another party given and at least the people had excuses.
At least they said no. No. No, I have to take care of the you know, my business my father whatever. Don't have excuses. They just blew him off. They blew off the king. You know, I just imagine Bruce Mm-hmm, right and so the first, you know response indifference.
Which was seen in the past as well with with God's prophets, but the second response is just what active. Exactly. It's an act of rebellion act of hostility against the king hatred. It's just it's just shocking, you know and it should be shocking to us but it was probably more shocking than them people who lived under these types of rulers and Lived under these types of governments and who are more familiar with this.
It would just be absurd and I think Jesus is uses this device a lot he's used in these previous two parables of The two sons and of the tenants, you know things that happen. They're just like what? You know, he's gonna send his son now, you know but it was to draw an attention to a point and and really by taking things to the absurd showing the absurdity of His hearers actions and again, they were a little slow on the uptake and you know, we even read the verse but in 21 45 when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables they perceived that he was talking speaking about them.
They had a notion that maybe these talking about us. Maybe he might be referring to us, but So in this is the second response to the King's second invitation. It's just active hostility again John MacArthur he wrote You know, but another group of guests were worse than indifferent rather than being concerned about offending the king.
They were themselves offended at his persistence in an act of unbelievably brutal arrogance. I love that That term that he's brutal arrogance. They seized the king's slaves and mistreated them and killed them.
Contempt for the king's slaves demonstrated contempt for the king himself and in mistreating and killing his slaves. They committed a flagrant act of rebellion. They just demonstrated outright hatred for the king.
It was just a rebellion against him. So that's the first part we have a rejected invitation the second part we have the rejecters are Punished in verse 7 the king was angry and he sent his troops and destroyed these murderers and burned their city.
But remember this is after probably a written invitation, you know, I'm gonna have a wedding for my son the first Call goes out and remember the foods ready this just keep in mind the foods ready to go.
He's ready to have people at his banquet and he's gonna have a full banquet hall no matter what. But this is after the first invitation the first call of his servants the second call with his servants who were then mistreated and killed all right, finally the king's patience has run out and That should teach us something about the king and that should teach us something about The king, you know God himself, you know that there's a limit to his patience.
There's a limit to what he's gonna take and many probably would have thought that this would have been the initial Response of the king was to go in to crush these people and say what are you talking about?
You're this is an affront to me. You're not gonna come to my party. This is party for my son. This is his wedding you know, you should be honored and Here we see his patience up and you know, I'm sure Some people in the crowd right?
Yeah. Oh time King, you know way to go. So that's his response sends these troops destroys these murderers burn their city and Kings patience run out and verse 8 then he said to his servants the wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.
Wedding fees have been ready. Like I said since verse 3, you know, he sent out the invitation. He sent out the servants to call the people in send them out again. Everything's ready. Nobody wants to come and those people were deemed not worthy.
Why were they deemed not worthy what it's pretty obvious right disrespected the king. Was it because they mistreated and murdered the king's servants necessarily though was it because they let me put it this way when The king initially sent out the invitation.
Did he give any regard for? Who these people were, you know, they were obviously important people they were probably nobility or whatever invited to the king's wedding, but He wasn't taking into account whether they were good people good folk or bad folk.
Whether would even like coming. I mean Sure, there's some people that would go and say, you know I'm gonna go just because the king but I could care less and I couldn't care less whether whether I'm there or not so essentially Each invitation was an act of graciousness by the king, you know, he sent it out Despite who you know anything that these people had done good or bad, you know, he sent it out again even when they rejected it and then his patience ran out and so each one was an act of grace and Those were deemed those are invited were deemed unworthy simply because they refused the king's gracious offer.
However that refusal came. That was the reason for their unworthiness, you know, it was that they refused the offer. You know, it wasn't because they had done anything good or bad before he sent out the first invitation.
Despite who they were and he sent out the second despite over there and he sent out the second call. There were the servants despite being spurned, you know, and so everything everything was an act of grace I would say.
So in verse 9 we have Probably the third section of this parable the first again would be the off the invite goes out. The second would be the invite is rejected. The third would be the new guests are invited.
And so the king being gracious as he is he's determined to have his banquet hall full and so he says in verse 9 go Therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. As many as you find anyone who's willing to answer the call rich poor noble.
What's the proper word ignoble? Whatever walk of life farmers, whatever the case may be go out go out and and verse 10 says and those servants went on to The roads and gathered all they when they found both bad and good.
So the wedding hall was filled with guests he sent out into the roads into the highways to find all these different types of people to call them in and These people were probably jumping at the chance.
Here's the son's wedding. You know just for the nobility just for the people the important people and now you're calling me. I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go. Where's the you know, where's the food, you know, let's go and so.
This ain't this invitation same thing act of grace both good and bad. Both good and bad whoever you find wherever they're from whatever they do. Whatever their status is in society call them and let them come.
And they came and the banquet hall was full the king got what he wanted finally. He said I want to banker for my son and we're gonna deck this place out. We're gonna have a good time and they came and that's what happened the fourth part of the This passage we have the intruders expelled verse 11.
But when the king came in to look to the guests he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him friend. How did you get in here without a wedding garment garment and he was speechless.
You know, I there's been some pretty important commentators pretty important people that said, you know. That Host didn't provide wedding garments for their guests and that sort of thing and so don't look into the symbolism and this and that but Some others have said that look what else we're gonna do with this, I mean.
They went on the highways and byways right and they called the people these people have wedding clothes to go to a royal banquet. Yeah, I mean do they they're coming to the rush down the foods ready foods been ready.
We've made that point. It's ready to go. He's not telling to go home and change. He's not telling them most people probably even have Clothes in their in their house to go to a wedding banquet for the king's son.
They couldn't afford You know clothes to go and buy and come to the king's. Come to the king's wedding there. So king son's wedding. So I'm sure the only explanation is that There was a tradition where they'd provide provide the clothes and give the clothes, you know.
Some sort of garment that would in spite of social status and whatever it would just be a great leveling type of thing. You know come in. Here's the garment. Here's the wedding garment that you need to to attend.
So they found this guy he has no wedding garment, he's speechless. I mean, he has really no reason to reject the king's offer. He's giving you clothes to go to the wedding, you know, so What's he gonna say verse?
13 then the king said to the attendants bind him hand and foot and cast him in the outer darkness so that Outer darkness in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen.
So again a shocking end to the story. This guy's found he has no wedding clothes. He has no reason not to have them the king probably provided them for everybody and There he is speechless, so he's bound he's cast out into the darkness and expelled from The wedding feast and Jesus sums it up by saying for many are called but few are chosen.
Well to kind of just sum up this whole parable. We know that God is the king in this situation. The wedding feast what we think that that represents. You know, it tells us on the kingdom salvation, you know God's Gracious gift of salvation and all the riches of the kingdom being open to whoever will take that that gift.
Whoever will come. Initially, I'm sure it was God's promises. God's promise blessing to Israel for their obedience. You know joys of salvation. I'm sure we can dump a whole lot into that God just opening the heavenly storehouses.
To dump on people that would just accept this gracious offer of of coming to the banquet to being saved. We've kind of touched on the initial calls and the imitations. I'm sure those represent, you know, God's continuous over history.
Sending his law sending his prophets. Seeking out his people calling them to repentance showing them what his kingdom what he demands to enter in his kingdom. And of course the reactions of the people.
Is burning that invitation. Just showing how they treated his servants, you know and his prophets. Just quickly there the other part in the middle where you know, the King judges the people he sends out.
He burns their cities and whatever some people make the equivalent that that's Jesus is probably referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. A lot of scholars think that's the case. MacArthur DA Carson, you know everybody so who am I.
I just didn't want to go anywhere. That's maybe not immediately. There in the text, you know, it may be a prophetic Prediction. I don't know that Jesus always used a parable to do those predictions. But I mean we are late in the game.
Matthew 24. He's going to Get into more apocalyptic language and in times language, so it could be it could be a part of this. The last invitation the second time the King sends out his servants. What can we equate that to you know, he's going out.
He's looking for anyone who will come. Who might these servants be? Okay, who would be the servants, you know, maybe? Apostles, you know, maybe John the Baptist, you know this this calling anyone who will come.
This is not just for the Nation of Israel. God open salvation. To whoever whoever will come and and accept his gracious offer and Finally the the wedding garments, you know. Like I made the point that these were the only logical end I can come to is that these were probably provided.
What do we think those represent? What is what is a wedding garment in this? Right, they probably represent a foreign righteousness a Christ righteousness or Righteousness that God provides, you know.
Surely is here's here is wouldn't have understood that completely but they would understand the fact that you need to Be provided something outside of yourself and that That's represented by a wedding garment.
They probably understand the symbolism as used in the Old Testament many times. I talked about a white gleaming garment. Right. He just mentioned that the one guy thought his clothing with clothing was adequate and you know, obviously.
This guy came out he came into the the feast but not everybody who is there and it's the final point Jesus makes in the parable. Not everybody there is is necessarily chosen for salvation. They didn't they thought they were good enough they thought they could go in with their own clothes and their own in this case their own righteousness, but That's not gonna happen the King.
He has tight reins on who gets in who gets the clothes and if you don't accept go ahead. Brian. Mm-hmm, right and Jesus had to make sure he You know throws that out to everybody he just didn't want to be.
Let's dump on the Pharisees. They're the only ones who are self-righteous, you know, I went on the highways and byes. We got to finish up but went on the highways and byways brought everybody in anyone who would come.
I just don't want it to look like I'm dumping on the Pharisees. There's people that are gonna come from anywhere and thinking they can go in on their own righteousness their own Good deeds or whatever the case may be and that's just not gonna happen.
God has his requirements and exactly. She's just saying it's an encouragement for evangelism this peril as well knowing that there's people in all walks of life wherever we go wherever we're sent there's people that will respond to the call and You know just to sum up.
I think You know Christ with with the way he draws our attention to certain parts, you know. Going on burning the the city and and casting binding the guy hand and foot and throwing him outside in the outer darkness.
We're drawn immediately those parts and we say wow, you know, we think God's judgment we think the kingdom being closed to. You know the the self-righteous and and whatever the case may be. But we have to remember that, you know at the same time we this King that dispenses harsh judgment and that is just He's still the same King that's gracious and kind and long-suffering.
He's still That King, you know, we see the initial rejection of the Kings invitation. The action of those people rejected and we focus on that we focus on what happened to them. But the invitation still went out and the invitation went out again and again and again.
We see the people being punished and they come to a to a swift end whether it's the rejecting of the invitation or the guy being thrown out of the wedding and. But there's still people at the feast he still had the wedding banquet full the the banquet hall was full and that's that's the Kings that's what he wants as well, and that's what God wants anybody who's willing to come and and Come to the feast and we also see the guy with the wedding at fault doesn't have the wedding.
I mean, he's being cast out of the party. We focus on that. We focus on what happened to him. It's such a vivid language but don't forget that There was other guests there. They accepted the Kings invitation and they they accepted the King's offer his gracious offer of a sparkling White garment and you know, don't just focus on the bad things that happen which first few times or the parable.
That's all I wanted to be drawn to Christ. He's such a vivid and harsh language. Dealing with those people but this parable if we just focus on that we just focus on the initial Thrust of Christ just trying to again throw into the Pharisees face the fact that they rejected him the fact they rejected John the Baptist.
Just confronting them with their unbelief. And we forget that, you know, the King still stands there. This is just a beautiful parable it's essentially the history of God's redemption and what he What he wants to do in saving sinners.
You know, the immediate application is one thing but the greater application is that he's prepared a wedding feast. It's elaborate. He's opened the riches of heaven to anybody who will come and accept his offer of salvation in Jesus Christ.
Christ died to secure people's salvation died to give them righteousness that wasn't of their own to clothe them in a garment and and The wedding feast is waiting great riches. I'm not talking temporal earthly riches, but great riches of salvation the great riches of God in Christ are all standing there the blessing of God and Who would reject that you know, and we need to call people To this wedding feast put out the call like like Pam said Put out the call to anyone who will come, you know.
And that should be a great encouragement to us that God has people out in the highways and out in the roads and out in the fringes of society and We go we should be encouraged to know that God is calling them to the wedding feast and his Banquet will be full and we should be encouraged to evangelize and we should be encouraged our own lives that you know God has opened those riches to us and You know, I think that's the greater application of the parable more so than just you know, let's address these Pharisees in their unbelief it's to address.
Just to show God's riches and in grace and greatness and in salvation. It's a beautiful picture of that I think this whole parable any other questions as we finish up. About the parable any question you might have something I didn't address.
Something I didn't address. Well. Probably a lot. Yeah, she said be careful with the invitation make the invitation specific. Don't don't let people think that they can come they can come in their own wedding garments make the.
Make the requirements clear and what God demands to come to the wedding feast to come Into salvation. Yeah, Becky said that. You know, they spurned the King's invitation now what what do they have? He burned everything they had he judged them so completely and so thoroughly was it worth it.
God's calling them to this great thing and they just went on with the mundane and they were judged for that and that's. It's a good point as well. Anything else? How chilling is that right? It's a He was just commenting on how the King comes to the guy without the wedding garments and how does he address him.
Friend, you know, it's kind of chilling, you know, and that right to the end, you know God and this King being gracious being merciful, but also realizing that there was justice to be served, you know, he's there and He's not ready.
He's not ready for the wedding. So. Anything else Steve any thing. And so I think everybody had really good points, you know Pam and Becky and it was a great points about you know. Our own evangelism be encouraged be specific in your evangelism and invite people to the feast you know invite them to come because the invitations gone forth.
God sent forth the invitation and we should Not limit that in any way, you know and call people to come call people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. So Hope that was informative. Let's pray and be ready for service.
God we thank you father that we can again dig into your word father, I pray that the point of the parable and in and what you wanted to tell us about your kingdom and. And what you want to tell us about about salvation went forth clearly father I just pray that you bless the word bless to our hearts father.
May you be glorified this morning in our singing our Giving the preaching how we listen to your to your word being preached father and may lives be changed today. We pray in Christ's name. Amen.