PARABLE OF THE WEDDING BANQUET
The Kingdom of Heaven is like a King who prepared a wedding Banquet for His Son. Matthew 22:1-14.
The King sends his servants to those that have been invited to come to the dinner prepared for the banquet.
Some of those invited ignore the invitation and go about their business.
Others that had been invited seize the servants, mistreat some and killed some.
The king’s response-He sends his army and destroys the murderers and burns their city.
The King then sends his servants to the streets to invite all who they find, “the bad and the good.”
Many are brought in and the wedding hall is filled with guests.
When the King comes in He sees one who was not wearing the furnished wedding attire.
The King’s question to him: “How did you come in without wedding clothes, friend”? The man is speechless.
The attendants are told to bind him and cast him out where there will be “weeping & gnashing of teeth.”
Jesus’s concluding statement: “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Interpretation of the parable.
The King is God the Father. The Son is Jesus Christ.
Those that had been invited were the Jewish people.
He came to His own but His own received Him not. John 1:10-11.
Many prophets and had been murdered. Matt. 23:27-38.
God’s judgement probably referred to destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. Luke 19:41-44.
God is patient but will not tolerate wickedness forever. Psalm 101:6-8.
Judgement comes upon those who reject God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ-the Jewish religious leaders.
The offer of salvation reaches out to gentiles. Acts 13:46-47.
Refusing to wear the wedding garment is an insult to the king that provided it. It represents self righteousness.
Below is the message audio
Below is the underlined link to the notes pdf