Fallen Condition Focus
We must enter into God’s Kingdom under the righteousness of Christ.
Introduction
Have you ever been invited to something so important there was no chance you
would say no to the invitation. I was thinking about this, this week.
If you recall now in Matthew we have reached Wednesday of what we call holy
week. Just a couple of days prior you may recall that Jesus had gone into the
temple and out of disgust for what he saw cleansed the temple.
Here Israel was situated on this land bridge that was centrally located between 3
comments. As travelers would come through, God’s design was that through
Israel, they would be pointed to the Lord. His Temple would welcome them into
knowing Him and worshiping.
But nothing could be further from the truth. They had perverted what had been
entrusted to them. To those they should have been ministering to, they were
exploiting for their own financial gain.
So it’s no wonder why Jesus removed them with such emotion. And I suspect they
were boiling about this all day on Tuesday. And in Chapter 21 we find them,
having licked their wounds, back at Jesus again with more questions designed to
trap him. By what authority do you do these things? Where is your degree? What
seminary gives you the right to be a teacher. And it is really this question, that
launches Jesus into a series of 3 Judgement based parables. Two of which we have
already covered, and the final one that I want to cover today, that we will call, the
parable of the wedding feast.
Trilogy of Judgement Parables
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o Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-31)
o Landowner and the vinyard (21:33-46)
o The wedding feast (22:1-14) Read Text
22:1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
It’s very appropriate based on what we discussed earlier that Jesus would answer
their questions with a parable. A parable is a simple story, like an allegory, that
uses everyday experience to teach a deeper heavenly meaning. But more than that
these parables had a specific purpose to conceal the truth from the hard hearted
Pharisees and reveal truth to the humble would be disciples who would hear them
with open hearts.
[Mar 4:10-12 ESV] 10 And when he was alone, those around him with the
twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, "To you has
been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside
everything is in parables, 12 so that "'they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be
forgiven.'"
So these parables are blessing are both a treasure to some and at the same time a
judgement for others. So Jesus continues to teach in parables.
22:2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who
gave a wedding feast for his son,
Jesus is very clear about what this parable is about. We don’t have to wonder. We
are talking about the Kingdom of Heaven. Understand this is not some future
state Kingdom that we might find in the book of Revelations, although it does
include that, but Jesus has the present time in mind as he talks about the Kingdom
of Heaven. He is speaking of the area of God’s rule, God’s people who are part of
his Kingdom even here on earth. As we are saved even today we are brought into
God’s Kingdom. So Jesus begins to tell a story about what it is like to be a
member of God’s Kingdom.
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And he chooses to describe this as a wedding feast. Not just a wedding feast but a
royal wedding feast. One thing I noticed when I moved to Charleston was that
weddings are a big deal here. I can’t tell you how many times I have been on an
airplane flying back home to Charleston and the plane is filled with a wedding
party coming to Charleston to get married. But it was even bigger in ancient
Jerusalem. In fact in was not uncommon for a wedding to last a week. It was an
extremely joyful time full of happiness and feast after feast. And the best part was
as a guest you didn’t have to pay.
Now in the parable we don’t just have a wedding, we have a royal wedding. And
I don’t have to tell you, that if a typical wedding was a week you can imagine the
celebration that this King would be having to honor his Son the crown Prince.
Jesus wants those listening to him to be thinking of the biggest most festive event
that they can possibly imagine multiply it by 10 and then you start to understand
what is going on here. That is the picture.
Now we get to invitation #1.
22:3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the
wedding feast, but they would not come.
Notice something interesting here, I missed it when I first read it but it is very
important. The King sends his servants to call whom? Those who were already
invited. This is very telling. This is not a cold call invitation, in fact, the King has
already provided details of the wedding. He has already sent out the guest list and
notified everyone. All the servants do is go out a remind them the time has come
to attend this most festive occasion. It’s time for the celebration to begin.
Let’s stop here and define who the character’s in the parable represent. Obviously
the King is God the Father. And the Son, is none other than Jesus Christ. But who
are the guests? Who are the ones who have already been notified of the coming of
the Messiah, and in this present day are being invited to come to him. These guests
are the nation of Israel. God’s chosen people in the Old Testament were notified to
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be on alert because the Son would be coming. He is talking about the Pharisees
and Scribes standing in his midst as he tells this parable. The have been invited by
Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah, all the old Testament prophets. This verse is an exact
summary of the entire Old Testament.
“They would not come”. At this point, I want you to audibly hear the crowd
around Jesus gasp as he says these words. What do you mean they would not
come! How is this possible? They have been invited to the Royal Wedding
festivities and they refuse the King! Can you imagine!
Invitation #2
22:4 Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See,
I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been
slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."'
What a gracious benevolent King! After the rejection and utter disrespect that the
guests have brought upon his Son, he is patient and extends grace. The King
reminds them that there is nothing you have to do. He says I have done all the
work. The preparations are made everything is finalized, all you have to do is
answer the invitation. He bidst them ones more to come.
I was reminded as I read this of Jesus’ Cry just 2 days later as he would be hangin
on the cross, “It is finished.” The work to complete salvation is was done at that
moment. He calls us to him not to add anything to what he has done, but to
simply bask in the work that has been done for us.
This King is patient. You know God is patient with us too. Many times, just like
these Jews, we have ignored God’s call to come to him. But God is patient, and
God is good. So extends another invitation to them.
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And among these second wave of servants that were sent to them was none other
than, John the Baptist, Jesus himself, All of the apostles have been sent to invite
them again to come to the wedding party.
Look how they respond to this second invitation:
22:5 & 6 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his
business,
while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed
them.
I can imagine that those hearers of this parable by now are ready to rip their robes
at the direction this story is headed. We see here two groups that respond quite
differently. Group 1 responds with indifference. They simply do not care about
the Kingdom, about the King, or about the honored Son.
We see this same response today right. Have you ever shared the gospel or shared
something spiritual with non-believers and they look at you like you have 3 eyes.
They don’t understand, they don’t care to understand, and perhaps they think
you’re a crazy person. Such was this first group.
The first group is wrapped up in the everyday things of the world, maybe it’s the
work they have at the farm, or tending to their business. They are more concerned
about the things of this world and really don’t care about anything beyond that.
The reality is that this represents much of the modern world and certainly much
of the US. Bringing honor and glory to the Son is laughable to them in
comparison to the everyday pursuits of their lives. This is the response of the
secular world.
The second group is different. We see a dramatic statement in verse 6 that they
are so enraged by the repeated invitation that they result to murdering the servants
of the king. These are the religious crowds who are so enraged by the invitation
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that they ultimately would murder the very ones who were sent to bring them the
news. John was beheaded, Jesus was nailed to a cross, and the apostles martyred.
22:7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those
murderers and burned their city.
The King was kind a gracious, but his invitation has a limit. His patience has a
limit. And now he has had enough. This is a warning to us as well. For a time,
God invites us to come to him, but if we continue to harden our hearts and reject
his invitation we too will see his wrath.
Also verse 7 we get a prophecy from the Lord himself. Notice it also say that the
“burned their city”. We know that their city is Jerusalem, so what is Jesus talking
about here?
In AD70 the city of Jerusalem would be utterly destroyed. The temple would be
destroyed. And the Jewish people would even lose their ability to maintain the
sacrificial sytem without a temple. In the destruction of this city more that 1.1 M
jews were killed and the entire city was left in ruin. As a result the Jewish people
were scattered.
Now we look at the third invitation.
22:8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those
invited were not worthy.
Notice that the Son will be honored. The King is not wriging his hands in concern
that nobody will be there to honor the son. In fact, all of the wedding is about the
son. Not the bride! We must be careful that we understand this about salvation.
Salvation is not centrally about you. While we do get the benefit of eternal life, of
getting to be with the God in heaven, the real focus of salvation is about bringing
honor and glory to the Son. That is what is at the root of salvation! The King will
fill the wedding hall with worthy people in order to exhault the name of the Son.
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22:9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as
many as you find.'
The King instructs them to go out where, unto the main roads. Not the backroads
full of locals, but to the main intersections where tourists, travelers, gentiles
would be passing thru.
We here the echoes here of the great commission. Go ye therefor into all nations.
We are ordered to do the same thing as we share the gospel to all those we
encounter. And we invite them to come to this wonderful wedding.
22:10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom
they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with
guests.
We notice that the servants do not discriminate when they make this third
invitation. Those who appear morally good or morally bad, they are all invited to
come to the wedding. I’m reminded of the parable of the soils where the sower
just went about slinging seed. He didn’t worry about where the seed landed he let
God sort all that out. Such is a picture of sharing the gospel. We shouldn’t think
oh man that guy looks like a bad dude, I’m not sharing the gospel with that
person.
22:11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man
who had no wedding garment.
It’s almost like Jesus could have stopped the story at verse 10, but he provides for
us a very interesting plot twist at the end.
Remember these guests were just going about their everyday tasks on the road,
and they got invited to this wedding. So clearly the King made some kind of
provision for them to be appropriately dressed for the occasion. To show up to the
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vent with dirty, worn, or inappropriate clothing would surely bring dishonor to
the event and to the Son.
It’s also clear from the verse that everybody in the wedding hall has on the
garments, except for this one person.
There has been much discussion from theologians about what these wedding
garments are meant to represent. But most people agree the idea here is that the
garments represent righteousness.
[Isa 61:10 ESV] 10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall exult in my
God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me
with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a
beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
This concept goes all the way back to the garden of Eden, when Adam and Eve
first sinned. If you remember they tried to cover themselves but were not able to
make for themselves a suitable covering. So if you recall God killed an animal
and covered their nakedness with the skin. It was the very first picture of the one
who would come someday, and by his bloodshed would provide for us a covering
of righteousness.
Notice the King is gracious in asking why the man doesn’t have on the covering.
He gives the man an opportunity to answer for himself.
22:12 And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a
wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
The man is speechless. He doesn’t have a reason. It must be that this man by his
own will determined that he would enter the wedding party and he would do so
under his own terms. This part of the parable is pointed directly at the church.
There are echos of when Jesus said, many in that day will say to me Lord, Lord…
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and I will say depart I never knew you. Jesus warns us that there is but one way
into the wedding celebration and that is to be covered by his righteousness.
To bring our own so-called righteousness to the party is tragic mistake. The best
we have to offer is not acceptable.
[Isa 64:6 ESV] 6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our
righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our
iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast
him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.'
There is a limit to God’s patience. The time will come when he will invite us no
more, when the time to accept the wedding garment is no longer an option.
To keep the man from resisting he is bound, he is immediately removed from the
presence of the King, and he is not allowed re-entry under any circumstances. It is
important that even those of us who find ourselves among the guests in the
wedding party that we take a look at our garments. Who’s garments are you
wearing? Are we trying to attend the wedding party on our own terms or on
God’s terms.
I love this last verse. Jesus tags it on there, and it is simply mind boggling.
22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen."
This entire parable has been about the choices of men. Choices about if they
would attend, if they would not attend. If they would dress appropriately or if
they would defy the King. Man’s will is central to the parable. And just as Jesus
has us fully understanding that, he drops in this verse. “Many are called, but few
are chosen.”
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Jesus reminds us that in all of these things God is still sovereign. It is one of the
great mysteries of Scripture. John 6:44, no one can come to me unless the Father
draws him in. God is sovereign, and if we find ourselves clothed in righteousness
in the midst of the Son, it only because his grace has been extended to open our
eyes, remove our hearts of stone, and give us a new spiritual birth. And he is
calling all today to come to Him. Let’s Pray.
Lord’s Supper:
Invite musicians and server’s to go ahead and come.
Explain, this is the response part of the service. The covering or wedding garment
that Jesus provided, was not free. His blood was spilled, his body was broken. So
today as we partake in the Lord’s supper we remember that.
You don’t have to be a member here to participate, but you do have to be a
believer in good standing with the Lord. Meaning you have no unconfessed sin or
broken fellowship with others in the congregation.
Perhaps you want to come up here and pray, or pray where you are, that’s all
okay. I’ll be standing right over here if you want to come pray with me.
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