January 30, 2011
Morning Service

Matt. 22

 

Review:

1. In chapter 21 the religious authority again questions Jesus concerning His authority. 
2. He gives them the parable of the two sons.  The first son refuses to work in the field, but then repents and goes to work, while the other says he will go, and doesn’t.  Jesus tells them that the latter of these sons are them.  They heard the voice of a prophet, and did not repent, and accept what he had to say.  The other son represented the tax collectors, and the harlots, and all those who repented at John’s preaching.  They shall inherit the kingdom.
3. Then the parable of the landowner.  This parable told how that God had sent them prophets to turn them back to God’s ways, but they refused to hear.  They did with them as they saw fit, even to torturing, and killing them.  God eventually sent His own Son, and they did not receive Him either, and they will eventually kill Him also.  Then Jesus ask, “what shall the landowner do to these vinedressers when He comes?”  Mat 21:41 KJVR  They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons.
4. Then Jesus ask them if they had ever read in the Scriptures concerning the rejected stone?  Because you have rejected this stone, God will take away from you the kingdom of God, and give it to a people bearing the fruits of it.
5. They understood that these parables were directed at them, and they wanted to take Him there, but feared the people.

 

Now we start out this morning with another parable directed at these religious leaders.  The Marriage Feast.

 

Mat 22:1-14 KJVR  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,  (2)  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son.  (3)  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

God has used throughout the O.T. the idea that Israel was His wife.  That He was married to her.

• Eze 16:8 KJVR  Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I swore unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine.
• Isa 54:5  For thy Maker is thine husband; the LORD of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
• Jer 3:14  Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:

• Jesus uses this idea in this parable, “God deals with man in his kingdom, or in regard to the dispensation of the gospel, as a certain king did,”  This parable refers, undoubtedly, to the rejection of the Jews and to the calling of the Gentiles. The gospel, with all its privileges, was offered to the Jewish people; but through their wickedness and pride they rejected it, and all its blessings were offered to the Gentiles and accepted. This is the general truth.
• The King is God the Father.  The Son is Jesus of Nazareth.  Those bidden, by the gospel, and would not come are Jews.

Jesus began His ministry with this in mind:

• Mat 10:5-6 KJVR  These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:  (6)  But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The Apostle Paul helps us to understand this idea;

• Act 13:46 KJVR  Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
• We are actually looking for this marriage supper to take place.   Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.

Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  Rev 19:9  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.

·       And just as Joseph took a gentile bride, Jesus takes a gentile bride.  The church is His bride.

 

·       John the Baptist calls Jesus’ disciples the bride of the Bride groom.  Joh 3:29 KJVR  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.  The He spoken of here ( the Bridegroom ) is Jesus of Nazareth, the bride, His disciples.

And again:

·       We see another allegory of the church being the Bride of Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, chapter 25.  Matt.

• Paul speaking;  2Co 11:2 KJVR  For I am jealous over you ( the church ) with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
• Chaste = Means to be pure, and untouched by the world, before marriage.
• Paul gives us this analogy;  Eph 5:23-27 KJVR  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.  (24)  Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  (25)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;  (26)  That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,  (27)  That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

(4)  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  (5)  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  (6)  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. 

• Again we see the idea of the Jews mistreating the prophets, and preachers sent to them from God.

(7)  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  (8)  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  (9)  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.  (10)  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. 

• This is when the kingdom was opened to all.

Then one very important lesson to be learned:

(11)  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:  (12)  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 

·          This was a custom for marriages;  It was, of course, expected that such garments would be worn when they came into the presence of the benefactor. The garments worn on festival occasions were chiefly long white robes, and it was the custom of the person who made the feast to prepare such robes to be worn by the guests. (Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. )  This is the dress of the saints at the wedding supper of the Lamb.  

This renders the conduct of this man more inexcusable. He came in his common and ordinary dress, as he was taken from the highway: and though he had not a garment of his own suitable for the occasion, ( righteousness ) yet one had been provided for him,( salvation through Jesus ) if he had applied for it. His not doing it was expressive of the highest disrespect for the king.

This beautifully represents the conduct of the hypocrite in the church. A garment of salvation might be his, performed by the hands of the Saviour, and dyed in his blood; but the hypocrite chooses the filthy rags of his own righteousness, and thus offers the highest contempt for that provided in the gospel. He is to blame, not for being invited - not for coming, if he would come, for he is freely invited but for offering the highest contempt to the King of Zion in presenting himself with all his filth and rags, and in refusing to be saved in the way provided in the gospel.

And that way is Acts 2:38;  Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the Name of Jesus Christ, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, which is eternal life, and His abiding presence.

(13)  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (14)  For many are called, but few are chosen.

FATHER, HELP US TO BE THAT CHASTE VIRGIN YOU WOULD WANT US TO BE, UNTOUCHED BY THE WORLD.