Sunday School Lesson

1. Matthew 22:1-14
Offered To All.
The Parable of the Wedding Feast.
April 9, 2017
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

2. What’s the number one thing?
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3. The Glory of God!
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4. 1 Corinthians 10:31
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do
it all to the glory of God.

5. April Memory Verse:
Matthew 22:37-38
37 And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart and with all your soul
and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and
first commandment."

6. References:
• The ESV Study Bible, (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishing,
2011).
• Unless otherwise stated, scriptures are quoted from the ESV.
• Page, Frank, Trouble with The Tulip, (Canton, GA:
Riverstone Publishing, 2006).
• Kendall, R. T., The Complete Guide to the Parables, (Grand
Rapids: Chosen Books, 2004).

8. Introduction to Matthew 22:
•Jesus is teaching in the Temple Court.
•The chief priests and elders approach Jesus and ask,
“By what authority are you doing these things, and
who gave you this authority?”
•Jesus answers by presenting 3 parables.

9. Jesus Presents 3 Parables to the Chief Priests.
1. The “parable of the 2 sons” illustrates leaders of
Israel as the 2nd son who claimed obedience, but did
not do the will of the Father. (Matthew 21:28-32)
2. The “parable of the wicked tenants” illustrates the
rejection of Christ by the Jewish leaders and
judgment on them. (Matthew 21:33-44)
3. The “parable of the wedding feast” - Today’s Lesson!
(Matthew 22:1-14)

10. Insight after 2nd parable:
Matthew 21:45-46
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his
parables, they perceived that he was speaking about
them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a
prophet.

11. Approach to study the Parable of the Wedding Feast:
•Read through the parable once to get the story.
•Read & discuss the interpretations of each section.
•Discuss epilogue verse. (Matthew 22:14)

12. Matthew 22:1-4 (Part 1 of Parable)
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his
servants to call those who were invited to the wedding
feast, but they would not come. 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."'

13. Matthew 22:5-8
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his
farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his
servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and
destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is
ready, but those invited were not worthy.

14. Matthew 22:9-10
9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the
wedding feast as many as you find.' 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.

15. Matthew 22:11-14 (Part 2 of Parable)
11 "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he
saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And
he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without
a wedding garment? ' And he was speechless. 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.' 14 For
many are called, but few are chosen."

16. “The kingdom of heaven is like …”
•… a grain of mustard seed, leaven, treasure hidden,
one pearl of great value, a net.
•Jesus used illustrations people could understand.
•The kingdom of heaven is the rule or presence of God
on earth (“thy kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer).
•In our time, His kingdom lives and rules in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit.

17. Interpreting the Parable of the Wedding Banquet:
•King = God.
•King’s Son = Jesus.
•King’s Servants = Prophets, disciples, followers.
•Invitees in the parable= Initially the Jews, and later the
Gentiles.
•Wedding Feast = Acceptance of Christ and the future
Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

18. The Wedding Customs in 1st Century A.D.:
1. Betrothal – Marriage contract signed and dowry
paid considered an “Engagement”.
2. Bridegroom parades to Brides home and marriage
ceremony performed at Bridegroom’s home.
3. Marriage Supper (Wedding Banquet) – Special
invitation celebration which could last for days.

19. Interpreting the Parable - Wedding Feast &
Marriage Supper of the Lamb:
Revelation 19:7, 9a
7 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;
9a And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those
who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
• The Bride is the Church (believers in Christ) and the invited
are the OT saints who have not been resurrected yet but
their spirits are in heaven.

20. The Parable and The Jewish Wedding:
•Phase 1 – Betrothal- Completed on earth when each
believer places faith in Christ as Savior with Christ’s
blood paid as dowry to God for us.
•Phase 2 – The Bridegroom comes for his Bride – the
rapture when Christ comes for all His believers.
•Phase 3 – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb takes
place in heaven after rapture while the tribulation is
occurring on earth.

21. Matthew 22:1-3 (Think about the Comparisons.)
1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2
"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his
servants to call those who were invited to the wedding
feast, but they would not come.
•God invited the Jews to a saving relationship with Him
by sending Jesus as their Messiah.

22. God’s Invitation to the Jews through Jesus:
Matthew 11:28-30
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I
will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn
from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you
will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and
my burden is light."

23. The Jews rejected their invitation.
Mark 15:13-15
13 And they cried out again, "Crucify him." 14 And Pilate
said to them, "Why, what evil has he done?" But they
shouted all the more, "Crucify him." 15 So Pilate,
wishing to satisfy the crowd, released for them
Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, he delivered him
to be crucified.

24. Matthew 22:4-5 (The King’s 2nd Invitation)
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."' 5 But
they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm,
another to his business,
•God offered a 2nd invitation to the Jews through the
apostles at Pentecost in Acts 2.

25. Acts 2:36-38 (The Jews reject a 2nd invitation)
36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus
whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this they
were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of
the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter
said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your
sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

26. Acts 2:41 (The Jews reject a 2nd invitation)
41 So those who received his word were baptized, and
there were added that day about three thousand souls.
•However, many continued to reject the Gospel.

27. Matthew 22:5-6 (Back to the Parable.)
5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his
farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his
servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
•When the 2nd invitation came, many Jews turned on
the very servants who did the inviting and violence
broke out (Acts 8).

28. Acts 8:1-3 (The stoning of Stephen and
persecution of Followers.)
1 And Saul approved of his (Stephen’s) execution. And
there arose on that day a great persecution against the
church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except
the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made
great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the
church, and entering house after house, he dragged off
men and women and committed them to prison.

29. Matthew 22:7 (Back to the Parable.)
7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and
destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
•This is a prophecy about the Roman destruction of
Jerusalem and the Temple by fire in 70 AD.

30. Jesus’ Prophecy about the Temple’s Destruction:
Matthew 24:1-2
1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his
disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the
temple. 2 But he answered them, "You see all these, do
you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here
one stone upon another that will not be thrown down."

31. The Destruction of the Temple in 70 AD:
•Titus the Roman General destroyed and burned the
Temple (Herod’s) and Jerusalem on August 10, 70 AD.
•The King of Babylon burned the 1st Temple
(Solomon’s) on the same day in 586 BC.
•The gold temple pieces were hidden in the Temple
and melted in the fire.
•The Romans pried the stones apart to get the melted
gold.

32. The Western “Wailing” Wall is all that remains.

33. Matthew 22:8-10 (Back to the Parable.)
8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is
ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go
therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding
feast as many as you find.' 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.

34. The unworthiness of those initially invited:
•This portion of the parable is a foreshadowing of the
Jews rejection of the gospel in Acts 13.
•Paul and Barnabas were in Pisidian Antioch where the
Jewish leaders strongly opposed them.
•The apostle’s words echo the king’s estimation that
those invited to the wedding “did not deserve to
come”.

35. Acts 13:44-46
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to
hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw
the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to
contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And
Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, "It was
necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.
Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy
of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles."

36. Acts 13:47-49
47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
"'I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the
earth.'"
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing
and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were
appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the
Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
• Many Gentiles accepted the gospel.

37. Acts 13:50-52
50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high
standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up
persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them
out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from
their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the
disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

38. Matthew 22:11-13 (Back to the Parable.)
11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he
saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And
he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without
a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 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.'

39. The Guest With No Wedding Garment:
•The king provided the proper garments for the
wedding feast.
•The guest chose not to wear the wedding garment
and thought he could fit in.
•In the parable, the garment represents the robe of the
righteousness of Christ we wear as believers in Christ.
•The lesson is the inadequacy of self-righteousness.

40. From the beginning, God has provided a
garment or “covering” for our sin.
Genesis 3:7, 21
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew
that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves
together and made themselves loincloths.
21 And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife
garments of skins and clothed them.

41. How God sees our self-righteousness:
Isaiah 64:6
6 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all
our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
•To insist on covering ourselves is to be clad in “filthy
rags”

42. Wearing proper garments “white robes” in heaven:
Revelation 7:9-10
9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that
no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes
and peoples and languages, standing before the throne
and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm
branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud
voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the
throne, and to the Lamb!"

43. How our robes became white:
Revelation 7:13-14
13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who
are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have
they come?" 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he
said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great
tribulation. They have washed their robes and made
them white in the blood of the Lamb.

44. Our righteousness comes only from Jesus.
Philippians 3:8b-9
8b For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count
them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be
found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that
comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in
Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith—
• When God looks at a believer, he sees the righteousness of
Christ.

46. The fate of the man wearing his own clothes at
the wedding feast:
Matthew 22:13
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.'
•Outer darkness – the deepest darkness and torment
for a “pretend” follower of Jesus.

47. Matthew 22:14 (The Epilogue.)
14 "For many are called, but few are chosen."
•Titus 2:11
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing
salvation for all people,
•Who are the called, and who are the chosen?

48. Who are the called, and who are the chosen?
•Called = Those who hear the gospel are invited
(called).
•Chosen = Those responding properly (accepting
Christ’s invitation) are said to have been chosen or
elected.

49. The Theology of Salvation (GRACE)
by Dr. Frank Page
•G – Given through Christ (election).
•R – Rejected through rebellion (resistible grace).
•A – Accepted through faith (freedom of will).
•C – Christ died for all (unconditional atonement).
•E – Everlasting life (security of believers or
perseverance of the saints).

50. G – Grace given through Christ (election).
•God’s election of believers is because of His grace and
directly based on His grace (His unmerited favor).
•Ephesians 1:4
4 even as he chose us in him (Christ) before the
foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
blameless before him.
•God’s grace is God’s means of election.

51. R – Grace may be rejected through rebellion.
•Those who do perish by the rejection of Christ’s
atoning death do so because they resisted, not
because of God’s rejection of their election.

52. A – Grace can be accepted through faith.
•Just as human beings have the freedom to reject
God’s call through rebellion, they also have the
glorious opportunity to accept it through faith.
•2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some
count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing
that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance.

53. C – Grace means that Christ died for all.
•The scriptures do not teach universal salvation but
they do teach the unlimited atonement of Christ.
•God desires for all people to be saved.
•Matthew 18:14
14 So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish.

54. E – Grace insures everlasting life.
•John 10:27-30
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will
never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my
hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is
greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out
of the Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one."

55. Summary of Wedding Feast Parable:
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and
the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me."

56. Easter Sunday
Matthew 28:1-15
Where Is Jesus?
April 16, 2017
First Baptist Church
Jackson, Mississippi
USA

57. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
John 3:16
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that
whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal
life.”
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.”

58. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 3:23
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 6:23a
23a For the wages of sin is death,
• Death in this life (the first death) is 100%.
• Even Jesus, the only one who doesn’t deserve death, died in this life
to pay the penalty for our sins.
• The death referred to in Romans 6:23a is the second death
explained in Revelation 21:8.

59. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Revelation 21:8
8 “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for
murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars,
their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur,
which is the second death.”
Romans 5:8
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners,
Christ died for us.

60. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 6:23b
23b but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Revelation 21:7
7 “The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his
God and he will be my son.”
• Romans 10:9-10 explains to us how to be conquers.

61. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
Romans 10:9-10
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is
justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
Romans 10:13
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be
saved.”

62. The Plan of Hope & Salvation
If you have questions or would like to know more, Please,
contact First Baptist Church Jackson at 601-949-1900 or
http://firstbaptistjackson.org/contact/