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The King's Invitation goes out to all, but not all respond in repentance, without which, we will be thrown out of His Presence…forever. Today we are reminded how gracious our God is, to offer us forgiveness and relationship with Him, forever!

Jesus is the CORNERSTONE - the foundation of our faith - the KING of the KINGdom. Jesus concluded His 2nd judgment parable clearly was speaking AGAINST the chief priests and pharisees. Now Jesus completes the trilogy of His judgement parables against these religious leaders and their followers. 

This is all about the kingdom of heaven/God, where a king (God the Father) prepares a wedding banquet for his son (Jesus). Many are invited to this prestigious party, a countrywide celebration that lasted for at least a week. The king had already sent an invitation out since they would have to rearrange schedules to be gone for several days. Now he sent his servants to those who had already been invited to give them the face-to-face invite, but those who had been invited have better options, so they refused to come. This would have been quite an insult to a king in that culture.

They have now dismissed the servants bringing the personal invitation, twice. Why? They have more pressing issues - like their own businesses. Jesus had likely told a similar story or even the same story on several occasions. In Luke 14:16-24 Jesus tells a similar story and gives some of the excuses the invited guests offered for not attending: buying a field, buying some oxen, & getting married. Once again, those received the 2nd servants’ message are dismissive, more concerned with honoring their own agenda than showing up to honor the King & His Son. 

In Matthew 23 we will specifically hear Jesus address how prophets from the past who had been sent to the people of Israel, with an invitation from the King, had been mistreated and even killed. In the future, the servants of Jesus would later be mistreated and killed in this very city - Jerusalem - as they spread the message of the Resurrected King.  

In response, the King was enraged and sent an army to destroy these murderers and burn their city. 

This would later occur in AD 70 God sends the Roman army to besiege the city for 5 1/2 months, kill all who tried to escape, enter & burn the city - including the Temple. (Much more detail on this in Matthew 24 a few weeks from now.)

Those who were invited but did not deserve to come are the religious leaders Jesus was talking to, and anyone who followed in their footsteps. 

• NOT ALL of the elite pushed away from Jesus. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were 2 who cleaned and buried the body of Jesus in Joseph’s new family tomb (Jn 19:38-42, Mt 27:57-61). 

Sadly, many people of Israel refused to respond to the wedding invitation to honor the Son, and because of this, others would be invited - including Gentiles. Paul writes about this in Romans 11. 

Who are “the bad” versus “the good” in this story? You might remember that Jesus had earlier said, “Only God is good.” (Mt 19:17)

• When Jesus tells the similar story, the King tells his servants to call the “poor, crippled, blind, and lame” (Lk 14:21).         In Jewish culture of the time, they would likely be those that many considered “the bad” - many believed those with physical disease or abnormality were that way because of sin they or their parents had committed (even the disciples of Jesus believed this - cf. Jn 9:1-3).
• Jesus had previously said tax collectors and prostitutes (the bad) were entering the kingdom ahead of those who thought they were good - the religious elite Jesus is condemning (Mt 21:31). 
• GENTILES (non-Jews) were considered unclean & unworthy (“the bad”). Yet THEY were invited too, as God (the Master) wants his house to be full (Lk 14:23)!
• The God of ALL NATIONS is calling Jews & Gentiles, the strong & weak, those who have obeyed God’s laws for years, as well as the most wicked sinners - to come to His banquet!

Matthew 22:11-12 (NIV) But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, “How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?” The man was speechless.

There is debate regarding what the wedding clothes represent, but there's no debate over the fact that the wedding garment illustrates someone whose condition has changed - someone who is now wears clothes they previously were not wearing.

One man who had slipped in without wedding clothes. He was likely invited too since seemingly everyone had been invited at this point. Yet this man chose not to put on the appropriate wedding clothes for this prestigious event, and this decision was costly. 

This man was thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. This echoes language Jesus used referring to HELL (Mt 8:22) 

WHO is WHO in this story & What do the wedding clothes represent?

• In light of what Jesus has previously said in this same conversation, “the bad” (Mt 22:10) tax collectors and prostitutes have not only been invited, but have chosen to participate in the marriage celebration - not just by showing up, but having put on the appropriate wedding clothes. These clothes represent those who honored the King & His Son by repenting of the sins and believing on Jesus (Mt 21:31-32).
• The religious leaders and their followers, however, fully expected to show up to the great eternal banquet because of their “goodness”, but have refused to honor the King & His Son by refusing to put on the wedding clothes. In other words - they have NOT repented of their sins & NOT believed on Jesus. 

In the final outcome, while many are invited, but few are chosen. “Chosen”, in the context of this parable…are those who have agreed to put on the wedding clothes.

In turn, the chosen have died to the old life of sin and been made alive in Christ (Rom 6:6-7, 2 Cor 5:17). Paul later uses this same language to demonstrate how all who have been invited and respond in repentance are clothed with Christ.

• Have you been baptized into Christ, clothed with Christ, dead to your sin and alive in Him? Have you chosen to respond to the King’s invitation in repentance OR are you showing up on your own terms?

1. Respond to the King’s Invitation. Turn from your sin & turn to Jesus. Ask your questions. Find your answers. Follow Jesus.
2. Become the SERVANT who carries the King’s invitation to others! Ask, look for, & take opportunities to share the Good News of Jesus with others! 

Take some time to discuss these questions with your family, friends, or group.

1. Today’s discussion depends entirely upon your group’s willingness to walk back through the notes and discuss what you learned, how you were challenged/encouraged, and questions you might have. Take the time to do that right now. 
2. What does God want YOU to do with what we studied today?
3. Who are you praying about who needs to turn from sin and follow Jesus? Take some time to pray together with your group - pray for opportunities to share.