Matthew 22:1-14
Parable of the Wedding Banquet
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
John 14:6-7
The Only Way to God is Through His Son
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Acts 4:12
Salvation is Found in No One Else
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.
God invites and invited everyone to see and meet His Son in the Parable of the Wedding Banquet...And the King even provided the proper attire to wear at the banquet for His Son...God had sent His Prophets and wise men out to those who had been invited to the coming of meeting Jesus to tell them to come, but they refused to come...The King would invite all to come, but many have excuses...His Son came to that meet those who were His own, but His own did not receive Him....The nation of Israel for different reasons did not want to meet the new Son...So God sent our more prophets and finally sends out John the Baptist to be His Son's messenger to tell those who have been invited that the King has prepared a grand dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready....And the King wants everyone to come to the banquet to meet the Son and see what He is like...But many people paid no attention and just went off—one to his field, another to his business, others off to what they do on a daily basis...The rest of those invited seized His servants, mistreated them and killed them...One of them, John the Baptist was beheaded for little or no reason...The King was enraged...He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city...
The wedding invitation was extended to everyone, Jew and Gentile...Then God said to His servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come...So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’...So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests...“But when the King came in to see the guests, He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes that He had furnished...He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’...The man was speechless...The speechless man was a Pharisee...Wearing the proper attire was required by the King...Those who think they are self-righteous believe and do and wear what they want...“Then the King told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’...“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”...
At this banquet God has provided a way of salvation for us in His Son...There is no other way...God provides our salvation through His provisions and grace...We cannot alone make to to heaven or to Him or be saved without the Son...Let us accept His invitation...