The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Matthew 22:1-14

Key Verses 22:1-2

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.’”

Read verses 1-2.  According to this parable, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding banquet.  How?  Who is the King?  The Son?  Who do these first guests invited represent?

Read verses 3-7.  What was the first response of the invited guests to the king's invitation?  What do the king's next actions teach about God? (4)  What does the second response of the invited guests tell us about sinful man? (5)  In verse 6 the ‘rest’ of the invited guests even killed the servants sent to them.  Why do you think they did this?  What did the king do? (7)

Read verses 8-10.  How did the king fill the wedding hall?  Who do these guests represent?  Even though the invited guests refused to come, the king did not cancel the celebration.  Instead what did he do?  Discuss how the king’s actions are an illustration of God’s invitation to Gentiles and all people on earth. (Mat. 21:31b-32)  What can we learn from this parable about the work of servants?

Read verses 11-13.  In verse 9, the king said, “Invite anyone you find” and yet, when the king finds someone whom his servants invited without wedding clothes he throws him out.  Why?  

What are the wedding clothes?  How can we prepare wedding clothes for the heavenly banquet? (Rom. 13:14; I Cor. 15:53-54)  What does it mean to make a commitment to Jesus? (Col. 2:6-7)  What does verse 14 mean?