A MARRIAGE FOR HIS SON
Matthew 22:1 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. 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. 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.
Salvation is not only a resurrection (see last week’s article), it is also a marriage! Isaiah 54:4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 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. 6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
Jeremiah 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:
Hosea 2:19 And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. 20 I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. 3:1 Then said the LORD unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.
And we should not fail to observe the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian church concerning the relationship of marriage between the man and the woman. For intermingled within this glorious instruction is revealed the cause of physical marriage between a man and a woman, which is the love of Christ for his Bride – the Church. For the man is instructed (as was Hosea) to love his wife in recognition of God!
Ephesians 5:25 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. 28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Many preachers have only used this passage in their series of sermons on “The Home!” Which is like eating the peeling and throwing the banana away! For they can’t seem to peer into this “great mystery” of the spiritual union of Christ and his Bride, (which some have termed, the “mystical union”), as shown by the physical marriage of man and woman! For the marriage of the man and woman is the lower degree of marriage set forth to show the highest degree of marriage – the union of the believer’s spirit to God! Genesis 2:24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 1 Corinthians 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Notice in verse 30 of that Ephesians passage, that it speaks of our being of Christ’s flesh and bones. We see this in the account of Adam, in the bringing forth of Eve. As long as Adam had been in existence, Eve had been within him! And as long as the eternal Son of God has been, his bride had been chosen within him! Ephesians1:4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world,
And as Eve was taken out of the side of Adam, so that which was to provide Christ’s bride’s spiritual life came forth from his side! John 19:34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. And as Adam became as one with Eve, so the church is made one with Christ! John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22 And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. Also be sure to notice that last verse in the Ephesian five passage, and realize that of all those things termed “mysteries” in the scriptures, this one is identified as a “great mystery.” Therefore as we read this parable, we must have our minds made aware of the gospel going forth as the Lord calls out his bride from among mankind.
There are three times in our passage that the words “sent forth” are mentioned. In verse three the Old Testament prophets are sent forth to call Israel to the spirituality of the law, which is actually a command to “love!” Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Romans 13:10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. For in Matthew 22:40 the Lord instructs that the command to love God and one’s neighbor is the basis for the entirety of the law! On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Then the second time our phrase sent forth is listed is in verse four. Here we see that it refers to other servants. Could this be but the New Testament apostles, teachers and pastors? For we have listed the content of their message in that same verse. They are to preach that the sacrifice to accomplish redemption is over. The oxen and fatlings are killed! Christ has already cried victoriously on the cross. “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The resounding voice is heard again from the Revelation to the Apostle John – “It is done!” Revelation 16:17 And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Dear Reader, all things are ready! God is not going to do anything more to accomplish redemption for anyone! Hebrews 9:26 For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. God’s ancient voice comes echoing down through the centuries asking you the question, What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? (Isaiah 5:4).
Now your part is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Hebrews 3:13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
The original invitations, with the wedding garments had been sent out! Luke 14:16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. But none would ‘interrupt’ their daily routines and interests. One went back to his farm, another to his merchandising, while the remnant – the only ones left are those involved in religion – began to destroy the messengers with their message. Remember, it was the religious boys – jealous hearted preachers – who put the Lord to death! Matt. 20:18 Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,
Failing to interrupt life’s daily routines in order to give attentiveness to God and show any concern for one’s soul is the most damaging mindset one can have! It is of eternally destructive consequence! For it is THAT which caused the worldwide judgment of Noah’s flood, destroying all flesh from the earth! And it was THAT which caused the raining of fire and brimstone down upon Sodom and Gomorra! And THAT is what our Lord said would be the case in the last day, upon his return, when the earth shall be destroyed with fire! Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
And what of the statement at the end of verse eight? – they which were bidden were not worthy. Their unworthiness is a matter of their disinterest! Acts 13:46 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. Nahum 1:15 Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off. Luke 21:36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.
The final two matters in this parable are first, the destruction of those Christ rejectors, as shown in verse seven of our text. And here is the last appearance of our phrase, sent forth. For here, the flaming fire of God’s love to them, due to their blatant rebellion to, not only their king’s authority, but also to his kind invitation to enjoy with him the marriage of his Son, turns to wrath! And God’s armies are all the armies upon the earth! So he sends Titus, the Roman general, in 70 A.D. to burn Jerusalem, leaving no temple stone sitting on the top of another!
Luke 19:41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
And the last matter is the turning of the servants to the homeless who were dwelling along the highways, and in the hedges. Israel, though they were the “natural branches” are broken off, and the Gentiles – the highway and hedge dwellers – are grafted in from a wild olive tree. (Romans 11:16-22).
But today we have come to the closing of God’s evangelistic day, even among the highways. For even we Gentiles are now disrespecting God, consumed with our daily routines and interests. We need have an effectual cry ringing out its warning to awaken even the wise virgins, fast asleep from the influence of the permeating image of the beast – “Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!”
The servants now go out, and like fishermen with a net, bring in both bad and good. Matthew 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: 48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. 49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Those without imputed righteousness shall be cast into the outer darkness that matches their inner darkness!
But those with imputed righteousness (see 2 Corin. 5:21), shall be welcomed into the joys of the Lord! Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 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. 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.
Pastor Gene Breed
December 17, 2014
