THE MARRIAGE OF THE KING’S SON
Matthew 22 v. 1 - 14
1. The source of this marriage v. 2 "a certain King which made a marriage"
(a) God planned it
(b) God purposed it
(c) God prepared for it
(d) God provided it
2. The subjects of this marriage v. 2 "His Son" i.e. Christ and His bride - the church of the blood-washed. Revelation 19 v. 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"
3. The summons of this marriage v. 3 "sent forth his servants to call" it was :-
(a) A divine call "the king"
(b) A deliberate call "sent forth servants"
(c) A defined call "them that were bidden" i.e. Jews,as those who have heard the gospel
(d) A despised call v. 3 "they would not come"
C.H.Spurgeon says They manifested :-
(1) Disloyalty to the King (high treason)
(2) Disobedience to his command
(3) Dislike for his son
(4) Distaste for his banquet
(5) Disregard for his messengers
(e) A determined call v. 4 "again" - Note:-
(1) God’s patience "again"
(2) God’s prudence i.e. "other servants" - lest the first ones caused offence
(3) God’s provisions v. 4 "all things are now ready" - God hath provided the lamb
(4) God’s persistence v. 4 "come unto the marriage"
(f) A derided call v. 5 "they made light of it"
(1) Their response - they scoffed it
(2) Their resolve went their ways - ignored it - for farm and for merchandise
(3) The result - they rejected it, v. 6 "slew them" Note:-
(A) The cause of their derision v. 5 "made light of it" - the marriage - by their ignorance, their pride, their impurity and their carelessness
(B) The consequence of their derision "they went their ways"
(C) The callousness of their derision it v. 6 "entreated them spitefully and slew them"
(D) The cost of their derision v. 7 "but the king was wroth"
(1) The reason for his wrath - the treatment of God’s servants, of God’s Son, and of God’s salvation
(2) The response of his wrath "sent forth his armies"
(3) The rigour of his wrath "he destroyed those murderers"
(4) The reproof of his wrath v. 8 "they were not worthy"
4. The size of this marriage v. 9 "go ye therefore" - it was unlimited in its scope,in its character and in its provision
5. The search of this marriage v. 11"the king came in to see the guests"
(a) Here was inspection
it was :-
(1) Performed by the King "I am He that searcheth the heart"
(2) Personal v. 11 "a man" - none overlooked
(3) Particular - "the wedding garment" was sought specifically
(b) Here was detection v. 11 - only one yet he was found out
(c) Here was interrogation v. 12 " how camest thou in hither?"
and he was speechless, exposed, confounded, and silent
(d) Here was separation v. 13 - his liberty was removed he was "bound hand and foot", his life was removed " he was taken away", his light was removed, "he was cast into outer darkness"
(e) Here was retrospection v. 13 "weeping,and gnashing of teeth" now he sees the folly of trying to fool God.
