The Banquet

Jesus’ mission was to establish the Kingdom of Heaven (Matt) or God (Mk/Lk) .

Perhaps the difference in terminology can be attributed to Matt felling uncomfortable as a sincere Jew writing the Divine Name of God. Even today the Jews write G-d. G-ttesdienst in the Riehener Zeitung.

There is evidence that the mystery of the Kingdom of God is both present kingdom and future kingdom.

Jesus speaks a lot about the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of Heaven.

He likens it to

1. The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed (Matt 13:24)

The kingdom will grow as a result of the word of God taking seed in individuals hearts

2. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed (Matt 13:31)

The kingdom will grow from small beginnings to be very large. It is said that the mustard seed is the smallest seed in Israel at that time and it grew to a large bush.

3. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked through all the dough (Matt 13.31)

The kingdom will permeate all society and people will not notice it. Christians have effected society a lot, even though the influence is not recognised.

4. The kingdom of heaven is like hidden treasure in a field (Matt 13: 44)

It is so important that people will give up everything to get it.

5. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls (Matt 13: 45)

The kingdom is worth investing our lives in.

6. The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the sea (Matt 13:47)

There will be those in the church who are not of the kingdom. God will sort them out from the righteous, who through faith in Christ are made righteous.

7. The kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants (Matt 18:23)

Membership of the kingdom is based on heart change. By their fruits you shall know them . As James says, you show me your faith without works, I will show you my faith through my works. The works referred to show a changed heart (cf Eph 2:10)

8. The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard (Matt 20:1)

We will be surprised who makes it! It is not nationalistic

9. The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son (Matt 22:2)

We are warned not to ignore the summons to join the kingdom. We must listen to God. Nothing must take preference

I want to look at the Banquet of Luke 14 today and intersperse some comments in from the very similar parable that of the wedding banquet in Matt 22, because I think the banquet that is being referred could well have been a wedding feast. and a wedding feast has a lot in common with our membership of the Kingdom of God. (We enter in as the bride of Christ.)

Why are they slightly different? A preacher will tell his stories differently on different occasions, when he wants to emphasise different aspects.

Luke 14: 15-23; Parable of the Banquet

OT : Is.. 25:68

On this mountain, the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all people, a banquet of aged wine the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all the nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from the earth.

Fine picture:

1. Joy of heaven

2. Picture of Christ at Mount Calvary

access to the Father,

the right to become sons of God when we receive Him (John 1:12).

On the day of the Crucifixion, the veil in the Temple (Matt 27:51) was torn in two.

By rising again after three days, Christ "swallowed up death".

We do not need to fear death, that is to say that death is a finality.

In Christ it is the doorway to eternal fellowship with God the Father.

What can we therefore expect the Kingdom of God to be like.

Jesus has likened it in Matt 22 to a wedding banquet.

Why the difference in the two passages.

Simply that Jesus probably told the same story twice on his preaching tour and preachers will often tell story differently on different occasions.

1. The feast and its meaning

2. The invitations and

3. The excuses.

1. The feast

"What is a Parable."

picture language the Truth about God that Jesus wants to tell us in a tangible form that we can understand.