Sermon Notes
The Wedding Feast
THE PARABLES OF JESUS – Part 11
November 8, 2026
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.”
Matthew 22:1-14
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.
Matthew 21:45-46
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”
Genesis 12:2-3
God came to and through the ancient Jewish people first, they largely rejected him, the invitation to the party is now open to all.
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people…
24 Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts..
28 Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. 29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.
Romans 1:18; 24; 28-31
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
Galatians 6:7
Therefore they will eat the fruit of their way and be filled with the fruit of their devices.
Proverbs 1:31
Let us follow in God’s example and have a heart for ALL people.
Small Group Discussion Questions for the Week of November 8, 2026.
Opening
What are the elements of a great dinner party?
What’s the best dinner party you have ever attended or hosted?
Digging Deeper into the Scriptures
Read Matthew 22:1-14
1. In your own words, summarize the meaning of this parable.
Read Romans 1:18; 24; 28-31, Galatians 6:7, and Proverbs 1:31
(all of which are in the sermon notes above).
2. In our parable the king’s judgment can be seen as vengeful, spiteful, or even vindictive. According to these
passages what does God’s judgment most often look like?
Read Matthew 22:11-13
3. To attend this wedding feast, the guests were required to wear specific clothing. What is required to be a part
of God’s family? What are ways that people try to skirt this requirement?
Applying the Scriptures
1. God’s heart has always been for all people. Do you think the church at large often reflects this? Why or why
not?
2. Who is a person or group of people that you struggle to have a heart for? What are some ways that you can
combat this and follow in God’s example to have a heart for all people?