The Groom
Matthew 22: 1, “And Jesus aanswered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, 2 bThe kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a cmarriage for his son,” [1]
I. Man
A. Father
B. Found
II. Made
A. Formed
B. For
III. Marriage
A. Family
B. Forever
Introduction: Last Sunday evening we heard from a man named Matthew. He spoke of things that only a Jew might understand. It was refreshing to hear how blessing has come from adversity. So, what is it to say that something has been refreshed? What is the difference between refreshment and revival?
Revival is when something that is dead is brought back to life. We pray for revival each year when we have services which we call revival services. If we believe that we are not dead, why do we pray for revival. To admit that you need revival is to say that you admit that you are dead. How are we dead?
There is a physical death that some have realized to have come back from. There is an emotional death that we recover from when we feel appointments have been taken away from us. We feel disappointed. To finally understand the thing taken is not as wonderful as the thing that has replaced that so-called lost thing; that revives our emotions. Spiritual death is what we pray to be revived from prior to our period of revival each year. Spiritual death occurs when The Holy Spirit has been quenched so that He can no longer get through as He must for us to remain a vibrant church. When that happens, the church is spiritually dead. So, we pray for spiritual revival.
Matthew made a comment last Sunday evening pertaining to marriage. If we were to pray for God to lead us to the proper mate whom He decided for us to share our life with, marriage would bring forth lasting relationships and blessings. Matthew had no idea that the message this week would be what was already decided. After the service, Karen received the outline for this message today entitled, “The Groom.”
The Holy Spirit is alive in this place, and He will remain so here as long as we enjoy the sanctuary of protection from those who would rather that the Holy Spirit would be quenched here and remain quenched. We come here to worship and experience God. As long as we do, He will continue to show up.
This is a hypothetical question so just think about your answer for a minute. Did your parents choose your mate? Were they happy with the mate that you chose? Did you care what they thought about who you might marry? Finally, did you care what God thought about the one you married?
Some folks got married outside of church without their parents’ knowledge. The parents learned after the deed had been done. How do you suppose the parents felt when they learned after it was over? For that matter, how did it feel when your child did that? Some of us have children who married without our knowledge. Does it matter to you that you were never part of their decision?
Rachael and I were married in Apex Baptist Church with her parents and family there. It was not a surprise. My mom and part of my family were there that day. My dad was partially paralyzed from a stroke. He was in the clinic in Pittsboro suffering with what we now know as Congestive heart failure at the time.
Daddy was not a happy guy. He and I had made a deal and he thought I was going to break my end of it. I was the last child at home, and he was incapacitated. I promised to take care of my momma and his wife. He loved us both, but he loved her more. How could I give her the care she needed if I took a young wife. Guess what happened, Rachael took care of momma. Daddy figured it out before he died. He loved Rachael too. I feel him with every heartbeat.
Scripture: The scripture for this message is Matthew 22:1-2. Please Stand Under the reading of God’s word.
Prayer: Please be seated and keep your Bible open to the text.
Message: There are those who look through the Bible to find contradictions. What did Jesus say elsewhere about marriage in heaven? In Matthew 22:23-28, The Sadducees were trying to trip Jesus up by asking Him about marriage for the resurrected ones. The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection. They believed that dead is dead. To paraphrase their question, whose wife will she be who was married to several brothers in this life? “29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, inot knowing the scriptures, nor jthe power of God. 30 For in the resurrection kthey neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are las the angels of God in heaven.” [2]
Please note that Jesus didn’t say that we would be angels in heaven. He said we are as angels in heaven. Neither male of female. He took one man Adam and made two parts when he made Adam a helpmeet named Eve. He did that so that we would not be alone here. We will never be alone again in heaven, and we will be complete.
So, a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. This is a parable. Who is the groom in this parable? Who is the Father of the Groom? There certainly is marriage in heaven. It is when Jesus takes His bride. We, the church, are the bride of the Lamb.
The things spoken of by Jesus seem foreign as with many things we read in the Bible. We have been programmed to believe that arranged marriage is wrong. There have been examples of men using their daughters for the benefit of the parents instead of the happiness of the offspring. That is wrong.
A father who loves his child and wants the very best for his children is not wrong. We pray for our daughters to find that mate whom God has for them in this life. That goes for sons too. Keep praying.
This man in this parable happened to be a king. He was an overseer of a place. That father knew that the right bride was found for his son, so he made the marriage feast. Did he pick the bride for his son? I don’t know. I know this, God Our Heavenly Father did pick the bride for His Son Jesus.
When Rachael and I got married we had a rehearsal dinner after the getting ready stuff at church prior to the actual wedding. Momma set that up at Apex church in the fellowship hall. Rachael’s parents had a reception after the wedding at their home. All that stuff was formed for us by others. I had other things on my mind.
My parents met Rachael’s parents long before we decided to get married. What parent of an adult child wants a marriage for their kid that won’t result in a happy family that will last forever?
I was holding Sammy, our great-grandson. We were in the loving room of our home. There are pictures of my father’s dad there and another picture of my mom’s dad holding me down to get the family picture made. There is another picture of Rachael’s dad’s father. We don’t have a picture of Rachael’s mom’s father. There are four great great great grandfathers in the lineage of Sammy on our daughter Kim’s side. When you bring our granddaughter Natalies’ father into the lineage, there are four more great great great grandfathers. Have you ever stopped to think how many people it took for you to be here today?
Family is forever! How can we take it so flippantly and believe that we won’t hear about it one day? This parable is about a big deal! People back then must have been like people today. Follow again starting at the end of verse two, “which made a cmarriage for his son, 3 And sent forth his servants dto call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. 4 Again, he sent forth eother servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my fdinner: gmy oxen and my hfatlings 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 ispitefully, and slew them.” [3]
The man called those he intended to attend but they made fun of it. Why? Why don’t people come here? Why? Why do people want to see this place gone? It must be important to someone or else this place would have been gone long ago. Do you think that God doesn’t care?
“7 But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth khis 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 lworthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.” [4]
Most of us would not be here if those originally intended hadn’t rejected God’s invitation. Think about that. Last Sunday evening there was one intended guest. After all that he has been through, Matthew is Jewish. Matthew is in attendance now. He will be at the marriage for Jesus and His bride and so will we.
So, what is our role now? “10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, mboth bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” [5]
That is our job. We are to go out and bring in. Are we to weed out those whom we judge to be inconsequential and inadequate to attend? We are not to judge because there is only one who must.
“11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man nwhich had not on oa wedding garment: 12 And he saith unto him, pFriend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he qwas speechless. 13 Then said the king to the rservants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and scast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 14 tFor many are called, but few are chosen.” [6]
Prayer:
Invitation: Are you wearing the face of Jesus? Does God recognize you by what He sees, or have you determined to attend only so that you can witness and tell others what others are doing. Are you a part of this or not? That is your decision. Are you able, said the Master, to be crucified with me?
If you are here simply because you feel in your heart of hearts that you deserve to be saved because of who you are, you’re here for the wrong reason. What nametag are you wearing? I pray that it reads Christian. That is up to you.
a ch. 11:25. & 17:4. See Judg. 18:14.
b To ver. 14, compare Luke 14:16–24.
c Rev. 19:7, 9. So Tobit 8:19 (Gk.). ch. 25:10. Luke 12:36 (Gk.). & 14:8 (Gk.). John 2:2. See Gen. 29:22.
[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., Mt 22:1–2). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
i John 20:9.
j 1 Cor. 6:14.
k ch. 24:38. Luke 17:27.
l Comp. 1 Cor. 15:42, 44, 49, 52. 1 John 3:2.
[2] Ibid., Mt 22:29–30). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
c Rev. 19:7, 9. So Tobit 8:19 (Gk.). ch. 25:10. Luke 12:36 (Gk.). & 14:8 (Gk.). John 2:2. See Gen. 29:22.
d So Esther 6:14. Prov. 9:3, 5. Zeph. 1:7.
e ch. 21:36.
f Luke 11:38. & 14:12. So Luke 11:37. John 21:12, 15.
g So Prov. 9:2.
h So Luke 15:23, 27, 30.
i So ch. 21:35.
[3] Ibid., Mt 22:2–6). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
k Luke 23:11 (Gk.). Comp. Dan. 9:26. Luke 19:27.
l ch. 10:11, 13. Acts 13:46. Rev. 3:4.
[4] Ibid., Mt 22:7–9). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
m ch. 13:38, 47. & 25:2.
[5] Ibid., Mt 22:10). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
n Zeph. 1:8. Comp. Isai. 61:10. & 64:6. Rev. 3:4. & 16:15. & 19:8.
o Comp. 2 Kin. 10:22.
p See ch. 20:13.
q ver. 34. Mark 1:25. & 4:39 Luke 4:35. 1 Pet. 2:15 in the Gk.
r See ch. 20:26. Gk. not as ver. 3, 4, 6, 8, 10. Comp. ch. 13:41, 49.
s See ch. 8:12.
t See ch. 20:16.
[6] Ibid., Mt 22:11–14). (2009). Logos Research Systems, Inc.
