Matthew Chapter 22 {3rd - Rejection Parable to the Religious leaders - verses 1-15 - The Parable of the Wedding Banquet} 22:1~~Jesus spoke to them again in parables {parabole}, saying: 22:2~~"The kingdom of heaven is like a king {God the Father} who gave a marriage {salvation} for his son {Jesus Christ}. {Note: Parabole - Para means 'along side'. Bole means a simple narrative anyone could understand. So a parabole is a story that anyone can understand and you need doctrine to understand the side point.} 22:3~~"He sent his servants {prophets/patriarchs/priests of the Old Testament} to summon those {unsaved Israel} who had been invited to the marriage {to accept Christ as their savior}, but they kept on not desiring to come." 22:3~~"Again he sent other servants {John the Baptist, other disciples sent out, etc.}, saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle {reminder of the Levitical offerings} have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come {faith} to the wedding {salvation- faith in Christ}.' " 22:5~~"But they {unbelieving Israel} were indifferent and went different ways . . . one to his farm . . . another to his business." {Note: The 'farm' is the road of religion and legalism taken by the Judaism culture of the Pharisees. The 'business' is the road of rationalism and politics taken by the Hellenic culture of the Sadducees. Both wanted a kingdom on earth bypassing the cross with their group as rulers.} 22:6~~"The rest {Herodians - they did not depart} seized his servants, insolently mistreated them, and killed them." {Note: 'The rest' were the Herodians. These people wanted to keep Rome and backed Herod over all else (the Jews, Rome, etc.).} 22:7~~"And, the king {God the Father} was very angry! He sent his armies {3 legions of Roman Soldiers} who put those murderers to death and set their town on fire {prophecy referring to 70 AD}." {Note: This represents the destruction of Jerusalem and Israel as a nation by the Romans in 70 AD under the 5th cycle of discipline. Verse 7 brings us to the Jews going out under the 5th cycle of disciple. Verse 8 picks up in the Tribulation. Church age is skipped - Jesus is staying with Israel in the parable.} 22:8~~"Then he said to his servants {evangelists in the Tribulation}, 'The wedding is ready {at the 2nd Advent}, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy.' " {Note: The servants represent the 144,000 Jews of the tribulation who represent Jesus Christ.} {Evangelism in the Tribulation} 22:9~~"So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the marriage." 22:10~~"And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good {does not matter what kind of person you are - whosoever believes in Jesus is saved}, and the wedding hall was filled with guests." {Note: The guests at the wedding are all those who are alive at the 2nd Advent - in context, we are still discussing only Jews - these are the saved verses unsaved Jews here.} 22:11~~"And, when the king came in to see the wedding guests {2nd Advent of Christ}, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes {the unsaved Jew - the tare among the wheat}." 22:12~~"And he said to him, 'Friend {no relationship - not son or child}, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' {the wedding clothes represents the imputed righteousness of God that you receive at the point of salvation} But he had nothing to say." 22:13~~"Then the king said to his attendants, 'Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness {unbelievers thrown off the earth at the beginning of the millennium}, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!' " {Note: This refers to the baptism of fire is for all those who have no +R (imputed righteousness of God). The regenerates go into the millennium.} 22:14~~"For many {all Israel} are called {invited to the wedding - offer of salvation}, but few are chosen {few Jews respond and are saved}." {Jesus now comes under more attacks by the 3 political and religious parties of Jerusalem} 22:15~~Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap Him {Jesus} with His own words. {Note: The Pharisees are very smart and educated foes of Jesus. They now plan various ways to trap Him as they have trapped many 'false Messiahs' in the past!} {Verses 16-22 - Jesus Refutes Attack of the Herodians with support of some Pharisees} 22:16~~They {the Pharisees} sent their students to Him {Jesus}, along with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher {recognize His teaching credentials but not accepting Him as deity}, WE know {self-righteousness coming out} that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth {sucking up - flattery to soften Him up}. You are not a respecter of persons {idiom - means 'You do not court anyone's favor . . . because you do not show partiality'}." {Note: The Pharisees were made up from the scribes and represent religion. They believed the Old Testament Scriptures but were very self-righteous and mostly rejected Christ as savior. The Herodians represent the current government - stay with Rome. This is therefore an attack of Jesus under the union of state and religion. SideNote: A union of state and religion is very bad. It always destroys human freedom.} 22:17~~"Tell us, therefore, what is Your opinion? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar {Roman Empire} or not?" {Note: Loaded question - is there a conflict between the Nation in which we live and the spiritual kingdom? Can a spiritual kingdom co exist with a political kingdom? They don't really care about an answer, they want Jesus to criticize Rome and get Rome to destroy Jesus.} 22:18~~But Jesus knew their evil intentions and said, "Hypocrites! Why are you testing Me?" 22:19~~"Show Me the coin used for the tax." So they brought Him a denarius. 22:20~~Jesus said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?" {Note: The coin had an image of Tiberius Caesar.} 22:21~~"Caesar's," they said. "Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's," He {Jesus} said to their advantage {and this was a command}. {Note: Jesus' clear support of the fourth divine institution and the Christians responsibility to it.} 22:22~~Now when they heard this they were stunned; and they left Him and went away. {Next comes an Attack by the Party of the Sadducees - this time using Marriage and Afterlife} {The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection} 22:23~~ The same day Sadducees (who always say that there is no resurrection) came to Him. And they asked Him, 22:24~~ "Teacher {once more no acceptance of Jesus as God}, Moses said {Deuteronomy 25: 5-6}, 'If a man dies without having children - maybe he will, maybe he will not - his brother must marry the widow and have children for his brother.' " {Note: The Sadducees were the aristocrats. They were recruited from the priesthood and followed the Mosaic Law. They also added many taboos to the Mosaic Law. They believed the Old Testament was a moral code but not 'reality'. In other words, they believed the Old Testament was just a book full of myths and here in this section in context, they believed the resurrection prophecy was a myth. For some verses on Old Testament references to resurrection, see Daniel 12:2; Isaiah 26:19; Job 19:26 and following; Psalms 16:10-11; and Isaiah 53:10.} 22:25~~"Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother." 22:26~~"The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh." 22:27~~"Last of all, the woman also died." 22:28~~"In the resurrection, then, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her." 22:29~~Jesus answered them {Saducees}, "You are always WRONG and you NEVER have been right . . . because you don't know the Scriptures . . . nor the power of God." {Note: Knowing the Scriptures comes FIRST. You do not know the power of God if you do not know the Scriptures!} 22:30~~"For at the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven." {Note: Jesus is saying there is a love in heaven that is greater then anything we have experienced on earth. Divine institution number 2 (marriage) is for time only, not for eternity - AND eternity is an improvement on time!} {Jesus in Sanctified Sarcasm} 22:31-32~~"But as for the resurrection from the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God {in Exodus 3:6}, 22:32~~ 'I keep on being forever The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." {Note: The Saducees do not believe in resurrection yet they quote scripture to Jesus. In the Greek, this just pours sarcasm back on them. Like 'boys, you want to quote scripture . . . well how about . . . ' The tense of the verb indicates Jesus is saying God 'keeps on being' the God of Abraham etc. meaning they are NOT dead but are still alive NOW - in heaven! Slams their disbelief of resurrection. And, this was the strongest phrase for making an oath in Jerusalem so everyone understood Exodus 3:6 and knew Jesus quoted it correctly!} 22:33~~When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at His teaching. {Note: Subtle point here! They were astonished at HIS DOCTRINE! The power of God is still revealed today in DOCTRINE - in the Word of God.} {Next comes a well thought out Attack of the Pharisees - trying to Pit Biblical Commandments against each other} {Reputation of the Pharisees} 22:34~~Now when the Pharisees heard that He {Jesus} had put down the Sadducees, they mustered their thinking forces. 22:35~~Then one of them . . . a scribe {an expert in religious law - a theologian and their most brilliant representative most likely} . . . asked . . . testing {to discover evil if possible} Him {Jesus}: 22:36~~ "Teacher {again not recognizing His deity}, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" {Note: They thought about this a lot. They were ready to refute Him no matter which law He mentions.} 22:37~~Jesus immediately said to him {the theologian} Deuteronomy 6:5}, 'Love {agapao} the Lord your God with all your heart   {frontal lobe of the brain does the thinking}, with all your soul {volition}, and with all your mind   {back part of the brain - result of learning -   where you store information - mental perception}.' Note: Agapao - when applied toward God, agape love is a high form of love - here divine love. Another classification of love is personal and impersonal love. Personal love is based on the characteristics of the OBJECT of the love - not the characteristics of the SUBJECT - should be reserved for a perfect object only - God. Impersonal love is what you should have for all mankind based on who and what YOU (the subject) are.} 22:38~~"This is the first and greatest commandment." 22:39~~"A second is like it {Leviticus 19:18}, 'Love {agapao} your neighbor {fellow man} as yourself.' " [Note: This was quoted by Paul in Romans 13:9b.] 22:40~~"All the law and the prophets are suspended on these two commandments." {Note: This is a term for the Old Testament scriptures, also sometimes called Moses and the prophets. SideNote: Their theologian says nothing more. Probably standing there with a hanging jaw! Now Jesus goes on the offensive.} {Jesus Counter-Attack the Pharisees} 22:41-42~~While the Pharisees were assembled Jesus asked them a question: 22:42~~ "What do you think about Christ? Whose Son is He?" They {the Pharisees} said, "From the source of David {the answer emphasizes the humanity of Christ - which is fine and biblically correct - but is only half an answer so is WRONG!}." 22:43-44~~He {Jesus} said to them {Psalms 110:1}, "How then does David in the Spirit {periodically endued by the Holy Spirit} call him 'Lord,' saying, 22:44~~ 'The Lord {kurios/Jehovah - God the Father} said to my Lord {kurios/Adoni - God the Son}, "Sit down and keep on sitting at My right hand, until I put Your enemies under Your feet {a footstool}"'? {Note: All scripture was written when filled with the Holy Spirit. Old and New Testament both.} {Note: In the Old Testament language of Psalm 110, the Hebrew was a little unclear but the Greek is very clear. In Psalm110: {hwhj - JHWH} refers to the Father (though it sometimes refers to the Son and the Holy Spirit at other times), {yn`d)a - Adoni} refers to the only Revealed/ Manifest God - the Son in resurrection form. However, in the Greek, the 'Lord' both times uses the word Kurios - no question that both the 1st and 2nd person of the Trinity are BOTH God/Lord - as Jesus will show with His next question.} 22:45~~"If then David calls Him 'Lord {Deity},' how can He be his {David's} son? " {Note: Only the Hypostatic Union of Jesus Christ answers this question. Jesus in His humanity was and is the greater son of David. Jesus in His deity is also Lord and the Son of God the Father. True humanity and true deity in one unique person in the universe.} {Note: If they can answer this, then they are saved! Otherwise they are unbelievers.} 22:46~~No one was able to answer Him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question Him {Jesus} any longer. ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. 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