Lesson #61

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #61
THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER (LUK 14:15-24)

• MEMORY VERSE: MAT 20:16

• REVIEW:
• THE PARABLE IN OUR PREVIOUS LESSON WAS ABOUT THE AMBITIOUS GUEST. THERE WERE 3 MESSAGES IN THAT APARABLE:
• =1= DO NOT SEEK GLORY AND IMPORTANCE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD. HUMILITY IS THE KEY.
• =2= GIVE WITHOUT EXPECTING ANYTHING IN RETURN. THIS IS PRINCIPLE OF HOSPITALITY.
• =3= IN A SUBLE MANNER, JESUS INDICATES THAT GOD IS THE SUPREME EXAMPLE.OF SUPREME GRACE.

• THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER (LUK 14:15-24)
• READ LUK 14:15-24
• REMEMBER THAT THIS PARABLE OCCURS DURING THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS’ EARTHLY LIFE.
• BACKGROUND NOTE:
• A MAN OF RANK AND AFFLUENCE WOULD SEND OUT TWO CALLS TO A PLANNED FEAST.
• THE FIRST WAS A PRELIMINARY CALL CONVEYING THE INVITATION AND A SUGGESTION TO MAKE ALL NECESSARY PREPARATIONS FOR ACCEPTING THE INVITATION.
• THE SECOND CALL WAS THE ACTUAL INVITATION THAT CAME LATER. IT INDICATED THAT THE FEAST WAS NOW READY AND THAT THE INVITED GUEST SHOULD GIVE UP WHAT HE IS DOING, ACT ON THE INVITATION, AND ATTEND THE FEAST.
• WHAT DOES THE GREAT SUPPER REPRESENT?
• THE SUPPER IS CALLED “GREAT” BECAUSE OF WHO GAVE IT.
• THE “CERTAIN MAN” GIVING THE FEAST REPRESENTS GOD, THE FATHER. (16)
• THE SUPPER IS CALLED “GREAT” BECAUSE OF WHAT IT REPRESENTS.
• THE GREAT SUPPER REPRESENTS THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
• THE KINGDOM OF GOD INCLUDES ALL THE BLESSINGS OF BEING A CHILD OF GOD SUCH AS PROVISION FOR ALL OUR NEEDS AS WELL AS ETERNAL LIFE.
• THE GREAT SUPPER IS CALLED IN SCRIPTURE, “THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB”
• READ REV 19:7-10
• THE MANY WHO WERE INVITED TO THE SUPPER REPRESENTS WHOM? (16)
• THE MANY PEOPLE THAT GOD INVITED TO BE PARTAKERS OF HIS KINGDOM WERE THE JEWS THROUGH ALL OF HISTORY.
• WHO DOES THE SERVANT REPRESENT IN VERSE 17?
• THE SERVANT REPRESENTS THOSE IN THE OLD TESTAMENT WHO CALLED PEOPLE TO THE LORD. THEY WERE THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS.
• WHAT ARE THE THREE EXCUSES GIVEN?
• VERSE 18 SAYS THAT THE PEOPLE WERE ALL OF “ONE CONSENT” OR ONE MIND IN THEIR REFUSAL.
• THE WORD, “CONSENT” DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE ORIGINAL LANGUAGE. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE ONE IN THE EXCUSE THEY GAVE (ONE IN SPIRIT AND ESSENCE).
• THESE EXCUSES ARE THOSE GIVEN AFTER THE SECOND INVITATION WAS RECEIVED.
• EXCUSE #1:
• HE BOUGHT A PIECE OF GROUND HE HAD NOT SEEN.
• THIS IS A VERY UNLIKELY STORY TO HAVE BOUGHT SOMETHING WITHOUT FIRST SEEING IT.
• THIS IS ALSO AN UNLIKELY EXCUSE FOR A PERSON WOULD NOT GO TO SEE LAND IN THE DARK AT THE SUPPER HOUR.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXCUSE:
• THIS EXCUSE REPRESENTS A PERSON WITH AN EARTHLY PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN A SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVE.
• THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD ARE MORE REAL THAN THE THINGS OF GOD.
• EXCUSE #2:
• HE BOUGHT FIVE YOKE OF OXEN. HE DOES NOT GIVE ANY REASON WHY HIS OXEN COME FIRST. THEY JUST DO.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EXCUSE:
• THIS EXCUSE REPRESENTS A PERSON WITH A WRONG PRIORITY OF MATERIAL THINGS THAT TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER SPIRITUAL THINGS. MATERIAL THINGS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE THINGS OF GOD.
• EXCUSE #3:
• HE MARRIED HIS WIFE.
• THIS IS A POOR EXCUSE BECAUSE THE HOST WOULD HAVE KNOWN OF THE GUEST’S MARRIAGE AND ISSUED AN INVITATION TO HIS WIFE ALSO.
• THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EXCUSE:
• THIS EXCUSE REPRESENTS A PERSON WITH A WRONG USE OF TIME. HIS DOMESTIC CARES AND LUSTFUL DESIRES REQUIRE MORE TIME THAN THE THINGS OF GOD.
• WHAT WAS THE HOST’S REACTION TO THE REJECTIONS? (21)
• THE HOST RESPONDED WITH ANGER AND A NEW INVITATION.
• DISCUSSION: WHAT DOES THIS REACTION TELL YOU ABOUT GOD?

• GOD IS OFFENDED BY REJECTION, BUT HE CONTINUES TO PURSUE MAN DESPITE REJECTION.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE DOOR CONTINUES TO REMAIN OPEN UNTIL THE FEAST BEGINS. THEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED AND IT IS TOO LATE TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION.

• WHO DO THE POOR, MAIMED, LAME, AND BLIND REPRESENT?
• THESE PEOPLE, WITHOUT PRESTIGE AND INFLUENCE, REPRESENT THE GENTILES WHO RECOGNIZED THEIR DESTITUTE CONDITION AND THEIR NEED FOR SOMETHING SPIRITUAL IN THEIR LIVES.
• THESE PEOPLE ALSO INCLUDE THE BELIEVING JEWISH REMNANT WHO HUMBLED THEMSELVES BEFORE GOD.
• READ ROM 11:5
• WHO DO THOSE INVITED FROM THE HIGHWAYS AND HEDGES REPRESENT?
• THESE REPRESENT THE WORLD POPLULATION AS A WHOLE THROUGH ALL TIME AND IN ALL PLACES.
• IN OTHER WORDS, WHILE THE WORLD IS MADE UP OF ONLY JEWS AND GENTILES, AND THESE ARE REPRESENTED BY THE FIRST TWO GROUPS, GOD EMPHASIZES WITH THIS THIRD GROUP THAT THERE IS ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE AND HE IS OUT THERE SEARCHING FOR THEM. NO ONE SLIPS THROUGH THE CRACKS WITHOUT RECEIVING AN INVITATION.
• WHAT DOES VERSE 24 MEAN?
• VERSE 24 MEANS THAT THOSE JEWS WHO REJECTED GOD’S INVITATION INTO HIS KINGDOM HAVE MADE THEIR CHOICE AND WILL NOT BE SAVED. EVEN THOUGH THEY THINK THEY ARE SAVED BY THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE, IT IS TOO LATE FOR THEM.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• THERE ARE THREE GROUPS INVITED INTO GOD’S KINGDOM TO PARTAKE OF THE MARRIAGE SUPPER OF THE LAMB:
• =1= THE FIRST GROUP THAT GOD CALLED TO COME WERE THE JEWS. (17)
• =2= THE SECOND GROUP THAT GOD CALLED TO COME WERE THE BELIEVING JEWISH REMNANT AND THE BELIEVING GENTILES. THEY WERE BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM. (21)
• =3= THE THIRD GROUP THAT GOD CALLED WERE THOSE IN THE REST OF THE WORLD. HE “COMPELLED” (STRONGLY URGED) THEM TO COME INTO THE KINGDOM. (23)
• THE PARABLE TEACHES THAT ALL ARE CALLED TO COME TO JESUS, BUT NOT ALL ACCEPT THE INVITATION TO COME TO HIM. THOSE WHO DESPISE THE INVITATION ARE EXCLUDED FROM THE KINGDOM FOR ETERNITY.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE TOWER BUILDER (LUK 14:28-30)
THE PARABLE OF THE KING GOING TO WAR (LUK 14:31-33)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTIONS.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE GREAT SUPPER (LUK 14:15-24)
• HAVE YOU ACCEPTED GOD’S INVITATION TO COME INTO HIS KINGDOM?
• IF YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED GOD’S INVITATION, WHAT MUST YOU DO TO ACCEPT IT?

• IF YOU DO NOT KNOW, ASK THE PASTOR, OR CONTACT ME.
• IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACCEPT, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO, ASK THE PASTOR, OR CONTACT ME.

• IF YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED GOD’S INVITATION, WHAT ARE THE EXCUSES THAT HAVE KEPT YOU FROM ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR?

• ARE YOU NOW WILLING TO GIVE UP YOUR EXCUSES AND ACCEPT THE INVITATION?
• IF YOU HAVE ACCEPTED GOD’S INVITATION AT SOME TIME IN THE PAST, IS THERE SOMEONE YOU KNOW THAT NEEDS URGING TO ACCEPT THE INVITATION? IF THERE IS SOMEONE, PUT THE PERSON’S NAME HERE ________________AND PRAY THAT GOD OPENS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THIS PERSON.

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE TOWER BUILDER (LUK 14:28-30) AND THE PARABLE OF THE KING GOING TO WAR (LUK 14:31-33)
• READ LUK 14:23-35 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE TWO PARABLES
• THE PARABLE OF THE TOWER BUILDER (LUK 14:28-30)
• WHO DOES THE PERSON REPRESENT THAT IS GOING TO BUILD A TOWER?

• WHAT DOES THE TOWER REPRESENT?

• WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS ONE MUST CONSIDER BEFORE BUILDING A LITERAL TOWER OR BUILDING?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE TOWER BUILDER?

• THE PARABLE OF THE KING GOING TO WAR (LUK 14:31-33)
• WHO DOES THE KING REPRESENT?

• WHO DOES THE ENEMY KING REPRESENT?

• WHAT ARE SOME IMPORTANT THINGS ONE MUST CONSIDER BEFORE ENGAGING IN A LITERAL BATTLE?

• HOW DO THESE THINGS RELATE TO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE KING GOING TO WAR?

• WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE SOME POSSIBLE COSTS OF FOLLOWING CHRIST?

• MEMORY VERSE: LUK 14:33