"Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests," Matthew 22:8-10.

This parable has a prophetic message. We saw last week how the Saviour was warning the leaders of Israel, to whom this parable is addressed for the 'them' of verse 1 is the "chief priests and Pharisees" of the previous chapter, vvs 45-46.

In verse 7, we have a forewarning of the consequences for Israel of the rejecting of the gospel. That came to pass in AD 70 when the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the nation of Israel.

Now, in verses 8-10, we have what followed that event.

I. THE GOSPEL INVITATION WAS TO BE GIVEN TO THOSE WHO BEFORE WERE NOT BIDDEN.

Remember what we noted in verse 3? "Call them that were bidden." This referred to the Jewish people. The "children of the kingdom." Christ said: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel," Matthew 15:24. But they rejected the gospel and so: "many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom (privileged people) shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth," Matthew 8:11-12. (See also Matt 10:5-6.)

1. This then is a reference to God turning to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected Christ. "Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage," vvs 8-9.

2. Notice how the Gentiles were described. "So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests," verse 10. "Bad and good", that is, those obviously evil and those who on the outside appear to be good, such as the Ethiopian Eunuch and Nicodemus, but are still in need of salvation from sin. "There is none that doeth good, no, not one," Psa 14:3.

3. The wedding was furnished with guests. Verse 10. The word 'furnished' means 'filled'. Acts 2:4, 4:8, 13:9. Every seat in Heaven will taken despite man's wickedness and the devil's scheming. God's purpose in mercy will be accomplished. Every sheep of the Saviour's flock He will bring safely home.
Will you be there?