Parables – The Wedding Banquet

Small Group Discussion Guide


Sermon Series: Parables
Sermon Title:
The Wedding Banquet


Break the Ice:
  • What’s the most memorable wedding you’ve ever attended? Describe it.
  • What makes weddings such a special occasion?
Transition: 
  • Say: In this weeks parable, Jesus tells the story of a king who throws a wedding banquet for his son. There’s one man who attends the wedding banquet who gets thrown out. In the message, Andy said there were two things required to belong at the banquet: an invitation and proper clothes. Let’s go deeper.
Bring the Word: 
  • Read Matthew 22:1-14
    • Describe the different responses to the invitation to the wedding banquet, and how does that portray different responses today to the invitation of salvation? (Some were passive; some where procrastinators; some were persecutors)
    • Why do you think the king was so eager to fill the banquet hall? What does that reveal to us about God?
    • Some people have asked, “How could a loving God send people to hell?” Using this parable, how could we respond to that question?
    • Toward the end of the parable, there’s a man who wasn’t dressed right. We could say he was a pretender. How would this be a warning to the religious leaders Jesus was telling the parable to? (They were playing the part and keeping the law, but they weren’t dressed in the true righteousness.)
    • What should be our response to the truths of this parable?
  • Read Isaiah 61
    • Read Luke 4:16-22.
    • Say: “Jesus testified that He was the fulfillment of this 700 year-old prophecy from Isaiah. However, Jesus stopped reading after verse 2, meaning there are still parts of this prophecy that are yet to be fulfilled!”
    • According to Isaiah 61:10, what will Jesus cloth us with? (garments of salvation and robes of righteousness)
    • What’s the difference between the clothes that Jesus offers, and our self-made clothes of righteousness?
    • What would keep a person from receiving the free righteousness that Jesus offers?
  • Read Matthew 23:1-7
    • What was the biggest issue Jesus had with the scribes and Pharisees?
    • You could argue that the Pharisees were very devoted and very sincere in all they did. Why is devotion and sincerity not enough to make a person right with God?
Bring it Home:
  • Read Romans 3:22.
    • Who are the clothes of righteousness available to? (everyone)
    • Is there someone you are praying for to receive the righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus?
    • Can we pray for this person together as a group?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *