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Today in our series we are going to be looking at the parable of the Great Supper. This parable like a few others is a historical and prophetic parable. It speaks not only of future events, but also historically about God’s interaction with His people.

To understand this parable, we need to look at the characters of the parable and the historical context of the nation of Israel.

The Characters and Elements of the Parable:
• A Certain Man: This man is referred to as the master of the house, and the Lord. Referring either to the God the Father or the Son Jesus Christ.
• A Great Supper: This great banquet points to the Gospel feast which the Father and Son have provided for all who are interested and respond accordingly.
• Many who were invited: The initial invitation in the parable is to the Jews as a nation.
• The Sent Servant: Could speak of the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, or those who carry the message of the gospel to the world.
• Supper Time: This meal being evening time speaks of the end of the day. Or the day waning and the time drawing to a close.
• All Things Are Ready: The invitation went out. To the Jew first and then to the Gentiles.
• Excuses and The Lords Response. Those invited made excuses for why they could not come. The righteous anger of the Lord being aroused causes the invitation to spread to any willing to come in.

Historical Reference:
As we look at this parable, we need to recognize the history of the nation of Israel. Beginning with God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis a covenant emerges. That through Him all nations of the earth would be blessed, and God would make of Him a great nation. That His descendants would be as numerous as the stars of heaven. This covenant is passed to his son Isaac, and then to Jacob. Before his death changes Jacobs name to Israel which means God prevails.

Jacob has 12 sons. These twelve sons become the 12 tribes of Israel. Through a period of time being slaves in Egypt the 12 sons and their families multiply. As they near the end of their slavery God raises up Moses as a deliverer. Through Moses the law and priestly ministry is given, and Israel as a nation enters into covenant with God. To walk according to His statutes. To be a people holy and set apart to God.

The historical books of the Old Testament record both the faithfulness and unfaithfulness of the nation to God. More often than not they were found worshipping other God’s and bowing down to false idols. Throughout history God would send judges to deliver and lead His people. God sent prophets to speak the people on His behalf. To call them from wickedness to righteousness.

It came to a time when the people of Israel would request to have a king over them like all the other nations. This act was a rejection of God ruling over them as king. This act would result in a perpetual cycle of kings who rejected God and his rule. The wicked actions of the kings brought judgement on the nation. God through the prophets spoke of the destruction of the nation and the Holy City of Jerusalem.

They were conquered by many nations because of disobedience. At the time of Jesus they were being ruled by the Romans. Ultimately resulting in the destruction of the physical temple in AD 70 by the Romans. During Jesus earthly ministry the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled that He would be rejected by his own.

God chose the Jewish people and prepared the kingdom for them.

This historical context give light to the parable Jesus tells. He is the master that has prepared a great supper. He invites guest to the supper and they do not come. They give poor excuses for why they won’t make it. The excuses for skipping the banquet are laughably bad. No one buys land without seeing it first, and the same can be said for buying oxen. And what, exactly, would keep a newly married couple from attending a social event? All three excuses in the parable reveal insincerity on the part of those invited.

Their rejection of the invitation causes God to send his servant to call in any who would attend. The lame, poor, broken, maimed, and blind.
If you know the covenant of God with the people of Israel, you know that these things were all considered unclean and rejected. This statement in the parable is Jesus revealing the future of the Church. All who were previously rejected as unclean are now invited to the great supper. God is filling his table with all who will come.

Replacement Theology:
Something I want to clarify concerning false doctrine. There is a doctrine of replacement theology where some believe that the Christian church has superseded and replaced the nation of Israel as God’s covenant people. This notion is false.

The Christian Church does not replace Israel as God’s covenant people. God is a covenant God who keeps His word.

Ezekiel 11:17 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “I will gather you from the peoples, assemble you from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”

No nation in history after its fall has ever become a nation again with its original language except Israel.
They may have missed the initial hour of their visitation from God, but they are not disqualified.

Their failure was simply that they took the covenant lightly as seen in the excuses of the parable. God was calling them to His banquet, and they chose menial things instead. Material possessions (land), occupation (testing the Oxen to see what could be produced), human emotion and affection (new wife).

God has purpose to gather his people to himself. He wants no seat left empty. He is not satisfied with a partially full banquet hall; he wants every place at the table to be filled.

The Excuses of Luke’s parable shows the potential of being drawn away by earthly carnal things. In the light of eternity, they are meaningless. Distracting away from what matters most.

If we also choose to reject Christ, we will have the same outcome. We must not take lightly the grace and mercy of God.

Concerning Israel and the Jewish people. We are indebted to them for the Gospel. The message of Salvation was to the Jew first, and then to the Gentile. We need to pray that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes to Jesus their Messiah, as many of them are still waiting for Messiah to come.