Who is the “them” in Mat 22:1 to whom Jesus addressed this parable, and on what occasion? See Mat 21:23-28,33,45. What day was this of passion week, and when was it in relation to the Passover? See Mar 11:1-11 for Jesus’ triumphal entry on Sunday, Mar 11:12-19 for the cleansing of the temple on Monday, and Mar 11:20-13:37 as well as Mat 21:23-25:46 for the religious leaders confronting Jesus, His parables and denunciation of the religious leaders in response, and the Olivet Discourse, all of which took place on Tuesday. See also Mat 26:1-2 indicating the Passover was in two days, i.e., Thursday, according to the reckoning of some who observed the new moon a day earlier than the religious leaders in Jerusalem, who reckoned the 14th of the month to be Friday. Hence the next day, Wednesday, was the Day of Preparation for the earlier reckoning of Passover that would begin at sunset that evening (see Mat 26:17), while Thursday, the day Jesus was crucified, was the Day of Preparation for the religious leaders in Jerusalem so that Jesus died that afternoon at the same time they were slaughtering their Passover lambs. What is the significance of the profusion of fruitful teaching that poured forth from Jesus in these very last days before His death in light of His oft-repeated teaching about dying to live? See Joh 12:24. What does this teach us about when one is most fruitful: when he is seeking to save his life, or when he has taken up his cross to follow Jesus and “resolutely set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luk 9:51) with Him?
Who does the king represent in this parable? Note in Mat 22:2 that it reads literally, “a man, a king”, i.e., a human king; hence this parable of a human king is meant to teach us something about God as king. Who does the son in the parable represent, and who is the bride? Cf. Eph 5:22-32. What then does the marriage represent? See Jer 31:31-34. Consider that a marriage is a covenant relationship that is only entered into after a betrothal and period of preparation; what was it that had prepared the people of God to enter into this new covenant? Cf. again Jer 31:31-32, Eze 16:8, Jer 2:2. How does the law still prepare people today to enter into the new covenant of God’s grace? See Rom 3:20-22, 7:7-9,24-25, Gal 3:23-24, 4:1-5. What does Scripture teach is the danger of coming unprepared to the new covenant relationship that is represented by the marriage feast? See Mat 22:11-13, 25:1-13. What does this help us to understand about the importance of the law to the gospel? Cf. 1Ti 1:8-11. What does it also teach us about the great danger of proclaiming the good news of God’s grace and forgiveness of sins to those whose hearts have not been prepared by the law to be truly repentant? Cf. Rom 2:4.
Recall that a covenant is a solemn agreement of binding force that joins together two parties in a united relationship; what does a feast represent in terms of any covenant? Cf. Genesis 26:28-30, 31:44-54, Exodus 24:7-11. Why are many invited to that feast? Cf. Deut 19:15, Mat 18:16, 2Co 13:1, 1Ti 5:19, Heb 10:28 and think: if a matter is confirmed on the testimony of two or three witnesses, how much more is it confirmed if solemnized in the presence of many witnesses? What in particular does the wedding feast in this parable represent? Cf. Rev 19:9. What food has the King provided for this feast? Cf. Pro 9:1-5, Isa 25:6-9, 55:1-2. With what abundance has He provided it? See Mat 22:4 and consider again the profusion of fruitful teaching throughout all of Jesus’ ministry but which poured forth all the more in these very last days before His death.
What word do we get from “feast” that describes the celebration with joy and gladness that accompanies such occasions, and especially a wedding feast? Cf. Deut 16:10-11,13-14, Neh 8:8-12, Psa 19:5, Isa 61:10, Jer 33:10-11, Mat 9:15, Joh 2:1-3,10, 3:29. What is the significance that the word for “feast” used in Mat 22:2,3,4,9 is plural? Think: for how many days might such feasts last? Cf. Jdg 14:10-12, 2Ch 30:21-23, Est 1:1-5. What insight does this give us about the nature of the marriage feast God has called us to and the banquet He has prepared for us in the truth of His word? Is it just a singular event or a one-time affair? How often might one feast with the King at the banquet He has provided? What joy and gladness await those who will forego their other worldly pursuits (Mat 22:5) and come to the feast to dine with Him?