Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.8 Parable of the Great Banquet€¦ · you think you are too busy,...

1

NT4.8 Parables of the Great Banquet ©Beverly Wilson 2016

Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.8 Parable of the Great Banquet

Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:13-23

Lesson Goal: When Jesus lived on earth He taught people many important things about God and heaven. To help people understand what He was saying Jesus often told stories called parables. Jesus told two stores called "The Parables of the Great Banquet" to warn people against making excuses for refusing God's invitation to become a member of His family.

Introduction: This is the eighth lesson in Unit 4: The Parables of Jesus. When Jesus lived on earth He taught people many important things about God and heaven. To help people understand what He was saying Jesus often told stories called parables. Jesus told two stores called "The Parables of the Great Banquet" to warn people against making excuses for refusing God's invitation to become a member of His family. The stories or parables are found in the book of Matthew and Luke. These are part of the gospels in the New Testament. The gospels tell the story of the life of Jesus and are the first four books in the New Testament. Let's say the first four books of the New Testament together. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.

Attention Getter: An Invitation Look what I have. It's an invitation to a party. A friend of mine is having a birthday party and has invited me to come. Look what it says at the bottom of the invitation... it says, "R.S.V.P." Do you know what that means? (The term R.S.V.P. comes from the French expression "répondez s'il vous plaît", meaning "please respond".) It means that my friend wants me to reply to the invitation and say whether I will attend the party or not. Sometimes people who receive an invitation to a party don't want to go, so they make up excuses. Here are some excuses they might use: I've had a bad cold and I just can't seem get over it. I think we are going to visit my grandmother. We are having a test at school and I need to stay home and study. I have to go to soccer practice. Mom said I have to babysit my little brother. Making excuses isn't new. Even back in Bible times people made excuses. Jesus once told two stories about a king who threw a party, but none of the people he invited showed up for his party. Both of these stories were about the invitation that God gives us to be a part of his kingdom in heaven.

Opening Prayer: Dear Father in heaven, thank you for Jesus, your Son. We thank you for his invitation to come and receive the free gift of life which He offers. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins. Without making excuses, we say, "Yes, Lord, Yes! I want to be a part of your family." In Your name we pray. Amen.

Memory Verse: The memory verse is Revelation 3:20 "Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him and he with me. "

Lesson Video: https://youtu.be/pTD5nJ5TDbE To help people understand what the kingdom of Heaven is like, Jesus told this parable about a royal wedding. A king prepared a wedding banquet for his son. Then he sent servants to invite his guests to the wedding feast. But they refused to come. The King sent more servants, "Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. "Come to the wedding banquet." But those who had been invited paid no attention. One went off to his field. Another went off to his business. The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them.

https://youtu.be/pTD5nJ5TDbE

2


When the King heard the news he was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed the murderers and burned their city. Then the King said to his servants, "The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find." So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find--the good, the bad, the sick as well as the poor. As it was the custom each of the guests were given robes from the king's closet to wear for the big occasion. The King wanted everyone to be well-dressed. The day of the wedding came and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But one man was very proud and said, "I don't want to wear the king's clothes. I will wear my own." When the King noticed him, he asked, "How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?" The man was speechless. Then the King told the attendants, "Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Jesus finished the parable by saying, "For many are invited but few are chosen." God wants everyone to be a part of his kingdom. He is like the king who has invited everyone to the wedding. God has invited us to be a part of His kingdom, too. But we must accept His invitation. Big parties cost lots of money and it cost God a lot to invite us to His party. We are like the sick and lame who do not deserve to come to the wedding. That is why God send His Son Jesus to die on the cross to take away the bad things that we do. When Jesus paid the price of our sin, then we could be invited to come into God's kingdom. Anyone who believes that Jesus did this and says "yes" to God's invitation can be a part of God's kingdom. That is like putting on the wedding clothes. The second story is very similar to the first and is found in the book of Luke. One day Jesus was having dinner with a religious leader called a Pharisee. Pharisees were people who tried very hard to obey every part of the Jewish law. Sadly, Some Pharisee cared more about the law than they cared about people. Some of these Pharisees were watching Jesus carefully. They wanted Jesus to do something wrong so they could criticize him. During the meal Jesus told this story to help these people understand something very important about God's family. Jesus told stories about the kingdom of God everywhere. Here is a story of a master who gave a feast and the guests he invited. "When you give a dinner, don't just invite your friends and your relatives. Invite those who are poor, who can't walk, the blind, the disabled. Then you will be blessed. Your guests can't pay you back, but you will be paid back." Jesus said, "A certain man was preparing a big dinner celebration. He called his servant: Servant, come quickly." "Yes, sir." "I have prepared a big dinner party. I have invited many guests. My dinner is ready. Go, and tell all of my guests to come quickly because everything is ready now. Yes, sir, I will do so. " "Yes, what do you want?" "Sir, my master has sent me to tell you to come now to his dinner celebration because everything is ready." "Now? I cannot come right now. I have just bought a field. I have to go and see it. Please excuse me." The servant traveled to another guest's home. "Yes, what do you want?"

3


"Sir, my master has sent me to tell you to come now to his dinner because everything is ready." "What? I cannot come today. I have just bought five pairs of oxen. I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me." "The servant went on to the next guest." "Yes, what do you want?" "Sir, my master has sent me to tell you to come now to his dinner celebration because everything is ready." "Sorry, not today. I just got married, so I can't come." Jesus said, "All of the invited guests made excuses why they could not come to the dinner party." Servant said, "I'm sorry, sir, but all of the guests you invited told me that they cannot come today to your dinner. Master: "What? I am so angry." "Servant, go quickly into the streets and lanes of the town. Bring in those who are poor. Also bring those who can't walk, the blind, and the disabled. I will not cancel my dinner party." "Yes, sir." "Please come to my master's dinner. He has sent me to invite you to come to his house.: Guests: (various voices) "Really? Me? Okay, I will come. I'm so excited!" Jesus said, " The servant returned to his master with many guests." "Sir, what you have ordered has been done, but there is still room." "Go out to the roads. Go out to the country lanes. Make the people come in. I want my house to be full. I tell you, not one of those people who were first invited will get a taste of my dinner." God invites many, many people to join Him in His kingdom. If you say you cannot come, He will invite others. If you think you are too busy, you will be left behind. When God invites you to join Him, say "yes." After telling this story Jesus stopped speaking. As the Pharisees and his guests listened to Jesus' story, perhaps they realized that even though they had promised to love and obey God, they had often given excuses to God instead of doing as God asks. Jesus' story was a warning that we should be careful not to make excuses when God invited us to be a part of His family. God is like the host of the great party. God loves all people so much that He doesn't want anyone not to miss out on being a part of His family. We can become a member of God's family. We don't need to make excuses, saying that we are too young or not smart enough. God thinks kids are just as important as grown-ups. And He loves each of us, no matter what we have done. Don't wait until you have grown up some more to think about it. He wants everyone to be part of His family. The people in the story made excuses for not going to the banquet. They were bad excuses because none of the things the people was doing was as important as going to God's banquet in heaven! Jesus was telling this story to warn us against making excuses instead of accepting God's love for us and becoming a part of His family.

4


In Revelation 3:20 Jesus says, "Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him and he with me. " This verse means that Jesus is inviting us to come to be a part of his family. Then we can go to heaven and be a part of the Great Banquet for His Son Jesus. Rev. 3: 20 is our memory verse. Let's say the verse. Revelation 3:20 "Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him and he with me. " How can we open our heart's door so Jesus can come in? First, We have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sin. Then we have to confess our sins. That means that we tell Jesus that we are sorry for the things that we have done wrong and that we want the punishment that Jesus took on the cross to be for our sin. Then we must ask Jesus to be our Savior. In a prayer we tell Jesus that we love Him and want to follow Him. Jesus promises that if we believe in Him He will take us to heaven. That is called faith. We do not want to be like the guest who did not have wedding clothes! He was not ready! If you want to ask Jesus to be your Savior you can pray right now and ask Him. If you have already ask Jesus to save you, let's thank Him for being a part of His family. Dear Father in heaven, thank you for Jesus, your Son. We thank you for his invitation to come and receive the free gift of life which He offers. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins. Without making excuses, we say, "Yes, Lord, Yes! I want to be a part of your family." In Your name we pray. Amen. Remember "Don't Make Excuses! Become a part of God's family!

Review Questions: I-N-V-I-T-E Materials: bibles, large sheet of paper, marker, masking tape, soft ball, large container Preparation: Draw a line down the center of the large sheet of paper. Print "Team 1" on one side and "Team 2" on the other side. Display in the classroom. Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Play a basketball game similar to H-O-R-S-E. Teams take turns attempting to toss a ball into a container. Each time the ball lands in the container, the team must answer one of the questions below. When one team completes one of the questions then a volunteer writes a letter from the word "INVITE" on the paper. The winning team is the one that completes the word "INVITE" first. 1. In the first parable what excuses did the guests give for not attending the wedding feast of the King's son?

(One went off to his field. Another went off to his business. The rest seized his servants, ill-treated them and killed them.)

2. What did the king do when he found out that the invited guests had killed his servant? (When the King heard the news he was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed the murderers and burned their city.)

3. Who did the king invite when the first guests did not come? (He told his servant to go out into the streets and gather all the people they could find--the good, the bad, the sick as well as the poor.)

4. What did the king give to the people who came to the wedding? (He gave them wedding clothes to wear.) 5. What did one man who came to the wedding try to do? What did the king do to the man? (He tried to wear his

own clothes so he was thrown out of the wedding feast.) 6. Why did Jesus tell this story? (He wants us to not make excuses and answer the invitation to come to the

wedding feast in heaven.) 7. How do we get wedding clothes to wear to the banquet in heaven? (Jesus died on the cross and paid the

price for our salvation. We get clothed with his righteousness when we believe in Jesus and accept the gift of salvation.)

8. In the second parable what excuses did the first people who were invited give for not going to the banquet? (One man had just bought a field. One man had just bought five pairs of new oxen. Another man had just gotten married.)

5


9. When the Master found out they were not coming, what did he do? (He told his servant to go out to the highways and byways and invite everyone to come to the banquet.)

10. Why did Jesus tell this second parable? (He wanted us to know that God invites many, many people to join Him in His kingdom. If you say you cannot come, He will invite others. If you think you are too busy, you will be left behind. When God invites you to join Him, say "yes." )

11. What does Revelation 3:20 say that Jesus does? (It says that Jesus stands at the door of our heart and asks if He can come in.)

12. What does it means to "open the door of our heart" and let Jesus in? (It means that Jesus wants to become a part of our lives. He wants us to believe in Him so we can become a part of His family and go to heaven.)

13. What are some good reasons to accept God's invitation to become a part of His family? (He loves us. He offers us forgiveness from our sins. We get to be a part of His family. We get to go to heaven and live with Him.)

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Spin a Word The memory verse is Revelation 3:20 "Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him and he with me." Have students find the memory verse Revelation 3:20 in scripture. Read the verse aloud and repeat it several times in unison. Say: "This verse tells us that when we choose to be a part of God's family, it's like opening a door and asking Jesus to be with us. What are some excuses that people sometimes make for not wanting to be a part of God's family?" Materials: Bibles, paper, markers, 8 inch square of poster board, pencil and paper clip Preparation: On two sheets of paper write the memory verse with blank lines for the following words: door, stand, opens, come, with, eat, with knock, voice. (See example.) Directions for making a Spinner Board: On the square of poster board find the center mark. Using a ruler divide the square into 8 equal parts. Write each of the above words--one in each part. Stick the end of the paper clip into the center of the poster board to make a spinner. (See drawing) Procedure: Divide the class into two teams. Give each team a sheet of paper with the missing words. Place the spinner board between the two teams. Player from the first team spins. The team works together to write the word from the spinner in the correct blank, referring to Revelation 3:20 in their Bibles. Then the second team takes a turn. If a team lands on a word that it does not need, the team loses its turn. Teams continue to take turns until one team correctly fills all the blanks on its paper.

Bible Memory Verse Activity: Door 1, 2 or 3 Materials: Bible verse cards; ; Fasteners (tape or tacks) Three boxes with lid flaps/doors (label these #1, #2, #3 Procedure: Make Bible Verse Cards for Revelation 3:20. Place the following phrases--one phrase on each index card.)

"Listen, I stand; at the door and knock if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him; and he with me.

Prepare boxes with lid flaps to act like doors. Distribute verse cards among boxes. One at a time, a student chooses a box, “knocks” on the door, opens it and takes a word from inside. He or she tries to place this word in the right place on the wall so the verse will be in order when finished. The next student does the same. When all words are out and in order, repeat the verse one last time.

6


Group Learning Activity: Conversation Balloons (Grades 3-5) Before class cut out 2 to 10 large conversation balloons from poster paper. Have students look up the two parables in Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:13-23. Divide the class into three groups. Give conversation balloons and markers to each group. Assign each group a character in the story. (King or master, servant, and invited guests.) Have the students in each group read the parables and when they hear something that their character said, then they are to choose a volunteer from their group to write the conversation in a balloon. Each team works together to write a short summary of what their character said. At the end of the work time, display the conversation balloons on the classroom wall. Have each group read aloud the conversation balloons that they made.

Group Learning Activity: Set the Table Relay (Grades K-5) Materials: tablecloth for each team; table for each team, paper plates, plastic forks, spoons, paper cup, napkin, candle, plastic flowers or other items to set a table. Procedure: Divide the students into two teams. If your group is large and space is limited, choose 5-6 students for each team and play the game while others cheer them on. Arrange each team behind a starting line. On the opposite end of the relay playing area, set up two tables (card tables, two chairs, or two boxes). Before the race show how the table should look when it is set. Give each team a set of table supplies. Each team member races to the table with one item, sets it in order and runs back to their team. The next student does the same until all the items are placed. (Always start with a tablecloth.) "Ready? Go!" Say: "God has prepared a wonderful place for us in heaven, where we can be close to him forever. If we accept His Great Invitation of salvation through Christ, we can begin living our lives in relationship with Him now, too!"

Group Learning Activity: Menu Cards (Grades 3-5) Materials: Bibles, Menu template for each student; colored markers, Pens and pencils Say: "In our lesson we learned about two parables that Jesus told that taught us about the "Great Supper or Banquet in heaven. In this parable we are told about the great provision that God has made for us and the excuses that people make for not accepting His blessings. Jesus provides a rich blessing through his death on the cross. The Good News is proclaimed throughout the world that "through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you."(Acts 13:38). Have students look up the following verses of scripture and then write a biblical list of blessings that comes from salvation: (1) forgiveness of sins (Acts 13:38); (2) a home in heaven (John 14:1-6); (3) No condemnation (John 5:25; Romans 8:1); (4) Peace with God (Romans 5:1); (5) Become a child of God (John 1:12). Write each blessing as an item on the menu for God's banquet. Have students write a verse that tells us the urgency of being saved at the bottom of the menu. (Examples: 2 Corinthians 6:2; Luke 13:24; Matthew 6:33). Have students decorate the menu as they desire.

Group Learning Activity: "That's No Excuse!" (Grades 2-5) Purpose: To recognize our excuses and discover practical ways to set God as our priority. Materials: Invitations or sturdy paper to create your own; blank slips of paper, pencils, trash can Optional: Instead of writing excuses on blank cards, fill a box with familiar objects that represent excuses (ie. toys, books, balls, cards, computers, or electronic games) or cut pictures of such items from magazines. Procedure: Have each child choose an object or picture to discuss an excuse and a solution. Display invitation. Say: "This card is an invitation for each of you to come and follow Jesus. We can follow Him now by praying and doing things His way." Give each child one invitation and one blank excuse card. Volunteer reads invitation aloud. Children brainstorm excuses used to not follow Jesus every day such as television, electronic games, sports, bikes, schoolwork, phone calls, computer, chores, swimming, etc. On their blank excuse card, have

7


children write or draw an excuse they use for not following Jesus every day. Ask one child to explain his or her excuse. Have all the children brainstorm ways to overcome that excuse and put Jesus first in that situation. Have the child crumble the excuse and toss it into a trash can, symbolizing the child’s choice to no longer use that excuse as a reason to not follow Jesus. Repeat steps 5-7 until each child has had a turn. Say: "Through Jesus, God provides the way for us to come to Him, so there is no good excuse for not following Him. If you are already following Jesus, keep this invitation as a reminder to follow Him every day or give it to a friend. If you have not yet decided to follow Jesus, keep it as a reminder that you are always invited to come to Him."

Craft Learning Activity: Bookmark Invitations (Grades K-3) Say: "It's fun to throw a party but it costs a lot of money. What kinds of things do people buy to get ready for a party? How much do parties cost? If parties cost a lot of money, why do you think that parents throw birthday parties for their children? What do you think it cost God to invite us to his party? God love us and He wants us to be a part of His kingdom party. But all the bad things that we do make us like the "sick and lame" in the parable, and keep us from being near God. So God sent Jesus to die on a cross to take away all the bad things we do. That is why it cost God so much so we could be a part of His kingdom." Print a copy of the template below of the cross and the invitation for each child. Have students decorate the invitation by using colored makers. Have students then cut the invitation out along the solid lines and fold it on the dotted lines. Place the invitations in envelopes and put some confetti in the envelope along with the invitation. Explain that the shape of the invitation is a reminder of the price Jesus paid for us to be a part of God's kingdom. Jesus paid this price because He loves us and wants us to live forever with Him. Say" When Jesus died on the cross He paid the price so we could be invited into God's kingdom. Anyone who believes that Jesus did this and says "yes" to God's invitation to come to the party can be a part of God's kingdom."

Craft Learning Activity: "Post Marked" Invitation Cards (Grades 3-5) Say: "Today we are going to make some cards telling others the good news of God's invitation. What are some things that you can write to tell others about God's invitation? ("Don't make excuses for ignoring the Lord." :Accept His love for you." "Each one of us has to decide.") List students' responses on the white board or a large sheet of poster paper. What are some other things you can say to help people understand God's invitation? (God's love lasts forever. Salvation is God's gift to you.) Add responses to the white board or on the poster paper." Distribute construction paper. Students fold paper in half to make cards. Students write messages from the large sheet of paper or white board on the cards, telling about God's invitation to become a member of His family. Students then decorate the cards. When the cards are completed give each student a large envelope. Students write their addresses on the envelopes and then begin trading the enveloped with other students. The students trade their envelopes at least three times. Students then place the invitations they made in envelopes they are holding and seal the envelopes. Collect the sealed envelopes and mail during the week.

Life Application Challenge: Prayer Partners Say: "Everyone has to make his or her own choice about accepting God's invitation. What are some reasons we have for wanting to be a part of God's family? Who are some people you want to tell about God's invitation?" Have students write the names on slips of paper and place them in a bag. Lead students in prayer, asking God to help each person the students named accept His invitation. Ask each child to draw a name out of the bag and take the slip home to pray for that person this week. As the leader you pray for all the names on the slips during the week.

8


Parable of the Great Banquet

Revelation 3:20

"Listen! I stand at the door and knock, if any man hears my voice and opens the door I will come in to him and have dinner with him and he with me. "

9


10


11


12


13


14


15


Heavenly Banquet Menu

Acts 13:38 _________________________________________________________________

John 14:1-6_________________________________________________________________

John 5:25 __________________________________________________________________

Romans 8:1_________________________________________________________________

Romans 5:1__________________________________________________________________

John 1:12____________________________________________________________________

Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.8 Parable of the Great Banquet€¦ · you think you are too busy,...

Documents

Transcript of Unit 4: Parables of Jesus NT4.8 Parable of the Great Banquet€¦ · you think you are too busy,...