Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 7

Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 7 Questions

1.      Read Mt 12:38-42 What are you thoughts on these verses? What are two images (thoughts) you can visualize from Jesus' reference to Jonah and Nineveh?

Mt12:38

Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher [Rabbi], we want to see a sign from You.”

Jesus had just performed a miracle, yet the religious leaders asked for another sign (miracle). They chose to disregard by negative volition His previous miracles. The word “sign” is a special word for a miracle that points to authenticity; it is a stronger term than “miracle.” Jesus refused to respond to their new criterion.

Mt12:39

But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign,

Jesus’ answer to the temerity of the scribes and Pharisees, spokesmen for their generation, was that they would only receive one sign—the sign of Jonah, the resurrection. The reason was that they were in deep negative volition. Jesus was not about to accommodate unbelief. An “adulterous generation” is an apostate generation that commits adultery with false doctrine. Getting in bed with false doctrine is unfaithfulness to God.

Note that Jesus assigned historicity to the book of Jonah and to the truth of the fish swallowing him.

and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

The “sign of Jonah” is the resurrection (v. 40). This was the only sign Jesus would give to validate His authenticity.

Mt12:40

For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth [the grave].

The picture of Jonah swallowed by the fish and disgorged on land was an analogy to Christ’s passion, burial, and resurrection (Jonah 1:17). Jesus’ resurrection would dramatically display to the nation Israel His authenticity.

This is the second time Jesus announced His resurrection three days after His death (Jn 2:19).

Mt12:41

The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah;

Jesus now cited two examples of Gentiles with positive volition:

·         Jonah’s experience with the city of Nineveh (12:41)

·         Solomon’s experience with the queen of Sheba (12:42)

Gentiles in Nineveh (capital of the Assyrian Empire) did not have the Old Testament, but they repented with positive volition to Jonah’s message (Jonah 3:5-10).

and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.

Note the three “greater than” phrases in this chapter:

·         Jesus was greater than the temple (12:6)

·         Jesus was greater than Jonah (12:41)

·         Jesus was greater than Solomon (12:42)

Jesus the Messiah here is greater than Jonah.

Mt12:42

The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;

The Gentile queen of Sheba (from the eastern shore of the Red Sea on the Arabian Peninsula) responded with positive volition towards God and sought out Solomon’s wisdom (1 Ki 10:1-13).

and indeed a greater than Solomon is here.

Jesus is greater than Solomon because of His transcending wisdom.

PRINCPLE: Faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Some people repent with less evidence than others. God provides mankind with adequate evidence for anyone to believe. There are people who want more proof, whereas they have enough to believe. Demand for more evidence is an indication of unbelief.

1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. He 11:1

2. Read Mt 12:46-50 What are your thoughts on these verses? Who is the family of God?

Mt12:46

While He was still talking to the multitudes,

While Jesus was still speaking to the crowd about the demon-possessed man, this section running from 12:46-50 came about.

behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

Jesus’ mother and half-brothers stood waiting to talk to Him. Some of His brothers did not believe Him until after His resurrection (Jn 7:5).

Mt12:47

Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.”

Jesus used the occasion of His family’s desire to speak to Him as a lesson on the spiritual family.

This verse does not occur in some manuscripts.

Mt12:48

But He answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”

By putting the mother of Jesus and His brothers in close juxtaposition in this verse, it is clear that the brothers of Jesus were not merely spiritual brothers or cousins but His physical brothers; therefore, Mary was not a perpetual virgin. Note also that Mary did not occupy a place of special privilege.

Jesus did not repute his earthly family here but asserted His eternal family.

Mt12:49

And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers!

“Disciples” here refers to those who follow Jesus. Blood relations are superseded by spiritual relations. Jesus gestured with His hand, making this point dramatic. The emphatic point is that mission is more important than temporal values. Eternal relationships are more important than human relationships.  

Mt12:50

For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.”

The idea here is that whoever accepts Jesus as the Messiah is Jesus’ brother and sister. The word “will” carries the idea of desired. The desire of the Father is that people accept Jesus as Messiah.

PRINCIPLE: Jesus’ new family is based on regeneration, not generation.

Our spiritual relationships are more important than our human relationships. Regenerate people will live with Christ eternally. A “born again” person is someone who believes in Jesus and His message.

3Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again [regeneration], he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born [generation] when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born [generation]?” 5Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water [generation] and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6That which is born of the flesh is flesh [generation], and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit [regeneration]. 7Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again [regeneration].’ 8The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit [regeneration].” Jn 3:3-8

3. Chapter 13 is in one regard a picture of the family (kingdom) of God. Outline chapter 13 as a sermon. Use basic tools of homiletics and alliteration to structure your outline. While some believe that the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are referring to different things, it is clear that both phrases are referring to the same thing. The phrase “kingdom of God” occurs 68 times in 10 different New Testament books, while “kingdom of heaven” occurs only 32 times, and only in the Gospel of Matthew. In response to this, some interpreters have come to the conclusion, with the understanding of the Jewish nature of the Gospel of Matthew, that Matthew was writing concerning the millennial kingdom while the other New Testament authors were referring to the universal kingdom. However, a study of the use of the phrase reveals that this interpretation is in error.

For example, in the story of the rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16-24, Christ uses “kingdom of heaven” to speak of the spiritual kingdom. “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’” (v. 23). In the very next verse, Christ proclaims, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” So, in answer to the rich young ruler’s question concerning eternal life (v. 16), Christ uses the phrases “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” interchangeably.

Mark and Luke used “kingdom of God” where Matthew used “kingdom of heaven” quite frequently. In the same parable, the authors used different words, indicating that the two are referring to the same thing. Compare Matthew 11:11-12 with Luke 7:28; Matthew 13:11 with Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10; Matthew 13:24 with Mark 4:26; Matthew 13:31 with Mark 4:30 and Luke 13:18; Matthew 13:33 with Luke 13:20; Matthew 18:3 with Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16; and Matthew 22:2 with Luke 13:29. In each of these instances, Matthew used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” while Mark and/or Luke used “kingdom of God.” Clearly, the two phrases are interchangeable because they refer to the same thing.

4. Read the parable of the Sower and its interpretation by Christ. What is it meaning?

The Parable of the Sower (also known as the Parable of the Four Soils) is found in Matthew 13:3-9; Mark 4:2-9; and Luke 8:4-8. After presenting this parable to the multitude, Jesus interprets it for His disciples in Matthew 13:18-23; Mark 4:13-20; and Luke 8:11-15.

The Parable of the Sower concerns a sower who scatters seed, which falls on four different types of ground. The hard ground “by the way side” prevents the seed from sprouting at all, and the seed becomes nothing more than bird food. The stony ground provides enough soil for the seeds to germinate and begin to grow, but because there is “no deepness of earth,” the plants do not take root and are soon withered in the sun. The thorny ground allows the seed to grow, but the competing thorns choke the life out of the beneficial plants. The good ground receives the seed and produces much fruit.

Jesus’ explanation of the Parable of the Sower highlights four different responses to the gospel. The seed is “the word of the kingdom.” The hard ground represents someone who is hardened by sin; he hears but does not understand the Word, and Satan plucks the message away, keeping the heart dull and preventing the Word from making an impression. The stony ground pictures a man who professes delight with the Word; however, his heart is not changed, and when trouble arises, his so-called faith quickly disappears. The thorny ground depicts one who seems to receive the Word, but whose heart is full of riches, pleasures, and lusts; the things of this world take his time and attention away from the Word, and he ends up having no time for it. The good ground portrays the one who hears, understands, and receives the Word—and then allows the Word to accomplish its result in his life. The man represented by the “good ground” is the only one of the four who is truly saved, because salvation’s proof is fruit (Matthew 3:7-8; 7:15-20).

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Sower: “A man’s reception of God’s Word is determined by the condition of his heart.” A secondary lesson would be “Salvation is more than a superficial, albeit joyful, hearing of the gospel. Someone who is truly saved will go on to prove it.” May our faith and our lives exemplify the "good soil" in the Parable of the Sower.

5. Read the parables of the Pearl and Treasure. Give your assessment of the meaning.

Matthew 13:44-46 :44 "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. 45 "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The man in the parable "went in his joy" to sell everything. Why?  Because he found a treasure worth possessing above all else he had.  He did not, however, have enough to buy the treasure. Fortunately, he only needed enough to buy the field. In a similar fashion, God offers his kingdom as incomparable treasure at a price we can afford! We can't pay the full price for the life which God gives us; but when we exchange our life for the life which God offers, we receive a treasure beyond compare. The pearl of great price also tells us a similar lesson.  Pearls in the ancient world came to represent the supremely valuable.  Jesus remarked that one should not cast pearls before swine (Matthew 7:6). Why would a mercant sell everything for a peerless pearl?  No doubt because he was attracted to what he thought was the greatest treasure he could possess. Discovering God's kingdom is like stumbling across hidden treasure or finding the one pearl of great price.  When we discover the kingdom of God we receive the greatest possible treasure -- the Lord himself. Selling all that we have to obtain this incomparable treasure could mean many things -- our friends, job, our "style of life", what we do with our free time. Treasure has a special connection to the heart, the place of desire and longing, the place of will and focus. The thing we most set our heart on is our highest treasure. In this parable what does the treasure of the kingdom refer to? It certainly refers to the kingdom of God in all its aspects. But in a special way, the Lord himself is the treasure we seek for. If the Almighty is your gold and your precious silver, then you will delight yourself in the Almighty (Job 22:22-23). Is the Lord the treasure and delight of your heart?

"Lord Jesus, reveal to me the true riches of your kingdom. Help me to set my heart on you alone as the treasure beyond compare with any other. Free my heart of any inordinate desires or attachment to other things that I may freely give to you all that I have in joy and gratitude for all that you have given to me. May I always find joy and delight in your presence."

6. Read the parables of the Wheat & tares and Dragnet. What is your assessment (meaning) of these parables?

The Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, or Tares, is filled with spiritual significance and truth. But, in spite of the clear explanation of the parable that Jesus gave (Matthew 13:36-43), this parable is very often misinterpreted. Many commentaries and sermons have attempted to use this story as an illustration of the condition of the church, noting that there are both true believers (the wheat) and false professors (the weeds) in both the church at large and individual local churches. While this may be true, Jesus distinctly explains that the field is not the church; it is the world (v. 38).

Even if He hadn’t specifically told us the world is the setting of the story, it would still be obvious. The landowner tells the servants not to pull up the weeds in the field, but to leave them until the end of the age. If the field were the church, this command would directly contradict Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18, which tells us how to deal with unrepentant sinners in the church: they are to be put out of the fellowship and treated as unbelievers. Jesus never instructed us to let impenitent sinners remain in our midst until the end of the age. So, Jesus is teaching here about “the kingdom of heaven” (v. 24) in the world.

In the agricultural society of Christ’s time, many farmers depended on the quality of their crops. An enemy sowing weeds would have sabotaged a business. The tares in the parable were likely darnel because that weed, until mature, appears as wheat. Without modern weed killers, what would a wise farmer do in such a dilemma? Instead of tearing out the wheat with the tares, the landowner in this parable wisely waited until the harvest. After harvesting the whole field, the tares could be separated and burned. The wheat would be saved in the barn.

In the explanation of parable, Christ declares that He Himself is the sower. He spreads His redeemed seed, true believers, in the field of the world. Through His grace, these Christians bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). Their presence on earth is the reason the “kingdom of heaven” is like the field of the world. When Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17; Mark 3:2), He meant the spiritual realm which exists on earth side by side with the realm of the evil one (1 John 5:19). When the kingdom of heaven comes to its fruition, heaven will be a reality and there will be no “weeds” among the “wheat.” But for now, both good and bad seeds mature in the world.

The enemy in the parable is Satan. In opposition to Jesus Christ, the devil tries to destroy Christ’s work by placing false believers and teachers in the world who lead many astray. One has only to look at the latest televangelist scandal to know the world is filled with professing “Christians” whose ungodly actions bring reproach on the name of Christ. But we are not to pursue such people in an effort to destroy them. For one thing, we don’t know if immature and innocent believers might be injured by our efforts. Further, one has only to look at the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and the reign of “Bloody Mary” in England to see the results of men taking upon themselves the responsibility of separating true believers from false, a task reserved for God alone. Instead of requiring these false believers to be rooted out of the world, and possibly hurting immature believers in the process, Christ allows them to remain until His return. At that time, angels will separate the true from false believers.

In addition, we are not to take it upon ourselves to uproot unbelievers because the difference between true and false believers isn’t always obvious. Tares, especially in the early stages of growth, resemble wheat. Likewise, a false believer may resemble a true believer. In Matthew 7:22, Jesus warned that many profess faith but do not know Him. Thus, each person should examine his own relationship with Christ (2 Corinthians 13:5). First John is an excellent test of salvation.

Jesus Christ will one day establish true righteousness. After He raptures the true church out of this world, God will pour out His righteous wrath on the world. During that tribulation, He will draw others to saving faith in Jesus Christ. At the end of the tribulation, all unbelievers will be judged for their sin and unbelief; then, they will be removed from God’s presence. True followers of Christ will reign with Him. What a glorious hope for the “wheat”!

7. Outline a sermon using; a)Parable of Sower as point one b)Parable of the Pearl as point two c)Parable of Wheat & tares as point 3

A)Parable of Sower "This story is about our hearts and how we respond to the Word of God," he says. "The soil is our heart and the heart is the center of our lives. Everything we think, do and believe flows from our heart. Jesus calls us to first respond with our hearts and then with our hands and feet." Here's how the passage breaks down: A sower goes into the field to sow seed. As he does, the seed falls in four places:

along the path, where it gets trampled on and eaten by birds

on the rocks, where it grows but quickly withers

among thorns, where it grew but is choked

on good soil, where it grew and "yielded a hundredfold"

In the passage, Jesus explains the parable by saying that the seed is the word of God, and people who hear the word are soil. He also says bearing fruit requires "an honest and good heart" and takes patience. Here is what the different types of soil reveal about the possible disposition of our heart:

Hard soil  – unresponsive (Luke 8:12) Cf: Staying in sync with the Holy Spirit is challenging, but possible in Him.

Rocky soil – impulsive (Luke 8:13)

Thorny soil – preoccupied (Luke 8:14) Cf: Our priorities are clear in the word, but our nature and culture consistently deceives us.

Good soil – responsive (Luke 8:15) Cf: Though opportunity and ability is abundant, be aware of our condition.

Command: Go bear fruit with patience. (Luke 8:15, Galatians 5) What this means:

Good works

Good deeds

Spiritual gifts

Mission

How we do this:

Follow the Holy Spirit

Hear and Hold fast to the word

Have an honest, repentant heart

Cling to Christ with perseverance and patience

As we pursue Christ in this, we pray:

For hearts that are receptive to the gospel.

For eyes to see the opportunities we have to sow the seeds of the gospel in our neighborhood.

For God to grow the seeds we have sown and produce fruit for His glory.

b)Parable of the Pearl (Mt 13:45-46): 1. In "The Parable Of The Hidden Treasure", I suggested...

   a. That Jesus was depicting the "value" of the kingdom to one who

      accidentally finds it

   b. That Paul's conversion was an example of how one is willing to

      give up all in order to lay hold of the "treasure" of the kingdom

   c. That the value of the kingdom can be seen when we consider that

      it is:

      1) A refuge from the powers of darkness - Co 1:13

      2) A domain of righteousness, peace, and joy - Ro 14:17

      3) An unshakable kingdom - He 12:25-29

      4) Destined for eternal glory - Mt 13:41-43

2. Jesus followed His parable with another short parable...

   a. Commonly called "The Parable Of The Pearl Of Great Price" - Mt

      13:45-46

   b. Its similarity to the previous parable is obvious, and yet there

      is a difference

THE PARABLE EXPLAINED

   A. THE DETAILS OF THE PARABLE...

      1. A merchant is seeking beautiful pearls

      2. He finds one pearl of great price

      3. Undeterred by its price, he sells all that he has and buys it!

   B. THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE...

      1. The use of the word "Again" ties this parable to the preceding

         one

         a. Where the value and preciousness of the kingdom was being

            described

         b. Where we saw the value to one who accidentally finds it

      2. But in this parable, the person is on a mission to find that

         which is of great value

         a. He believes there is something out there worth looking for,

            or he would not be seeking it

         b. When he finds it, he immediately recognizes its value and

            is willing to sell all to obtain it

      3. Neither this parable (nor the previous one) is suggesting we

         can "buy" or otherwise "earn" our salvation

         a. For salvation is a gift - cf. Ro 6:23

         b. We can "buy" salvation only in the sense of gaining

            rightful possession of it

            1) Which we do by grace through faith - cf. Ep 2:8-9

            2) When we submit to the working of God and the renewing

               the Holy Spirit which takes place as we are baptized

               into Christ - cf. Co 2:11-13; Ti 3:4-7

      4. This parable, then, describes how some people react to the

         kingdom of heaven, when they know there must be something out

         there worthy of great value and have been searching for it

c)Parable of Wheat & tares( Matthew 13:24-30 & 36-43):

Do you plant flowers around the house or a small garden in the spring of the year? If you do, what grows among your flowers and vegetables throughout the spring and summer? Weeds, correct? Among the beautiful flowers and the vegetable plants those nasty weeds keep sprouting and growing. We then must spend the time to weed them out. That is a never ending job.

While you are weeding out those weeds, do you ever think about whom you have to thank for those weeds in your garden? The devil, who led Adam into sin, for which reason the ground was cursed to produce weeds.

Not only is the devil through sin responsible for the weeds in our garden, he is also responsible for another kind of weed in the world. We learn this through Jesus’ Parable of The Weeds Among The Wheat.

During his earthly ministry in Galilee Jesus went about preaching the good news of the kingdom and casting out demons to free people from the tyranny of the devil. Through us Jesus continues to preach the gospel of the kingdom to the people of the world so that they, together with us, believe in Jesus and walk with him. But all the time the devil is working in the hearts and minds of people to reject Jesus and his gospel and to keep them bound in unbelief and sin. Jesus’ Parable of The Weeds Among The Wheat gives us an insight into what is happening and what will happen in the end.

Verse 24 states: Jesus told the people another parable: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.” The kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God are one and the same kingdom. It is the kingdom that belongs to heaven and to God. Jesus is the King of this kingdom. His kingdom is within the hearts of people like us, in whose hearts he rules by his Word. His kingdom, then, consists of his believers and his heirs of heaven.

What happens in connection with his kingdom is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. From Jesus’ explanation of his parable we know that Jesus himself is the man who planted the good seed. The good seed is the sons of the kingdom, the believers in him, who have the right to inherit his kingdom of glory and life everlasting. His field is the world. In and throughout the world he raises up his believers through the preaching of his gospel.

While Jesus is planting and raising up his believers in the world, his enemy is at work. Verse 25 states: “But while men were sleeping his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.” Jesus’ enemy is the devil, who leads the whole world astray into unbelief and sin. In Jesus’ field of the world the devil plants weed seed among Jesus’ good seed. The weed seed is the sons of the evil one, the devil. They are those who reject Jesus and his Word and remain in the darkness of unbelief and commit acts of lawlessness.

If you have ever shared the gospel of Jesus with someone, only to have that person fail to understand it and reject it, you know whom you have to blame -- the devil, the god of this age, who has planted a weed seed. Look at what 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4 states: “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in those who are perishing, in whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so they do not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

Verse 26 of the parable states: “But when the stalks of wheat sprouted and produced grain, then the weeds also appeared.” As a result of the devil’s evil work there are weeds among the wheat, unbelievers among the believers.

We might think: “I am glad that I am not a weed and a child of the devil.” But remember what we were by nature. By nature we were children of the devil, enslaved to his evil will, bound in the darkness of spiritual ignorance and unbelief, and inclined only toward sin all the time. We were numbered among the devil’s weeds.

Only by the grace of God have we been raised up to be Jesus’ wheat to believe in him and to live by his Word. Jesus has sown and planted us through his gospel, namely that he redeemed us by his perfect life which he lived for us and by his sacrificial death through which he paid for our sins. Through him we possess the forgiveness of our sins, salvation from hell, and life everlasting.

Among us believers in the world exist the devil’s weeds -- not only the idolaters, atheists, and the extremely wicked, but the false Christians, hypocrites, and heretics as well. Outwardly the latter may exhibit a faith and piety. Inwardly, however, they lack true faith in Jesus and do not do his holy will. We must remain faithful to Jesus and his gospel so we ourselves do not slip into becoming one of the devil’s weeds.

Verses 27-29 of the parable state: “Then after the slaves of the master of the house came, they said to him, 'Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field? Then where have the weeds come from?' So he said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' Therefore the slaves said to him, 'Then, do you wish that we go and pick them?' But he said, 'No, lest while you are picking the weeds, you uproot the wheat together with them.' ”

The command that the weeds are not to be pulled up does not mean that when they are plainly evident within the church they should not be disciplined to be led to repentance and when necessary excommunicated from the congregation for impenitence. Indeed, they should be. The command not to pull up the weeds applies to Christians who desire to root out from the world the unbelievers and those of a different faith or religion. More than once the visible church has tried to eradicate the weeds from the world. The Crusades used the sword against the Muslim infidels. The Inquisitions tried people for heresy and imprisoned, tortured, and put them to death. The church burned at the stake those whom it considered heretics, such as Savonarola of Italy and John Huss of Bohemia. Martin Luther was declared an outlaw who should be arrested or killed on sight. Jesus does not intend his visible church to eradicate the false Christians, heretics, and unbelievers from the world. If this were tried, some true believers, the wheat, would be uprooted with the weeds in the process.

Jesus has a more effective way to eradicate the devil’s weeds. Verse 30 of the parable states: “Permit them both to grow together until the harvest; and when it is the time of harvest I will tell the harvesters, ‘First gather up the weeds and tie them into bundles to burn them up, and then gather the wheat into my barn.’ ”

The false Christians, hypocrites, heretics, and unbelievers are to be left in the world among Jesus’ true believers until the harvest. The harvest is the judgment at the end of the world. The harvesters are Jesus’ holy angels. He will have his angels gather up the devil’s weeds from among the wheat, bind them up, and throw them into the furnace, which is the burning fires of hell. There they will weep in sorrow and gnash their teeth in frustration and anger over being cast into the torments of hell. Then the angels will gather up the believers, who are righteous in the blood and righteousness of Jesus, and they will shine gloriously in the kingdom of the Father’s glory.

Jesus’ parable should cause us to reflect on whether we are a weed or wheat. We must be careful that we do not become a weed that will be burned in the end. We have had the gospel preached to us. We have heard the good news of the salvation and eternal life which Jesus has procured for us with his death for our sins. If we should turn astray from Jesus and his gospel and treat it with contempt, we will be gathered up as a weed to be burned. Hebrews 10:26-31 states: “For if we continue sinning intentionally after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but only a certain frightful expectation of judgment and a fierceness of fire that is about to devour the adversaries. Anyone who rejected Moses’ law dies without pity in the presence of two or three witnesses. To how much worse punishment do you think he will be considered worthy who trampled the Son of God under foot, and regarded the blood of the covenant unholy by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY;’ and again, ‘THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.’ 31 It is a frightful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” If we don’t think we could fall away, we should remember that 1 Corinthians 10:12 states: “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands beware that he does not fall!”

We surely must remain wheat. We must remain faithful to Jesus and his Word. Then in the end his angels will carry us into heaven. There we will shine in the glory of Jesus himself. For he will transform our lowly body into the likeness of his glorious body. We will enjoy the blessedness of his presence and every spiritual blessing he has prepared for us in heaven. Never again will we suffer the adversities and misery in this life. Never again will the devil be able to attack and torment us.

In this world there are weeds among the wheat. We must not become weeds. We must remain wheat through the hearing and believing of Jesus’ gospel and by living according to his Word. Amen.

8. Explain Mt 13:10-15. Should this be taken literally or is it a figure of speech?

Mt13:10

And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

The disciples questioned Jesus as to why He spoke in parables because that form of communication had an element of obscurity.

Mt13:11

He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven,

Jesus’ reply to the disciples’ question was that He spoke in parables to those with positive volition (believers) and not to those with negative volition (unbelievers). The disciples could know the “mysteries” of the kingdom” because they responded positively to His message.

A mystery is a truth not previously revealed. It is not something spooky or mysterious but something not revealed until Jesus disclosed it in these parables. The mystery that Jesus revealed was that the kingdom would have an interim nature before the Millennial kingdom comes. The Old Testament revealed no interim kingdom.

Matthew used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” whereas Mark, Luke, and John used the phrase “kingdom of God.” Matthew occasionally used “kingdom of God” (12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43). The phrase “kingdom of heaven” includes both believers and unbelievers but the phrase “kingdom of God” excludes unbelievers. We can see unbelievers in the parables of the wheat and weeds, the mustard seed, and the net.

Jesus did not give parables of the “kingdom of heaven” until after Israel formally rejected Him as Messiah. The Old Testament did not give revelation about rejection of the Messiah, so Jesus now revealed what would happen as a result of that rejection. He introduced an interim kingdom between the offer of His Messiahship and His Second Coming. At the Second Coming Israel will formally accept Him as Messiah, and then He will usher in His Millennial kingdom.

but to them it has not been given.

Jesus did not reveal the interim kingdom to unbelieving Israel because they had already rejected Him as Messiah. That is why He spoke in parables. Parables serve the double use of revealing and concealing. They reveal to believers and conceal to unbelievers. God permits believers to know and does not permit unbelievers to know.

PRINCIPLE: God reveals Himself to those who believe and conceals Himself to those who do not.

People who apply truth with positive volition will receive more truth. Those who desire truth can find it. God always honors those with a heart to know Him.

Mt13:12

For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance;

It may appear arbitrary that Jesus withheld revelation from some, but He had a reason for it. Jesus gave those with faith more revelation. Light breeds light.

but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

Israel rejected Jesus’ claim to Messiahship; He therefore would offer them no further evidence. Darkness breeds darkness.

PRINCIPLE: What we abuse, we lose.

What we do not use, we lose. Those who respond with positive volition to God’s Word and apply truth to experience will receive more truth for more growth. God is in the business of opening truth to those who desire it. Negative volition produces spiritual dwarfs with little capacity for spiritual growth

Mt13:13

Therefore[because of this] I speak to them in parables, because [cause] seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Jesus now got to the heart of why He spoke in parables. Although Israel was exposed to truth (seeing), they could not see the truth because they rejected His revelation through negative volition. Willful rejection of Jesus’ credentials leads to official rejection. They had all the revelation they needed to accept Him, but they were determined not to respond.

Mt13:14

And in them [in reference to negative volition of Israel] the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled [being fulfilled],

Jesus quoted the Greek translation of Isaiah 6:9, 10 here to prove that His generation would go negative in volition towards Him (Luke quoted this verse in Acts 28:26-27).

The context of the Isaiah 6 quote was to show that Israel’s hardness of heart would continue until the land lay in ruins and the nation be put in exile. Israel was in a state of judicial blindness.

which says: ‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive;

The Lord exposed truth to Israel, but they officially rejected Him as Messiah. Exposure to truth does not mean that they understood it. Israel’s spiritual blindness came from callousness of heart.

“Hear” has the idea of listening with response. Both hearing and seeing are systems of perception. Having reached perception about Jesus, they rejected who He was and what He did.

Mt13:15

For the hearts of this people have grown dull.

The heart of Israel was in a sad state so that it was blunted and not receptive to truth. They were insensitive to revelation.

Their ears are hard of hearing,

They did not hear because they did not want to hear.

And their eyes they have closed,

Closing of eyes is an expression of willful negative volition. They refused to look at truth.

Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,

The two occurrences of “lest” indicate fear of receiving truth. They were afraid to face the truth of what Jesus represents.

Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’

Jesus could not heal the nation unless they “turned” (repented) towards Him. “Heal” here is spiritual healing.

9. Explain Mt 13:34-35.

Mt13:34

All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables;

With this verse Jesus formally concluded the first half of His present kingdom discourse with four parables. Jesus spoke in parables to withhold truth about the kingdom.

and without a parable He did not speak to them,

For His remaining ministry in Galilee Jesus spoke in parables.

 Mt13:35

that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

“Fulfilled” here is application of type fulfillment. Asaph prophesied that the Messiah would speak in parables (Ps 78:2).

“I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

A parable is an enigmatic statement. Asaph spoke in parables to reveal what is not immediately apparent. Jesus’ use of parables functioned to conceal truth to those with negative volition. God withheld these truths from the creation of the world.

PRINCIPLE: God hides truth from people with negative volition.

God both hides truth from those without Christ. On the other hand, He reveals truth to those with positive volition. He shows Himself to believers who have a hunger for God’s Word.

God also reveals His purpose for the church to principalities and powers in heavenly places what He is doing in the church: Ephesians three is the chapter where God reveals to the apostle Paul the idea of the church. This was a change in God’s economy from the nation Israel to the church. This event was of such moment that angels in heaven stood in amazement at God’s wisdom in forming the church.

10to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, Eph 3:10

10.Explain Mt 13:51

Mt13:51

Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.”

Jesus finished His parabolic discourse on the interim present kingdom and asked His disciples whether they understood all these things. They replied that they did understand them