The Bible's Best Kept Secret

We begin a new series today on the parables of the kingdom called Beyond the Story: a journey through the parables of Jesus.

In this Life Group study, we’re going to learn more about what the kingdom of God is. We will discuss what parables are and what to bear in mind as we study them. This study will explain the kingdom of God, what Jesus meant by the secret of the kingdom of God and the significance of the kingdom of God for Christ’s mission on earth - and our part in it. We will also look at the parable to understand all parables – the Sower and the Seed.

WHAT ARE PARABLES?

QUESTION: How have you thought that the parables should be interpreted in the past? Discuss.

To begin with, we need to understand what parables are. Parables have often been described as ‘earthly stories that reveal heavenly truths.’ Parables do come in story form, but by definition, a parable is not a story but a comparison. Jesus often said, “The Kingdom of God is like…” comparing an everyday part of their agrarian life or something about their first century Greco-Roman Jewish world in Palestine to some aspect of the Kingdom of God.

He used the parables primarily to talk about the kingdom of God, which was his central & unifying message throughout the gospels. Jesus preached and taught about the kingdom of God and demonstrated the power of the kingdom of God with signs and wonders and miracles and the casting out of demons.

1. So, what are some things that Jesus taught in the parables about the Kingdom of God? 
It spreads and grows, has enormous worth, demonstrates God’s love and grace, is on mission to reach those who are not in it, requires work and diligent preparation, will have mixture in it until Jesus returns, sees riches in a very different way to how the world sees them, demands forgiveness not vengeance, and it requires fruitfulness and a return on his investment by those in it.

2. How do we understand the parables: is there just one main point or what?
First, because we do not live in an agrarian society in first century Palestine, we must do our best to understand the story of the parable how they would have understood it back then. 
• Parables make a different number of points (lessons) depending on two things: 1) the number of characters mentioned and what Jesus says about them, and 2) who is listening (who is in the audience: disciples, sinners, religious people).
• One-point parables. The mustard seed and leaven (Luke 13:18-21); hidden treasure and pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-46).
• Two-point parables. The two builders (Matthew 7:24-27) or one like an authority figure and one other: the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-8). 
• Simple three-point parables. An authority figure and 2 others: the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32), the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).
• Complex three-point parables: an authority figure and two categories of others. e.g., the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the wicked tenants (Mark 12:1-12), the Sower (Mark 4:3-9, 13-20).

Helpful Resources for studying the parables:
• Craig Blomberg, Interpreting the Parables (IVP, 1990).
• Kenneth Bailey, Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: cultural studies in the gospels, (IVP Academic, 2008)

QUESTION:  Think of the parable of the Prodigal son. Note: three characters and the audience included the sinners, religious people and disciples. What might Jesus be saying to the audience about the father figure, about the younger son and about the older son?  Discuss.

LET’S LOOK AT THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER  Read Mark 4:1-20 
From this passage, we need to understand: 1) What is the Kingdom of God? 2)What is the secret of the Kingdom? And 3) What do the four types of ground represent?

1) WHAT IS THE KINGDOM OF GOD? 

The Kingdom of God is God’s kingship; His rule; His reign; His realm. Remember in Matthew 6:10, Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. God’s kingdom is where his will is done, it is where he rules and reigns in the hearts and lives of people - in heaven or earth. “If you love me, you will keep my commands” (John 14:15). Only the King who rules and reigns in His kingdom has the authority to demand such obedience.

They were all expecting the kingdom of God to be established on earth by force. That’s why Jesus told people not to talk about his Messiahship. They did not understand Isaiah 53 that Messiah had to be the suffering servant to deal with sin (and Satan and death) to allow them to enter his kingdom by faith and the new birth of the word and spirit. Jesus the Messiah came as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world.

2) WHAT DID JESUS MEAN BY THE SECRETS OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD?
The secret of the kingdom of God is that the kingdom of God has come in the person of Jesus into history in advance of the consummation of all things. It will not come at the very end of the age but at the beginning of the end of the age – the eschaton – which we discussed during our series on the book of Revelation. (Remember: the end times is the period of time between Jesus’ first coming and his second coming.) If the kingdom of God were to come at the very end of the age, then there could be no more salvation for anyone; there would be no more time. However, because it came with Jesus’ first coming, as he preached the gospel of the kingdom, those who believe are born again and are received into the kingdom before the final end has come.

Messiah Jesus, the King of God’s Kingdom, thus is able to say at the beginning of His earthly ministry, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14-15) – that is, the gospel or the good news of the Kingdom of God that people can be received into the Kingdom of God upon a genuine heartfelt faith in the person and work of Jesus. Faith – new birth – entry into God’s kingdom.
 
THE EXPLANATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED 
Here is the explanation of the parable of the Sower from Matthew, Mark and Luke. The Scripture is in italics while my comments to help explain the Scripture is in normal text.
14 The sower sows the word. Jesus is the Sower sowing the seed which is the message of the kingdom of God having come now and being present with him. Here are the four types of ground – describing the way different people respond to the message. 
1) 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them that they may not believe and be saved. 
2) 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, no depth of soil and no moisture, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 
3) 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world, the deceitfulness of riches, the desires for other things and the pleasures of this life enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 
4) 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it, hold fast to it with an honest and sincere heart and understand it, they bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
It is only the test of time and perseverance that reveals whether the seed in one’s life is fruitful or not: whether they have grown roots, persevered through persecution, avoided idolatries of wealth and pleasure and earthly concerns and have dedicated themselves to furthering the kingdom of God on earth.
• 13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables?

• Why is this the parable about parables - the parable by which to understand all parables? Because this parable most clearly and overtly describes the Mission of Jesus as it relates to the nature of the kingdom of God. 

Matthew 21:43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people (nation) who will produce its fruit.”  The church is that nation (1 Peter 2:9)

Luke 22:29 “I confer on you a kingdom, just as my father conferred one on me…”

• We, the church, are now the custodians of the kingdom of God on earth.
• That is why Jesus said, “I give you the keys to the kingdom…”

The secret of the kingdom from the parable of the Sower: the kingdom of God grows, spreads and is fruitful when the Word falls on good soil: hearts that understand it. People understand the message, believe, are born again and enter the kingship, rule and reign of Jesus in his kingdom. People who don’t understand the message of the gospel of the kingdom of God do not believe and are not saved. We are now the Sowers of the seed: “go into all the world and preach the gospel.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What did you learn about how to understand the parables through this study?
2. Has your idea of what the kingdom of God is changed? If so, how?
3. Try to explain the secret of the kingdom of God to somebody in a way that they can understand?
4. What stood out about the parable of the Sower to you?
5. What are your thoughts on you, now, being a Sower of the seed of God’s Word about the kingdom of God? Discuss.