Anesti Ministries

The purpose of parables.

v1-17 Jesus begins using parables to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Parables are earthy examples used to help people understand spiritual realities. Parables separate those whose hearts are truly seeking (verse 16) from those whose hearts are closed (verse 13). Parables cannot be understood unless we come to Jesus for the explanation (Verse 18 & 36).

Questions for Bible Study

What does verse 14 tell us about the condition of the people’s heart?

Why does Jesus use parables to describe the Kingdom?

How do we understand parables?

How to receive the Kingdom?

v18-23 The impact the Gospel has in your life is dependent on the condition of your heart. The seed that is sown is the Word of God. If you want God’s word to make an impact in your life, your heart must be receptive. There are 4 lessons from the parable of the sower.

1. Does your heart accept and seek to truly understand God’s word? A heart that is hardened cannot receive God’s Word.
2. Is your heart grounded in God’s Word? A heart that dwells in God’s Word will stand firm when encountering opposition.
3. Do you allow God’s word to speak into your life? God’s word cannot transform your life if you are not open to the Lord’s correction.
4. When you prepare your heart to receive God’s word, it will bear exponential fruit in your life.

Question for Bible Study

What does the parable of the sower teach us about receiving God’s Word?

Where is the Kingdom?

v24-33 Jesus uses 3 parables of the wheat, mustard seed and leaven to show us where the Kingdom is.

1. Parable of the Wheat: God has a purpose for allowing believers and unbelievers to live on the earth until the coming day of judgment.
2. Parable of the Mustard Seed: The Kingdom of heaven may begins as a small spiritual seed inside the heart but it grows into something great over time.
3. Parable of the Leaven: The Kingdom of God is hidden but it works to bring transformation over time.

v36-43 When we do not understand God’s word, we can pray to Jesus to give us understanding. The parable of the wheat teaches us that a day of judgment will come at God’s appointed time. Those who believe in Jesus will be gathered into God’s eternal Kingdom and those who do not believe will be destroyed.

Question for Bible Study

What do these 3 parables teach us about the Kingdom of God?

The Worth of the Kingdom

v44-50 Jesus uses 3 parables of treasure, pearl and net to describe the true worth of the Kingdom.

1. Parable of the Treasure: Finding the Kingdom is the greatest joy anyone can ever find.
2. Parable of the Pearl: The Kingdom is the greatest treasure that that is worth sacrificing all that a person has to obtain it.
3. Parable of the Net: Those who enter the Kingdom will receive an eternal blessing and be spared from judgment.

Question for Bible Study

What do these parables teach you about the worth of the Kingdom?

v51-52 As disciples, we are called to be scribes of the Kingdom. The scribes studied how to interpret Scripture and were teachers of the Law. Disciples must understand the message of the Kingdom and also teach others. We do this by showing how the new revelation of God through Jesus Christ fulfils the revelation of God in the Old Testament scriptures. Both the new teachings of Jesus and the Old Testament are treasures because they are revelations from God. Matthew himself consistently shows in this Gospel how Jesus fulfils the Old Testament Scriptures.

Question for Bible Study

What does it mean to be trained for the Kingdom (verse 52)?

v53-58 Unbelief and taking offence stops Jesus from working in our lives. The people in Nazareth could not accept Jesus’ true identity because they only saw Him as another human being.