Parables of Jesus Christ

Scriptures on the Parable

• Matthew 13:31-32
• Mark 4:30-32
• Luke 13:18-19

Setting of the Parable

• Matthew/Mark - still by the seaside
• Jesus sitting in the boat
• Multitude on the seashore
• Luke 13:10 - Sabbath day in the synagogue
• Jesus would have repeated the parables

Moral of the Parable

• Kingdom of heaven
• Small beginning
• Unnatural growth
• Attracts all sorts of birds(people)
• There are other subservient truths

Parables 3 and 4

• Reveal the development of the Kingdom
• Mustard seed speaks of external growth
• Leaven speaks of internal growth
• These both work together into what is today

Exposition of the Parable

• Uninterpreted by Jesus
• Some think we can't interpret it
• Jesus already gave us keys
• Principles and keys of interpretation
• A moral principle

Jesus gave to His disciples(and to us) enough interpretive clues in the interpretation of the first two parables in Matthew 13.

How do we interpret it?

• Use the Word to interpret the Word
• Comparative Mention Principle
• Compare Spiritual with Spiritual
• Scripture with Scripture 1 Cor 2:13
• Human mind can't understand it 1 Cor 2:14

How do we interpret it?

• Interpret the symbols
• Romans 2:20; 1 Cor 10:1-11
• What's the major truth?
• Parable is short
• See the parts, the whole becomes evident

The Kingdom of Heaven

• "the kingdom of Heaven is like..."
• resembles, corresponds to, represents
• 6 of the 8 parables start like this
• Mark - "a comparison" Mark 4:30

A grain of mustard seed

• Mentioned in each of the Synoptics
• First 3 parables are "seed parables"
• 1st parable - seed is the word
• 2nd parable - 2 seeds(children of kingdoms)
• 3rd parable - grain of mustard seed, to a tree

A grain of mustard seed

• Everything comes from the seed
• Genesis 1:11-12
• Seed in parable is Black mustard
• Smallest of all "garden" seeds
• Proverbially denotes anything minute

A grain of mustard seed

• Birds lodging in the branches
• Came for the seed
• Some mustard plants in rich soil
• As tall as a horse and rider(10'-12')
• Can grow taller if cultivated well

A grain of mustard seed

• Mustards are annuals
• Annuals mature and die in 1 year
• Bible talks of seasons
• Mustard reproduce with extraordinary swiftness

The seed of the kingdom

• Developed over these parables
• Sower and Seed - word of the kingdom
• Wheat and tares - Children of the kingdom
• Mustard seed - The kingdom of heaven presently

Mustard seed

• Referenced in 5 verses in NT
• 3 of those are this parable
• 2 are in reference to faith
• Matthew 17:20
• Luke 17:6

The Man, The Sower

• As in previous parables
• Points to The Son of Man
• Matthew 13:37
• John 12:24 - to bring forth more fruit
• Matthew 13:31 mustard seed - kingdom 

The Field

• "field" used 7 times in Matthew 13
• Vs 24, 27, 31, 36, 38, 44
• It's His field
• Mark 4:31 - the earth
• Luke 13:19 - His garden

The Least of all Seeds

• Smallest garden seed
• Yet can grow greatly
• Speaks of beginnings
• Planted by Preaching
• Luke 16:16

Unnatural Growth

• Mustard generally grows into small bush
• In this case, unnatural, abnormal growth
• Matthew 13:32 - becomes a tree

Became a tree

• Luke 13:19 - "great tree"
• Small seed to a great tree
• Trees in scripture - People or kingdoms
• Mustard seed growth symbolizes
• Growth of the kingdom of God

Became a tree

• Symbolic of a person
• Psalm 1:1-3; 52:8; 92:12-14
• Jeremiah 17:5-8
• 1st parable in the Bible - Judges 9:8-15
• The wicked - Psalm 37:35

Became a tree

• Symbolic of a Kingdom
• Israel a vine - Psalm 80:8
• Israel a branch - Romans 11:17-21
• Israel a fig tree - Hosea 9:10; Mat 21:18-19
• Jesus and believers - John 15:1-6

Became a tree

• Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon
• Likened to a great tree, cut down, restored
• Daniel 4
• Birds of the air lodged in the branches
• All kingdoms trusted in Babylon

Became a tree

• Mustard seed tree 
• Represents growth of the kingdom
• The gospel has spread through the earth
• "His field"

The Birds

• Consistency would tend towards Mat 13:4
• Fowls from 1st parable
• Yet, many verses on fowls
• Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6; Daniel 2:38; 4:12-14
• Birds come - enjoy the seed, make nests

The Birds

• Abraham drove them away - Gen 15:10-11
• Leviticus 11:13-20 - God defined unclean birds
• Deuteronomy 14:20 - Distinction given
• Only clean birds were fit for the altar of sacrifice
• Babylon habitation of unclean/hateful bird Rev 18:1-2

The Birds

• Speak of clean and unclean
• Mixture in the kingdom again!
• Peter's vision - Acts 10:12
• Points to Gentiles coming into kingdom

The Birds

• "Clean birds" - true believers, dove
• feed on the seed of the Word
• "Unclean birds" - raven
• feed on the flesh
• Could also be Jews and Gentiles

The Branches

• Birds of the air lodged in them
• Made nests there
• Found refuge, protection there
• Seeds on the branches were food
• Seeds are strongly aromatic, good food

The Branches

• Matthew and Luke speak of birds coming
• Mark says the may come
• We see the Kingdom of God in the Church
• We see the development of the church
• From beginning in Gospels/Acts

The Branches

• Over centuries phenomenal growth
• Even to our day
• We can see "great branches" of Pentecost
• Tree has many branches/great churches worldwide
• All sorts are making their nests and feeding there

The Branches

• Jesus said He was the Vine
• We(believers) are the branches
• We draw our life from Him
• He's the source of our fruitfulness
• John 15:1-16

The Branches

• Paul spoke of Gentiles
• Grafted into the good olive tree
• They were branches
• Romans 11

Practical Application

Practical Application

• Kingdom has grown
• From it's small beginnings as a seed
• Spread it's branches around the world
• People are nesting in the tree
• Both good and bad

Practical Application

• Over the centuries
• The church has become a great tree
• Growth has been unnatural, supernatural

Summary

• Kingdom of God begins as a seed
• Phenomenal growth, becomes a great tree
• Birds(clean and unclean) nest in it
• Feed on the seed of the church/kingdom