Parables of Jesus Christ

Matthew 13

• The best place to begin when studying parables
• The foundational "keys" are here
• Majority of parables in Matthew and Luke
• Several in Mark
• Matthew 13 gives us Jesus' reason for the parables

Importance of Matthew 13

A.W. Pink "...from the standpoint of prophecy, the most important chapter of all the New Testament."

A.C. Gaebelein "If this one chapter could be rightly understood by the professional church, the consequences would be the most rewarding."

No other chapter like it

• Unique in it's continuous discourse
• 7 maybe 8 parables
• 6 are designated as parables
• 1st and 8th maintain the kingdom theme
• A definite progression in them

- The Setting -
Matthew 13:1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

Significant Words

• The multitudes gathered
• Jesus began to teach in parables
• vs. 1-34 he taught 4 parables
• To the multitude
• By the seashore, outside of the house

Parables taught to the multitude

• The sower and the seed
• The wheat and the tares
• The mustard seed tree
• The woman and the leaven
• Changes in verse 36

The change

• Jesus sends the crowd away
• He went into the house
• His disciples came to ask for an explanation
• Jesus interpreted the parables to them
• Jesus went on to give several more parables

Parables in the house

• The treasure in the field
• The pearl of great price
• The net of fish
• The instructed scribe

Therefore we have

• Four parables to the multitude, outside
• Four parables to the disciples, inside
• Outside the house to the crowd
• Inside the house to His own

A brief overview of Matthew

• Matthew 1 - genealogy and birth of the King
• Matthew 2 - wise men visit the King
• Matthew 3 - the forerunner to and baptism of the King
• Matthew 4 - the King's temptation and calling 4 disciples
• Matthew 5-7 - sermon on the mount/laws of His kingdom

A brief overview of Matthew

• Matthew 8-9 - the power/demonstration of the kingdom
• Matthew 10 - the king's commission to the 12
• Matthew 11 - the king's commendation of John the Baptist
• Matthew 12 - the rejection of religious leaders by the King

Chapter 12

• Is climatic
• Concerns the Pharisees and Scribes rejecting Jesus
• Pharisees criticize Jesus and his disciples (1-8)
• Pharisees take council to destroy Him (9-14)
• Pharisees charge Jesus (22-24)

Jesus warns them of the unpardonable sin, blasphemy against the
Holy Ghost. (31-37)

Scribes and Pharisees ask Jesus for a sign. He replies the only sign they'll get is
his death and three days and nights buried, finally a resurrection. The sign of Jonah.(38-42)

A greater then Solomon is here.
(42)

Chapter closes out with
that wicked generation being compared to a house swept and empty. The spirit gets seven worse then himself and returns.(43-45)

Vs 46-50

• He repudiates his brothers after the flesh
• Says who his true brothers are
• Those who do the will of His Father
• In the light of all of this
• "The same day Jesus went out of the house"(13:1)

Outside/inside the house

• The house is definitely important here
• Jesus cleansed the temple (Joh 2:13-22; Mat. 21:12-17)
• He called it "My Father's house", "My house"
• The religious leaders rejected it 
• Jesus responded in Matthew 23:38

Outside/Inside the house

• Jesus departed from the temple (Mat 24:1-2
• So they reject his cleansing it
• He departs and calls it "Your house"
• He prophecies it's destruction under Titus A.D.70

Outside/Inside the house

• From here on out NT writers the church
• "the Lord's house", "whose house we are"
• So the temple, "house of Judah" is swept and empty
• Instead of receiving Jesus they rejected him
• And evil spirits come in and destroy it

Outside/Inside the house

• Outside(the seaside) He speaks to the multitude
• Doesn't interpret the parables he uses
• Inside the house he speaks to those who receive him
• He makes it plain to them
• "as many as received him" John 1:11-12

Why Jesus taught in parables.

After the first parable

• "Why speakest thou unto them in parables?"(Mat 13:10)
• The disciples asked Jesus
• It's a good question
• One that Jesus answered clearly
• Up to this point He taught plain and clear

Gospel of Matthew

• Shows teaching of Jesus re: laws of the Kingdom
• The sermon on the mount - basically clear teaching
• Scribes and Pharisees now want to destroy Him
• Jesus changes His teaching method
• Now on Matthew gives us some great parables

Jesus gives them a reason. "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given...because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand."

Something to consider

• Jesus separates the disciples from the multitude
• "to you"  "to them" Matthew 13:11, 13
• "you" "them that are without" Mark 4:11
• "you" "others" Luke 8:10
• We make a decision with Jesus or "without"

Spiritual condition

• Matthew 13:13-17
• Hearing and seeing
• Or spiritual deafness and blindness
• Multitude: ears, hear not, eyes, see not
• Disciples: ears to hear, eyes to see

Spiritual condition

• This condition is lamented in the OT and NT
• Ezekiel 12:2
• Jeremiah 5:21
• Isaiah 6:9-10
• Amos 8:11-12 talks of a famine of "hearing"

Spiritual condition

• Yet Jesus obviously could heal this
• Mark 7:31-37, 9:25; Matthew 11:5; Luke 7:22
• Mark 8:22-26, 10:46-51; Luke 7:21-22
• Mat 9:27-28; 11:5; 12:22; 15:30-31; 20:30
• Jesus could heal the blind and the deaf

Spiritual condition

• Yet the Pharisees were "blind" Mat 15:14
• Spiritually they were blind to Jesus = God
• Jesus final call will be "He that hath an ear, let him hear"
• Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22
• He even tells a church to buy eye salve Rev 13:18

Spiritual condition

• These things are really just a sign
• They show a much worse problem
• Matthew 13:15 "this people's heart is waxed gross"
• "waxed gross" - callous
• Many verses speak of the heart - Jeremiah 17:9-10

Jesus came to cleanse them and give them a new heart.
Ezekiel 36:25-27 tells of this.

Jesus didn't want them to stay in their condition. His desire was to heal them and give them a new heart. Yet they would not.
We must be careful no to resist His hand in our life.

In concluding our Intro

• Jesus gives us a peculiar saying
• This saying is in reference to seeing and hearing
• Matthew 13:12 - (has gets more)
• Used in other verses as well
• Seems like Jesus is saying "Use it or Lose it"

Use it or Lose it

• If you have hearing, you'll get more
• If you don't have hearing, lose what you have
• Not only this but we have Jesus took it further
• Mark 4:24 - be careful WHAT you listen to
• Luke 8:18 - be careful HOW you hear(attitude)

So we have some options that help us in our foundation with living for God.

Take heed WHAT you hear and HOW you hear.

Join the crowd or be His disciples.