Mark 4:21-25 "The Parable of the Lamp"

Intro:

Remember that we saw last Sunday that Jesus spoke in parables in order to hide the secrets of the Kingdom from those who were under specific judgement from God. God was keeping the truths of the Kingdom mysterious in fulfillment of Isaiah 6:9-10.

Jesus did explain the parable to His disciples and a few others and there were other parables that He told them that revealed the secrets of the Kingdom to His disciples.

This morning we see the Parable of the Lamp. Look back at your text to what I am calling “The Lamp of the Kingdom” from verses 21-22:

I. The Lamp of the Kingdom (21-22).

Now the lamp that the Lord using as a metaphor would have been a oil lamp that was used in ancient homes that would illuminate in dark place. We use lamps to but most of them are electric lamps.

The metaphorical principle is the same though. Lamps are meant to give light so someone can see in the darkness.

So the question is one that is rhetorical and based on common sense in verse 21: Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand?

Common sense would tell you that it defeats the purpose of a lamp to put it under a bushel basket or under a bed. Because such places would hinder the illumination of light that a lamp projects. The proper place would be upon a stand in order to project the light to everyone in the house.

From this Jesus puts forth a principle in verse 22: For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light.

So the light of the lamp is to manifest the hidden and secret things. But what is Jesus metaphorically saying?

First the hidden and secret things are the secrets of the Kingdom that have been given to the His 12 disciples and others as referenced back up in verse 11.

Second the lamp itself is Christ and the light is His Kingdom purpose in the world. It may indeed be hidden to those under the specific judgement of God from Isaiah 6:9-10, Christ has come to make His Kingdom purpose known and to manifest it in the world.

Now it is nearly impossible for me to read this or to preach this text without going into, at least in my head, “This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine, This little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine.” But in reality the light of this text and even the light referenced in the song is the light of Christ and His Kingdom manifesting in our lives.

Christians are like spiritual reflectors, we shine when the light of Christ and His Kingdom shines on us first. And we radiate with the transforming light of Christ in our lives. And the degree illumination that we reflect is largely determined by how well we hear.

Doesn’t sound logical does it illuminating light by hearing? But it make total sense when it come to the logic of the Kingdom as seen in verse 23-25. Look back at your text:

II. The Logic of the Kingdom (23-25).

Jesus declares, If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

Jesus will progressively reveal Himself and the mysteries of the Kingdom but to perceive that revelation in faith it takes hearing. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17).

The more you hear the greater your understanding will be and the more your faith is informed in the Kingdom. And with this understanding the more the intensity of your resolve in the Kingdom. All of this is a gift of God’s sovereign grace to you. And the world doesn’t understand it but in the Kingdom of God it increases blessing in our lives.

The Kingdom dynamic is much like a tapestry that has been embroidered with colored thread. On one side of the tapestry the threads are all over the place and the pictured tapestry can’t be fully made out. But you turn it over and wow! It is like a work of art. And you can see the picture clearly.

But on the other side nothing looks in place with clarity. If someone is governed by the fallen world in their material perception they may always see the Kingdom of God as if it is the backside of a tapestry.

But when you are governed by a biblical worldview you are enabled to envision the spiritual nature of the Kingdom of God in Christ with clarity through the eyes of faith. And one day you will see it in all its fullness when it descends down out of heaven as a bride dressed for her husband.

The Kingdom of God is spiritual and eternal and the kingdoms of men are material and temporal. God’s Kingdom is progressively revealed with the best being yet to come. And the kingdoms of men are fading into the history of crumbling empires.

The Kingdom of God is characterized by light and the kingdoms of men in this fallen world are characterized by darkness.

And we are aware that Jesus describes Himself as the light of the world and He declares that those who follow Him will not walk in darkness in John 8:12.

Jesus would reveal more and more in a progressive manner truth about His identity and purpose in the world. This revelation would become increasingly in conflict with this fallen world and the political and religious powers of His day as well.

This conflict was built in to the equation because God in His infinite wisdom knew that His Kingdom would clash with the fallen kingdoms on men. At the pinnacle of the conflict the political super power of Rome and the religious authority of Judaism would join forces to condemn Him to death on a Cross.

He would be crucified to death and placed in a tomb with the door of that tomb having the seal of the authority of Rome on it. It forbid anyone from breaking that seal in defiance of Roman authority.

On the third day, the seal was broken and Jesus Christ was raised from the dead. Pay attention Christian to what you hear!

See the mystery of the Kingdom revealed; sin has been paid for in full and death has no more authority over us. God in full and utter defiance of political power and religious performance has acted in manifesting the glory of Christ and His Kingdom once and for all time!

Conclusion:

Unbeliever maybe today is your day that God will manifest His Kingdom to you in the person and work of Jesus Christ. He enables us to see it. There was I time I couldn’t see it either. But now I can only because of the mercy and grace of God.

It is not an intellectual ascent but a supernatural work of the Kingdom of God in Christ. You must be born again or you can’t see the Kingdom and you can’t enter the Kingdom until you are born again. Believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

Believer you would be lost without Him. He rescued you and He bought you to make you His own. Come to Him and find your rest in the provision of His grace to you. Confess your sin to Him and know He is faithful to forgive you and cleanse you of all your unrighteousness. Let’s Pray!