The Word Inside of You (12)

The Purpose of the Sower

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.

Jesus is the word we must receive

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.

He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him.

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Today we find Jesus in the Words of Scripture

The message of the cross comes to us through preaching

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (Chapter 4)

“Listen to this! Behold, the sower went out to sow;

as he was sowing, some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up.

“Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil.

“And after the sun had risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

“Other seed fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop.

“Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.”

And He was saying, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

As soon as He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables.

And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables,

Mark 4:1–20 ECB

In the parable of the sower (4:1–20), the principal motif is that divine grace is present in the word Jesus is sowing. In spite of losses, it will spring up among the faithful and produce a bountiful harvest of thirty-, sixty-, even a hundredfold

“But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams.”

Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 2005), Mk 4:20.