Mark 4:21-25, 33-34 The Truth About Light April 13, 2025

Mark 4 Verses 21-25 and 33 to 34 The Truth About Light April 13, 2025 The Remarkable Journey Continues Lesson 2 Class Presentation Notes AAAAAA

Background Scriptures:

• John 12:46 (NASB95)

46 “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

• Romans 1:19–20 (NASB95)

19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them.

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

• Romans 1:22–27 (NASB95)

22 Professing to be wise, they became fools,

23 and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for the unnatural,

27 and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

Main Idea:

• To understand that God has given everyone a conscience that gives an innate sense of right and wrong.

Study Aim:

• To understand that those who reject God’s light, experience spiritual darkness.

Create Interest:

• Our Lord has just been speaking the Parable of the Sower. The disciples’ curiosity has been excited as to its significance. They asked Him for an explanation, which He gave minutely point by point. Then he passed to this general lesson of the purpose of the apparent veil which He had cast round the truth, by throwing it into a parabolic form. In effect He said: ‘If I had meant to hide My teaching by the form into which I cast it, I should have been acting as absurdly and as contradictorily as a man would do who should light a lamp and immediately obscure it.’ True, there is the veil of parable, but the purpose of that relative concealment is not hiding, but revelation.

Lesson in Historical Context:

• VERSES 21–25 are interesting because they show the problems that confronted the writers of the gospels. These verses give us four different sayings of Jesus.

o In verse 21 there is the saying about the lamp.

o In verse 22 there is the saying about the revealing of secret things.

o In verse 24 there is the saying which lays it down that we shall receive back with the same measure as we have given.

o In verse 25 there is the saying that to him who has still more will be given.

• The four consecutive verses in Mark are scattered all over Matthew. One practical thing emerges from our study. We must not try to find any connection between them. Clearly they are quite disconnected and we must take them one by one.

• How did it come about that these sayings of Jesus are given by Mark one after another and scattered by Matthew all over his gospel? The reason is just this.

o Jesus had a unique command of language. He could say the most vivid and pithy things. He could say things that stuck in the memory and refused to be forgotten.

o Further, he must have said many of these things far more than once. He was moving from place to place and from audience to audience; and he must have repeated much of his teaching wherever he went. The consequence was that men remembered the things that Jesus said—they were said with such vividness that they could not be forgotten—but they forgot the occasion on which they were said.

o The result was a great many of what one might call “orphan” sayings of Jesus. A saying was embedded in men’s minds and remembered for ever, but the context and the occasion were forgotten.

o We have to take these vivid sayings individually and examine them.

Bible Study:

• Mark 4:21–23 (NASB95)

21 And He was saying to them, “A lamp is not brought to be put under a basket, is it, or under a bed? Is it not brought to be put on the lampstand?

22 “For nothing is hidden, except to be revealed; nor has anything been secret, but that it would come to light.

23 “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

• In this parable, our Lord used a common object (a lamp) in a familiar scene (a home). The lamp was a clay dish filled with oil, with a wick put into the oil. To give light, the lamp had to “use itself up”; and the oil had to be replenished. If the lamp was not lit, or if it was covered up, it did the home no good. The lampstand in common homes was simply a shelf protruding from the wall. Wealthier homes might have separate, ornate stands (cf. Rev 1:12).

• The Apostles were like that lamp: they were called to shed God’s light and reveal His truth. But they could not “give out” without first “taking in”; hence, the admonition of 4:24–25.

o The more we hear the Word of God, the better we are able to share it with others. The moment we think that we know it all, what we think we know will be taken from us. We must take heed what we hear (Mark 4:24) as well as take heed how we hear (Luke 8:18).

 Luke 8:18 (NASB95)

“So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

o Our spiritual hearing determines how much we have to give to others.

 There is no sense trying to “cover things up” because God will one day reveal all things.

 We must not hide this light. If you have the truth of God, you have a solemn responsibility to spread that truth in whatever way God gives you opportunity. It is just as someone who has the cure for a life-threatening disease has the moral responsibility to spread that cure. God didn’t light your lamp so that it would remain hidden.

• The sense of 4:21–23 has to do with the note of secrecy sounded in 4:11, where the kingdom of God is described as a secret that is not perceived by some in its present appearance in Jesus’ ministry.

o God has sent this Lamp to bring light to a dark world. He has come to reveal truth, enlighten minds, and conquer the darkness!

 The light may be, for the most part, hidden at the moment. However, eventually the whole world will see the glory of this light. That which is hidden will be manifest.

Every hidden thing will be revealed. God knows all about us. Paul affirms that God will “judge the secrets of men” (Rom. 2:16).

The world loves darkness. Men love their sins, many of which are committed under cover of darkness. At the Great White Throne (for sinners) and the judgment seat of Christ (for saints), all hidden things will be exposed—as Reuben (Gen. 49:3–4), Aachan (Josh. 7:1–26), and Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1–11) discovered.

 The resurrection of the crucified King assures this revelation.

 The second coming of the glorified King will establish it.

The world may try to hide Jesus, but it will fail miserably in those attempts.

o In the same way that a lamp is not to be kept covered up, so the kingdom, difficult for many to see in Jesus’ ministry, will one day be brought fully to light. In view of this promise, the hearers are urged to perceive the truth of Jesus’ message now (4:23).

Thoughts to Consider about both the lamp and our actions…………….

• The first thought was that men do not light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, which would be like putting a bowl on the top of it, nor do they put it under a bed. A lamp is meant to be seen and to make men able to see; and it is put in a place where it will be visible to all. From this saying we may learn two things.

o Truth is meant to be seen; it is not meant to be concealed. There may be times when it is dangerous to tell the truth; there may be times when to tell the truth is the quickest way to persecution and to trouble. But the true man and the true Christian will stand by the truth in face of all.

 In every walk of life there are times when we know quite well what the truth demands, what is the right thing to do, what a Christian man ought to do.

 In every walk of life there are times when we fail to do it, because it would be to court unpopularity and perhaps worse.

 We ought to remember that the lamp of truth is something to be held aloft and not concealed in the interests of cowardly safety.

o Our Christianity is meant to be seen. In the early church sometimes to show one’s Christianity meant death. The Roman Empire was as vast as the world. To get some sort of binding unity into that vast empire Emperor worship was started. The Emperor was the embodiment of the state and he was worshipped as a god. On certain stated days it was demanded that everyone should come and sacrifice to the godhead of the Emperor. It was really a test of political loyalty. After a man had done so he got a certificate to say he had done so; and, having got that certificate, he could go away and worship any god he liked.

 Note: It is often easier to keep quiet the fact that we belong to Christ and his Church; but our Christianity should always be like the lamp that can be seen of all men.

• The point of Jesus’ analogy is clear: Those who have received the light of the gospel are not to conceal it; rather they are to let is shine for others to see.

o Throughout Scripture, light is variously used as a metaphor for truth (Pss. 36:9; 119:105, 130; Prov. 6:23; Acts 26:23; Eph. 5:9; 1 Thess. 5:5), holiness (Rom. 13:12), and spiritual life in Christ (John 1:4). In this analogy, however, Jesus used light to illustrate the message of the gospel.

o Faithful hearers have an obligation, beyond heeding the gospel themselves, to proclaim it to the world of sinners. Those who have been transformed by the good news are themselves to present that truth to others (cf. Rom. 1:8; 16:19; 1 Thess. 1:8). As Jesus explained in the Sermon on the Mount,

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven”. (Matt. 5:14–16)

N.T. Wright shares an example of forgetting he had a microphone on his lapel and others stopped talking around him….things not intended to be heard were heard…oops.

• Had Jesus been speaking today, he might have said, ‘When you put on a microphone, do you then cover it with a handkerchief so you can’t be heard? Of course not! Whatever is said (or sung) in secret will be broadcast to everybody!’ In other words: I am telling you these things now, in secret; but the reason for announcing the kingdom, for bringing God’s light into the world, is so that everyone will see it!

• This is both a promise and a warning. The promise: don’t worry, this kingdom-message will be public knowledge soon enough. The warning: make sure you’re listening now, because you will need to know.

To wrap up these three verses……………….soak on this.

• “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (4:23). This saying has to do with learning and one’s disposition toward truth.

o He warns His followers to be intentional in their learning and to be discerning in where they seek knowledge. Mark 4:24 says, literally, “Watch what you hear” (my translation). The Greek word blepō [991] can also mean “to observe” or “to pay close attention to.” Here, it’s the kind of watching a scientist does when running an experiment, or the kind of watching a sentry does when guarding a post.

o Here’s why Jesus wants His followers to be discerning and deliberate in their quest for knowledge: intentional knowledge grows exponentially; the same is true for willful ignorance.

• The many aspects of truth made known to His disciples may be reserved for a time, but following the Servant’s exaltation to the right hand of God, they must go into all the world and display the excellencies of the Savior, by preaching the gospel (16:15–20). The seed speaks of life and the lamp speaks of light. The Word of God is both (1 Pet 1:23; 2 Pet 1:19).

Mark 4:24–25 (NASB95)

24 And He was saying to them, “Take care what you listen to. By your standard of measure it will be measured to you; and more will be given to you besides.

25 “For whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.”

• The hearer, then, quite clearly has an obligation. “If anyone has ears for hearing, let him hear”. Take heed what ye hear (24) and “how you hear”

o (Luke 8:18) “So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

• If the man in the pulpit must have a care lest “the hungry sheep look up, and are not fed,” it follows that the man in the pew has a responsibility to listen with earnest thoughtfulness. “The measure you give will be the measure you get” (24, RSV). “Response to the truth is the condition for receiving further truth.”[28] Moreover, a refusal to respond to the truth will lead to moral atrophy and decay. In this sense, “the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.” And he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath (25). “As for the man who has nothing, even his nothing will be taken away” (Phillips).

o In other words, when you receive truth, if you release it to others, more will be given. If, on the other hand, you simply take in truth without allowing it to flow through you to others, you’ll begin to lose what was given to you previously, and find fresh revelation or insight no longer being given to you.

 We could also say that the man who, in hardness of heart, refuses the word shall experience that absolute loss described in the terms “and he that has not, even that (little) which he has shall be taken from him.”

o In this sense the unity of the mission of Jesus and the unveiling of the Kingdom will be seen: what one receives from the Sower will be received from the Judge in double measure. Only those who penetrate the mystery in the present will share in the glory which is yet to be revealed.

 Because God enters the world through the Word of the Kingdom proclaimed by Jesus, the matter of one’s response to Jesus is of ultimate seriousness. For this reason, Mark introduces the parable of the measure with the solemn caution, Take heed what you hear!

o That which he had already learned/listened to. By this we are taught the indispensable necessity of giving attention to the means of instruction. The attention must be continued. It is not sufficient that we have learned some things or appear to have learned much. All will be in vain unless we go forward and improve every opportunity of learning the will of God and the way of salvation.

 So what children are taught will be of little use unless they follow it up and endeavor to improve themselves.

Thoughts to Soak on:

• In this passage, the Lord’s specific emphasis was on the fruit that comes from being a faithful witness to Him. The parable of the soils focused on the recipients of the gospel, distinguishing between those who would ultimately reject the message and those who would genuinely embrace it.

• By contrast, these subsequent parables (in vv. 21–32) highlight the responsibility of the faithful hearer as an evangelist. As those who had received the gospel and accepted it, Jesus’ disciples would now be called to bear fruit by obediently proclaiming the message of salvation to others (cf. Rom. 1:13; Col. 1:3–6).

• Jesus’ point was that those who faithfully preach the gospel can similarly expect to be rewarded eternally by God for their diligent efforts.

o Eternal rewards are privileges that last forever (cf. 1 Cor. 9:24–25; 1 Thess. 2:19–20; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 22:12).

 What incomparable motivation that should be for all believers.

o Jesus promised that God would bless their work, not only in accordance with their level of effort (their standard of measure) but even far beyond (more will be given you besides). As they scatter the seed of the gospel, all believers work expectantly, knowing that their faithfulness to the task will be fruitful and abundantly rewarded in heaven (cf. Luke 6:38).

o This verse is both a promise and a warning about understanding the parables.

 Whoever acquires some understanding and wants more will receive more. Proper understanding will lead to accepting Jesus and entering the kingdom and to more and more blessings from God.

 Those who have no interest in parables and the kingdom about which they teach will soon find themselves further from it than before they ever heard about it.

• Jesus’ words also served as a warning to false teachers, those who scatter corrupted seed. Just as there are false disciples, there are also false evangelists.

o Both will be judged by God. Conversely, genuine believers delight in proclaiming the truth of the gospel to others, knowing that such obedience brings divine blessing both in this world and in heaven.

Mark 4:33–34 (NASB95)

33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it;

34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

• Vs. 33: Mark has given the above specimens of the parabolic teaching of Jesus (obviously not an exhaustive account), and he now suggests both a reason for the employment of parables, and for the careful gradation in their use, in the words as they were able to hear it, or ‘to understand’.

o In the school of Christ, none may move to advanced lessons till they mastered the elementary studies. To the outsider there was always the stumbling-block of the form of the parable to be penetrated: only for his own disciples were their private explanations (verse 34), as Mark makes clear on several occasions.

• The first sentence in v. 34 applies only to a particular occasion, not to Jesus’ entire ministry. It does, however, reflect Mark’s view that everything Jesus taught was a mystery to those who were hostile or indifferent.

o They were like children; and he was obliged to lead them along cautiously and by degrees to a full understanding of the plan of salvation.

o “and He did not speak to them without a parable”. That is, the things pertaining to his kingdom. On other subjects he spoke without parables.

 On these, such was their prejudice, so many notions they had contrary to the nature of his kingdom, and so liable would plain instructions have been to give offence, that He employed this method to insinuate truth gradually into their minds, and to prepare them fully to understand the nature of his kingdom.

Questions to spur discussion and growth……………………………

• With what observation did Jesus open His illustration? (4:21)

• What did Jesus say would be ridiculous? Why? (4:21)

• Whom or what does the lamp in this parable represent? (4:21)

• What did Jesus mean by saying, “whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed”? (4:22)

• What will happen to what is secret and hidden? (4:22)

• Who did Jesus want this message to reach? (4:23)

• Why did Jesus warn us to “consider carefully” what we hear? (4:24)

• How did Jesus end His parable? (4:24–25)

• Who will be given more? Why? (4:24–25)

• Who will have things taken from them? Why? (4:24–25)

• What will happen to those who use or put into practice what God has measured out to them? (4:24–25)

• What will happen to those who neglect or misuse the truth God has already revealed to them? (4:24–25)

• If Jesus Christ had been sent to earth during our generation, how do you think He would have chosen to tell us His message?

• How did Jesus teach His disciples? (4:33–34)

• How did Jesus’ approach to teaching the crowds differ from the way He taught His disciples? (4:33–34)

• How did Jesus make sure His disciples understood His teaching? (4:34)

• Why do you think Jesus spoke only in parables to the crowds at this point in His ministry?

• What does this parable tell us about trying to persuade others to believe in Christ?