Revealing the Mysteries of Redemption

Opening Prayer emphasizing Adoration & Thanksgiving.

Read Mark 4:10-12:

Mark 4:10–12 LSB

10 And when He was alone, His followers, along with the twelve, began asking Him about the parables. 11 And He was saying to them, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, everything comes in parables, 12 so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, lest they return and be forgiven.”

D.A. Carson writes:

The mystery of providence defies our attempt to tame it by reason. I do not mean it is illogical; I mean that we do not know enough about it to be able to unpack it.

D. A. Carson

John Calvin writes:

The gospel is the clear manifestation of the mystery of Christ.

John Calvin (French Reformer)

In a small village, there lived a renowned storyteller who had a special gift. She could weave tales that captivated audiences, leaving them on the edge of their seats. Yet, something remarkable happened; those who truly listened found truths and wisdom hidden deeply within her stories. This mirrors Jesus’ teaching style in Mark 4:10-12, where the disciples sought deeper meaning beyond the surface. Their questions represent a heart that longs for understanding. Are we listening merely for entertainment, or are we seeking to grasp the profound truths that God has for us?

I. God Reveals His Grace to Those Hungry for Truth. (v. 10)

Jesus Christ had a twofold personality: he was the Son of God revealing what God is like and Son of Man revealing what man is to be like.

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

The Crowds around the Sea of Galilee are gone, and now only a fraction remains with the Master.

The Disciples and those with them are seeking more than the flashiness of miracles, they desire to know what is deeper.

The focus is about understanding the riddles and proverbs Jesus utilizes to communicate the Gospel in a manner that compels people.

II. The Mystery of Salvation and the Kingdom are Hidden in Plain Sight. (v. 11)

In the Old Testament the New lies hidden, in the New Testament the Old is laid open.

Saint Augustine of Hippo

Jesus explains the spiritual privilege given to the ones chosen by God, to know and to understand the grace of God in the teaching of the parables.

The unfolding teaching ministry of Jesus points to the fulfillment of the great redeeming work of YHWH.

There are both positive and negative sides to the teaching in parables to the people.

1 Corinthians 5:12 “12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Are you not to judge those who are within the church?”

Mark 3:23 “23 And He called them to Himself and began speaking to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan?”

III. Light Exposes Truth and Discloses Rott. (v. 12)

Satan, the great adversary, directs all his energy to prevent men becoming the subject of that illumination of which the gospel, as the revelation of the glory of Christ, is the source.

Charles Hodge (American Presbyterian Theologian)

Jesus echoes the truth from the Old Testament, which emphasizes the condition made clear in the Parable of the Soils—Not All People Will Receive the Gospel.

Jesus quotes Isaiah 6:9–10 “9 He said, “Go, and tell this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not know.’ 10 “Render the hearts of this people insensitive, Their ears dull, And their eyes dim, Lest they see with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”

The text highlights the need for the Holy Spirit to bring spiritual life into the person to see and perceive, to hear and understand.

Jeremiah 5:21 “21 ‘Now hear this, O people who are simpleminded fools and without a heart of wisdom, Who have eyes but do not see, Who have ears but do not hear.”

John 12:40 “40 “He has blinded their eyes and He hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and return and I heal them.””

Romans 11:8 “8 just as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, Eyes to see not and ears to hear not, Down to this very day.””

Are We Alive in the Power of the Spirit, or Are We in the Stupor of Our Own Fleshly Desires, Leading Us to Eternal Demise?

IV. Bottom Line: Only the Holy Spirit Illuminates the Eternal Truth of the Gospel.

Illumination, then, is the process by which the Holy Spirit turns the human will around to accept God’ s teachings.

Millard J. Erickson

The teachings of Jesus Christ lead us to humble surrender before the Spirit that indwells those who are Children of God, through faith alone.

The sobering reality of the same teaching is the rejection that comes from those in the world, whose hearts are hardened, whose sight in on worldly things, and whose ultimate god is themselves.

John 3:16–21 “16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 “And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light lest his deeds be exposed. 21 “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been done by God.””

Call to Action:

For the Unrepentant Sinner—Repent of your Sins, Confess Jesus Christ as LORD and Savior.

For the Prodigal—Repent of your sins and wandering, Return to Your LORD, Savior, and Friend.

For the Lone Wolves—Be Joined to the Church and Use Your Gifts, Talents, and Treasures to Encourage and Edify Your Brothers and Sisters in Faith.