Matthew 13 Part 1
Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 30:56
0 ratings
· 11 viewsFiles
Notes
Transcript
Matthew 13 Part 1
Matthew 13 Part 1
The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
With this verse saying “the same day” that connects us back to chapter 12 showing that this happens at the same time. The sea referenced here is the Sea of Galilee. And notice that He came out of the house, showing that the teaching we will now see is done publicly.
And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
So Jesus boards a boat and goes out a short distance in the water so that everyone could see and hear Him better. Sound travels better over the water and with the people being on the shore it would have created a “natural amphitheater”. He is not teaching in a synagogue or a temple, He is teaching wherever the people are, and doing all He can to make it easier to hear the word. Let that be an example to us to share the Word of God whenever and wherever we can.
And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;
Christ taught in parables, because a parable has a point or principle alongside a story. The human mind remembers stories easier that it remembers just studying points; so by teaching this way it helped the multitudes to remember the lesson. The eight parables that Jesus teaches are about the Kingdom of Heaven, and to sowing relates to the proclamation of the kingdom. Keep this in mind as we move forward.
Also keep in mind that the sower is sowing SEEDS. Where do we get seeds from? From the fruit, vegetable, or grain; right? So we first have to have good fruit, to the be able to plant seeds. We can’t sow seeds without first partaking of the fruit; meaning we can’t spread the Word of God if we don’t first study it for ourselves. Christ’s parables teach on multiple levels (historical, and practical everyday use). We will first look at the historical meaning and a little later we will see the meaning that applies to everyday life, even into modern times.
And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
The wayside is a path, like a road or sidewalk. It’s a path used for travel. These seeds falling by the wayside is John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness, proclaiming that the Kingdom of Heaven is coming, but the Pharisees keep the proclamation from reaching as many people as it should have.
Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
The rocky ground these verses talk about isn’t loose gravel, but shelf of bedrock, an area of ground made of complete rock with no soil that can sustain growth. This is Christ and the apostles proclaiming the kingdom, but again the teaching doesn’t take root the way it should because of the Pharisees and the religious teachings of the time and their agenda against Jesus. It didn’t allow for deep enough soil for the seed to take root. It was shallow and the seed withered.
And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
These seeds are the teachings of the apostles after Christ’s crucifixion where Christianity finally starts to take hold, but is still surrounded by wickedness.
But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.
A tenfold harvest would have been considered an amazing crop. So Jesus showing the harvest being “a hundred, sixty, or thirty fold” shows how fertile this soil would have been. These seeds are the teachings that will occur during the millennial reign, when wickedness and deception has been done away with, and the soil (the people) are in the best state to accept it and let it grow and take root.
Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Christ knew that not everyone would be able to understand the parable. But to those that could it would be their responsibility to help others to find understanding. This phrase “who hat ears to hear, let him hear” is meant to speak to those that are spiritually aware, telling us to take special note of what is being said. Later in this chapter we will see Jesus explain the parable in a clear way to the disciples, giving us a chance to break down the meaning. Jesus will quote the Old Testament and make reference to Isaiah to help explain.
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Jesus is speaking here to the disciples ability to understand the parable due to their faith. When we place our trust in Christ, He will reveal things to us that we would never be able to find on our own. This quote from William Barclay sums it up pretty well “The parable conceals truth from those who are either too lazy to think or too blinded by prejudice to see. It puts the responsibility fairly and squarely on the individual. It reveals truth to him who desires truth; it conceals truth from him who does not wish to see the truth.”
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
So whoever has faith in Christ, which brings understanding, will have the most valuable treasure to ever exist, but those that don’t will have nothing of value. That treasure being a place in the kingdom of heaven, a loving relationship with God, the only thing that truly matters.
Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Rabbis at the time typically would teach in parable to illustrate a point, but then they would give an explanation. Christ didn’t always give an explanation, expecting the faithful to search out the answers, to have knowledge of the scriptures, and above all to have faith in Him. He shows here that He taught that way intentionally and then he references Isaiah because the Jews of that time rejected the message of God, just as they are now rejecting God in the flesh standing in front of them.
The parables of Jesus were not meant to make everything clear to everyone. They presented God’s message so those with an open heart could understand, but the hardened hearts would just hear a story without understanding the meaning.
Parables are an example of God’s mercy towards the hardened. We see God hardening hearts in Exodus and John and speaking about mercy in Romans.
And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.
Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.
And even in Isaiah in the Old Testament we see that it was prophesied that there would be people that would not understand.
And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; And see ye indeed, but perceive not.
So we see that people overlooking and misunderstanding the Word wasn’t new and hadn’t ceased. And it seems this same issue still persist to this very day.
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
Jesus quoting the verse we just looked at in Isaiah, and showing that they were still rejecting the message of God, even those that claimed to follow it; such as the Pharisees. And once again we see Jesus being the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy.
For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
Why would Christ deny some to hear the truth of His teachings? Because they aren’t ready for the truth. Just like we saw some people have hardened hearts, the Bible shows that show people aren’t ready for the full truth of the Word of God. We see this in Hebrews:
Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.
For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
So we see that some will not be ready for the full truth of the Word while in the flesh. We have to remember that the millennial reign isn’t a second chance, but a chance for those who didn’t hear the truth in the flesh. So these people would be among those that would be taught at that time, given there chance to understand and accept the truth then. This is done for their protection, to keep them from hearing the truth and not accepting it because the temptations of the flesh life would be too much for them to overcome. Don’t forget that we have studied and seen that even after having Christ Himself teach in the millennium, there are still those that will side with Satan. So if they can still fall away after being taught the truth with God as the teacher, there are some that certainly would have stood no chance trying to learn the truth in this age.
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.
Understanding that some people have hardened hearts and can’t understand the word of God, then we have to realize that those that DO are truly blessed.
For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.
Remember what we talked about back in chapter 8, that when we see “for verily I say unto you” that phrase is almost like Christ’s signature. He is the only teacher to use that phrase and it adds emphasis to what He is saying. And Christ says that many wanted to see the Messiah, to hear His teachings, but didn’t get to do so. And now we have people like the Pharisees that get that chance but squander it by being blinded to the truth of what is happening.
Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
So we have broken down that parable in regards to what it meant for the proclamation of the Kingdom of Heaven. Now Christ will give a clear explanation that allows us to also apply the parable to our daily lives as Christians.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
So the seed is the Word of God and faith in Christ. The seeds that fell by the wayside are snatched up by the wicked one. This is someone that is lost in the ways of the world. Before they can even start understanding the Word, before they can even start building the slightest amount of faith, the wicked ways of the world has stolen it away.
But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
Anon means immediately.
Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
So this is the person that is excited to hear the Word but doesn’t allow it to take root. They are overwhelmed with joy and a feeling of spiritual enlightenment, but not spiritual maturity so the knowledge and faith is easily washed away. Someone like this may be in church every Sunday, but by Monday they are right back in the ways of the world, their eyes no longer focused on Christ.
He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
This person is very similar to the last with one exception. It seems that the seed has taken root, meaning that the person may see the truth, they may have a deeper amount of faith, but then they allow the cares of the world to pull them away. Notices that is says the “deceitfulness of riches”. An example that came to my mind is someone that in their heart may have knowledge of the Word and may have faith in Christ, but they are willing to put all of that on the backburner to pursue greater wealth.
But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
And finally we have the example that we should all do our best to follow. This person is like good, fertile soil where the seed brings forth a harvest beyond what would be expected. When we allow the Word to take root in our hearts and in our lives it becomes possible for us to show more people the path to salvation through Jesus. And in that way we become that fertile soil that increases the harvest of good fruit.
Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:
But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.
The Greek word that is translated “tare” refers to a kind of weed that resembles wheat until they reach maturity. It looks very similar but has black grains that must be removed or else the grain is bitter and poisonous. Sounds like sin, right?
But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?
He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?
But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
Later in this chapter we will see Christ explain this parable, but with how important this parable is we are going to break it down now, as well as we will go over Christ’s explanation again next week .
First look at the fact that Christ says to let them both grow until the harvest. The harvest is at “the end of the age”. It doesn’t happen before the end, it happens AT THE END. This matches what we see in 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 where we see that reward for believers and judgment for unbelievers happens at the same time. As well as in Revelation chapter 14 where it speaks of a single harvest at the end of the age.
Jesus also says to let them grow together, explicitly forbidding them to be separated before the harvest at the end. If a pre-tribulation rapture removed believers years earlier, this statement would not be accurate. Instead, He says they remain together until the end.
With it being one harvest there is no gap of time here. The gathering is also not separated by stages, it happens all at once for believers and unbelievers. We will see this again in Matthew chapter 25, specifically verses 31-46 when we get there. And in chapter 24 we will see the language used parallel what we see here in chapter 13. We will see angels sent out to perform a gathering of the elect, stated as being at the end of the tribulation.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
So when are we talking about here? Immediately after the tribulation.
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Immediately after the tribulation, the Son of Man returns with power and glory, the angels sound the seventh trump, and his ELECT are gathered together. Not before the tribulation.
So with all of this in mind, we as Christians have to prepare ourselves. We will be present through the tribulation, we will coexist with wickedness until the end, and we will face judgement at the same time. This is why it is so important for us to put on the whole armor of God that is spoken of in Ephesians. This is why it is important for us to have the shield of faith. Jesus tells us that we will face these things many different times in many different ways, but He also explains that we will have all of the tools and protection necessary to overcome it. Through Jesus Christ the wicked will be overcome, and we don’t have to believe in a doctrine of escape, when we have the truth of victory.
Matthew 13: Part 1
Matthew 13: Part 1
