Stories Jesus Told
Notes
Transcript
We are starting a new sermon series today on the Stories of Jesus. It’s amazing to me how He was able to teach such deep and wide-reaching lessons through simple stories. I wonder sometimes what it was like to be physically sitting at Jesus feet as he taught and told stories.
If you would, turn to Matthew 13, starting in verse 10. Here Jesus has just finished speaking to a large crowd and in verse 3 it says...
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.
After this session, his disciples had some questions...
10 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?”
And of course, Jesus had an answer for them, but I don’t think it was the answer they expected, nor was it the answer I would have expected...
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. 12 Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables:
“Though seeing, they do not see;
though hearing, they do not hear or understand.
Parables don’t make things clearer for everyone, but for those who have trusted God and follow Him, He gives wisdom to be able to understand. As understanding comes, then greater understanding comes. It starts with following Jesus - not because he’s the latest trend, but because He is the Son of God.
This was prophesied in Isaiah:
14 In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
“ ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding;
you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.
15 For this people’s heart has become calloused;
they hardly hear with their ears,
and they have closed their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts
and turn, and I would heal them.’
The lack of understanding comes from a calloused heart. One that has lost hope. This is the enemy’s goal - get us to lose hope.
16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.
When Jesus tells a story, when He teaches by parable, those with hardened hearts don’t understand and are confused. When a believer hears the story or parable, they gain great understanding and lesson. The beautiful thing about the lesson is that they seem to speak to each one in a different way.
Let’s take the parable of the prodigal son. Turn to Luke 15...
11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father.
“But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’
31 “ ‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours.
A worldly person might read that story and either feel the way the older brother felt and say: “That’s not fair” or might even respond with cynicism and say: “That would never happen.” A believer though might be both encouraged, challenged, and disciplined by the same story.
The father in this story is just like God who welcomes those who would repent with a feast. Forgiveness is available.
All of us at some point relate to the son. We know what it is like to rebel and demand what is due to us. We may have even squandered it all away. Knowing that just like the wayward son, we have been forgiven is an amazing gift.
Perhaps we might even be challenged by the behavior of the older son. We see someone who has made decisions that have hurt the family. Sinful behavior, blatant decisions that go against what God asks of us and we’re hurt. How could that person do that to me, to us, to our family or church? We are angry and hurt. Welcoming the wayward son back into the family is not so easy. Not only does dad welcome him back, but he throws a party and gives him gifts - a robe, a ring…the fattened calf.
That’s just not fair. You’ve served faithfully and not gotten any of those things. And God the father is saying welcome the wayward son back with joy. This is a great thing.
Stories Jesus Told
Stories Jesus Told
Perhaps you’ve read this story and have a completely different lesson you’ve learned. That is the beauty of the stories Jesus told. Over the next few weeks, we are going to examine some of the stories Jesus told and that were recorded in God’s Word. Hopefully, we’ll also get to hear some stories Jesus is telling through you and others. Stories of right timing, stories of miracles that were parables later, stories of prayers answered, and prayers not answered.
These stories provide hope, they provide insight into God’s character, they lift our spirits and pull us out from despair.
Before we close today, I want to read another set of parables Jesus told, provide a bit of background, and then allow some time for us to reflect and ask for understanding. Jesus told His disciples that:
11 He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.
It’s a gift understand the mysteries of God. We many times take that gift for granted and miss out. Ask Him to reveal to you what he is trying to say.
Turn with me to Luke 13 starting in verse 18…If you have a Bible app on your phone, open that up and take some notes in there. It’s important that we capture what God is saying to us. In the move, I’ve found some of my old journals and have had the chance to read what God was doing in my life. What a treasure that is. Let’s read...
18 Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? 19 It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds perched in its branches.”
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
We have 2 quick parables of the kingdom of God. First is the comparison to a mustard seed - a very small seed - that was planted. The man did the planting in his garden and also tended to the plant that grew. This tree that grew allowed birds to perch. Here is a prophecy regarding birds in a tree:
23 On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.
The birds are gentiles…you and me…so the kingdom of God is like this seed planted that grows into a tree that birds perched in.
20 Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? 21 It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds of flour until it worked all through the dough.”
Then there is the parable of the yeast mixed into 60 pounds of flour. If you’ve had experience with yeast, it causes dough to expand. The amount of yeast is very small in comparison to the flour. As the yeast is added, the effects of the yeast work its way through the dough. This also is parable of the kingdom of God.
In both parables, there is person, a small item and then growth.
Stories Jesus Told
Stories Jesus Told
As the worship team comes back up, I want to allow you a bit of time to prayerfully reflect on these two parables. What is God trying to say to you through these.