Parable of the Mustard Seed
The Gospel of Mark: Parables • Sermon • Submitted
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Intro
Good evening students! It is great to see everyone here as we close out our sermon series through the parables of Jesus. If you think back, we have looked at the Parable of the Sower, the Parable of the Lamp, and the Parable of the Growing Seed. In each one of these parables, remember that we are building off of the Parable of the Sower. However, this week, Jesus seeks to reveal to us more about the Kingdom of God.
This week, Jesus speaks to those that were gathered around Him about a mustard seed. As we have seen, Jesus is like the king of agricultural parables. However, He sought to teach in parables to veil the truth from those who were unbelieving while allowing for the truth to be made known to those seeking to believe.
With that being said, let’s take a look at this week’s parable.
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Pray.
Here, Jesus continues teaching His disciples and those seeking to truly follow Him. However, He continues to teach in parables in order that the truth might still be veiled from some.
He breaks out a parable about a mustard seed which leads us to our first point.
The Kingdom of God may begin small, but God will increase it.
The Kingdom of God may begin small, but God will increase it.
If we think back to last week, we understood that the Christian is called to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Upon sharing the Gospel, the seed of the Gospel is planted in the life of that believer. Then, we as the sharing Christian simply step back and allow God to work. The person could reject the Gospel. Or, the person hearing the Gospel could repent and believe in the Gospel. If they do repent and believe in Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, God has saved them. The seed of the Gospel took root and God saved them by the power of the Word and the Spirit.
This week, Jesus again throws out the farming parable. Let’s look at verse 30 one more time.
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?
As Jesus continues to teach in parables, He as the question with what can we compare the kingdom of God. Then, He what parable shall be used. In asking these questions, Jesus already had in mind what He would share. He has in mind this parable about a mustard seek.
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. During the first-century, the mustard seed was the smallest seed for those in Israel. It was a tiny seek; however, once the seed was planted, the mustard plant would spring up some fifteen feet. From the tiniest of seeds, the tallest garden plant would be produced. It is interesting that Jesus would use this as a parable concerning the Kingdom of God.
As Jesus uses this parable to explain the Kingdom of God, we have to understand that the mustard seed and the description of it is the Kingdom of God. Likewise, we have to understand who Jesus is talking to. Jesus is talking to those truly seeking to follow Him. These would be His disciples and a few others. This would be a very small group of people. So, as Jesus is speaking to this small group of people, He is revealing how the Kingdom of God will begin with the disciples.
The Kingdom of God is sometimes are to understand. However, I do want to break it down for you. The Kingdom of God at this point in time is described as Already and Not Yet. What we mean by that is this: When Jesus came to earth, He inaugurated the Kingdom of God. In other words, He introduced the Kingdom of God with His coming, dying, and being raised from the dead. Upon Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection, the Kingdom of God was set into motion.
Therefore, the Kingdom of God at our current point in time is already. If you are a Christian, are a member of the Kingdom of God. You have been saved by Jesus and His finished work on the cross.
However, the other aspect regarding the Kingdom of God is the Not yet aspect. As Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection introduced the Kingdom of God, the second coming of Christ will consummate the Kingdom of God. What that means is that whenever Jesus comes again to gather the Church (all believers across the globe) to go to heaven at His second coming that is when the Kingdom of God will be completed.
So, as we understand what Jesus is teaching here, we see that He is calling out that His disciples will be the initial ones to spread the Gospel after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension back to God the Father. Understand that the Kingdom of God is like the mustard seed. Jesus is pointing out that the Kingdom of God will have humble beginnings starting with the disciples after Jesus’s ascension back to heaven. The disciples will spread the Gospel and then the Kingdom will grow.
Danny Akin says, “Likewise, from small and meager beginnings, God’s kingdom will expand and grow for all to see. What began as the smallest becomes the greatest! Unlike His first coming, when Christ returns, all the world will see as He surpasses all the earth’s kingdoms in power, glory, and majesty.”
If you reflect back on Christ’s earthly life, He stepped down from heaven and took on human flesh. Jesus was born in a manger in a stable. His father was a carpenter. He grew up and did not have a place to lay His head. Jesus walked the face of this earth humbly. Likewise, the disciples were uneducated men and not listed among the elite. Instead the disciple were essentially outcasts. The Kingdom of God had humble beginnings.
However, Jesus would be raised up on the cross and many would see. They would see how His blood was poured out. They would see as He cried out and gave up His breath yelling, “It is finished.” As He died on the cross many would see. Then, He would be raised from the dead after three days before ascending back to God the Father in heaven.
Upon His ascension back to heaven, the disciples were now the one called to spread the seed of the Gospel. The Kingdom of God was inaugurated and only about 120 people were followers of Christ.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said,
The Kingdom of God was like the mustard seed, tiny. Only 120 followers of Christ. The call to build the Kingdom of God probably seemed hopeless to the disciples. How were eleven uneducated men going to share the Gospel with the entire world? Get this, they did not let their lack of education or status stop them from sharing the Gospel. Look at what happened. On the Day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a crowd and this is what happened.
40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Peter preached the Gospel and three thousand were saved. 3000 were added to the church. The mustard seed, that is the Kingdom of God, was beginning to grow.
Look back at verse 32
32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
Once the seed of the Gospel is sown it grows up and becomes larger than any other plant in the garden. Remember from last week, the Gospel is shared by the believer and then the power of the Word of God does the work in that person’s life and God brings them to salvation. Peter preached the Gospel and God brought 3,000 to salvation that day. The Kingdom of God started growing then and has continued for the last two thousand years.
We are called to forget about our status and education or lack thereof and simply seek to share the Gospel with everyone we come in contact with. In doing so, we are doing our part to build the kingdom of God. We are members of the Kingdom in Christ and have the blessing of help build the kingdom by sharing the Gospel so others may believe.
Then, Jesus mentions that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade. You may be wondering like I did, what in the world do birds have to do with anything. The birds of the air represent the nations.
The Kingdom of God, or the tree, presented a place for the birds to nest. Likewise, the Kingdom of God is a safe haven for all the nations. What we mean by that is that all the peoples of the earth will be members of the Kingdom of God. This is not to say that all people will be saved. Instead, people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will be members of the kingdom of God.
The imagery of the birds representing the nations can be drawn from the book of Daniel.
10 The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
20 The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
Here, Daniel has a vision in which the birds represent the nations. We as Christians are called to share the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This means that until Christ’s return we are to be taking the Gospel across the street, across the country, and across the globe. In doing so, people from every nation, tribe, and tongue will hear the Gospel and have the opportunity to repent and believe. People from all the nations will enter into the Kingdom of God.
While the task may have seemed hopeless for those who God was calling to spread the Gospel, God would use those twelve men to make His name known across the globe. Now, here we are today. We hear the Gospel. We are Christians who have placed our faith in the Gospel. May we carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth.