Mark 4:1-34 – He taught them many things in parables
- Also recorded by Matthew 13:1-9 and Luke 8:4-8
- Opened and ended with declarations of Jesus employed the parabolic method (4:2,4:34)
- Jesus gave the reason why He used parables (v10-12)
- how should we explain Jesus’s teaching?
- Did Jesus mean to use parables to prevent people to repent and get to know God?
- Parable of the Sower
- seed = God’s Word (Mark 4:14, Luke 8:11)
- servant = God’s servant, Christians workers (1 Cor 3:5-9)
- soil = human’s heart
- 3 enemies of Christians: Satan, fresh, world (Eph 2:1-3)
- 4 kinds of hearts and 4 different responses to God’s word
- seed fell along the path – hard heart
- soil becomes hard when too many feet tread on it
- hard hearts must be plowed up before they can receive the seed
- enemy – Satan
- seed fell on rocky ground – shallow heart
- no depth, what ever is planted cannot last because it has no roots
- emotional hearer who accepts God’s Word with joy but do not really understand it
- enemy – flesh
- seed fell among thorns – crowded heart
- good seed has no room to grow
- enemy – world
- seed fell into good soil – fruitful heart
- true believer – a changed life is the evidence of true salvation
- Parable of the lamp
- Lamb = Christians who share God’s Word
- Pay attention to What we hear (v24)
- Pay attention to How we hear (Luke 8:18)
- The more we share God’s Word, the more will be given to us (v25)
- Parable of Growing Seed
- our responsibility is sow the seed
- God grows the seed
- one day we will harvest
- Parable of Mustard Seed
- What is the meaning of this parable?
- Who is the bird?
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