If you were to sum up all of Jesus’ teaching in one word or theme, what would it be? Jesus’ teaching centers on His Kingdom, and in Mark 4:21-34, he reveals aspects of the kingdom of God through parables. In today’s lesson, J. Mark walks through this passage and highlights three steps that reveal “The Mystery of the Kingdom”—proclamation, progression, and potential.
Transcript
It is so good to be with you again today. We are honored to be here and consider it a privilege to look into the Word of God with you. If you were to sum up all of Jesus’ teaching in one word or theme, what would it be? This is an interesting question, and I don’t know if there is only one correct answer. But I would say Jesus’ teaching revolves around His Kingdom. He came to promote His kingdom, so, of course, there will be many times when he explains it to His audience. Today’s lesson is one of those times.
Our title today is The Mystery of the Kingdom. Here in Mark 4, Jesus gives us several things His kingdom is like. Turn there if you can, and J Mark, we will explore this topic in today’s teaching.
The portion of Scripture for our study follows immediately after the parable of the soils and is directly related to it. I’ve titled my teaching, “The Mystery of the Kingdom,” and our text is Mark 4:21-34. So, listen carefully as I read this text and see if you can pick out the steps that reveal to us the mystery of the kingdom.
21 Also, He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?
22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.
23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24 Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given.
25 For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
26 And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground,
27 and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, but he himself does not know how.
28 For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head.
29 But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
30 Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it?
31 It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth;
32 but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.”
33 And with many such parables, He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it.
34 But without a parable, He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples.
In this text, we observe several STEPS that reveal to us the mystery of the kingdom.
The First STEP (that reveals the mystery of the kingdom) is,
Its Proclamation
Jesus moves from “the parable of the soils” into teaching about the kingdom of God. He moves from the field to the house and uses a common item to illustrate His teaching—a lamp.
Every household in Jesus’ day had these small clay lamps. He asks, “Does the lamp come to be put under the basket or the couch? Doesn’t it come to be set on the lampstand?” Putting the lamp under a basket or under the couch, where people recline to eat, defeats the whole purpose of lighting it in the first place.
Jesus didn’t come to obscure the truth but to proclaim it. Notice verse 22. “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.” Jesus admits that some things are hidden at the time He is speaking. However, the time would come when those previously hidden things — those mysteries — would be revealed.
The point of Jesus’ coming to earth was to proclaim the Truth, to illuminate the teachings of the Old Testament, and to show how those Scriptures spoke of Him. Again, Jesus emphasizes the importance of hearing. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” He follows that up immediately by saying, “Pay attention to what you hear, with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
As we hear Jesus’ teachings and put them into practice, we gain a deeper understanding, and that understanding opens the way to further revelation. If we refuse to listen and obediently practice what we’ve been given, our understanding decreases, and we have less revelation.
Understanding the mystery would depend on how well the hearers heard. How well they heard would be proven by the change that took place in their lives. Are you proclaiming the mystery of the kingdom by your words and by the life you live?
The Next STEP (that reveals the mystery of the kingdom) is,
Its Progression
In this context of the parable, Jesus reveals another aspect of the kingdom of God. He said it is like a man who scatters seed in his field. Jesus highlights the miracle of growth.
The farmer sows the seed and then goes on with everyday life. He sleeps, rises in the morning, works all day, eats his evening meal, and sleeps again. All the while, the seed is growing, but how it happens is a mystery to him. The soil appears to produce a crop on its own.
The soil produces the crop, but the life is in the seed. First, the stalk emerges as a tiny shoot. As the stalk develops, it forms the head, and eventually, that head fills out with mature grain. This is the law and order of nature, but it is also the order of grace in the kingdom of God. Ultimately, this sowing of the seed results in a harvest, as verse 29 states. “But when the grain ripens, immediately he sends in the sickle because the harvest has come.”
So, we learn that the kingdom of God is self-propagating. Even though the sower doesn’t understand how or why the seed grows, he does his part by scattering it. The seed grows and matures according to the laws of nature, and so does the kingdom of God.
An organization with which we partner in Bible distribution operates primarily in West Africa, focusing on disciple-making and Bible distribution. They instruct new converts to Christ and then train them to become disciple-makers. Those trained then pass that training on to others, repeating the cycle. Churches are being planted, and people are being delivered from the power of Satan. The kingdom is progressing!
This progression will continue until the kingdom of God comes to its fullness. Our part is to faithfully sow the seed of the kingdom, confident that God will bring about the harvest in His time. As you hear and obey the teaching of the kingdom of God, is spiritual progression taking place in your life? Are you experiencing the joy of being part of the reaping process?
The Final STEP (that reveals the mystery of the kingdom) is,
Its Potential
In verse 30, Jesus asks His listeners to help define the kingdom of God. He asks, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable can we use to describe it?”
He chooses the tiny mustard seed to illustrate the potential of the kingdom. But Jesus said that this seed, despite its small size, grows and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It produces large branches, allowing birds to nest in its shade.
How is that like the kingdom of God? Consider the influence of religious leaders, backed by Rome’s imperial power, compared to that of Jesus and His disciples. Jesus didn’t have an army or access to the Temple treasury. From the world’s perspective, He and His followers were a tiny, annoying minority; they were first ignored and later supposedly stamped out.
Remember how the religious leaders and Roman soldiers mocked Him at His crucifixion? This man is no threat; He can’t even save himself! But today the Roman Empire is long gone. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day have long been forgotten. But the kingdom of God has grown into a large tree, and people from all over the globe have come to rest in its shade.
Initially, those who found shade were mostly Jewish believers in Jesus. But it wasn’t long until Gentiles were welcomed, too. Through the witness of the disciples and the apostle Paul, people from all over the then-known world found rest in that tree. Today, that tree continues to grow until Jesus finally ushers in the kingdom in its fullness.
Why did Jesus speak to the crowds in parables? The text states that he taught them as they were able to understand. The mysteries of the kingdom couldn’t be grasped all at once. Progressive revelation was the only possible way to do it. That progression could only move at the speed with which His disciples grasped the kingdom’s concepts and incorporated them into their lives. Privately, Jesus explained the parables in detail to his inner circle, but even then, they failed to grasp much of what he told them.
From our vantage point, we now understand many of the mysteries of the kingdom of God. Jesus no longer speaks to us in parables. Many things that Jesus spoke of cryptically, we now understand clearly. Our obedience to His commands and our understanding of the kingdom of God are proven or disproven by our lifestyle choices.
Do you understand the mystery of the kingdom? Are you engaged in its proclamation? Are you holding your lamp high so others can see the light?
Are you participating in the kingdom’s progression? As you hear and obey the mysteries of the kingdom of God, is spiritual progression taking place in your life?
And do you understand the kingdom’s potential? If you do, your life will bear witness to your understanding. That understanding will lead to action, and you will use your resources to fuel that growth. Let’s ask God to help us better understand the mystery of the kingdom.
Thanks, J Mark, for this teaching. That was a nice outline for this lesson—three “P” words to help us understand the mystery of the Kingdom. You know something else? Since the day Jesus ascended, His kingdom has grown. It really is incredible; it has never been replicated. At this moment, there are millions, possibly billions, who would lay down their life for Jesus. And one more thing about this kingdom, the best is yet to come. Read the back of the Bible, the future for His kingdom is very bright. Let’s do our best to usher in this kingdom right where we are and go all in for Him.
If you have any questions about today’s lesson or if you would like to contact us, please let us know. You can reach us by email or the internet. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There, go to the “partner” tab at the top. Under this tab, you will see “contact us”; from there, you can message us directly. Please get in touch with us using the method that is easiest for you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you for joining us for Hope for Today. We look forward to being with you next time. Here is an encouraging verse from Daniel 2. The first part has happened, the last part, not yet, but we look forward to the day it will. Here it is, “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.”
