Parables Jesus Taught
Mark 4:1-41
Verses 1-20: The Parable of the Sower
Verses 21-25: The Parable of the Lamp
Verses 26-34: The Parables of the Growing Seed and Mustard Seed
Verses 35-41: Jesus Calms the Storm
- What did it mean to the original reader or original audience?
Summarize the main story: Describe the events of the scriptural story in your own words.
Review and retell the story.
- The Kingdom of God
- Receptivity to God's Word
- Hearing and Understanding
- Spiritual growth and fruitfulness
- Hidden truths revealed
- God's mysterious workings
- Jesus' divine authority
- Faith Amidst Storms
- The Parable of the Sower
- The Purpose of Parables
- The Parable of the Lamp
- The Parables of the Growing Seed and Mustard Seed
- Jesus Calms the Storm
#People =
- Jesus
- The Disciples
- The Crowd
#Place =
- The Seashore
- The Boat
- The Sea of Galilee
#Sin =
#Key Idea =
The Parable of the Sower
(Matthew 13:1–9; Luke 8:4–8)
1Once again Jesus began to teach beside the sea, and such a large crowd gathered around Him that He got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people crowded along the shore.
2And He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said, 3“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4And as he was sowing, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it.
5Some fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun rose, the seedlings were scorched, and they withered because they had no root.
7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the seedlings, and they yielded no crop.
8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it sprouted, grew up, and produced a crop—one bearing thirtyfold, another sixtyfold, and another a hundredfold.”
9Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
(Isaiah 6:1–13; Matthew 13:10–17; Luke 8:9–10)
10As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
11He replied, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside everything is expressed in parables, 12so that,
‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn
and be forgiven.’a”
The Parable of the Sower Explained
(Matthew 13:18–23; Luke 8:11–15)
13Then Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables?
14The farmer sows the word. 15Some are like the seedsb along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them.
16Some are like the seeds sown on rocky ground. They hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But they themselves have no root, and they remain for only a season. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.
18Others are like the seeds sown among the thorns. They hear the word, 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
20Still others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, receive it, and produce a crop—thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or a hundredfold.”
The Lesson of the Lamp
(Luke 8:16–18)
21Jesus also said to them, “Does anyone bring in a lamp to put it under a basket or under a bed? Doesn’t he set it on a stand? 22For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be brought to light.
23If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
24He went on to say, “Pay attention to what you hear. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and even more will be added to you. 25For whoever has will be given more. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
The Seed Growing Secretly
26Jesus also said, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seed on the ground. 27Night and day he sleeps and wakes, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he knows not how. 28All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within. 29And as soon as the grain is ripe, he swings the sickle, because the harvest has come.c”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
(Matthew 13:31–32; Luke 13:18–19)
30Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? 31It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. 32But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.”
33With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. 34He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.
Jesus Calms the Storm
(Psalm 107:1–43; Matthew 8:23–27; Luke 8:22–25)
35When that evening came, He said to His disciples, “Let us cross to the other side.” 36After they had dismissed the crowd, they took Jesus with them, since He was already in the boat. And there were other boats with Him.
37Soon a violent windstorm came up, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that it was being swamped. 38But Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke Him and said, “Teacher, don’t You care that we are perishing?”
39Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm.
40“Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?”
41Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”
The Parable of the Sower (Mark 4:1-20):
- Jesus teaches the parable of a sower who scatters seed, which falls on different types of soil: the path (which is eaten by birds), rocky ground (which withers due to lack of roots), among thorns (which gets choked), and good soil (which produces a fruitful crop).
- Jesus explains the parable to his disciples, revealing that the seed represents the word of God. The different soils symbolize various responses to God's message, ranging from rejection to acceptance that leads to fruitful faith.
The Purpose of Parables (Mark 4:21-25):
- Jesus explains that parables are used to reveal truths about God's kingdom, but also to challenge those who are not open to understanding. He emphasizes that those who listen and seek understanding will receive more, while those who do not will lose what they have.
The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29):
- This parable describes a man who scatters seed on the ground, and though he doesn't understand how, the seed grows by itself, eventually producing a harvest. This illustrates the mysterious, gradual growth of God’s kingdom.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32):
- Jesus compares the kingdom of God to a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds but grows into a large plant. This illustrates the surprising and expansive growth of God's kingdom, starting from humble beginnings.
Jesus’ Teaching in Parables (Mark 4:33-34):
- Jesus teaches many things through parables, speaking in a way that the crowds could understand, but explaining things more clearly to his disciples privately.
Calming the Storm (Mark 4:35-41):
- Jesus and his disciples are caught in a violent storm on a boat. While the disciples panic, Jesus calmly rebukes the wind and the waves, and they obey him, bringing peace. This act leads the disciples to question, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him."
In this chapter, Jesus uses parables to teach profound lessons about the kingdom of God, its growth, and the nature of faith, while also revealing his divine authority through the calming of the storm.
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What transformative move needs to be made?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Take Away Challenges
What has the Holy Spirit revealed to you in this passage? How will you apply it to your life this week?
Whom do you know who needs to hear this?
What is God bringing to your attention in this discussion? What beliefs, thoughts, or actions need to be addressed or changed?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of Your Word. Please help me to understand and apply the truths found in Mark 4.2. Lord, I pray that I will be a sower of Your truth, that I may faithfully share the gospel with others. In the Name of Jesus.
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