Reflective Bible Study Gospel Adventure

Teaching with Parables: Mark 4:1-9, 13-20

Published June 21, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 (NIV)

¹Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ²He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: ³“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. ⁴As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”

⁹Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”

¹³Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴The farmer sows the word. ¹⁵Some people are like seed 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. ¹⁶Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”

Read Mark 4:1-9, 13-20 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Immediately before sharing the parable of the farmer scattering seed, both Mark and Matthew introduce this portion of their gospels with an interesting statement. Mark transitions into the parable by saying “He taught them many things by parables…” (v. 2a)

Matthew transitions into this section by saying, “Then he told them many things in parables…” (v. 3a)

Both gospel writers then start into sharing about the parable of the farmer scattering his seed.

I don’t believe it is an accident or a coincidence that both Matthew and Mark place this parable as the first one immediately following their introductory statement. The reason I believe this is because immediately before sharing what the parable means, Jesus makes an equally interesting statement that is relevant for our “parables” discussion.

Mark captures this transition statement by telling us Jesus rhetorically asks the disciples, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?” (v. 13)

Both Mark and Matthew included this parable to open up Jesus’ big shift into teaching with parables. While this may not have been Jesus’ first parable He ever shared, it seemed to fit both gospel writers’ narratives to include it here before sharing more of Jesus’ parables.

Jesus’ shift into teaching with parables is a significant shift for us to pay attention to. All too often, when communicating, we feel that the information is enough – and sometimes sharing our information is all that is needed to inspire life change. But this only happens when there is something prompting the person to change from their own past and experience.

When Jesus shifted into using parables, He opened the door for multiple layers of meaning, and He began speaking to multiple audiences at different levels of education simultaneously. By creating stories that had characters illustrating the truths Jesus wanted us to learn, Jesus becomes a role model for us when communicating.

The parable of the farmer scattering seed has so many applications that it is startling to think about. While it touches on spiritual truth, it also shares how people who hear any message or any information can process it before applying or rejecting it. It opens the door for us to understand that some information, regardless of how it is packaged, will never reach a percentage of people who are unwilling to learn or change.

But the real brilliance of using parables or stories is that they get remembered. Whether we realize it or not, most of Jesus’ teachings that we remember are the ones that have been wrapped within parable and/or stories. In the introduction to Jesus’ parables, Mark expands our perspective about Jesus teaching with parables, and it is something that everyone of us can use when communicating with others.

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!

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Facing Failed Promises: John 11:1-16

Published June 20, 2024 in Audio Journal Entries

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As we approach the half way mark in our year moving through John’s gospel, we come to one of the longest events in John’s gospel, and, if I’m not mistaken, the miracle Jesus did that takes up the most dedicated space in any gospel record. This miracle is raising Jesus’ friend Lazarus from the dead.

However, because of its length, we will split this event into two episodes, focusing on the first part of the event in this episode, specifically when Jesus hears the news that Lazarus is sick.

Let’s read the opening to this event, and discover some amazing things in how Jesus responds to the news of His friend’s sickness. Our passage for this episode is found in John’s gospel, chapter 11, and we will read it from the Contemporary English Version of the Bible. Starting in verse 1, John tells us that:

^1-2A man by the name of Lazarus was sick in the village of Bethany. He had two sisters, Mary and Martha. This was the same Mary who later poured perfume on the Lord’s head and wiped his feet with her hair. ³The sisters sent a message to the Lord and told him that his good friend Lazarus was sick.

⁴When Jesus heard this, he said, “His sickness won’t end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.”

⁵Jesus loved Martha and her sister and brother. ⁶But he stayed where he was for two more days. ⁷Then he said to his disciples, “Now we will go back to Judea.”

⁸“Teacher,” they said, “the people there want to stone you to death! Why do you want to go back?”

⁹Jesus answered, “Aren’t there twelve hours in each day? If you walk during the day, you will have light from the sun, and you won’t stumble. ¹⁰But if you walk during the night, you will stumble, because you don’t have any light.” ¹¹Then he told them, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, and I am going there to wake him up.”

¹²They replied, “Lord, if he is asleep, he will get better.” ¹³Jesus really meant that Lazarus was dead, but they thought he was talking only about sleep.

¹⁴Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead! ¹⁵I am glad that I wasn’t there, because now you will have a chance to put your faith in me. Let’s go to him.”

¹⁶Thomas, whose nickname was “Twin,” said to the other disciples, “Come on. Let’s go, so we can die with him.”

Let’s stop reading here, and save the rest of this event for our next episode.

While it is very tempting to race forward to focus in on the miracle portion of this passage, a detail in the first portion of our event is worth paying attention to, because it may explain why God doesn’t race in and act immediately when we ask.

In the first portion of our event, specifically in verse 4, after hearing the news of Lazarus’ sickness, Jesus responds that: “His sickness won’t end in death. It will bring glory to God and his Son.” All too often, when we think of the bad that happens to us or the bad that happens around us living in this sinful world, we are quick to judge God for letting it happen, or rationalize that since it happened, He must not exist.

However, in Jesus’ words, we discover two huge promises. First, the sickness will not end in death. We could expand this truth to say that sin will not conquer or defeat God’s people. Another way of saying this is that God’s people will outlive and outlast both sin and death.

The second huge promise is that this sickness will result in glory being given to God and His Son. While this sounds completely backward, what if all the bad that is happening in the world today was an opportunity to bring glory to God and His Son? While I don’t believe for an instant that God wished sin, pain, disease, or death to be present in His perfect creation, what if all the evil present gives God and His people the opportunity to help others?

If everything was perfect in our world, there would be no need for anyone to help another, there would be no reason for us to need a Savior, and we as a race would become unbelievably prideful and arrogant – significantly more extreme than we are right now. If humanity never sinned, Jesus would not have needed to come and face the cross, and Jesus alludes or suggests that the cross was where He would receive glory.

In contrast, in order for Jesus’ response when hearing the news about Lazarus’ sickness to be true, we must understand that Jesus has something bigger in mind. Jesus promised that this sickness wouldn’t end in death, and that it would give glory to God and His Son.

Without both parts of Jesus’ reply, we are left wondering about what happened next. If Jesus had only promised that Lazarus’ sickness wouldn’t end in death, there would be little reason for Jesus to go help Him. It would be similar to other miracles where Jesus promised people from a distance that their loved one would get well.

However, if we only had the second part of this reply, we might also be surprised at what happened next. If this sickness would ultimately result in God and His Son receiving glory, then it makes little sense for Jesus to stay where He was for two more days.

Looking at how Jesus responded to the messenger, and then what He did following this, I wonder if the disciples believed Jesus’ words to the messenger to be similar to Jesus’ words to the centurion, to the father of the dying child, and to other miracles where the one asking for a miracle was willing to accept Jesus’ promise of healing from a distance. On the surface, Jesus’ response sounds like a similar promise.

However, one of the biggest challenges I see being laid in this opening to this event is within Jesus’ reply. Jesus told the messenger that Lazarus’ sickness would not end in death, and then two days later, Jesus admits to His disciples that Lazarus was in fact dead.

This challenge is similar to what many people face today. We read about all the miracles and promises God gives us in the Bible, then we pray for God’s help and for a miracle in our own situation, and after praying this, often it can feel as though God ignores our request.

It is like the messenger racing back to Bethany after finding Jesus with the promise that Lazarus’ sickness wouldn’t end in death, but then less than 48 hours later, Lazarus dies. On the surface, this looks like a huge fail for Jesus and His promises. This looks like Jesus broke a promise. I suspect that Mary, Martha, and those present in Bethany had similar feelings of loss, of disappointment, and of doubt towards God when Lazarus stopped breathing.

However, Jesus’ promise still stands. Jesus saw this event in a larger way than this immediate sickness finishing Lazarus off for good. Instead, Jesus never promised that Lazarus’ sickness wouldn’t temporarily take Him through death. Instead, Jesus actually refers to the death Lazarus experienced as sleep, which makes this contrast even more evident. It is only when the disciples don’t understand Jesus’ metaphor that He spoke plainly to them about Lazarus’ death.

In a similar way, when we experience pain, loss, or even death, we might feel as though God’s promises have failed us. However, Jesus sees one or more steps past the immediate pain, because Jesus sees the step past our sleep-death and He sees the resurrection He will bring to all of His people when He returns.

While the disciples show virtually no faith in Jesus during this opening of the event, the opening of this event sets the stage for what would be seen as one of Jesus’ greatest miracles in His entire ministry, and a miracle that foreshadows the resurrection that all of God’s people can look forward to when Jesus returns!

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always challenge you to do, seek God first in your life, and choose to place your faith, your hope, your trust, and your belief in Jesus even when our immediate circumstances don’t seem like God’s promises are coming true. God sees history with a much bigger perspective than we ever could, and the situation we are facing might be like the opening of our event in this episode. However, remember that Jesus sees one or more steps past our immediate situation, and He has promised to give God the glory for what ultimately happens.

Also, even though it is hard to do when facing trials, continue praying and studying the Bible for yourself with the goal of purposefully growing closer to God and Jesus while facing trials. Often God walks with us through the trials instead of taking the trial away, and while it is not pleasant to think about, sometimes trials are God’s way of reminding us that we need Him in our lives.

However, trials have an end, and because of this, I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or give up on where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!

Year in John – Episode 25: After Jesus promised a messenger that Lazarus’ sickness wouldn’t end in death, we read that Lazarus actually died two days later. Discover what we can learn about God, about Jesus, and about God’s promises through the opening of this event where it appears as though Jesus’ word failed.

Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.

Last Chance to Change: Matthew 21:33-46

Published June 19, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: Matthew 21:33-46 (GNT)

³³ Listen to another parable, Jesus said. There was once a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip. ³⁴ When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent his slaves to the tenants to receive his share of the harvest. ³⁵ The tenants grabbed his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again the man sent other slaves, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. ³⁷ Last of all he sent his son to them.
Surely they will respect my son, he said. ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves,
This is the owner’s son. Come on, let’s kill him, and we will get his property! ³⁹ So they grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

⁴⁰ Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? Jesus asked.

⁴¹ He will certainly kill those evil men, they answered,
and rent the vineyard out to other tenants, who will give him his share of the harvest at the right time.

⁴² Jesus said to them, Haven’t you ever read what the Scriptures say?

         The stone which the builders rejected as worthless
      turned out to be the most important of all.
   This was done by the Lord;
      what a wonderful sight it is!

⁴³ And so I tell you, added Jesus,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the proper fruits.

⁴⁵ The chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables and knew that he was talking about them, ⁴⁶ so they tried to arrest him. But they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Read Matthew 21:33-46 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

Have you ever said something would happen, and then did things to help prompt that something to happen the way you described?

This could be describing how a leader casts a vision, and then works to bring their vision into reality, or it could be describing a pessimist who only sees the bad in life, and cannot seem to break free from his/her bleak reality.

Well Jesus also had a few self fulfilling prophecies, and in this passage’s parable, Jesus implies that He is “the Son” in this parable, the religious leaders are the evil tenants, and that they would ultimately put Him to death.

But ringing all through this parable is a much bigger truth: Because the religious leaders were hearing Jesus’ voice, they still had the opportunity to change and become God-respecting tenants.

Just because God has spoken judgment on someone/something doesn’t mean that it is too late. Just think about Jonah and Ninevah for a clear example.

More than likely, God’s proclamations are warnings that something big will happen if nothing changes. We could think of it like a parent saying “This is your last warning”, but coming from God, this definitely carries a lot of weight, and God has a track record of following through with the things He says (unlike many parents today).

In the parable, the tenants had the option of respecting the owner’s son, but they chose instead to kill him. This is a masterful illustration that Jesus uses because He strips away all the politics, all the history, and all the biases that the people had – including the religious leaders’ views as well. In one simple illustration, Jesus sums up the big problem with the religion in that region: the rules supporting the religion had replaced the focus on a relationship with God.

But with this illustration, Jesus is also saying, “You still have the chance to change.” By hearing Jesus’ voice, they could choose to once again respect God over their rules surrounding Him.

However, while they didn’t, the truth of this parable now lives with us. While we are able to recognize that we have God’s good news, we have the responsibility to be God-respecting tenants of this good news, and return a portion of the blessing God has given to us.

This discussion is about much more than just money. It also involves our time, talents, and relationships as well. God has blessed us with all these things and more, and it is wise of us to remember His role in everything we do.

In this parable, Jesus is also saying to you and I, “You still have the chance to change. You still can choose to place Me first in your life. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life that leads to Heaven.”

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The Trivial, Yet Fatal Choice: John 13:18-30

Published June 18, 2024 in Written Journal Entries

Focus Passage: John 13:18-30 (NCV)

¹⁸“I am not talking about all of you. I know those I have chosen. But this is to bring about what the Scripture said: ‘The man who ate at my table has turned against me.’ ¹⁹I am telling you this now before it happens so that when it happens, you will believe that I am he. ²⁰I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send also accepts me. And whoever accepts me also accepts the One who sent me.”

²¹After Jesus said this, he was very troubled. He said openly, “I tell you the truth, one of you will turn against me.”

²²The followers all looked at each other, because they did not know whom Jesus was talking about. ²³One of the followers sitting next to Jesus was the follower Jesus loved. ²⁴Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus whom he was talking about.

²⁵That follower leaned closer to Jesus and asked, “Lord, who is it?”

²⁶Jesus answered, “I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will turn against me.” So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. ²⁷As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus said to him, “The thing that you will do—do it quickly.” ²⁸No one at the table understood why Jesus said this to Judas. ²⁹Since he was the one who kept the money box, some of the followers thought Jesus was telling him to buy what was needed for the feast or to give something to the poor.

³⁰Judas took the bread Jesus gave him and immediately went out. It was night.

Read John 13:18-30 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!

During the last supper Jesus had with the disciples before His crucifixion, John’s gospel includes an interesting statement that stands out when I read it. Part of me wonders how this event would have been different if this one key detail had happened differently.

According to John, when asked who would betray Jesus, Jesus responds by saying, “‘I will dip this bread into the dish. The man I give it to is the man who will turn against me.’ So Jesus took a piece of bread, dipped it, and gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered him.” (v. 26-27a)

What stands out in my mind when I read this is that it seems as though Judas Iscariot willingly takes the bread and that by accepting the bread, He allowed Satan to enter him. I wonder if in this act, Judas fully accepts the role of betrayer.

I wonder what would have happened differently if Judas had refused the offer of bread from Jesus. If Judas had refused to accept the bread, would that also have meant that He refused to be known as the betrayer. If Satan had not entered him, would Judas have still gone through with turning Jesus in?

In some ways, John’s gospel paints Judas Iscariot as a victim. If Satan entered Judas through the simple act of taking bread from Jesus then the argument could be made that it was Satan who betrayed Jesus, not Judas.

But the plan to betray Jesus had already been put in place before this night. Judas Iscariot already had received the thirty pieces of silver, and he was already looking for an opportunity for the religious leaders to arrest Jesus while He was away from the crowds.

Satan entering Judas at that moment was a mere formality when accepting the bread. Perhaps Judas believed Jesus would not allow Himself to be arrested or condemned. Perhaps Judas saw this as a way to push Jesus forward into claiming the Messianic role that Judas believed He should be.

And unknowingly, Judas Iscariot actually does push Jesus’ mission forward – but not in the way he expected it to go. Seeing how this event unfolds, Judas didn’t need Satan in him to move forward with the plan, but perhaps Satan entering Judas helped solidify that Judas would follow through with the plan.

Judas opened himself to Satan when he refused Jesus’ correction and Jesus’ love. Judas held tight to his own view of who the Messiah was supposed to be, and because of this, there was no way for Jesus to help correct his belief. It was only after the arrest and realizing that Jesus was letting Himself be crucified that Judas realizes Jesus really did have a different picture of the Messiah role than he did – and this realization prompts his suicide.

Jesus wants to teach each of us who He is and what He is like. In every case, this involves us being open to letting Him break down the box we have placed Him in, and letting Him define the boundaries of who He is. The Bible describes One God, and One Truth – and it reveals this to us through the character of the One Messiah, Jesus Christ. We don’t have to make the same mistake as Judas Iscariot. We can let Jesus teach us while we still have time to learn and grow.

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