Bible Stories for Adults
Parables of the Kingdom
Matthew 13:31-50
Welcome and Announcements
Next Week - Jesus Shows His Glory (Matthew 17:1-9)
Bible Words to Remember:
The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! Mark 1:15
Opening Prayer
Jesus' First Year Approach (Matthew 4:23-25)
How did Jesus reveal Himself and His Kingdom early in His ministry?
Matthew 4:23-25
How difficult was it for Him to get permission to teach in the synagogues?
Luke 4:15-16
How was He received by the Jewish leaders early in His ministry?
John 3:1-2
The Reception Changes (Matthew 12:14)
How did this reception change by His second year?
Matthew 12:1-2, 9-10, 13-14
How did they explain the great miracles, healings and exorcisms Jesus performed?
Matthew 12:22-24
How did Jesus show He was giving up on trying to reach the Jewish leaders?
Luke 11:15-16, 29
Jesus Changes His Approach (Matthew 13:1-3, 10-15, 34-35)
No longer invited to preach in the synagogues, where did Jesus now focus His teaching efforts?
Matthew 13:1-2
How did His style change to reveal His Kingdom to believers but not to those who rejected Him?
Matthew 13:3a
Is this really the reason He spoke in parables?
Matthew 13:10-12
Was Jesus purposely hiding the secrets of the kingdom of heaven from those who rejected Him?
Matthew 10:13-15
How dramatic of a change did Jesus make in His teaching style at this time?
Matthew 13:34-35
How did He make sure His inner circle of apostles understood these secret truths?
Mark 4:33-34
Understanding Jesus' Parables (Matthew 13:16-17)
As Christians, is it a simple matter for us to understand these parables?
Matthew 13:16-17
Did the disciples understand the parables when Jesus told them?
Matthew 13:36
Did they understand them after He explained them?
Matthew 13:51
How can we hope to understand Jesus' parables while others could not?
1 Corinthians 2:7-10a
What should we do to better understand God's great mysteries?
Ephesians 1:17-18
What parable did Jesus give to tell us what to do with the understandings God gives us?
Matthew 13:52
Six Points on Parables from Barclay
Parables make truth concrete
Matthew 23:27-28
Parables use here and now to get there and then
Revelation 21:18-19a, 21
Parables compel interest
Luke 6:46-49
Parables compel the hearer to discover truth for himself
Matthew 21:28-31
Parables conceal truth from those who don't want it
John 2:18-21
Matthew 26:59-61
Parables were spoken
Luke 14:31-33
The Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:3-9, 18-23)
What well-known parable does Jesus begin with that begins to explain the kingdom of heaven?
Matthew 13:3-8
How did Jesus conclude this parable that pointed the people toward its meaning?
Matthew 13:9
How did Jesus make sure the people understood the connection?
Matthew 13:18-23
Was Jesus describing a political kingdom that would be founded by the promised Messiah?
Luke 17:20-21
What key point was Jesus making about the kingdom of heaven in this parable?
Matthew 22:14
The Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43)
How did Jesus build on this theme to describe the lives of those in this kingdom?
Matthew 13:24-30
Jesus didn't explain this parable to the crowd. Was it because the message was so obvious?
Matthew 13:36
What was Jesus trying to say about the kingdom of heaven?
Matthew 13:37-43
How were these parables responding to Jesus' encounters with Pharisees earlier that day?
Matthew 12:33-37
Are we to work to uproot weeds of false Christians by shooting holes in their positions?
Matthew 13:29
How are we to keep false Christianity from damaging Christians and their faith?
Matthew 13:7
The Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31-32)
What short parable did Jesus give next without any explanation?
Matthew 13:31-32
Though not the smallest, Jews referred to the mustard seed when describing something small
Khardah - Mustard plant grew into a tree-like shrub up to 10-20 ft tall
Wide fan-like branches were strong enough for birds to roost in fall
What is the common explanation of the mustard seed parable?
Acts 1:15; 2:41, 47b
What is the understanding of the birds in this explanation?
Ezekiel 17:23 (31:6)
What is another explanation of the meaning behind the mustard seed?
1 Peter 2:2
How do some scholars explain this parable in the context of weeds in the wheat?
2 Corinthians 11:2-4
Shouldn't we accept everyone who wants to become a member?
Acts 8:9, 18-21
Why should we be careful about how the church grows?
Revelation 3:15-16
What is the purpose of mentioning the birds under this explanation?
Matthew 13:4, 19
The Parable of the Leaven (Matthew 13:33)
What other short parable did Jesus then give to further His lesson on the Kingdom of Heaven?
Matthew 13:33
Three pecks of flour (about a bushel) was as much as a woman could handle - fed 100
What is the common interpretation of this parable?
1 Thessalonians 5:23
With all other Biblical references to leaven denoting evil, how do some explain this parable?
1 Corinthians 5:6-8
Matthew 16:11-12
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and Pearl (Matthew 13:44-46)
What parables did Jesus give to describe the unmatched value of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Matthew 13:44-46
What is one view of the meaning behind these parables?
Colossians 2:2-3
Matthew 6:19-21
What other interpretation is also given?
Luke 19:10
What strengthens this explanation?
Revelation 5:9
The Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50)
What parable did Jesus give to finish His lesson on the Kingdom of Heaven?
Matthew 13:47-48
How did He make sure this lesson wouldn't be lost by the Bible scholars?
Matthew 13:49-50
The Parable of the Householder (Matthew 13:51-52)
Should we be concerned about differing understandings and insights of Jesus' parables?
Matthew 13:51-52
How do we know if what we reveal is God's good intention?
Luke 6:43-45
Closing Prayer
Copyright © 1998 by Kurt Rosenhagen
Use of this material is provided free of charge for use in personal or group Bible Study, no permission needed.
The author reserves all rights for use in published material or in uses where fees are involved.
For permission, or to provide your comments, insights and feedback, contact the author at:
kurt@biblestoriesforadults.com