Sowing the seed of God

THE KINGDOM OF GOD Today I want to begin a little study on the central message contained in Jesus’life and ministry.

This fundamental message is ‘The Kingdom of God.’

To grasp this great idea, we shall also study the parables of Jesus.

To understand where the idea of the kingdom of God originated, we need to retrace Israel’s history.

The traumatic Babylonian Captivity (587-538 BC) fundamentally changed the Jewish nation.

They had still been a nation when they were deported to Babylon.

But, on their return, they were simply a subjugated race.

They were to be dominated by foreign rulers until the time of Christ.

Their religion was tolerated, but sometimes insulted.

They possessed no military power, nor political prestige, and their only form of government was the religiously orientated Sanhedrin. THE COMING GOLDEN AGE Over the intervening centuries, from the end of the Exile until the birth of Jesus Christ, the hope developed within the nation that a future age would come when God would restore the greatness of Israel.

God would establish his kingdom on earth, punish the wicked and vindicate his nation.

This golden age would be inaugurated by the coming of God’s Messiah.

So when John the Baptist came from the wilderness, in appearance to and with a message like the prophets of olden times, he created a real stir.

“John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”(Matthew 3.2).

After John was imprisoned, Jesus entered Galilee with a virtually identical message.

“Jesus came preaching the gospel of God, saying ‘The time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel’”(Mark 1.14-15).

People began to wonder if God’s time was imminent.

CONFUSION But Jesus’Messiahship was not as people expected. He was not a political leader, nor did he excite the crowd with mass rallies.

Rather, he tended the poor, healed the sick, brought comfort to the down-and-outs and mixed with religion’s undesirables.

Jesus was so different from popular expectations that John the Baptist, now in prison, sent his own disciples to ask Jesus:“Are you the one who should come, or should we look for another?” (Matthew 11, 1-3).

But, if Jesus’ministry created uncertainty for John, it caused opposition and outrage within the religious establishment.

From the very beginning of Jesus’messianic ministry, the religious authorities were against the Lord.

We know this from the gospel accounts.

Mark 2.1-3.6 contains five incidents in which the religious authorities confront Jesus.

This passage concludes:“The Pharisees went and held counsel with the Herodians against Jesus, how to destroy him”(Mark 3.6).

The Pharisees and Herodians hated each other. The only other time they collaborated was to plot Jesus’death near the end of his life (Matthew 22.15-16).

TEACHING So how would Jesus explain the true nature of the kingdom of God, that their God-given Messiah would care, heal, teach, and eventually suffer and die?

Jesus taught the people in parables.

In Jesus, God was coming to save the lost sheep (Luke 15.1-7).

So God rejoices over the lost soul now found, rather than the ninety and nine righteous people.

So Jesus taught that he was sowing the seed of the new life of God, just as“A sower went out to sow”(Mark 4.3).

Jesus taught that when people found God’s new life, it would be like a farmer who discovered buried treasure in his field (Matthew 13.44).

So precious is God’s new life, it is like a merchant who sells his entire stock to buy the pearl of infinite value (Matthew 13.45).

A CHALLENGE The parables are not gentle little stories to illustrate how we are to be good boys and girls.

The parables are declaring the same message that Jesus proclaimed:“The kingdom of God is here, repent and believe.”

The parables challenge people that Jesus is sowing the new life of God in the human heart.

What kind of soil are you? Will the Word of God get a chance to grow in your life? (Mark 4.1-9).

Are you ready for the challenge?

What will you do when Jesus speaks to you as he spoke to the disciples?

“The Kingdom of God is here with you. Follow me”(Mark 1.14-17).