We read in Mark 4:30, "What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?" asked Jesus. "What parable shall we use to explain it? (GNB)
In this series of messages, we are studying in detail some of the questions that Jesus asked. While Jesus lived here on earth, though He is omniscient, He asked several questions, so that we could understand those deeper truths that were hidden from us.
If one were to summarize all of the teaching of Jesus as recorded in the New Testament, the essence of it, is all about the Kingdom of God. Therefore, the question that Jesus asked in Mark 4:30 was what should one compare the Kingdom of God with? If we were to compare the rule of God with the rule of men this is how it would look like. When one party comes to rule, they bring in certain policies and schemes, which when some other party takes over will totally discard. However, when God rules, His rule is consistent, and He is able to overrule every situation and hardship that we encounter in this life.
When Jesus commenced His ministry here on earth, this is what He declared.
We read in Mark 1:15 He said, "The time has come, and the kingdom of God is near. Change the way you think and act, and believe the Good News." (GW)
For hundreds of generations, the people of Israel were seeking and awaiting the arrival of the Kingdom of God. When Jesus came down to the earth, he proclaimed to the people that what they sought after, and were unable to change all through these years, was now going to be transformed, only because the time had come, and the Kingdom of God was close at hand.
To explain what Jesus was saying let me illustrate with something that we are familiar with. For those who live on the hills in Ooty, it is a general practice for many to go down to Coimbatore to purchase certain commodities, only because they are priced cheaper. Often, we might have noticed that when a new store opens up in Ooty, they usually advertise saying, that there would be no need for people to travel to Coimbatore anymore, as their store could provide the same product for a much better price.
In other words, Jesus was exhorting them that there was no more reason for them to go seeking after the Kingdom of God, for the Kingdom of God was now near to them. The question therefore is what should one do to become a citizen of the Kingdom of God? Jesus gave the answer very simply that all one needed to do was to repent, and believe in Him.
When challenged with difficulties, and people seek counsel from others, many will direct them to various sacred places where they could find relief from their distress. There are even believers who believe that a trip to the holy land of Israel would be a solution to their many woes, which is not true. The message of the gospel is so simple, and the call of the Lord to everyone who wishes to enter the Kingdom of God is plain, that they need to repent of their sins, and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and all that He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. Sadly, many find this far too elementary, and therefore are unwilling to accept this amazing invitation.
Let me illustrate this with an everyday example. When a person gets ill, he goes to a physician who gives him a simple tablet for his sickness, and charges a nominal fee. However, the person is not satisfied, and therefore decides to go to a renowned hospital. He is made to pay and register himself, goes through a whole list of tests that the doctor dictates, and finally is prescribed the same tablet that the first physician gave, and now the person is totally satisfied. The reason for this is that the mind of man is so distorted, that he finds it easy to accept the complicated, and hard to accept that which is simple.
The blessing of being in the Kingdom of God
1. There’s healing in the Kingdom of God
There was a woman who was suffering with an issue of blood for twelve years. She had spent all her money and possessions on physicians, to no avail. She finally decided to stop her pursuit of doctors, resolved to believe in Jesus instead, and with faith touched the hem of His garment. Instantly, she was healed of her predicament which had distressed her for twelve long years.
There is healing for every for every sickness in the Kingdom of God. Certain diseases are from various germs and infections, but oftentimes people suffer from certain ailments, because of oppression from the evil one. You may have observed that when a person is peaceful their blood pressure will be normal, and the same will shoot up when they are agitated about something.
2. There is deliverance in the Kingdom of God
There was a woman who was bent over for eighteen years, and the Lord declared that Satan had bound her up. Jesus commanded the spirit to leave her, and she straightened up instantly. We must be aware that there are evil spirits at work, which are part of the kingdom of Satan whose only aim is to breakdown, kill and destroy. There are many people who are under constant fear that others have cast an evil spell on them. We must be reminded that when we are the citizens of the Kingdom of God, and none of these evils can overcome us. There is liberation from every power of evil in the Kingdom of God.
When a civilian crosses the road he may be gripped with fear, but have you noticed how a cop in uniform will cross the road with total confidence, and no one will dare go near him. The reason is that the police has behind him the authority of the government, and therefore he has the boldness that comes along with it. We too must keep in mind that we are the subjects of the Kingdom of God, and therefore we have the confidence that we are totally safe. That is why the Lord assures us that no harm can befall and promises us in Zechariah 2:8, ‘he who touches you, touches the apples of His eye’. (ESV)
3. There is plenty in the Kingdom of God
At the marriage at Cana, they ran out of wine which was an important part of the wedding ceremony. This wine took years of preparation to make it taste really good, and there was no way they could replace it. However, when the servants obeyed, and filled the water jars with water, Jesus instantly turned it into wine that tasted far superior to the one they had served earlier. This comes to remind us that there is no lack in the Kingdom of God, for the Lord can remove our want, and replace it with abundance.
4. There is safety in the Kingdom of God
As the disciples and Jesus travelled by boat across the lake, they were faced with a severe storm. While the disciples of Jesus were filled with fear, with just one word, Jesus calmed the raging storm. This is to assure us that there is security in the Kingdom of God, and no need to fear anything or anyone.
5. There is life in the Kingdom of God
When Lazarus died and was buried for four days, everyone including his sisters thought everything was over. Jesus commanded them to remove the stone that covered the tomb in which Lazarus was laid, and when Jesus called out to the dead man, his ears heard the call of Jesus, who is the King of Kings, and he walked out alive. Those who are citizens of the Kingdom of God are guaranteed abundant life here on earth, and eternal life after their death.
6. There is satisfaction in the Kingdom of God
There were five thousand men alone, apart from women and children who were listening to the teaching of Jesus the whole day. They were tired, hungry and all that was found in their midst was a small lunch of five loaves and two fish. With that little meal that Jesus blessed all of them ate to their complete satisfaction, and were even able to take twelve baskets of remaining food. There is total gratification in the Kingdom of God.
7. There is light in the Kingdom of God
The gospel of John records the incident of a man who was born blind, who had never seen the light of day. When he came to Jesus, He applied mud on his eyes asked him to go wash in the pool of Siloam, and the man returned with perfect eye sight. This is to remind us that there is no darkness in the Kingdom of God, for the Lord Himself is the light of that Kingdom.
One of the debates that our country is faced with right now is who is or who is not a citizen of this country. The good news is that even if we are disowned by the country we live in, we have the confidence that we are the citizens of the Kingdom of God, and nobody can take that away from us. While Jesus lived here on earth, he told those who wished to follow Him, that the Son of Man did not even have a place to lay down his head, and yet He did not depend on others, but instead went around meeting the needs of others. This Kingdom that God invites to is not an exclusive one for a select few, but is open wide for anyone who is willing to believe, and enter in.
The reason Jesus came down to the earth was to restore to mankind the Kingdom of God which they had lost because of sin, having been led astray by the craftiness of the evil one. However, many of the religious leaders in Jesus’ day could not comprehend this, and even today there are so many who do not have a proper understanding of the Kingdom of God.
We read in Luke 17:20-21, The Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come. He answered them, "People can't observe the coming of the kingdom of God. They can't say, 'Here it is!' or 'There it is!' You see, the kingdom of God is within you." (GW)
The Pharisees were those who were well versed with scripture, and yet were unable to understand the meaning of it. They were in doubt as to when the Kingdom of God would come. Jesus had to admonish them that there would be no announcement for the Kingdom of God, for the Kingdom of God was within them. The Kingdom of God is right inside of us, implies that the primary purpose for which Jesus came down to the earth, was not to bring external changes to society, but to bring genuine transformation from within the hearts of individuals, which will be evident to everyone.
Let us imagine a government comes to power, and cleans up all the streets, removes all the garbage to make the city look spic and span. However, they cannot clean the hearts of people who use these roads, which is mostly bent towards sin and evil. Jesus came in order to cleanse the hearts of man from sin and wickedness, so that he can be pure from within.
The reason Jesus spoke in parables
We read in Mark 4:30, "What shall we say the Kingdom of God is like?" asked Jesus. "What parable shall we use to explain it? (GNB)
When Jesus taught he predominantly used parables, and he explained these in detail only to those who approached him, and sought for a clarification. The reason for this was that for those who did not want to obey the word of God, the explanation of these parables would be of no benefit to them. However, those who desired change from within, truly wanted to hear the deeper truths of the parables that Jesus taught. Jesus came to bring us a change of heart and that is why He taught in Matthew 5:8, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God (ESV)
There are some children who after listening to the advice of their parents for long hours, will decide to only do what they think fit, and will have no mind to change their views whatsoever.
We read in Matthew 13:10, Then the disciples came to Jesus and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?" (GNB)
He also explained further in Matthew 13:13, The reason I use parables in talking to them is that they look, but do not see, and they listen, but do not hear or understand. (GNB)
There are some people who give excuse for not reading the Bible by saying that they could not understand what they read. If we have not obeyed the word of God in simple things, we will most certainly not be able to comprehend the greater truths that God wishes to reveal to us. Jesus therefore had to use parables because most of the people could not perceive or understand the deeper revelations that Jesus wanted to convey to them. These were simply content to listen to the stories, and had no inclination to understand or obey Jesus’ teachings. The ones who understood these were mostly the disciples of Jesus who sincerely sought to assimilate the word of God into their lives.
The large crowds who followed after Jesus who did not care to understand these revelations were the ones who on one day cried out saying ‘Hosanna to the Son of David’ and the same ones who a few days later shouted, ‘Crucify Him’. There are many even today who sing the praises of God on Sunday, but live a life that actually crucifies the Lord through the week. We are the citizens of God’s Kingdom, and we are called to live a holy life every single day.
A parable to explain the Kingdom of God
Jesus said in Mark 4:31-32, It is like this. A man takes a mustard seed, the smallest seed in the world, and plants it in the ground. After a while it grows up and becomes the biggest of all plants. It puts out such large branches that the birds come and make their nests in its shade."
Jesus likened the enormous, splendid, and mighty Kingdom of God to a tiny mustard seed. The Kingdom of God begins as a tiny mustard seed, which is so small and insignificant, that if we are not careful it can easily fall out of our palm. Inside that tiny seed is hidden the capacity for the growth of a huge mustard plant. Jesus compared the tiny seed to the word of God, the planter is God Himself, and the soil to the heart of men.
• The word of God, just like the seed is powerful, and just like a tiny seed has the potential for producing a huge plant, so also the word of God has power to bring tremendous transformation.
• If one were to hold a mustard seed in their hand for ten long years it would be of no benefit. However, when that seed is sown into the soil, it has the capacity to grow into a mighty plant. So also, for the word of God to be fruitful it has to be sown into the hearts of men. When the word of God is planted in the soil of our heart, it has the capacity to bring an abundant harvest. That is why it is so important to read and understand the word of God regularly. Jesus reiterated that man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God’s word has answers to all our questions, solution for all the problems we face, and gives guidance during all our times of confusion. David said in the Psalms 119:11, I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you (NLT) The Bible is not meant to be near the bedstead or the altar at home, but in our hearts, for only then we will be able to live holy, and fruitful lives.
• The growth of a seed is not evident to the physical eye, but just the same it is growing every single day. So also, the growth that God’s word brings within us may not be immediately noticeable, but it is most certainly growing anyways.
• Once this small seed grows into a huge plant, it becomes a haven of rest for the birds of the air which find shelter under its shade. Many are like the birds of the air, wandering about restlessly, seeking to find solace in all kinds of places by undertaking all sorts of pilgrimages. When one repents of their sin and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ, allowing the Kingdom of God to reign in our hearts, we can be assured of transformation in our lives. Everyone who came to Jesus was totally changed, and were never the same again. We should desire that God should make us to become those people whose lives would bless others in numerous ways, so that those who are wandering will find rest when they associate with us.
We read in Hebrews 9:27, And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (ESV) God has appointed for man to be born once, die once and then face the judgement seat of Christ.
Jesus told the incident of a poor man named Lazarus who was a beggar, who lay at the gates of a rich man, who ate the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Lazarus had something that the rich man lacked. He had faith in God. When both of them died, the rich man was buried but landed up in hell with fiery torment. However, Lazarus was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom where he was enjoying the joys of heaven. The man who enjoyed on earth was tormented, while the man who suffered on earth was rejoicing in the presence of God. The difference was that Lazarus had nothing in this world, but had his faith in God.
There is only one way for everyone, and that is through Jesus. He is the only one who paved the way for us to go to the Father in heaven. Let us decide to believe in the Lord Jesus, repent of our sins, allow the Kingdom of God to rule in our hearts and we will experience unimaginable changes in our lives. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day tried to attain this by their own efforts and good deeds, but failed miserably.
Jesus came into the world to establish the Kingdom of God, and His love extends to all mankind irrespective of who we are. Our heart is desperately wicked, and the change can come inside only when Jesus comes in and takes over. The Kingdom of God should rule and reign within us. It is only when the word of God takes root in our hearts will all that is unclean, and unholy be rooted out of our lives. If we become the citizens of the Kingdom of God we are a blessed people for in the Kingdom there is no place for sickness, death, sorrow, tears or darkness, for the Lord will deliver us from all of it.
Rev. F. Andrew Dixon
www.goodnewsfriends.net
