The Unexpected Jesus (Sermon 4): Jesus, Lord Of The Harvest Series

The Unexpected Jesus (Sermon 4): Jesus, Lord of the Harvest

Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT) – “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’”

Introduction

Today, we are diving into a beautiful truth about Jesus that sometimes catches us off guard. We know Jesus as the Saviour, the Shepherd, and the King, but did you know that He is also the Lord of the Harvest?

When we hear the word "harvest," many of us may think of crops, fields, and agriculture, but in the Bible, harvest is often used as a metaphor for God's work in the world. It’s about people—people who are ready to hear the Gospel, people who are ready to come to Jesus. Today, we’re going to explore what it means that Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest and how that impacts our calling as His disciples.

1. The Harvest is Ready – Matthew 9:37

Let’s begin by looking at Matthew 9:37-38 (NLT): “He said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’”

Jesus was talking to His disciples, but this message applies to us today as well. The harvest refers to the souls of people—people who are ready to respond to the message of salvation. Jesus, in His divine wisdom, saw a world full of people longing for redemption, and He used the metaphor of a harvest to explain the urgency and the opportunity before us.

The Greek word for “harvest” here is ?e??sµ?? (therismos), meaning the process of gathering the ripened crop. Spiritually, it points to those who are ripe—ready to be gathered into God's Kingdom. There are countless people in our communities, our workplaces, and even our families who are ripe for the Gospel. They are waiting for someone to share the Good News with them.

John 4:35 (NLT) says, “You know the saying, ‘Four months between planting and harvest.’ But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest.” Jesus was reminding His disciples—and us—that we don’t have to wait for some distant future. The time is now. The harvest is already ripe.

Church, we must open our eyes to see the people around us who are ready to hear the Gospel. Perhaps there’s someone at your workplace who’s been asking questions about faith. Maybe it’s a family member going through a tough time. The harvest is ready, but the workers—those who are willing to share the Gospel—are few. Will you be one of the workers Jesus sends into His harvest field?

Imagine a farmer standing in a field of golden wheat, but instead of workers to gather it, the field is empty. Day by day, the harvest becomes more at risk of being lost. That’s what it’s like when we ignore the spiritual harvest around us. Souls are waiting, and time is of the essence.

Evangelist Greg Laurie once said, “The problem is not that the harvest is not ready. The problem is that we are not ready to bring in the harvest.”

2. Jesus, Lord of the Harvest – Matthew 9:38

Now let’s focus on the phrase, “the Lord of the harvest.” Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 9:38 to pray to the “Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.”

The Greek word used for “Lord” here is ?????? (kyrios), which means master, ruler, or one who exercises authority. This means that Jesus is not just passively observing the harvest—He is actively in charge of it. He is orchestrating it, leading it, and sending workers into it. As the Lord of the Harvest, Jesus is sovereign over every soul and every opportunity for salvation. He is the one who calls and equips the workers, and He’s the one who empowers the harvest to be gathered.

Consider Luke 10:2 (NLT), where Jesus says, “These were his instructions to them: ‘The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.’” Jesus repeats this same command, showing how central this idea is to His ministry. We are called to participate in the harvest, but the power, guidance, and growth come from Him. He is the Lord of the harvest.

If Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest, then it is His harvest, not ours. That means the pressure isn’t on us to “save” people—that’s God’s job. We are simply called to be obedient and share the message of salvation. Our role is to be faithful, and He will bring the increase.