What Jesus Did

[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!"

—Matthew 13:45-46 NLT

Key Thought​

I don't know about you, but I love to read mystery novels. I search for the clues, listen for the hints, and dig for the foreshadowing. But the joy of the search is worth its price only when I reach its goal. In searching for God's...

 

[Jesus continued teaching about the Kingdom:] "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field."

—Matthew 13:44 NLT

Key Thought​

Some things are so precious that we cannot find them; they find us. While we may not have been looking for salvation — either because we grew up around it in our families or because a friend or acquaintance shared it...

 

[Jesus continued his explanation of the parable of the weeds:] "Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should...

 

Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field."
Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels."


—Matthew...

 

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet:

"I will speak to you in parables.
I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world."

—Matthew 13:34-35 NLT

Key Thought​

Jesus' stories, or parables, were windows to God's truth. They both reveal and conceal. They conceal from those not seeking the truth, God...

 

Jesus also used this illustration: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."

—Matthew 13:33 NLT

Key Thought​

Once again, Jesus' point is that despite the small beginnings and insignificant size of his Kingdom at its beginning, it will spread pervasively until it eventually makes a direct impact throughout the world! Jesus purposely starts his...

 

Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."

—Matthew 13:31-32 NLT

Key Thought​

Throughout the Old Testament, God's people had been warned not to judge on mere appearances. We shouldn't be surprised that Jesus' Kingdom would start small and insignificant based on outward...

 

Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.
"The farmer's workers went to him and said, 'Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?'

"'An enemy has done this!' the farmer exclaimed.

"'Should we pull out...

 

[Jesus concluded his explanation of the parable of the soils:] "The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"

—Matthew 13:23 NLT

Key Thought​

While much of the seed in this parable doesn't produce fruit, that which does is wildly productive. The key is the soil's receptivity and fertility. Jesus says this good soil refers to a person's...

 

[Jesus continued:] "Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: ... The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced."

—Matthew 13:18, 22 NLT

Key Thought​

Over-stimulation. Over-saturation. Over-whelmed. We feel under equipped for the sensory overload we carry each day. Commercials tell us all that...