Jesus’ Parables in Chronological Order

We are jumping into a brand new series today, and it is a series on the parables of Jesus, the master storyteller. When many of you think about the parables, you get excited because these are the great and fun stories that Jesus told.

That is true, but they are also some of the most convicting teachings in all of Scripture. Yes, they are going to be fun stories for us to look at over the next fifteen weeks, but prepare to have your socks convicted off at the same time!

We will talk about what the parables are and what they are not, and why Jesus spoke in parables.

Let’s talk about the parables.

First of all, what is a parable? A parable is a short, instructive story that contains an analogy. It comes from the combination of two Greek words para, meaning “beside,” and ballo, meaning “to cast or to throw.” Parable means “to cast beside” or “to throw beside.”

It probably does not mean that while Jesus is walking along, he is throwing parables alongside the road to those who would listen.

It probably means that for each parable there is a central truth”onevery most important part or truth.

A parable is a story cast alongside that most important part to amplify that truth.

Jesus could have just come out and spoken the truth in didactic form. He could have just stated the truth in one or two sentences, but he chose not to communicate that way.

Most of the time, he chose to package the truth in the form of a story, in the form of narrative, in the form of a parable.

He would cast a story alongside that kernel of truth.

What happens ultimately is that truth is amplified.

The impact and the power of that truth hits much harder in the heart than it would if he had spoken the truth explicitly.

C. H. Dodd says this about the parable: “At its simplest, the parable is a metaphor or simile drawn from nature or common life, arresting the hearer by its vividness or strangeness and leaving the mind in sufficient doubt about its application to tease it into active thought.”

In other words, it makes you think! With truth, maybe you can just accept it and move on without allowing it to penetrate your heart.

A parable leaves you with sufficient doubt about its meaning to tease the mind into active thought. You have to wrestle with these things! The truth is not always that apparent with the parables.

It is as if you would want to ask “Now, what exactly are you getting at here, Jesus? Is it this point, or is it that point?’

With every single parable, we are drawn into the story “forced into the story. Our mind is forced into gear. We have to think, and every time we are forced to make a decision.

Ultimately our decision would point back to Jesus Christ every time.

You see, with some ancient near-eastern teachers, the teachings could be separated from the person.

With Jesus, you cannot do that. To understand Jesus, you have to understand his parables. About one-third of everything he spoke was in the form of parable, in the form of a story.

In order to understand Jesus, you have to understand the truth of the parable, the story that is cast alongside the essential part of truth.

He engages your mind to think about it, and he forces you to choose, to make a decision–to choose one way or the other about Jesus himself.

Another person said this: “The parables are not merely clever stories, but proclamations of the gospel inviting a decision.” It brings us to a point of choice every time. What are we going to do with Jesus?

For the next fifteen weeks, that is what we get to prepare for. We will not just be hearing cleverly devised stories that Jesus decided to tell to the people, but conviction that every week we will come in and we will have to choose. The text will bring us to a point of decision every week. What will we do with Jesus Christ?

When some of us think of the parables, …We think of all rural parables. …We think of the agricultural parables. …We think of the sower and the farmer and the seed and the weeds and the plants. …Those elements are in some of the parables, but Jesus had a broad audience and he cast his parables in different contexts. Often he would cast them in a rural setting. …He would speak of them in agricultural terms, but sometimes he spoke of them in metropolitan terms. …Let me give you a few examples. There is a metropolitan judge in one of his parables that would particularly appeal to a city person (a person who lived in town).

There was a story of a Pharisee and a tax collector in the temple. It is a metropolitan story geared for an urban audience more than for a rural one.

There are talents with banks and earnings on investments. That would appeal to a business person, rather than to a farmer. Jesus cast his parables in different ways to appeal to the broader audience.

There is even a banquet later that is attended by people of the city streets. Again, he is casting that parable for people who are familiar with street people–for city people, those who dwell in the city–not for people in rural areas.

There is a broad range of use in the parables, but all of them come down to the decision, “What are you going to do with Jesus Christ?” You cannot divorce his teachings from him as a person.

Why did Jesus speak in parables? In fact, the disciples also asked that, and we will look at that.

Let me give you the short answer: Jesus spoke in parables both to reveal and to conceal his identity.

First of all, he spoke in parables to reveal his identity.

Here is a statement:

“Truth embodied in a tale shall enter in at lowly doors.”

Howard Hendricks at Dallas Theological Seminary always talked about it this way: “When you preach, especially to young children, make sure you put the cookies on the bottom shelf.” In other words, put it at a level where they can grasp it.

The parables do that. They reveal Jesus in very simple terms”in terms that we follow. He has our attention. Stories do that, right? They keep your attention, your interest, all the way to the very end, to the conclusion of the story. He puts the cookies on the bottom shelf to reveal who he is. That is also why he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matt 13:9). The assumption is that some people here have ears to hear. Some people in his audience were prepared and ready to listen, and so this parable will reveal Jesus Christ to them. That is why I advocate teaching parables to your children. There are about thirty-five parables in the New Testament spoken by Jesus. Take one a week and walk through it with your children or your grandchildren, teaching them these stories about Jesus. He is putting the cookies on the bottom shelf so that even children can understand the simple truths captured in the story.

Part of the reason he speaks in parables is to reveal himself, but part of the reason he speaks in parables is to conceal himself. That is harsh. That is hard to swallow. I am going to show you a passage here in a second, but first, let me explain what I mean. I believe that the Spirit of God goes forward and prepares hearts. We will even be looking at the parable of the sower here in a couple of weeks, and we are going to learn that there are four types of soil “four types of hearts, four conditions of preparation for the seed, the Word of God, to land on.

When a hearts is prepared to hear a parable, or the truth, or the Word of God, then for that person, Jesus speaks the parable to reveal himself.

However, there are other people who have hard hearts, and for those people, Jesus speaks the parable to conceal who he is from their hard hearts.

Fortunately, we are privileged that the disciples asked Jesus, “Why do you speak in parables? Why don’t you just tell us plainly how it is?” Jesus is going to answer the question: he speaks in parables both to reveal his identity and to conceal it, depending on the listener.Matthew 13:10:“Then the disciples came to him and said, ‘Why do you speak to them in parables?’”He replied, “’You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance.’”

If you have an abundance prepared, and you are ready to receive what God would speak to you, if you are humble and willing to listen, and you are ready to embrace God’s truth, then even what you have will be added to, and you will have an abundance to overflowing,

Jesus is saying. For you, I am speaking this parable to reveal my identity so you can choose me.

“’But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him’”(Matt 13:12b).

For some people, I am speaking in parables to conceal my identity, so that even what they have will be taken from them. Their hearts are hard. This parable will only serve to harden their hearts more.

Remember, every parable brings us to a point of decision.

To those who have, they will even be given more, up to an abundance and overflowing. In other words, they are ready to receive what Jesus is ready to reveal. They will choose Jesus and grow in their relationship with him, but to others who do not have, even what they have will be taken away.

For them, Jesus speaks in parables to conceal his identity, and they will choose against Jesus.

Matthew 13:13-15:“’For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand. And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says, “You will listen carefully, yet will never understand, you will look closely, yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn [choose Jesus], and I would heal them.”’”

For some people, Jesus is revealing himself to those who would choose him.

For others, he is concealing himself from those who would reject him, and their hearts are hardened all the more.

How many of these parables did Jesus speak?

He spoke about thirty-five in all, roughly split between Matthew and Luke.

Mark includes a few parables. He only includes one parable that is not included, though, in Matthew or Luke.

So, for our series, we’ll be bouncing back and forth between Matthew and Luke.

Some of the parables occur in more than one gospel, and when they do, we will talk about both accounts of the parable and see how they might be similar, how they might differ, or how they might contain different messages. About one-third of all Jesus’ teaching comes in the form of parable, or story.

 

 

Parable #1…Matthew 9:16…New Cloth Patch on an Old Coat

16 “Besides, who would patch old clothing with new cloth? For the new patch would shrink and rip away from the old cloth, leaving an even bigger tear than before.”

Parable #2 — Matthew 9:17…New Wine in Old Wineskins

17 “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. For the old skins would burst from the pressure, spilling the wine and ruining the skins. New wine is stored in new wineskins so that both are preserved.”

These two parables explains the same thing, that is why Jesus told them one after the other v16 & 17

You will find that Jesus did that on many occasions to illustrate the point that He was making, by telling two stories to explaining the meaning.

Parables #1 & #2…Matthew 9:16-17

These are the first of Jesus’ parables. They are among the few that are in allthree synoptic Gospels …(Matthew, Mark, and Luke). …Jesus told them around thesame time as the sermon on the mount and the calling of His first apostles.

Let’s see what we can find from these two Parables?

1. What isthe point that Jesus is making with His story about an old coat and old wineskin?

2. The people in Jesus’ audience were some disciples of John the Baptist (andperhaps some Pharisees). …The parable had a special meaning for them. …What wasit? …And what is the message for us today?

3. Inthat following Christ requires, replacing old habits with newones?…Why do we resist making these changes?

…The metaphors were drawn from contemporary culture in the time of Jesus.

In the first parable, You are advised not to put a new patch of cloth on an old garment, when the new patch shrinks due to washing, it will tear away from the older garment, making the tear worse. …Similarly, new wine needs a new wineskin because as the new wine expands during the fermentation process, it stretches the wineskin.

An old wineskin will burst under the pressure of new wine.…

2-3. We don’t like to give up something familiar or comfortable, in place of something that we are used to. …This is evenmore true when this “something” has been the controlling point for our view ofreality, morality, and religion.

These two parables illustrate the fact that you can’t mix old religious rituals with new faith in Jesus. Jesus’ disciples were not fasting along with the Pharisees and John’s disciples because they were now under the new covenant of grace and faith in Christ. As mentioned earlier, Jesus fulfilled the law; therefore, there is no longer any need to continue with the old rituals. Jesus cannot be added to a works-based religion.

In the case of the Pharisees, they were consumed with their own self-righteousness, and faith in Jesus cannot be combined with self-righteous rituals.

We often have a tendency to introduce something new that we have seen or have experienced some ware else and we happen to like it , so we try to make it fit into our old religious context. Jesus makes the point here that what he brings cannot be made to fit in the old order andold form of religion with which the Jews were familiar. …To do that would bedestructive to both the old and the new. What Jesus brings is new, fresh, andtransformational. …It will disrupt anything if it is forced into another way ofdoing, whether we try to perceive it or experience it. …Becoming a Christian is a whole new life, notjust another religion to be thrown into the world mix of faiths. …This is as true todayas it was 2,000 years ago.

Jesus is saying he is the start of a new way of life.

Christianity is separate from Judaism, andeven from that of John the Baptist.

But one has to be careful not to take it too far, assome Christians and leaders have done by proposingand suggesting new ways of believing and living one’s life as a Christian

 

4. One must therefore interpret itthat, Jesus was saying to His disciples, and to us today,that we should shine with His light by virtue of His spirit dwelling in us. …And that we must never forget where the light comes from. …It doesn’t come from us, we can’t decide to add or remove something from scripture or give our own interpretation of the Word .…We are not thesource. …We are not the generator. …We are merely a mirror, a reflector. …We arelike the moon the moon has no light of its own. …It merelyreflects the light of the sun. …In the same way, we have no light of our own.…Weare to merely reflect the light of Jesus, who is the Word. …To do this we need to stay close toJesus in order to reflect His light. …We need to regularly read the Bible, meditate uponthe Word, pray and sing the Lord’s praises.

By doing that we stay close tothe Light.

That’s the only way to reflect the Light.

 

Parable #3…Matthew 5:13-15 …Teaching about Salt and Light

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

 

Salt had two purposes in the Middle East of the first century. Because of the lack of refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food, especially meat which would quickly spoil in the desert environment.

Believers in Christ are preservatives to the world, preserving it from the evil,the evil that we find in the society of ungodly men whose unredeemed natures are corrupted by sin

Psalm 14:3

3 But no, all have turned away;…    all have become corrupt.[a]…No one does good,…    not a single one!

Romans 8:8

8 That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God.

Secondly, salt was used then, as now, as a flavor enhancer.

In the same way that salt enhances the flavor of the food it seasons.

The followers of Christ stand out as those who “enhance” the flavor of life in this world. Christians, living under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in obedience to Christ, will inevitably influence the world for good, as salt has a positive influence on the flavor of the food it seasons.

Where there is strife, we are to be peacemakers;

Where there is sorrow, we are to be the ministers of Christ, binding up wounds,

Where there is hatred, we are to exemplify the love of God in Christ, returning good for evil

Luke 6:35…35 “Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.…1. Jesus often refers to himself (or is referred to) as the “light of the world”

John8:12, 9:5, 1:9, 3:19, 12:35.

12 Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 9:5

5 But while I am here in the world, I am the light of the world.”…John 3:19…19 And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil.

John 12:35

35 Jesus replied, “My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going.

2. Jesus uses two illustrations in this next short parable (city on a hill and light in ahouse).

How might these apply to us? (Matthew 5:16)

Parable #3…Matthew 5:14-15

Lamp on a Stand

2. Many Judean cities were founded on the summits or sides of mountains, andtravelers could see them from afar.

Perhaps Jesus pointed to such a city, telling Hisdisciples that they were like it.

The city built on an important location can be seenby many eyes over a wide area, representing a disciple’s far-ranging andwidespread exposure to others.

In the analogy of light to the world, the good works of Christ’s followers are to shine for all to see.

 

highlight this truth:

Matthew 5:14-16

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”.…We read just now that Jesus said “He is the light of the world”…But now Jesus says in this third parable that we as mere men and woman “ are the light of the world”?

The idea here is similar—the presence of light in darkness is something which is unmistakable.

The presence of Christians in the world must be like a light in the darkness, not only in the sense that the truth of God’s Word brings light to the darkened hearts of sinful man as we read in:

John 1:5-10…4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.…5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.6 God sent a man, John the Baptist,7 to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony. 8 John himself was not the light; he was simply a witness to tell about the light. 9 The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.

10 He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him.

But also in the sense that our good deeds must be evident for all to see. And indeed, our deeds will be evident if they are performed in accordance with the other principles which Jesus mentions in this passage, such as the Beatitudes inMatthew5:3-11…Notice especially that the concern is not that Christians would stand out for their own sake, but it is for those who looked on that they might notice“let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven”.” v. 16.…In view of these verses, what sorts of things can hinder or prevent the Christian from fulfilling his or her role as salt and light in the world? …The passage clearly states that the difference between the Christian and the world must be preserved; therefore, any choice on our part which blurs the distinction between us and the rest of the world is a step in the wrong direction. …This can happen either through a choice to accept the ways of the world for the sake of comfort or convenience or to contravene the law of obedience to Christ.…Mark 9:50suggests that saltiness can be lost specifically through a lack of peace with one another…50 Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? You must have the qualities of salt among yourselves and live in peace with each other.”…this follows from the command to “have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

And inLuke 14:34-35, we find a reference to the metaphor of salt once again, this time in the context of obedient discipleship to Jesus Christ. …34 “Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses its flavor, how do you make it salty again? 35 Flavorless salt is good neither for the soil nor for the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!”…The loss of saltiness occurs in the failure of the Christian to take up the cross daily and follow Christ wholeheartedly.…It seems, then, that the role of the Christian as salt and light in the world may be hindered or prevented through any choice to compromise or settle for that which is more convenient or comfortable, rather than that which is truly best and pleasing to the Lord.

Moreover, the status of salt and light is something which follows naturally from the Christian’s humble obedience to the commandments of Christ.

It is when we depart from the Spirit-led lifestyle of genuine discipleship that the distinctions between ourselves and the rest of the world become blurred and our testimony is hindered. Only by remaining focused on Christ and being obedient to Him can we expect to remain salt and light in the world.……Jesus’ illustration of a shining lamp illuminating the home suggests a disciple’smore intimate influence.

A Christian’s actions cannot be hidden from the eyes ofeither our families or the world at large.

This being the case, one should live arighteous, holy, humble, and pure life,…Matthew 5:16

Let “your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

 

Parable #4…Luke 6:46-49…Wise and Foolish Builders

46 “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”

This parable is the end of the sermon on the mount. What is Jesus’ finalmessage ?, he tells this parable and uses the metaphor of building a houseLuke 6:46-47

2. Jesus says we are to do what he says.

What did he sayshould we do?

3. And how does the parable illustrate what Jesus says we should do?

4. What is the rock or the foundation upon which you should build your house?1 Corinthians 3:115. What is the main message in this parable?

How can you apply it to your lifetoday?

Parable #4

1. Here the Lord is speaking to the most religious people possible, the people in theright religion, Judaism. Jesus says, “The problem isyou keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? .”

I’m not looking for your curiosity,

I’mnot looking for your fascination.

I’m not looking for your admiration

I’m tellingyou what it is like to be a true follower.

But He says it doesn’t mean anything if youdon’t do what I say.

2. What Jesus says is, you have to recognize your sin,

You are prisoners,blind and oppressed, …You are poor, you are hungry, and you arestarving spiritually, You are those that are sad over whose lives there should be endlessmourning because of your alienation from God. …He says, “I’m telling you, you’vegot to look at yourself and see yourself as a sinner, then you’ve got to look at meand see me as your Lord and cry out to God for mercy.”…3. Jesus gives an unforgettable illustration.

“The one who comes to Mehears My words and acts upon them,” that’s obedience,

“I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock.”

That isthe kind of commitment and Jesus is looking for, getting down to the realities of my own life and also down deepinto the truth of God, “when you lay the foundation on solid rock..”…4. Rock is an Old Testament term for God.

And foundation is a NewTestament term for Christ used a number of times, e.g., …1 Corinthians 3:11.…11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ.

 

So what we have here is the message of Jesus Christ which is about God as the rock,about Christ as the foundation, That is the gospel truth my Mom always used to say. So Jesus says whoever builds his life on Me the great cornerstone of the gospel , Will be able to weather any storm.…Isaiah predicted about Jesus in the old testament…Isaiah 28:16…Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: “Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem, a firm and tested stone. It is a preciouscornerstone that is safe to build on. Whoever believes need never be shaken.…Jesus reminds them of that Scripture in Isaiah 28 and we find it in the New Testament in:

Matthew 21:42, Mark12:10 and Luke 20:17

Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’

That’s the rock bed, cornerstone foundation that Jesus is talking about.

When you build your life on God in Christ and the gospel,storms of judgment can never move your house.

Not only does that person admire Jesus, but embraces Him as Lord and Savior.

5. The key here is not just to admire Christ Jesus, …He says we must : verse 47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. …It means that we must listen to what Jesus says and obey only then will we stand firm, steadfast and strong.

This morning we covered the first four parables of the 46 that Jesus told when he was teaching the people during His last three years here on earth.