A HARMONY OF THE GOSPELS

V. Christ’s Admonitions Due To His Postponed Kingdom

(Mark 4:21-29)

I. Introduction

A. The day Israel’s leaders sinned against the Holy Spirit, claiming that Jesus’ miracles were by Satan’s power, Jesus began to postpone the institution of His Messianic Kingdom (Matthew 12:24-45; 13:1; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 48). In doing so, Christ also told His disciples formerly hidden truths about God’s future plan for believers on the earth in view of the postponement of His Kingdom, Matthew 13:1-3.

B. However, in providing insight on God’s future plan for believers in the Matthew 13:1-53 list of parables, Mark’s Gospel in particular at Mark 4:21-29 added special admonitions first to listeners and then to teachers regarding their roles in God’s plan. We view these admonitions for our insight, application and edification:

II. Christ’s Admonitions Due To His Postponed Kingdom, Mark 4:21-29.

A. The Parable of the Lamp is Christ’s admonition to the listeners of His proclaimed Word to beware that they heed His Word since God plans eventually publicly to expose their response to His Word, Mark 4:21-25:

1. In Mark 4:21a,b, Jesus asked two rhetorical questions to emphasize the point being made by the questions:

a. He asked a question that expected a negative answer, that (meti) if a lamp was brought to be put under a basket or bed, Mark 4:21a; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 135. The expected answer was, “Of course not!”

b. He then rhetorically asked a question that expected a positive answer, that (ouch) if a lamp was not meant to be put on a lampstand, the expected answer being, “Of course!” (Mark 4:21b; Ibid.)

2. With these rhetorical questions emphasizing the point that a lamp was meant to expose its surroundings, Christ added that there was nothing hidden or secret but that was meant to be revealed, Mark 4:22 ESV.

3. Since this parable was given immediately after the Parable of the Sower that predicted various responses of hearers to the ministry of God’s Word (Mark 4:13-20), the Parable of the Lamp taught that God planned one day publicly to expose the responses of the hearers to the proclamation of His Word!

4. Accordingly, in Mark 4:23, Christ said, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear,” an admonition to apply and heed the Word of God spoken to them, for God will one day publicly expose their application of it!

5. Christ then added even more insight to this point in Mark 4:24-25 (as follows):

a. To the degree that the hearers of God’s Word applied it, more insight would be given to them to hear and apply to their added public honor and blessing, Mark 4:24-25a.

b. However, for those hearers who were not receptive, even what they once knew of the Word would be taken away from them to their greater public humiliation and loss of divine blessing, Mark 4:25b.

B. In the Parable of the Seed Growing Secretly, Christ admonished the “sowers” of His Word not to rely on their human ability for spiritual results, but to trust God to make His proclaimed Word productive, Mark 4:26-29:

1. Jesus taught that the kingdom of God was as if a man should scatter seed on the ground (Mark 4:26), recalling the action of the Sower in the previous Parable of the Sower (cf. Mark 4:3, 14). This Sower is initially Christ Himself (cf. Matthew 13:37), but after Christ’s ascension to heaven, He would use His human messengers to sow the Word of God to people in the world (cf. Acts 1:8 with Matthew 13:51-52).

2. After God’s messengers sowed His Word and they went about their lives sleeping and rising night and day, the seed would spring up and grow so slowly that the growth activity would not be seen, Mark 4:27.

3. However, the earth would bring forth the plant apart from the sower’s effort, producing the blade, then the ear, then the mature grain in the ear so that the sower eventually harvested the crop, Mark 4:28-29.

4. Thus, those who disciple by preaching or teaching God’s Word must not gauge their effectiveness based on immediately perceived results, nor should they rely on their human efforts for productivity.

5. Rather, the “sowers” of God’s Word must rely on the power of God and His Word to produce a spiritual harvest, a harvest that will eventually come due to God’s work apart from the sower’s efforts!

Lesson: In view of God’s postponement of the Millennial Kingdom, (a) Christ admonished hearers of God’s Word to be careful to apply what they heard of the Word, for God intended that every response to His Word’s proclamation to become publicly exposed either for honorable reward or for a loss of reward. (b) Christ also admonished His human messengers of God’s Word not to rely on their human efforts or to gauge their ministry effectiveness by short-term, visible results, but to obey the Lord in sowing and let God in time do the producing!

Application: May both the hearers and the sowers of God’s Word fulfill God’s callings of them for blessing.