The New Testament – Verse by Verse Bible Study – Part 32 – Mark 4
In this Bible Study series on Internet Pastor we will be studying through the New Testament verse by verse. You can watch or listen to the study by going to the Online Church page.
Mark 4:1-41 (NIV)
1 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. 2 He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said: 3 “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.” 9 Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 10 When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’” 13 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14 The farmer sows the word. 15 Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16 Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20 Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop–thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.” 21 He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? 22 For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 “Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you–and even more. 25 Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” 26 He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. 27 Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 All by itself the soil produces grain–first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. 29 As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” 30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.” 33 With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. 34 He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything. 35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”
Up until this chapter Mark has been primarily focused on Jesus works. He now begins to add a sampling of Jesus teaching into the gospel.
Mark 4:1-20
Mark starts with the parable of the sower. Jesus teaching is like a farmer sowing seeds. Jesus words are like seeds and they have different results depending on the soil. The soil represents the people hearing the word. Some are like rocky ground where the seed sprouts initially but doesn’t grow because there is no place to develop roots. Some seed fell among he thorns where the concern of the affairs of this life choke it out. Still others are good soil where the Word flourishes and produces fruit.
Why does Jesus teach in parables?
Mark 4:11-12 (NIV)
11 He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12 so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’”
The secret of the kingdom, which is common to all the parables about the Kingdom of God, is that God’s Kingdom (rule/reign) has been inaugurated in Jesus first coming. It will be brought to completion in His second coming. The Kingdom is here but not yet fully here.
The disciples had already believed Jesus and so they were aware of this “secret”, yet they didn’t fully comprehend it yet.
On the other hand, those who had heard and seen the message and ministry of Jesus and still did not believe because they saw Him as a threat to their existence, they did not come to know the “secret”.
Therefore they did not understand the parables.
Because they rejected God’s revelation expressed in the words and works of Jesus, they would not understand the spiritual meaning of the parables. Jesus likened them to the Israelites in Isaiah’s time:
Isaiah 6:9-10 (NIV)
9 He said, “Go and tell this people: “‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ 10 Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
The people who heard Jesus were not denied the opportunity to believe, but after they consistently closed their minds to all that Jesus said and did, they were excluded from the understanding that had been granted to the disciples because of their willingness to believe and accept Jesus.
Doesn’t God want them to turn and be healed? Of course He does. That is why He sent Jesus. But even when they had seen first hand the works and heard the authority of His teaching, they outright rejected Him and started to plot to kill Him. Their hard hearts would keep them from coming to Christ and receiving the same fellowship that is granted to all who choose to believe.
Mark 4:21-25
A lamp on a stand is about the Kingdom of God now being revealed in Christ. If you receive the Good News of Jesus and the kingdom then you be given even more. If you choose to keep doing things the same way you always have, then even that will eventually be taken away from you.
Mark 4:26-29
A growing seed is a parable unique to the Gospel of Mark. It represents the phases of the coming of God’s Kingdom. Sowing (v26), Growing (v27-28), and Harvesting (v29).
Mark 4:30-34
The parable of the mustard seed introduces the Kingdom of God as starting in Jesus in a seemingly small way and then culminating with His second coming where it will surpass all the earth’s kingdoms in power and glory.
Mark 4:35-41
Marks ends up the chapter with another demonstration of Jesus power and authority. Jesus calms the storm and in so doing assumes authority that only been exercised by God in the Old Testament.
Psalms 89:8-9 (NIV)
8 O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD, and your faithfulness surrounds you. 9 You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them.
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