Mark 4:26-32 The Mysterious and Mighty Little Mustard Seed April 20, 2025

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• God delights to bring great things out of humble beginnings.

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Mark 4 Verses 26 to 32 The Mysterious and Mighty Little Mustard Seed April 20, 2025, Lesson 3 in The Remarkable Journey Continues Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scriptures:

Revelation 7:9 (NASB95)

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands;

Matthew 11:28–30 (NASB95)

28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.

29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.

30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Romans 14:17–18 (NASB95)

17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

18 For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

Maid Idea:

• God delights to bring great things out of humble beginnings.

Study Aim:

• To understand that like the mustard seed, there should be a growing awareness of righteousness, peace and joy in our lives.

Create Interest:

• This parable tells what happens to the fruitful seed in the Parable of the Sower or Soils (Mk. 4:1–20). It describes how the seed goes about growing, and the process through which it passes. The seed is the gospel and the ground is the good ground, either the believer individually or the church collectively. Once the gospel has taken root in the heart of a believer, growth will take place. The believer will grow spiritually. This is the great promise of God, the great assurance and confidence, the great hope and encouragement to every believer.

Lesson in Historical Context:

• THERE are in this parable two pictures which every Jew would have readily recognized when it was told.

• First, in Palestine a grain of mustard seed stood proverbially for the smallest possible thing. For instance, “faith as a grain of mustard seed,” means “the smallest conceivable amount of faith.” This mustard seed did in fact grow into something like a tree. A traveler in Palestine speaks of seeing a mustard plant which, in its height, overtopped a horse and its rider. The birds were very fond of the little black seeds of the tree and a cloud of birds over a mustard plant was a common sight.

• Second, in the Old Testament one of the most common ways to describe a great empire was to describe it as a tree, and the tributary nations within it were said to be like birds finding shelter within the shadow of its branches (Ezekiel 17:22ff; 31:1ff; Daniel 4:10, 21). The figure of a tree with birds in the branches therefore stands for a great empire and the nations who form part of it. Let’s read on and tie this the Kingdom of Heaven today.

Bible Study:

Mark 4:26–32 (NASB95)

Parable of the Seed

26 And He was saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who casts seed upon the soil;

27 and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know.

28 “The soil produces crops by itself; first the blade, then the head, then the mature grain in the head.

29 “But when the crop permits, he immediately puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”

Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?

31 “It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.”

• The seed growing (vv. 26–34). The first parable reminds us that we cannot make the seed grow; in fact, we cannot even explain how it grows. There is a mystery to the growth of the seed and the development of the harvest. It takes a good deal of faith to be a farmer, and a good deal of patience. In the Parable of the Sower and the Soils, the Lord suggested that much of the seed scattered would fall on unproductive soil. This fact could discourage His workers; so, in this parable, He reassured them “in due season we shall reap if we faint not” (Gal. 6:9).

• The second parable gave the disciples both warning and encouragement.

o The encouragement was that, from very small beginnings, the kingdom would eventually grow in size and in influence. While a mustard seed is not the smallest seed in the world, it was probably the smallest seed that the Jews sowed in their gardens.

 It was a traditional symbol in that day of that which is tiny.

o Our Lord began with 12 Apostles. Later, there were as many as 500 believers (1 Cor. 15:6). Peter won 3,000 at Pentecost; and throughout the Book of Acts, that number steadily increased (Acts 4:4; 5:14; 6:1, 7).

o In spite of the sins and weaknesses of the church, the message has been carried to other nations; and one day, saints from every nation shall worship before His throne (Rev. 5:9).

• But the growth of the seed is only one part of the story; we must also account for the birds in the branches.

o In the Parable of the Sower and Soils, the birds stood for Satan, who snatches the seed (Mark 4:15). If we are to be consistent in our interpretation, we must take this into consideration, for both parables were taught on the same day.

o The growth of the kingdom will not result in the conversion of the world. In fact, some of the growth will give opportunity for Satan to get in and go to work! There was Judas in the disciple band, and Ananias and Sapphira were in fellowship with the Jerusalem church (Acts 5:1–11). Simon Magus was part of the church in Samaria (Acts 8:1–24), and Satan’s ministers boldly invaded the Corinthian church (2 Cor. 11:13–15).

 The bigger the net, the greater the possibility of catching both good and bad fish (Matt. 13:47–50).

• Through faith in Jesus Christ, we become citizens of the heavenly nation, children in God’s family, and subjects of the King of kings and Lord of lords. What a privilege it is to know the Lord Jesus Christ!

Let’s look at this from a different direction………………………………..

• Vs. 26-29: The parable of the seed is oriented to the idea of the power released through the scattering of the seed. In this parable the identity between the sower and the harvester is emphasized.

o There can be no doubt that the harvest in view is the coming judgment of the world, for the concluding words of verse 29 reflect the Hebrew text of: Joel 3:13 (NASB95)

13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe.

Come, tread, for the wine press is full;

The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great.

o The stress in the parable thus falls upon the sowing of the seed as a messianic work which unleashes mysterious forces which operate of themselves in the achievement of the sovereign purposes of God.

o The parable clarifies the relationship between what was then seen of Jesus within the context of his mission and what may still be expected of him.

 His work was sowing; only after a certain lapse of time will there be the gathering of the harvest. The period between sowing and harvest, however, is not insignificant; for in that period something happens with the seed and the workers.

• The servant of the Lord certainly has a duty to cultivate the soil, sow the seed, and water the plants, but it is “God that gives the increase” (1 Cor. 3:7). We may deduce other truths, such as man’s limitations and the need for patience; but the parable teaches, first of all, “the certainty … the inevitability of the kingdom’s coming, once the seed” is cast … into the ground (26).

o The men who cast seed into the ground (26), and who watched the earth bring forth fruit of itself, will have an urgent task. “

o The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37).

• Vs. 30-32: What shall we say God’s kingdom is like? What picture shall we give of it?

• In one of the best-known passages in the Jewish Bible, the fortieth chapter of Isaiah, the prophet asks a very similar question about God himself: To what will you liken God, or what likeness compare with him (Isaiah 40:18)?

o Isaiah 40:18 (NASB95)

18 To whom then will you liken God?

Or what likeness will you compare with Him?

• It’s not just an accidental echo. The passage is all about a fresh vision of God, the creator, coming to rescue his people, coming to restore Israel after her time of devastation.

o Israel must not think her God is incapable, powerless, on a level with the pagan idols that promise much and do nothing.

• So here, nobody should look at Jesus in Galilee, surrounded by a local crowd, and say, ‘How can this possibly be the beginning of the kingdom of God?’ The mustard seed is the smallest at the start, but in the end it grows into a large shrub. That’s Jesus’ picture of what God’s way of working, God’s way of growing the kingdom, is like.

o At the end it will be a royal kingdom like those spoken of in scripture.

o The other echo, comes at the end of the story: the birds of the air make their nests in its shade.

 Ezekiel and Daniel both use this as an image of a great kingdom, growing like a tree until those around can shelter under it (Ezekiel 17:23; 31:6; Daniel 4:12–21).

 Don’t worry, Jesus is saying. Remember who your God is and what he’s promised. Realize that this small beginning is the start of God’s intended kingdom—like the shading the birds, the kingdom that will eventually offer shade to the whole world.

Let’s see if we can glean some pearls of wisdom from being fruitful hearers.

• Like the people who first heard this seed parable, we need to wait dependently on God, who alone can bring results. Though believers are called to witness obediently and work expectantly, they cannot produce life. Only God can give spiritual life (cf. John 3:3–8; 2 Cor. 4:5–7).

• Clearly, it does not depend on the evangelist but only on God, who imparts life through the power of the gospel (cf. John 6:37–44; Rom. 1:16; 1 Thess. 1:5; 1 Peter 1:23).

o Human ingenuity, emotional manipulation, man-centered techniques, and market-driven strategies cannot create new life in the heart of a sinner.

o Regeneration is only by the Spirit of God (cf. Eph. 2:1–4; Titus 3:5). Though believers are all called to faithfully proclaim the message, they can take no credit when unbelievers respond in repentant faith (cf. 1 Cor. 3:6–7).

• All the evangelist (you or I) can do is proclaim the Word (cf. Rom. 10:13–17). The rest is God’s work, and believers can fully trust in His sovereign prerogative.

• In a similar manner, although the human messenger plays no role in the actual work of regeneration, he is still given the privileged blessing of enjoying the spiritual harvest.

o One primary aspect of that blessing is the added fellowship that comes every time a new believer is added to the body of Christ (cf. 2 Cor. 4:15; 1 Thess. 2:19).

o The riches of that fellowship will last for all of eternity, as the glorified saints—as one great spiritual harvest—gather around the throne to worship their Savior and King.

• As fruitful hearers we can proclaim the gospel with confidence just as they did then. Because God is the one who blesses His Word and creates spiritual life, believers can fulfill their evangelistic calling with the certainty of knowing that they are part of an enterprise that cannot fail (cf. Matt. 16:18).

o When believers walk faithfully, they are a blessing to those around them.

o The corporate influence of the church has benefited the world in many ways: spiritually, economically, culturally, and morally. Yet, the implications of this parable go beyond the church age to Christ’s future millennial kingdom (cf. Ezek. 17:23).

o During His glorious reign, the Lord Jesus will rule from Jerusalem over the whole world, extending unparalleled blessings to all the nations.

How should you and live as citizens of the Kingdom of God/Heaven now?

If you are a teacher, I suggest assigning each of these to a class member to read and share their thoughts on it.

Gal 5:22–23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

2 Cor 3:17–18: Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Eph 5:9: (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth),

John 15:5: “I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”

Rom 14:17: for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Col 3:12–14: So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.

2 Pet 1:5–8: Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, perseverance, and in your perseverance, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

A Parting thought for you……………………………

• To all who read this I hope on each of the above Scriptures you will pause and share what they mean to you. By Grace we have been saved through faith…and as you know not because of our works or worth…Being members of God’s family is priceless and worthy of sharing that feeling/truth with others who struggle each day with the worries of the world on their shoulders…It does not have to be that way for them…or us if we just had…………….. FAITH

Forsaking

All

I

Trust

Him

Grace and peace to you this day……………………

• Note this lesson is written for Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025…Not your typical Easter lesson…but could the discussions you have make this Easter special?

I think they can.

Shalom, Shalom

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