Mark 4:1-20

Mark 4:1-20

The Parable of the Sower

Explains an objection we may have heard about Christianity.

1-9 Jesus is addressing a crowd and teaching them in a parable. First time that a point is being made that there is a huge group of people. When Jesus uses parables he is trying to hit home with a certain topic. People knew that he(Jesus) had power and that he(Jesus) was teaching against what they previously knew. The things Jesus said really backed up his point. Jesus uses two pleas in these verses by saying in verse 1 Listen and in verse 9 to hear and understand.

Reference Verses:

-Mark 2:1-2

10-20 Jesus isn’t at the lakeshore or in the boat anymore. The people that are against him are not in the room or hearing what Jesus has to say. Jesus is talking about the secret to the kingdom of God. This ‘secret’ is being revealed to them at that very moment. Up until Jesus came and started preaching his theology they had a thought of what they thought was the ‘secret’ of the kingdom of God. According to them Jesus didn’t fit the description that they thought the messiah was. Jesus description fits Isaiah 53 prediction in this verse but Jesus WILL fit the other predictions(Isaiah 9 and Micah 5) later in time. He will become King. The constant here is the seed. The seed is God. The variable is the soil (or us). The seed being planted depends on the variable or soil (us). Satan comes and takes away the seed and the soil. God wants us to question our beliefs and not just buy into whatever we are told.

Reference Verses:

-Romans 16:25-26

-Isaiah 9:6-7-Prediction of the messiah

-Micah 5:2-Prediction of the messiah

-Isaiah 53:1-3, 11, 12-Prediction of the messiah

-Romans 6:22-23

-John 1:1, 14

Galatians 5:22- Referencing the definition of ‘fruit’ from Mark 4:19.

Questions:

How has understanding God’s plan changed our outlook on life, affected us, and changed our interactions with other people?

How do we think that we can be the receptive soil?

-Responding in the first place. Taking action

-Don’t get completely defeated if something doesn’t go our way or we feel guilty about something.