PARABLES – “Introduction to the Parables”
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Introduction to the Parables Matthew 13:1-3, 10-17 INTRODUCTION: A. Do you cherish the teachings of Jesus? I believe it is important that we do so. 1. Deuteronomy 18:15 – “The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear.” 2. John 5:46 – “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.” 3. Matthew 17:5 – “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!’” 4. John 1:17 – “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” 5. John 8:32 – “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” B. Jesus Christ was the Master of all teachers and the Teacher of all Masters. 1. Matthew 7:29 – “For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” 2. Matthew 22:16 – “And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth . . .’” 3. John 8:28 – “Then Jesus said to them, ‘When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things.’’ 4. John 7:46 – “The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’” 5. Matthew 13:3 - “He spoke many things to them in parables . . .” 6. John 21:23 (Last verse in the Book of John) – “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.” C. During His earthly ministry, as Jesus went about preaching and teaching, He frequently used parables - cf. Mt 13:1-3, 13:34-35 1. It has been estimated that at least one-third of Jesus' recorded teaching is found in the parables (Wiersbe, Windows On The Parables, p. 15) 2. Certainly many of the most often remembered sayings of Jesus are His parables D. It is therefore proper for disciples today to ask such questions as: 1. What is a "parable"? 2. Why did Jesus teach in parables? 3. What are they about?