A mixed response to Jesus

Mark has built a strong case in his gospel for believing that Jesus is the Messiah, God’s promised King.

He records eyewitness accounts of Jesus saying and doing what only the Messiah, the Christ, can say and do.

And yet He has so much opposition. Only a handful of people seem to get something of what He is on about.

His family don’t get it, they think He is crazy. The Jewish leaders don’t get it, some of them think He is possessed by the Devil, some want to kill Him. Almost all the people don’t get it and see Him as a sort of genie who will make them happy by fulfilling their wishes, usually wishes for good physical health.

I would have thought that as the Messiah, Jesus would have been more convincing and persuasive. That He would have won more people over to who He was and what He was doing.

There are many popular preachers today that seem way more successful than Jesus, while He was on earth, in winning people over to themselves.

The disciples must have had their doubts too. Will this kingdom ever grow?

In our passage this morning (Mark 4: 1 – 34), Jesus will explain what’s going on and what the future holds.

In this passage we will see that:

• There will always be a mixed response to Jesus and the gospel
• Jesus chooses who gets it
• No matter what, this new kingdom will grow

(Pray)

There will always be a mixed response to Jesus and the gospel 4: 1 – 20

Jesus tells the parable to the crowd but explains it only to the disciples and a few others (NB as you will see).

The parable is all about how people respond to the word (the message about the kingdom) that Jesus is sowing (teaching) wherever He goes.

Although there are four different types of responses, described, they fall into only two categories … ultimate fruitlessness and ultimate fruitfulness.

Jesus wants His disciples to know that what they see happening now in response to what He is saying and doing is to be expected. He wants them to understand that this will happen to them too in their ministry (and it did).

But why is it like this?

At one level we can say because:

• Some people’s hearts are hard, and they don’t accept the word
• Some people do not have real faith and when trouble and persecution come for being a Christian, they “fall away”
• Some people do not have real faith and their desire to be happy, wealthy and have all sorts of nice things and experiences chokes their desire to follow Jesus and obey His word. So, they start following their desires and are shown to not be Christians.
• Others, of course, hear the word, accept it, obey it and they are fruitful more than expected

At one level we can say that. But it’s not just that, according to our parable.

What is the difference between what makes the seed or the word fruitful or not?

It is whether the soil is good or not. Only when the soil is good can the seed properly take root and be fruitful. Only when someone’s heart is prepared does the word take root and is fruitful.

Because the farmer is sowing this seed on what would be his land, I think it is fair to say that the good ground is ground that he prepared for the seed and that ground is fruitful. The other places were not prepared to receive the seed and so the seed could not take root properly and be fruitful.

And that is also true of the gospel and the word about the kingdom that Jesus preached (that anyone preaches). It will only take root and be fruitful in hearts that Jesus has prepared to do so. In other hearts it will not.

This is one of those places in the Bible where you must hold in tension two truths that at first glimpse seem to be contradictory.

Why is there is a mixed response to Jesus? The disciples need to understand that it is because different people respond differently depending on where their hearts are at.

But they also need to understand that there is a mixed response, because God has not prepared all hearts to be able to accept the word. And only those who have been prepared will accept and be fruitful.

Whether we like that or not, even understand it fully or not, that is how God works.

That is how Jesus works, as we see in the rest of the passage.

Jesus chooses who gets it 4: 10 – 13 + 21 – 25

Why did Jesus teach in parables?

Some say that He did that to make difficult theological truths simple to understand with everyday stories.

That sounds nice but it isn’t right.

According to Jesus He taught in parables so that some wouldn’t understand, and others would but only when it was explained to them.

Unpack 10 – 13.

• Secret = the ability to understand and accept in 4: 20 style
• But 12 = quote from Isaiah 6: 9 – 10. And even there in Isaiah there were some (a much smaller group) that would be enabled to see and perceive, hear and understand by God’s grace.

There is this tension again, people are called to understand but Jesus teaches in a way that only some will.

Who will? Those whose hearts have been prepared.

And we also see this tension in 21 – 25 about the lamp on the stand. The secret (that which was hidden = the gospel) is disclosed, is made possible to understand by the light (Jesus not us). That is what He does. He decides who gets it.

But we don’t stand by idly. We must listen. We must consider carefully. We must accept. Because there are consequences, good and bad, for our choices.

This is an uncomfortable tension that most people try to resolve one way or another (explain). But you can’t fully resolve it. To try and resolve it one way or the other is to be unbiblical.

We shouldn’t be surprised that there are things described in the Bible about God and what He does that we can’t quite get our minds around. As God says in Isaiah 55: 8 – 9, “…my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

But even with this mixed response, Jesus will make sure that some get it and …

No matter what, this new kingdom will grow 4: 26 – 34

Vs 20 will happen 4: 26 – 29. It is unstoppable. Even if we don’t always know exactly how it grows, it will grow. It is in the nature of God’s kingdom to grow. And this is a great encouragement for the disciples who have been called to carry on what He has started and have had this rocky start.

And not only will it grow, it will grow large compared to this small beginning with so much opposition 4: 30 – 32.

What does this mean for us?

For those of us who are Christians…

Jesus has called all of us in His new kingdom to be disciple-makers.

To tell as many people as possible about the gospel of salvation through Jesus.

And if God saves them, help them be fruitful in their relationship with Him.

But as you and I obey Jesus and start doing that, Jesus says in this passage that we will get mixed responses. Some will reject. Some will seem to accept but after a while it will shown to not be real. Others will fully accept it.

Don’t be surprised by any of it. Expect that to happen. Don’t stop. Persevere.

That is just where different people are at in their hearts.

That is where Jesus is at in dealing with their hearts.

As a Christian, keep listening to and obeying God’s Word … Keep reaching out … Keep praying! God will bear much fruit through you.

And together we will see the kingdom grow here.

For those who are not Christians yet…

Whatever God does or doesn’t do behind the scenes in your heart is up to Him…

What is up to you is that you respond to the gospel.

You can reject it, but you need to know that will not end up well for you. If you die unforgiven and uncleansed of your sin … you will face eternal judgement.

But of course, you can accept the gospel, acknowledge you are a sinner in need of the forgiveness and cleansing that only Jesus can provide. Ask Him for it and it will end up very well with you. Fruitful in the purposes of God and eternal life.

And then I want to address those who think they are Christians…

You may have made a commitment. You may have put your hand up at an event and prayed a salvation prayer.

You may have started well and even been quite passionate about it all…

But with time you have started backing away from the cost of following Jesus, it impacts too much on how you want your life to be.

With time your desire for success in other areas and all that comes with that has become more important than Jesus and His call on your life.

This is a slippery slope that might end up with you demonstrating that you never really were a Christian. Christians are known for gospel and disciple-making fruit.

Or you can just show it was just backsliding and that now you are going to listen to God’s word, accept and obey it and pray for God to bear fruit through you.

Maybe it will be that actually now will be the first time that the seed of God’s word will really take hold in your heart and you are saved…

Whatever, repent and believe…

Questions:

Read Mark 4: 1 – 34

1. Jesus says there will always be a mixed response to Him and the gospel in the parable of the Sower
   1. What does He mean from a human perspective?
   2. What does He mean from a divine perspective?
   3. Why is that helpful to know as we obey Jesus’ command to make disciples?
2. What is scandalous (in today’s way of thinking) about Mark 4: 10 – 13?
3. What is encouraging about Mark 4: 26 – 34 as we obey Jesus’ command to make disciples?