The Warnings & Parables of Jesus

We've been looking in our study on Wednesday evening at last week. We were in a very critical turning point in our Lord's ministry. Once you open your Bible again to the passage we were in last week in Matthew chapter 12. And we're going to finish up tonight the warnings of Jesus and introduce the parables of the kingdom. The parables of the kingdom were going to introduce by just talking about parables as a whole, just what parables are like and what they are and how Jesus used them and then we'll actually get into the parables of the kingdom next time. Hopefully if we get that far along. But we're talking about the very critical turning point in our Lord's life where he has been touring Galilee. He's been preaching, he's been introducing the kingdom, preaching that the kingdom is at hand, that he is introducing himself as the king of Israel and presenting many miracles as evidence, credentials, sign miracles. It's a key word tonight, the word sign. He's doing many signs to show that he is the Messiah, that his message is God's message, that he is the Messiah, his person is who he says he is. And as he heals a man who is both deaf and mute, the people are beginning to ask, could this be the Son of God? Could this be the Son of David, they say in those terms, indicating the Messiah, one who rules on the throne of David. And there's a sense in which they realize their minds are convinced he is, but they're looking by that very question, they're looking for confirmation from their leaders, from their religious leaders, the Pharisees. The Pharisees realize, it's a very critical point. And so in Matthew chapter 12, they have said in verse 24, it is only by B. L. Zabab, the Prince of demons that this fellow drives out demons. So as Jesus hears that, he begins to warn them about what they are about to do. I want to just kind of walk quickly through the outline that we had last week to bring us up to the point that we are tonight. So Greg, go ahead and throw the next of the blasphemous accusation of the Pharisees. This accusation came about as a result of the healing of the man. Go ahead and give us the next. It was a very significant incident. It's a turning point in our Lord's life. The occasion for that was the healing of the blind and mute man. The question raised by the people was, could this be the Son of David? And the charge level by the Pharisees is, well, we can't deny his miracles, but he does the miracles by the power of Satan. The answer of Jesus to that charge, we looked at last week and let me just remind you of these things. First of all, Jesus said the charge is absurd. And then he said the charge is inconsistent. How can Satan cast out himself and it's inconsistent with your own awareness of other people, your own people who cast out demons? So it's inconsistent. Thirdly, it obscures the truth. I cast out demons by the power of the Holy Spirit as a sign of who I am and a sign of the kingdom. So it obscures the truth. And then he says the charge is dangerous. It really consists of the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, which Jesus calls the unpardonable or unforgivable sin. And we talked about the fact last time that that unpardonable sin cannot be committed again. It was unique to the ministry in time of Jesus because it had to do with people who witnessed his sign miracles. And denied them and actually attributed them to the power of the Holy Spirit, power of Satan. And for that reason and others, it cannot be committed again. It is also a national sin. The Pharisees were speaking on behalf of the people. The people were really looking to them for spiritual guidance. Could this be the son of David? And the Pharisees give their decision and that is that no, he is not the son of David because he's operating by the power of Satan. And so speaking on behalf of the nation, speaking for the people, the religious leaders have made their conclusion that Jesus is not the Messiah. And this is a very critical turning point. From this point on, in fact in this very context, we'll see several times Jesus uses the term this generation, this generation, this generation seeks for a sign. This generation will have a bad time in the judgment. Why? Well, it is this generation, this unique generation of Israelites living on earth at this time, their leaders have spoken. The nation has now officially by virtue of their leaders rejected me. Again, this is not an individual sin. This is not a sin that could be committed by anyone today. It was the leaders of Israel speaking on behalf of the people, attributing Jesus sign miracles to Satan and thus turning the nation officially in rejection of the Lord Jesus and turning them against him. Now, I think that's where we left off last time. Jesus is going to say that this charge is also exposing the hearts of the Pharisees. And that's where we pick up in verse 33. This charge really just shows the charge the Pharisees made against him that he's doing his miracles by the power of Satan just exposes their hearts. Now notice how he describes that. Verse 33. Make a tree good and fruit will be good or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad for a tree is recognized by its fruit. Now Jesus, as he will often do, uses a figure of speech and imaged something very concrete in their minds to get across an idea. This is not a parable. It's very similar to a parable though. It's kind of a metaphor, a word picture. The idea is if a tree's good, it puts out good fruit. If it's bad, the fruit is bad. So whatever is in the tree comes out in the fruit. Now notice his application of that. Verse 34. You brewed a viper's. Who's he addressing there? You brewed a viper's. Verse 30. The religious leaders who have just declared against him. He will call them that again later in Matthew chapter 23 in a very scathing denunciation. But you brewed a viper's. He says, how can you who are evil say anything good for out of the overflowing heart the mouth speaks. In other words, the tree's bad. So the fruit's bad, right? In the metaphor, what's in the heart comes out in bad fruit or bad words. So the words are only evidence of what's down in the root down in the trunk of the tree down in the heart. That's his point. Verse 35. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. So again, he's he's saying the real problem here is the evil hearts of the Pharisees. That's the real problem because their hearts are evil. They have made this accusation. So their accusation their charge against Jesus actually exposes the wickedness in their hearts and then he makes this observation of verse 36. But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. Now how have you often heard that verse used if you've heard it used like I have many times. Have you often heard that used? In the judgment, you have to give a word, you have to give account for every careless word we speak. How is that often used? Goss of thing. Okay. So don't gossip which by the way I would agree with, but I don't think that's what this passage is saying. How else have you heard it used? The way I've often heard this used is that there should be no idle talk, no gesting. Be serious. Come on. Quick fooling around here. You know, because every idle word, every, you know, word that you just say and just that's not really purposeful and serious and spiritual, you're going to have to give an account for. That is not at all what Jesus is saying. Is that a relief Nancy? Hopefully it's relieved to a lot of us. He's not saying, you know, watch every word and make every word purposeful and spiritual and directed to the hearts of people. It's not what he's saying in the context. So important to always interpret a passage in its context. You often hear this verse just kind of ripped out and used by itself in its context. The idle words are false accusations. They're accusations that Jesus is doing his miracles not by the power of the Holy Spirit, but by the power of Satan. When the Pharisees have not fought through the evidence, the clear evidence of the miracles, been willing to admit who he is and say what is right, that's an idle word when they have falsely accused him. In the context, that's what Jesus is talking about. They'll give account for that in the judgment. Verse 37, for by your words, again speaking directly to the Pharisees, by your words will you be acquitted by your words will you be condemned. This is a very, very critical turning point. As we'll see in a moment, it turns Jesus teaching method. He changes his teaching method from this point on. He changes the focus of his audience from this point on. This is very critical. It is it is a turning point in his ministry because the nation has now officially spoken through its leaders that they have rejected him. And so his ministry will change. Okay, any questions, comments before we move to the next story, which will show this show a difference. Any question? Is this repeated in the other gospel, where people take the satirical context? I don't recall that this particular verse verse 36 about the idle words. I don't recall that it is in any of the other counts. It may be. I didn't look to make sure. But I think that's unique to Matthew 12. Okay, before the change. Right now, what he's doing up to this point is he is making a legitimate offer of the Messianic Kingdom to the nation of Israel. And he is confirming or giving credentials that he really is the king. And this is the legitimate kingdom with all the miracles. That's going to change. It's going to change. It's going to change at least three ways. His message is going to change. His method is going to change. And his audience is going to change drastically. Yes, we're going to see that in a moment when we talk about the parables, that's the way his method changes. Or maybe I should say his message, his message changes cause he starts using parables, but we'll wait and get to that in just a moment. And Jesus will specifically talk about one of the purposes for using parables is to blind the minds of those who are unbelievers judicially because they've already said no. And we'll get to that in a moment. It is an act of God. Yes. Following an act of the nation to purposefully reject. It's not a capricious act of God. God doesn't just say, I want to blind that person. They've already turned their back on him. And so he judicially blinds and hardens them. So his message will change. His method will change. We'll see that in the next passage. And his audience will change. His audience will change. Not completely. He'll still speak to the crowds, but he will focus now on his disciples. And the next major phase of his ministry that we'll get into in a couple of weeks is typically referred to as the training of the 12th. He begins to focus more attention on the 12th to get them prepared for his death and what will happen afterwards. Very drastic turning point in our Lord's ministry. Okay. Any other questions before we move into the next passage. Okay. The next story is describes in Pharisees demand a sign. Right after accusing him of doing his miracles by the power of Satan, they ask for another one. And so they're going to ask for something spectacular this time, probably a sign from the heavens or something like that. But look at verse 38. And some of the Pharisees in the teachers of the law said to him, teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you. Now notice Jesus answer verse 39. He answered a wicked and adulterous generation. It begins to speak in terms of a generation of Israelites. A generation living at that particular time witnessing his miracles. He says it is a wicked and adulterous generation. What does it mean by adulterous generation? They don't love God. They have committed spiritual adultery. That's a very serious charge on the part of Jesus. It corresponds to the Old Testament prophets who condemned Israel and Judah over and over again for having left their allegiance to God and turned to idols. And there's a sense in which Jesus is saying that's what's happened here today. You've turned against me and you have committed spiritual adultery. And a wicked and adulterous generation asked for a miraculous sign. But now notice what he says, but none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. We'll get to the sign of the prophet Jonah in just a minute. But Jesus says none will be given it. No, I'm not going to do a sign. Does that mean Jesus will not do any more miracles? He'll still do lots of money. I mean the miracle of the raising of Lazarus is still to come and lots of others. But he's not going to give them another sign. You think there's some significance to that word? What was the purpose of the miracles to this point? They were signs. They were signs, credentials, evidences that his message and his person were exactly who he said he was. He will continue to do miracles, but their purpose will change. They will no longer be signed miracles. They will still be miracles, but they'll no longer have the purpose of signs. They will have the purpose of mercy. He will still do miracles out of mercy. He'll heal people out of mercy. And they will primarily be used now to train the 12 to teach the 12. So he's not going to give them a sign. Yes. Yes. The deeds. Yeah. Exactly. Why give another credential when you've already turned it all down and you've committed the unpartenable sin? Why give you another credential? You're not really looking for another credential anyway. That's exactly what he's saying. So I'm not going to give you another sign. Doesn't rule out the fact that he will do more miracles, but I'm not approaching you the same way anymore. Something has drastically changed. One exception. There is one more sign, and that is the sign of the prophet Jonah. What is that? Well, he goes on to explain verse 40. For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish. So the son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Okay. Jonah swallowed by great fish and comes out, right? The sign of the prophet Jonah is the resurrection. Obviously, isn't it? Just like Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three days. So the son of man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. In other words, he will be dead. Hard of the earth. Hebraism. It's a Hebrew expression of the place of the departed. It's a reference of death. Be dead for three days. Now, I'm not going to get all hung up on the three days and three nights. Okay. There are a lot of people who take this text to say this must mean that Jesus was actually crucified on Wednesday and not not Friday to get three days and three nights. And partial response to that at least is that Hebrew is understood. Jews understood time in sense of any part of a day would be considered a day. And then folks say, well, but wait a second. What about the three nights? Well, three days and three nights is just an expression for three days, three days, three nights, three, three days. And I still think Jesus was crucified on Friday. If I get to heaven and get proven wrong, I'm not going to leave heaven because of it. Okay. I'm not going to get upset and leave and say, well, I don't like this place because I was wrong. It'll be okay. It'll be all right. And some who say, well, it's the Thursday crucifixion because you got the three nights to deal with. It was crucified on Wednesday. You got Wednesday night, Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night. That didn't work either. So, you know, there are different views on when he was crucified based on verses like this. But I still think it's just a kind of a generic reference to a time period that includes parts of three days. Not going to start a new denomination on that. But the point here is not the three days, three nights. Anyway, that's not Jesus point. The point is I'm not going to give you any more sign miracles except the resurrection. That's it. And then notice what he says in verse 41. He gives further warning about their precarious position and the judgment they brought on themselves. When he says the men of men of will stand up with the judgment with this generation. Notice again this generation. This generation of his relights and condemn it for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and now one greater than Jonah is here. The queen of the south who is the queen of Shiba in the Old Testament, queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom and now one greater than Solomon is here. What do you think Jesus use these two examples? Nine of a queen of Shiba, queen of the South. Why would he use these two examples to compare with this generation of his relights? They were Gentiles. That's I think that's a very important part of it. Jesus will often do this. Remember we've already seen that he did it when he went to the church. We've seen that he did it when he when he dressed down the cities of Bethesda, Corson and and Capernaum. Remember he compared them to drastic examples of sin in the Old Testament. Jesus will form these stark contrasts. And here he picks out two groups of Gentiles that either in the case of Ninevites repented or in the case of the queen of Shiba showed spiritual interest may have repented at the wisdom of Solomon. But anyway, it showed spiritual interest and they were Gentiles. They didn't have near the light you people have. There's the contrast. So they they were Gentiles. And I think there's another contrast. They received a message without any miraculous signs. Jonah preached and they received the message. Here's Gentiles who have no Old Testament, who have no background and Jonah comes in and preaches and they repent. Queen of Shiba, she probably is not familiar with with the law of Moses. But she has heard of Solomon's wisdom and she is drawn to that and wants to see that, wants to experience what is God doing there without sign miracles. These people showed spiritual interest and responded. And you've had all kinds of credential miracles and you've turned against them. See, there's the contrast. Between the Gentiles, people who believed on the basis of a report, a message and did not need to sign miracles. And that's why Jesus is saying no, no, no, no sign miracles. Wait a second. He says there's people in the Old Testament who believed on a lot less evidence than what you've had. That's his point here. You've had all kinds of evidence. You've had plenty of evidence. You don't need any more evidence. Okay. So I think that's his point in bringing up this issue of judgment. All right. Any other any questions about that passage? It really does fit with what we've just seen happen. The beauty of tracing the stories of Jesus like this is to see how it all fits together. You see that we sometimes we pick out a passage and it's ripped out of its surroundings. And when you realize Jesus is talking to the people who just rejected him, turned against him. This really unpacks that passage. Helps us understand it. Okay. Any other questions? Now Jesus gives another word picture in verses 43 to 45 to close out this whole section here. When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, I will return to the house I left. When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits, more wicked than itself. And they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. Now here's the zinger. That is how it will be with this wicked generation. What do you think Jesus means by this story? The evil spirit, the parts out of a man, it's already prepared for occupancy. But it's left unoccupied. It's a vacuum. Using that illustration and that story and then when the spirit comes back and says, well nobody's occupied. He brings seven others within. Now you've got eight demons. And he's worse off than before. What is Jesus getting at in the context now? Can you put it together? What is he saying about this wicked generation? Okay. Haven't filled themselves with the word of God. Let's take that and run with it a little bit. Yes. Certainly that's true. The people who have heard all this and who will live beyond this day have more accountability. What do you think Jesus is referring to when he says somebody cleaned out the house and got it all ready for occupancy? What's he referring to in context of his own ministry there? Go ahead and say it, Kishti. John, the ministry of John the Baptist. Yes. John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, right? That was Isaiah 40 verses 3 through 5. That was the prophecy that John fulfilled. He came to prepare the way. In other words, clean out the house. Get it ready for occupancy. Get it ready for the king to come in. But what happened? Israel left it unoccupied. They wouldn't allow him to come into the house and rule and reign as king. They didn't receive him as the king. And so when that happens, there's a vacuum there. The Pharisees filled it, didn't they? Pharisees filled it with saying Jesus did His miracles by the power of Satan. And so all the demons rushed back into that house and now Israel is going to be judged. They were softened, they were before because they rejected their opportunity. It's a very poignant word picture of exactly what has just happened. So Jesus follows up this critical turning point and accusation on the part of the Pharisees with a statement about this generation. You won't get any more signs. And it's going to be rough for you in the judgment because you've had much more light than the people of the Nine of and the Queen of Shiba. And it's going to be hard for you in the judgment. And you're like a house that was prepared for occupancy by the king, all that unclean this demon's run out. And now look at you. You rejected the king. And so the demons are going to flood back in. The nation's going to be judged. Wow. I mean, this is really hard stuff. This is critical turning point in the ministry of Jesus. And I'm saying some very strong warnings here to the people of Israel. And then to close out this section, there's an interesting little PS here. Very interesting about Jesus family coming to take him home. And it's described here in Matthew 12. But I want us to look at Mark's account in Mark 3. So if you'll flip over to Mark 3. Mark 3 verses 31 to 35. Verse 31 says then. Okay. At that moment, as Jesus is finishing up this warning to the Pharisees and to this generation of Israelites, then Jesus mother and brothers arrived. Now if you'll skip back to verse 21. When his family heard about this, verse 20, Jesus entered a house again, a crowd gathered so that he and his disciples are not even able to eat. Remember, we saw this before where they're being so pressed with people who are wanting Jesus to heal and to cast out demons and all they didn't have time to eat. Verse 21 says when his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him for they said he is out of his mind. Wow. Now think about what's going on here. They hear about what Jesus is doing. They hear about his teaching, his miracles, his popularity, the fame, the crowds. He's so occupied with this ministry. He doesn't need enough time to eat and his family, his family thinks he has gone mad. He's out of his mind. And so they are going from Nazareth and I should have put a map here. I just thought about that. I should have put a map here from Nazareth to Copernum where Jesus is 30 miles. That's 30 miles. And they're not on a plane either. They're not in a car. They go 30 miles to try to get him and take him back to Nazareth. We got to get him out of this. Wow. That's pretty insightful. Isn't it about his family? His mother and brothers arrived. What do you think that says about his family? At least the brothers, we know, didn't believe in him. There's a statement. I wonder what's going on with Mary, don't you? Obviously Mary at the cross is understanding what's happening, at least as far as we know. I think Mary struggled some. I don't know exactly what to make of this. I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say it was really her, the boys that were kind of pushing her into this. Jesus had at least five half brothers. Children born to Joseph and Mary after Mary bore Jesus. They're mentioned by name in John chapter seven. I believe it is a Mark chapter three. Maybe they're mentioned by name. Mark, I forget that. I don't know what it is in Mark. They're mentioned by name and five of them and then it mentions sisters plural as well. And John chapter seven does say that his brothers did not believe in him yet when Jesus was going to a feast in Jerusalem not long before his death. So evidently his brothers did not believe in him till after the resurrection. First Corinthians 15 says he appeared to his brothers. And so maybe it was there that they finally believed in who he was. But not until then right now his brothers at least and Mary may be just concerned for him. Maybe she's just concerned that he's doing too much. But for whatever reason his brothers think he is stark raven mad. We got to get him out of this. We got to get him back home and get him some rest and recuperating or something. Very interesting scene. Okay, middle of verse 31 standing outside. Remember the can you get in to where he is because so many people standing outside. They sent someone in to call him. A crowd was sitting around him and they told him your mother and brothers are outside looking for you. Who are my mother and my brothers he asked. Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said here are my mother and my brothers. Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. Wow. What is Jesus saying there? She's saying I hate my mother. He's saying that. I don't think so. Okay. Those who believe in him are his brothers. Yeah. The relationships are more important to Jesus now. Spiritual relationships. And in the context again coming when this does I think gives you a deeper insight into what Jesus was feeling. He has just been officially rejected by the leaders of the nation. Those who are closest to him and who understand what he's doing. Those relationships are the key to him right now. They are more important to him than even his blood relationships. He's a part of his mother in his step brothers. Okay. I think I think coming where it does gives us an insight into his heart. What he's saying. He's just been rejected and his brothers think he's mad. And he's going to focus from this point in his ministry on on those who are with him already. Those who are his brothers and sisters really who know and love him and who are following him his disciples and those spiritual relationships are the key to his ministry now. That's my family. He says. All right. Any questions before we take a look at introducing the parables that will come next. Any questions about these stories? Yes, John? I think Matthew 1239. Wicked adulterous generation. I'm not sure I do either. I'm not sure I'd go that far. I think. Remember this is a this is a national sin. The leaders have have made an official declaration that the nation is not going to receive him as king. Individuals may still receive him and his brothers will later on. And I think Mary. I don't know what's going on with Mary. I don't know. Maybe she's just swept along out of concern. Maybe she is genuine to concern that he's doing too much. She wants to give a little R and R. I don't know where Mary is and all this. But remember that the the sin really is a national rejection. So that the nation of Israel will be judged. And they will be judged by the invading roaming Roman armies later. But individuals can still turn to Jesus and his brothers will later on. So I wouldn't include them in that condemnation because condemnation really has to do with the nation itself being now rejected as God's people. Yes, well. I agree. I think with the line you're taking their wall. I think what we're seeing here probably is a mother's heart of concern for her son. He doesn't even have time to eat. He needs to get away from the crowds a little bit. I don't I don't think it's probably where the brothers are where the brothers are thinking that he's out of his mind. It's because it's a mother's heart of concern for the people who are thinking of her. Mary is an interesting study. We want to make sure we give her due credit. We know of her from Luke chapter one and Luke two. She's a godly woman. She submits to the father's plan and understands who it is that is coming into the world. And her magnificat, as it's called, as she gives her her song to Elizabeth when she sees Elizabeth shows a deep understanding of scripture, the Old Testament scriptures. I want to give her due credit for being a godly woman. But on the other hand, I don't want to swing all the way to where the Catholic Church does either. And say Mary was sinless and perfect. Mary may have had some doubts along the way. Mary, you know, there's a couple times in Jesus childhood where it says she pondered these things in her heart. She had to think through some things. I mean, come on. Let's put ourselves in her place. If we had been in her place, there'd been a lot of things we'd have had to say, wait a second. I got to figure this out. And so maybe she's at one of those points. Maybe she's still trying to figure out what is all this? What's going on right now? She knew he had the power to do that. She showed confidence in him then back in early in his ministry. So there are plenty of signs that Mary was understood who he was. No question there. So, you know, what's happening right here? Maybe she's entirely innocent or maybe like John Baptist. She's having a little bit of doubt. Or maybe it's just mother's concern. Who knows? I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt and say it's just mother's heart. She's concerned for a son. Maybe she's pushing himself too hard. She wants him to come to Nazareth for the weekend. I don't know. I can't believe it's the beginning of the time. So, this is time when people saying things just came in that time. That is the drum and the empire. That is how much she really says it. She might be trying to figure this out. She may have been some of that. How much she remembered and grasped and really internalized what Angel Gabriel had said to her about he will reign on the throne of his father David. How much she kept that through the years. You know, we're talking more than 30 years after that event. It's hard to know. I don't want to get too fixated on Mary here. She's not the real important part of the story. Any other comments or observations? Let's move on to parables then. We're going to introduce parables. The next thing that will happen is the parables of the kingdom. This is a good place to back off a little bit. We've been intensely looking at events. Let's back off just a little bit and get an overall bird's eye view of parables as a whole. First of all, the parables of Jesus and what they are and how we should understand them before we jump into the parables of the kingdom. First of all, definition of a parable. The word parable literally is almost a transliteration of the Greek word. The Greek word is parable-lay. Parable-lay comes from two words. Parable, the preposition, beside or alongside and the verbbalo, which means to throw or cast. The idea of parable-lay means to cast alongside and to throw alongside. It's a very descriptive word because it's exactly what it is. A parable is a story that is thrown down alongside a truth to illustrate that truth. That's what a parable is. It's as though Jesus is communicating something. He wants to get across a point and he says, okay, here's what I want to teach you. Now I'm going to throw this down beside it so that you can see it better. It's a very literal way of illustrating something. A parable really is a story or a narrative, some kind of illustration from ordinary life that is put down beside a spiritual truth. And once you see the story, then the spiritual truth becomes an aha moment. Okay, I see that now. It really is that kind of thing. That's what a parable is. You may have heard the little definition before parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. And that's a quaint little phrase, but it does kind of capture the essence of a parable. An earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It's really an illustration from everyday things that people would understand and grasp. Jesus' use of parables, let's talk about that for just a moment. There are 30 parables in the gospels. Actually, they all occur in the synoptics, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. But primarily they are from this point on. I didn't go back to see if he has told any parables up to this point that have been recorded, but almost all of them, if not all of them are from this point on. And Jesus obviously used them with tremendous skill. He was really the master storyteller, the master of parables, tremendous effectiveness. There have been those who have said that no one in all of literature could take a simple narrative and cause people to see what he was teaching with that narrative, that story. He was a master of using parables. Two ways that he used them basically, the first one was he used them to illustrate and clarify truth. The illustrator can clarify truth. That's the way we normally think of parables. A parable is a story that, again, is like the window that lets the light in. It creates the aha moment. Now I see what you mean because the story makes it clear. It illustrates and clarifies truth. Much like a story today, much like an illustration that a speaker may use, kind of grabs the interest and drops a seed of imagination in the mind that helps clarify and understand truth. That's exactly what Jesus did. He used parables to help clarify and illustrate truth. It was like a seed dropped in the memory that people would never forget. I mean, you know, the lawyer asked him a question, who is my neighbor? I'm supposed to love my neighbor as myself. Who's my neighbor? Jesus is a tell you who neighbor is, a Samaritan. He tells the story of the Samaritan. The man's going from Jericho to Jerusalem and gets robbed and paints this amazing picture of need. And then two religious people who wouldn't meet that need and one man who was considered an outcast who did meet that need, that's the one that was his neighbor. No one would ever forget that story. I mean, it's one of the most familiar stories in all the Bible. It's just is planted in our memories. And the story illustrates a very amazing and important truth. So that was one purpose. But there is another purpose that sometimes we miss with parables. And we're going to see this in Matthew 13. We'll have to wait until next week to really dig into it. But let me give it to you. Second purpose of parables in Jesus use of them was to distinguish between believers and unbelievers. To distinguish between believers and unbelievers. In fact, Jesus is going to tell us very clearly in Matthew 13. We'll wait till next week to dig into it. But he's going to tell us very clearly until his disciples. They even asked him, why are you using parables? Why are you all suddenly throwing stories at us? And Jesus says, I'll tell you why. So that you can further understand, but those who've already rejected me, they're going to be blinded. So it was to clarify truth to believers, hide truth, conceal truth from unbelievers. It's really quite an amazing purpose. And we'll flesh it out a little bit next week so that we don't misunderstand it, but that we fully grasp in the national significance what's happening here. Because this was prophesied in the Old Testament. And so we'll try to pull all that together next week.