8 Kingdom Parables (Paperback)

This is the third of a series, dealing with familiar Bible topics. Craig first covered The Ten Commandments and then The Nine Beatitudes. He now covers The Eight Kingdom Parables. Eight Kingdom Parables! Are we not accustomed to speaking of “The Seven Parables of the Kingdom” in Matthew 13? Craig contends that the reference to the householder at v.52 should be included, and so he speaks of eight parables. Although basically doctrinal, the book is incisive in the challenge it presents regarding our commitment to sow seed. Are we employing every avenue open to us to communicate the Word of God? Stress is laid on the fact that it is the only method whereby souls are reached for the Kingdom. Craig’s expositions and conclusions are well backed up with a multitude of Bible references that demonstrate his wide knowledge of the Scriptures, even those parts that we might regard as obscure. In his introduction, Craig suggests that each chapter of his book can be read in five minutes. We recommend that you devote just a little longer to it! If you are going to digest all that is there, and follow up on the Bible references, it will need some diligent thought. We do trust that the little volume will be really enlightening to those of you who are exploring these things for the first time, and an encouraging refresher course for those of you who have known them for many years.

Chapter 1: The King and Kingdom in MatthewMatthew is the only gospel that includes all the Kingdom Parables. They are contained in one chapter: Matthew 13. Five of the eight Kingdom Parables are also only found in Matthew’s Gospel. The reason for this concentration of parables about the Kingdom and the uniqueness of the material in Matthew’s gospel is because Matthew’s Gospel is the ‘Kingdom’ Gospel. In Matthew the word ‘Kingdom’ is used 55 times, Mark 20 times, Luke 44 times, and John 5 times. Furthermore, much of the imagery in the book of Matthew is that of a king and his Kingdom. Some of the major chapters concentrating on this theme are listed below: Matthew 5-7 Principles of the King and Kingdom Matthew 13 Parables of the King and Kingdom Matthew 22, 24-25Prophesies of the King and Kingdom These three major sections of ‘Kingdom’ teaching by the Lord Jesus are almost all unique to Matthew’s gospel. Only two chapters in Matthew neglect to mention 'Kingdom ' or 'king'. In Matthew alone, the Lord calls Jerusalem, ‘the Holy city’ and Jerusalem ‘the City of the great King’.There are seven features of the King in Matthew:1. The Purity of the King: ‘of whom was born Jesus who is called the Christ (anointed)’ The Lord Jesus was born of a virgin and did not come from Joseph. This truth is safely guarded in Matthew 1.2. The Humility of the King‘Where is he that is born King?’. The Lord Jesus was born in a small insignificant town called Bethlehem as had been predicted by Micah: ‘the least of the cities of Judah’. Although born King He took the lowest place.3. The Forgiveness of the King ‘Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants… I forgave thee all that debt’. The Lord Jesus was willing to forgive our huge debt of sin. He came to liberate us from the chains of our sins and pay the ransom for our souls: ‘Who gave Himself a ransom for all’.4. The Meekness of the King‘Behold thy King cometh unto thee. Meek…’.The Lord Jesus rode in meekness into Jerusalem on a donkey. Although King He was gentle, wise and never rash in His judgements. 5. The Preparation of the King ‘The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, … I have prepared...’The marriage supper of the King’s Son is a metaphor widely used of the ‘marriage supper of the Lamb’ recorded for us in Revelation 19. 9 when the future Kingdom of God will be inaugurated, and peace will be established on earth. ‘Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.’6. The Judgement of the King ‘then shall the king say … come ye blessed ...’. This chapter contains the Lord Jesus’ own words on His own judgements on people of all nations in a coming day. This tribunal, where all nations appear before Him, is often called the “judgment of the living nations”, which will happen immediately after His return to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.His Kingdom will be purged of all things that are offensive and will be marked by righteousness. 7. The Rejection of the King ‘…his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS’. The Lord Jesus was rejected on the cross as King. It really was His claim to be King and the Son of God that was the cause of His rejection by the world. They said: ‘we have no king but...’, and again: ‘We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God’. Ultimately, the matter of the King and Kingdom is the crux of the gospel. Pilate asked them: ‘shall I crucify your king?’ and they refused Him. Pilate asked again: ‘What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him: ‘Let him be crucified’. They then beat their chests and shouted: ‘his blood be on us, and on our children’. Israel rejected the King and Kingdom but there were individuals at Calvary who did not. One of them said to Him: ‘Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom’.Since Matthew is the royal gospel, we should not be surprised that it tells us more about ‘treasure’ and gold and coins than any other gospel. Furthermore, since it is the gospel of kingly authority, those who called the Lord Jesus by a name or title in Matthew and thereafter received blessing of any kind only ever called Him ‘Lord’. It is very interesting to compare correlative passages of the four gospels. When, for example, the disciples are afraid in the storm, they cry to the Lord, ‘Master, Master’ in Luke’s account but in Matthew they call Him Lord. Luke perhaps emphasises their human fear, Matthew their absolute confidence in the Lord to meet the desperate situation. This is why Matthew shows how Judas is exposed in the Upper Room by his very vocabulary, the way he addresses the Saviour as ‘Master’. Judas never knew Jesus as Lord. The blind men in Matthew chapter 9 received no blessing until they learned to call Him Lord. The angels uniquely say to the women in the garden in Matthew’s gospel, ‘Come see the place where the Lord lay’. Matthew, therefore, is the gospel of the Lordship of Christ in dialogue.John also emphasises the Lord as king (14 times). John does so to prove His absolute and unrelinquishable position as the Son of God. In Matthew sovereignty, authority, royalty and regal dignity is emphasised; in John deity and superiority is the prime focus. In Matthew we have earth’s true king from Heaven who will reign in Heaven and in Earth (28. 18), emphasising His Kingdom 55 times. In John we have Heaven’s King on earth, who soon will return to Heaven to be with His Father and then return for His waiting people to take them to Heaven to be with Him. Question for reflection:What features of the King and Kingdom are revealed in Matthew’s Gospel? This book considers the Kingdom Parables told by the Lord Jesus which are collated in one chapter – Matthew 13. This chapter has interested readers of Scripture down through the centuries. Eight short, memorable parables are all clustered together and are often referred to as ‘the parables of the Kingdom’. The purpose of this little book is to encourage the reader to think a little bit more deeply on a familiar section of scripture. As we study God’s Word, we find treasure for our souls. The parables exalt the person of Christ and are the key to understanding the key Kingdom themes of our Bible.The truth of the Kingdom should be of interest to us all, as subjects of the King. We are sons of the Kingdom and a sense of our calling and privilege should grip our souls. The subject of the Kingdom is a vast one, and some explanation of it is required. The introductory chapters of this book deal with the Kingdom of God in its initial and final fulfilment. These chapters also consider the meaning of the Kingdom in the present age, and why the Lord called these parables the ‘mysteries of the Kingdom’. The eight parables are then taken up in consecutive chapters. The three appendices give seven features of the changes in the Millennial Kingdom, seven reasons why the Church will not go through the Tribulation and also explain the subtle difference between the expression the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ and the ‘Kingdom of God’.