Kingdom & Grace

[Kelly2363]

 

“And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? And he answered and said unto them, Unto you, it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them, it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables; because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And unto them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall in no wise understand; And seeing ye shall see, and shall in no wise perceive: For this people’s heart is waxed gross, And their ears are dull of hearing, And their eyes they have closed; Lest haply they should perceive with their eyes, And hear with their ears, And understand with their heart, And should turn again, And I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men desired to see the things which ye see, and saw them not; and to hear the things which ye hear, and heard them not.” Mathew 13:10-17

We know that the meaning of the parable of the sower is how the hearer received the Gospel of the kingdom, as well as the outcome (Mark 4:3-8). So when Jesus says to the disciples that “to him who has, much more will be given, and from him that has not, even that which he has will be taken away,” He is talking about a heart that hears and receives the gospel of the kingdom.

It has to be recognised that the Gospel of the Resurrection was not yet revealed, and would not be comprehended until after the resurrection itself. More fully the gospel of the grace of God through Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, was not yet fully comprehended until Paul (2 Timothy 2:8). It was to Paul that the Gospel of grace was delivered, out of season, both for the Jew first and then to the Gentile also.

Israel received through Christ Himself, both forgiveness of sins, where it was sought, as well as all the benefits of having Messiah present with them. This included raising the dead, casting out unclean spirits, healing the sick and forgiveness of sin. Yet this was the Gospel of the kingdom and was not yet the Gospel of Grace as preached by the apostle Paul. It was that which came through The Law and the Prophets, even Christ. It has to be said that the gospel of the kingdom does speak of the grace of God through Christ Jesus, because Christ was crucified from before the foundation of the world as far as the eternal knowledge of God is concerned. Yet the gospel of the kingdom was first preached while Christ was yet in the flesh. It is only after the Lord’s death and resurrection that Christ became a life-giving spirit. We see this in the Scripture which speaks, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” (1 Corinthians 15:45). It is only after the Lord’s death and resurrection that there would be a new covenant written in Christ’s own blood, and this would herald the Gospel of Grace.

This parable of the sower has been presented as pertaining to the Gospel of Grace, yet this contradicts the very words of the Lord Himself and the reason why He began to speak in parables at this time. The gospel of the kingdom which John the baptist proclaimed, could not fully become the gospel of grace until Christ Himself had fulfilled all the righteous demands of the Law. In strict adherence to the circumstance in which the Lord began to speak in parables, it is necessary to understand both the parable as well as the explanation in its context first. If we cannot comprehend this, we may never truly understand the Scriptures. Moreover, we will never understand the coming kingdom.

“But when he [John] saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” Matthew 3:7 One could scarcely imagine using these words in an evangelical crusade today.

Under the New Covenant, there is no possibility that Jesus will remove from anyone the opportunity or power to believe in Him if they turn to Him with a repentant heart. Even though a veil still remains over Israel, many of Israel believed in Christ after the resurrection, beginning on the day of Pentecost. After the resurrection of Christ from the dead, the Gospel of Grace would never be hidden from anyone fully and would be preached unto the ends of the earth. Whereas in Israel, the Gospel of the kingdom was hidden fully at a certain point in time in fulfillment of a prophecy of Isaiah.

Matthew 13:10-17 is the explanation why Jesus began to speak in parables to the people of Israel. The explanation is from verse twelve, and then from verse thirteen to verse seventeen. “Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them, it is not given.” This same reality is revealed in another place with the Lord’s words, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.” (John 15:16).

There is another Scripture which cannot be of any less importance to this understanding, and corresponds to the moment Jesus rode into Jerusalem from the mount of Olives on an asses colt, saying, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42)

These words were expressly spoken in response to a few Pharisees who said to the Lord, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” To make the point emphatic, Jesus said, “if you had known this day, even you [Israel] the things which make for peace, But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” The Pharisees had already been cut off, and Israel could only comprehend as it was given to individuals, by reason of the Father. Now the Lord is saying to Israel directly, “If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42)

In Mark 3:22 we read of the moment when the Pharisees, now on the Mount of Olives, blasphemed the Holy Spirit, by saying, “He hath Beelzebub, and, By the prince of the demons casteth he out the demons.” It is directly after this blasphemy that Jesus stopped speaking plainly and began to speak in parables. The first of which parables’ was the parable of the sower, according to Mark 4:3-8. This parable is delivered to a multitude who are gathered by the sea of Galilee and is therefore in an open place where anyone could have come to listen freely. This included those few Pharisees, now cut off from life. In this context, Jesus says, when asked about why he had begun to speak in parables, “To you has been given the mystery of the kingdom of God, but those who are outside get everything in parables, so that while seeing, they may see and not perceive, and while hearing, they may hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven.” (v11-14) Returning in this sense is both personal to the Pharisees, who blasphemed the Holy Spirit, as well, as can be seen in many other instances of the leading Jews, and even the people more generally. As previously stated, this saying, “that they may see and not perceive, and while hearing they may not hear and not understand, otherwise they might return and be forgiven” is a prophecy of Isaiah.

“He said, “Go, and tell this people:
Keep on listening, but do not perceive;
Keep on looking, but do not understand.’
“Render the hearts of this people insensitive,
Their ears dull,
And their eyes dim,
Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,
Hear with their ears,
Understand with their hearts, And return and be healed.”
Then I said, “Lord, how long?” And He answered,
“Until cities are devastated and without inhabitant,
Houses are without people
And the land is utterly desolate,
“The Lord has removed men far away,
And the forsaken places are many in the midst of the land.” Isaiah 6:9-12

Also, we see that the words spoken in Luke chapter nineteen conclude with this same prophecy, including the destruction of Jerusalem and the diaspora of Israel in 70AD. It is evident therefore that the whole of the prophecy, which is given in part by Christ to the disciples in private, is delivered to Israel in full, in public, and concerns both the Pharisees as well as Israel itself. From the point when the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit, Jesus spoke only in parables in public. And the condition necessary to an ability to understand the Lord, from this point onwards, became “let him who has an ear, hear, or eyes to see.” Now on the mount of Olives, as Jesus rides into Jerusalem, He hides from all. Even the disciples are told that they must not reveal that Jesus is the Christ once they enter Jerusalem.

In John Chapter ten, although Jesus speech is not said to be a parable, nevertheless it is hidden from the jews who were gathered to listen to Him. In verse six it is written that Jesus spoke in a figure of speech and in verse twenty-four the Jews asked the Lord to talk to them plainly. The Lord’s speech gave rise to a schism; some saying that Jesus had a demon and others bearing witness of the Lords works. Here in this verse alone is the proof of the outworking of what it means to have eyes to see or ears to hear. Jesus is asked while standing in Solomon’s Portico to come right out with it and to say whether He was the Christ or not. To which Jesus says, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me, and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “the Father and I are one.” (John 10:25-30)

The meaning of Isaiah’s prophecy is that it had to do with both the Pharisees blasphemy as well as the blasphemy of other Jews of no rank, and in generality, it had to do with Israel. It is visible in everything the Lord spoke after the Pharisees blasphemed the Holy Spirit and it was fulfilled to its fullness in the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of Israel in 70AD.

Extract 

[steve morrow]

TIME  FOR  REPENTANCE  ---  DO  YOU  BELIEVE

 

JOHN 14:6  JESUS  SAITH  unto him I am --the way---the truth--and the life-- no man cometh unto  THE  FATHER  but by  ME

 

HEBREWS 7:24  but this man because  HE  continueth ever ---hath an unchangeable priesthood---

 

REVELATION 22:18  for I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book ---if --any man-- shall add unto these things---GOD  shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book 

--22:19-- and --if--any man--shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy ---GOD  shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city--- and from the things which are written in this book

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2 THESSALONIANS 2:13  but we are bound to give thanks always to  GOD  for you brethren beloved of  THE  LORD  because  GOD  hath from ---from the beginning---chosen you to salvation---through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth---

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TITUS 2:11   for the grace of  GOD that bringeth salvation hath appeared unto all men 

--2:12-- TEACHING  US -- that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts ---we should live soberly---righteously---and godly --- in this present world---

 

NOT  FORGET  OUR  GOOD  WORKS 

EZEKIEL 3:20  again when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity and I lay a stumbling block before him he shall die because thou hast not given him warning he shall die in his sin and ---and his righteousness which he hath done --- shall not be remembered --- but his blood will I require at thine hand 

 

MARK 1:14  now after that john was put in prison  JESUS  came into galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of  GOD

--1:15-- and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of  GOD  is at hand ---repent ye and believe the gospel---

ACTS 20:32  and now brethren I commend you to  GOD  ---and to the word of  HIS  grace--- which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified

JOHN 1:14  and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld  HIS  glory the glory as of the only begotten of  THE  FATHER ---full of grace and truth---

 

1 CORINTHIANS 1:30  but of  HIM  are you in CHRIST  JESUS  who of  GOD  is made unto us ---wisdom--and righteousness--and sanctification--and redemption---

--1:31-- that according as it is written --- he that glorieth let him glory in  THE  LORD ---

 

LOVING  THE  LORD  JESUS  CHRIST