What was Jesus revealing through the mustard seed, the leaven, the hidden treasure, and the pearl of great value?

Matthew 13 continues the kingdom parables as Jesus challenges His listeners to rethink their expectations about the messianic kingdom. Glenn and Steve examine why the mustard seed grows into a large plant where birds can nest, why leaven represents something that quietly spreads, and why the treasure and pearl are worth everything required to obtain them.

They also discuss why these parables should not be interpreted as though people purchase their own salvation. Salvation is a free gift; Christ is the One who paid the price.

The chapter then closes with Jesus returning to Nazareth. The people recognize His wisdom and miraculous power but still cannot get past the fact that He is the man they watched grow up.

The discussion ends by asking what Matthew means when it says Jesus did not perform many miracles there because of their unbelief—and why that does not mean faith mechanically produces miracles.

Matthew 13:31–58 | The Book of Matthew — Session 27

Questions discussed in this session include:

• Is it true that there will be resident evil in the church?
• Does the kingdom have non-believers in it or only saved people?
• Do non-Christians benefit from Christianity?
• How much did Jesus give?

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May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why does God allow good and evil to continue side by side?

In Matthew 13, Jesus tells the parable of the wheat and the weeds and later the parable of the dragnet. Both teach that the world contains those who belong to Christ and those who do not, and that the final separation does not happen immediately.

Glenn and Steve work through Jesus’ own explanation of the wheat and weeds, discuss the reality of false believers and false teachers, and consider why Christians must be careful about trying to determine another person’s salvation.

The study then moves to the dragnet, where fish of every kind are gathered before the good are separated from the bad. That leads into a larger discussion about the end of the age, the present church age, the future millennial kingdom, the return of Christ, and why the final judgment should make the Gospel urgent today.

The central takeaway is simple: the harvest is coming, the net will eventually be full, and today is the day to respond to Christ.

Matthew 13:24–52 | The Book of Matthew — Session 26

Questions discussed in this session include:

• Why are there a mixture of Christians and non-Christians in our churches?
• What does the Bible say about the end of the age and end times prophecy?
• Is there a final judgement day? When will it be?
• Is the kingdom now or later?

Support the show

Thank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners.

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve

Why do some people hear the Word of God and grow, while others seem interested for a time and then walk away?

Matthew 13 begins Jesus’ great series of kingdom parables with the parable of the sower. A farmer scatters the same seed across four kinds of soil, but each produces a very different result.

Glenn and Steve examine what Jesus says about the hard path, shallow rocky soil, thorns, and good soil. They discuss persecution, the need for discipleship and deep biblical roots, the deceitfulness of wealth, the distractions of everyday life, and why new believers need more than a moment of initial enthusiasm.

The study also explores why Jesus began teaching publicly in parables after growing rejection from the religious leadership, what the New Testament means by a “mystery,” and why those who genuinely want spiritual truth are given more understanding.

Matthew 13:1–23 | The Book of Matthew — Session 25

Questions discussed in this session include:

• Has Jesus already told you about how you will react to His message?
• What is the role of a seed sower today?
• What types of things might cause the word of God to not be fruitful in someone’s life?
• Are there people who accept the word of God but do not grow? Why?

Support the show

Thank you for listening!! Please give us a five-star rating to help your podcast provider's algorithm spread RTTB among their listeners.

You can find free study and leader resources at the following link - Resource Page - Reasoning Through the Bible

Please prayerfully consider supporting RTTB to help us to continue providing content and free resources. You can do that at this link - Support RTTB - Reasoning Through the Bible

May God Bless you!! - Glenn and Steve