“He was Teaching Them…in Parables” (Mark 4:1-20)
“HE WAS TEACHING THEM…IN PARABLES”
(Mark 4:1-20)
INTRODUCTION: Why did Jesus speak in parables?
I. WHAT IS A PARABLE?
II. WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM JESUS’ PARABLES?
III. WHY SAY ANYTHING TO THOSE WHO WILL NOT BELIEVE?
Questions for Family Review/Discussion:
- What parables of Jesus can you recall? Which are most impactful to you?
- Why didn’t people believe on Jesus after all the evidence he provided? What additional incentive did Mark’s first readers have to not believe?
- What is a parable? Why were parables necessary?
- Much of our communication is by way of analogy. Can you give examples? Why is it necessary to speak about God and spiritual truths by way of analogy? Are the analogies “true”? Are they more than true? Explain.
- Does God “exist”? How does God exist in a way that we do not exist?
- Is God truly the “Father” of believers? How is he more than all other fathers?
- What did Jesus mean by his cryptic statement in verse 9: “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”? Where can we get such ears to hear?
- What two kinds of “hearing” are required for salvation?
- How would you answer those who claim that we don’t need all this Bible reading and Bible preaching?
- If some of those listening could not “hear” then why did Jesus bother to tell them parables? How did the parables make the situation worse for those who did not have ears to hear?
- How do we answer those who claim that they cannot find God to believe on him?
- How has God rendered all people “without excuse” on Judgment Day?