Have you ever wondered what it means when people talk about “the Kingdom of Heaven”? This Sunday, in my continued series of messages out of the parables of Jesus, I will walk us through the parable of the Fishing Net, found in Matthew 13:47-52.
As you prepare for Sunday’s message, I want you to read not only this parable found here, but all of Matthew 13. This chapter is composed almost entirely of one parable after another that Jesus taught, and they are all couched around this theme:
The Kingdom of Heaven is like…
Jesus was teaching them a story, and saying that this parable reflects the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven. Read ahead, contemplate what the parable means, and prepare yourself for opening God’s Word together to consider this incredible parable.
Each week in our study of parables, I am challenging us to ask these questions…
- What is the exaggerated truth from this parable?
- What is the transfer from the human story to the eternal truth?
- What is the surprising conviction?
- What am I going to do about it?
If parables were a key element of Jesus teaching his disciples how to be disciples, and the parables were challenging to them, then if we are going to be disciples of Jesus, we too must be challenged by his teaching and decide what we are going to do about it. Discuss these questions with someone—in a home group, online group, or with family members. Talk about it with your children.
I want you to finish with the challenge issued by Jesus in Matthew 13:52. Think carefully about what this means. See you Sunday morning as we are challenged together to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ.
