The Parable of the Mustard Seed Mark 4:30-34

Mark 4:30-34 30 And He said, "How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it? 31 "It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil, 32 yet when it is sown, it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE." 33 With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.

The Big Idea: God uses the seemingly smallest and most insignificant of things to accomplish great and mighty things for His glory.

The point: the kingdom of God (4:30) And He said, “How shall we picture the kingdom of God, or by what parable shall we present it?”

What is the kingdom of God? In a broad sense, the kingdom of God is God’s eternal, sovereign rule over all the universe. In a narrow sense, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. In a special and physical sense, the kingdom of God speaks of a coming, literal 1,000-year rule and reign of Christ on the earth.

The plant: a mustard seed (4:31) It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the soil, though it is smaller than all the seeds that are upon the soil,

The produce: provision and protection (4:32) yet when it is sown, grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and forms large branches; so that THE BIRDS OF THE AIR can NEST UNDER ITS SHADE.

Ezekiel 31:2-6 2“Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and to his multitude, ‘Whom are you like in your greatness? 3 Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon With beautiful branches and forest shade, And very high; And its top was among the clouds. 4 The waters made it grow, the deep made it high. With its rivers it continually extended all around its planting place, And it sent out its channels to all the trees of the field. 5 Therefore its height was loftier than all the trees of the field And its boughs became many and its branches long Because of many waters as it spread them out. 6 All the birds of the heavens nested in its boughs, And under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth, And all great nations lived under its shade.”

Daniel 4:10; 21-22 “Now these were the visions in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.” “21 and whose foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and in whose branches the birds of the sky lodged-- 22 it is you, O king; for you have become great and grown strong, and your majesty has become great and reached to the sky and your dominion to the end of the earth”

The purpose: of this and other parables (4:33-34) 33 And with many such parables He was speaking the word to them as they were able to hear it; 34 and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples. Mark 4 emphasizes “hearing” ten times in 4:1-34 - (3, 9, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 23, 24, and 33).

Applications Let your light shine (i.e. – share the gospel; Mark 4:21-22; Matthew 5:16) Be encouraged by the promised victory of God’s kingdom (Mark 4:30-34)

The Big Idea: God uses the seemingly smallest and most insignificant of things to accomplish great and mighty things for His glory.

The Parable of the Mustard Seed Mark 4:30-34