V47-48 Fishing By the lake (V1) Natural a place to use an example of fishing 3 Styles of fishing described in the gospels

1. Fishing with a line Matt 17:27, Jesus tells Peter to "go to the lake and throw out your line". Technique catches one fish at a time

2. Casting a net 2. Using a casting net This type of fishing being done by Peter and Andrew in Matt 4:18 when Jesus calls them

2. Casting a net (cont.)

3. Using a Dragnet

3. Using a Dragnet (cont.)

V47-48 Separating fish Collected good fish into baskets and threw the bad fish away Good fish placed in baskets for selling at market Bad Fish? Lev 11:9-12: 'Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales. But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales — whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water — you are to detest. And since you are to detest them, you must not eat their meat and you must detest their carcasses. Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be detestable to you.

V49 Application of the parable This is how this age will end There will be a separation of the wicked from the righteous The separating will be done by the holy angels In the Church age God permits unbelief and unrighteousness But there is a time coming when his toleration will end and judgement will begin

V49 Separating people Separation of the wicked from the righteous The tares from the wheat The good fish from the bad Not giving a full description of the last days Concentrating here on the judgement of unbelievers

V49 Separation & fire Speaks of judgement in general with a focus on the final judgement at the great white throne Rev 20:11-15: Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

V49 Repeated teaching? Just said it in the wheat and the tares Emphasis here exclusively on separation of believers from unbelievers. Jesus warns about horrors of hell and pleads with men and women to avoid it by coming to him 2 Pet 3:9: He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance The Lord wept over Jerusalem because it's people would not turn to him and be saved (Luke 19:41)

V50 Fiery furnace Note the wording of this verse is identical to V42 Hard to accept Mentioned too often in scripture to ignore it Jesus spoke more about hell than any of the prophets or apostles Jesus spoke more about hell than he did about love

V50 Hell Not a place of reliving old torments Nor a place where sinners will continue their sinning There is no pleasure in hell, only punishment Cannot really conceive the eternal horror that is hell. Biblical images related to hell are only suggestive Darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt 22:13) Hell is a place of constant misery, torment & pain.

V50 Lake of Fire Mark 9:48 "the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched“ Eternal God originally designed the lake of fire for the devil and his fallen angels. Men who choose to follow the same path of rebellion will suffer the same fate.

ParableExpected MannerUnexpected Reality SowerMessiah turns Israel and all nations to himself Individuals respond differently to the Word's invitation Wheat & TaresKingdom's righteous citizens rule over the world with the king Kingdom's citizens are among the people of the world, growing together until the harvest Mustard SeedKingdom begins in majestic gloryKingdom begins in insignificance; its greatness comes as a surprise YeastOnly righteousness enters the kingdom; other raw material is excluded Kingdom is implanted in different raw material and grows to fill the whole with righteousness Hidden treasure Kingdom is public and for allKingdom is hidden and for individual purchase Priceless pearlKingdom brings valued things to men Kingdom demands abandonment of all other values DragnetKingdom begins with initial separation of righteous and unrighteous Kingdom ends with final separation of the unrighteous from the righteous

V51 “Yes” They didn't fully understand yet Jesus accepts the "yes“ Encouraging We do not need to be great theologians We just need to be willing to hear his words And act on what we do understand Rest in the fact that Jesus accepts us

V52 Teachers of the Law Disciples were mainly owners of small businesses Some were fishermen One an ex-tax collector Jesus himself was a builder Not “learned men”

V52 Twelve to change the world Under Jesus instruction each of the twelve was becoming a genuinely learned scribe The twelve disciples (learners) Become the twelve apostles (sent ones) To these the Lord entrusted the continued revelation of his word and the founding of his church! Apart from the Lord himself, the apostles were the supreme bible scholars, preachers, teachers and theologians of all time

V52 What about us? The twelve were sent to preach and teach the good news, to warn people of hell and the free offer of salvation. We are not called to the same degree of authority, But Jesus' charge to them comes also to us Awesome responsibility

V52 Our response By our prayers, actions motivated by love words we are to share the good news with those around us so that when the separation of the wicked from the righteous comes they will be with the righteous