The Life and Ministry of Jesus Christ, Part 17
After giving parables about the second coming that instruct believers to be ready, Jesus gave parables about the sower, the seed, the harvest, the mustard seed and leaven. He openly spoke His parables and instructions to the multitudes of people, but the deeper truths and heavenly mysteries were only revealed to His disciples,(Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35) The influence and power of the kingdom seemed insignificant initially, but when fully manifested it will be known to all. The parable of hidden treasure and the pearl of great price shows the value of the kingdom of heaven. These two parables appear to be interconnected and serve as a compelling illustration of the profound value of the kingdom, which exceeds any conceivable cost, sacrifice, or inconvenience. Jesus did not give an interpretation of either the parable of hidden treasure or the pearl of great price. There are two main interpretations of these parables. A prevalent interpretation proposes that an individual should be prepared to relinquish all possessions in order to acquire the kingdom. However, Jesus could be seen as the One who sacrificed everything to secure the kingdom (Acts 20:28). There is value in both interpretations. It is clear that Jesus paid the supreme price by coming from the glories of heaven to sacrifice His life to purchase our eternal salvation. Anyone who recognizes the value of what God has provided will surrender all to acquire and secure it. We should recognize that in no way are we able to pay for our salvation or the blessings that God gives.
Parable of Hidden Treasure – Matthew 13:44
Matthew 13:44 NKJV Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
Why would God hide valuable kingdom treasure?
God hides things for us not from us. There is a big difference in for and from. He has prepared treasures for us. When this individual finds the treasure, they would gladly sell everything they own to buy that field.
Ephesians 1:3 NKJV Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Proverbs 25:2 NKJV It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, But the glory of kings is to search out a matter.
God has not chosen to reveal everything about Himself or His glory. Much of the treasure of God’s glory will not be revealed until we are in His presence in heaven. The fullness of God’s glory, power and majesty is greater than our capacity to contain. These verses show God’s intentional action to prepare blessings ahead of time for us in Christ. Since God is all knowing, He is able to prepare exactly what we need ahead of time.
Have you ever run across a treasure in the Word of God and it was new to you?
The treasure was there, hidden until the moment when you found it. The riches of God’s glory, grace, and mercy are prepared in advance for you. In His infinite wisdom and knowledge, God knew ahead of time that you were going to need that. This is the foreknowledge of God. The blessing of His grace, glory, and power are readily available for you.
Luke 12:32 ESV Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
God has prepared blessings for you. Consider God’s foreknowledge. With wisdom and foresight, God has prepared every form of blessing and triumph for you in advance. To achieve this, the heavenly Father sent His Son to redeem us and provide solutions for every dilemma and situation we may face. Through the sacrifice of His Son, God has addressed everything that Satan or sin could bring against you. It is your Father’s good pleasure to provide and give these treasures to you. There are things of the kingdom of heaven that none of us have experienced or known.
Romans 11:33 NKJV Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Often, the only thing keeping us from God’s blessing is our getting into the right place. Before that moment we were not ready and would not know what to do with it. The wisdom and blessing was more than we could integrate and digest into our life. We have not realized that God has provided the answer, so we have not asked. What if God would tell you, “I have some hidden treasure for you?” What would you do? When we see what God has prepared for us, then we do whatever is necessary to procure it, unwrap it and enjoy His glory and blessing. It is a tragedy to read about the things God has prepared for us and know that God has been extravagant in preparing these things, and not unwrap them, uncover them, and receive them. We must spend the appropriate time to find and unwrap the blessing and provision of the things God has prepared for us. We could not know or understand the wealth of the treasure if we got it too soon. I would not appreciate His power to heal until I needed healing. I was not ready for that area of ministry until I reached that place in my life.
God told Moses to cast his rod on the ground and it turned into a snake.
Then God told him to take the snake by the tail and it became his rod. That was a challenge to Moses’ faith. Later, God told Moses to stretch out his rod over the Red Sea to make a way for God’s people. Moses could not know the power that God would manifest in him through that rod until the moment that God was ready to take them across the Red Sea. Moses had to be at the right place in time and experience to be able to walk in that glory and power.
1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
Look at that: “the things which God has prepared.” I would not be able to speak about the glory, grace, mercy and power of that anointing until it is unwrapped. The things God has prepared are of greater value than what we can imagine. Watch this with the Lord’s disciples.
Compare Matthew 13:11-12 with John 16:12-15.
Matthew 13:11–12 NKJV He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
Jesus was telling them, “It has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.” Remember that He said the secrets of the Kingdom were hidden from the multitudes.
John 16:12–13 NKJV I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.
In Mathew, Jesus told them that He was showing and giving them the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Now in John, He says there are things He wanted to share with them that they were not able to bear. Then He said, don’t despair because the Holy Spirit will reveal these things to you when you need them.
John 16:14–15 NKJV He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.
Now the Lord is telling them, you are not ready to receive everything that has been prepared for you. When you are able to receive it, the Holy Spirit will guide you into it. There are treasures prepared for when you are able to receive them. The Spirit of truth will guide you and will reveal the secret things that belong to the Lord our God.
Deuteronomy 29:29 NKJV The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Parable of Pearl of Great Price – Matthew 13:45-46
Matthew 13:45–46 NKJV Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
Jesus was comparing the value of the kingdom of heaven to one pearl of great price. God has prepared things in His kingdom that are of great value. In the parable, a merchant was seeking beautiful pearls of great value.
Are you seeking things of value?
Everything that God gives is of great value, but Jesus is saying some things have greater value because of our situation or need. The merchant found one pearl that was of great value. That is what we find in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus was talking about things of the kingdom of God that are of great value. The things of the kingdom are of greater value than any other thing. The Pearl of great price has value that is beyond the needs of this life. We should not be satisfied with things of lesser value. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Keep searching until you find that treasure of great value.
Parable of the Dragnet – Matthew 13:47-50
Matthew 13:47–48 NKJV Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away.
Matthew 13:49–50 NKJV So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
The parable of the dragnet is similar to the parable of the tares. Both the saint and sinner are in the dragnet. Everyone in the net is not good. A dragnet was pulled between two boats or taken out into the water by a single boat and pulled to shore by ropes.
What is the dragnet?
Jesus interpreted this parable and indicated that the dragnet is the harvest. At the end of the age, angels will come and separate the wicked from the just. The dragnet appears to be the time of separation at the judgment when the good and evil will be brought before the Lord. When we find the treasure, we realize how much God has prepared for us and cares for us.
Parable of the Householder – Matthew 13:51-53
Matthew 13:51–52 NKJV Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?” They said to Him, “Yes, Lord.” Then He said to them, “Therefore every scribe instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure things new and old.”
Too many people are content living in the old revelations and blessings. The old treasure is good and provides stability to our faith. Since God has some special hidden and secret things that have been prepared for our journey, we need to seek, ask and open them. The disciples were beginning to understand the new things Jesus was teaching. They now had at their disposal the treasure of old and new things.
Once the treasure is found, it belongs to us.
The disciples knew the law, but Jesus was revealing the treasure of the kingdom of heaven. We live from the strength of the old blessings until we find the new treasure God has prepared. Each of us have treasure of old things and new things. The old things have been held and treasured. The depth and wealth of old treasure is varied. Some has more and some has less value and influence on our lives. In the time of our need, in the time of God’s blessing, favor, glory, and grace we find the new treasure. God has intentionally prepared riches of the kingdom for you. He wants to make you rich in these things. Your identity is never made more evident and certain than when you come to realize that you have access to hidden things of God and you pursue them with a sense of ownership. God has prepared these things for you. A pearl of great price is truly precious, but its real worth is realized when you feel like you’re the one who owns it! The treasure was already there, but now it is mine. The value has not changed, the ownership has. There is a difference in the treasure God has provided that we possess and what we have not found. If God has planned and provided this treasure, you must do what ever is necessary to come to possess it. If God says, I have “this treasure” for you, the joy and glory comes when you possess it.
Moses is a perfect example of this.
He was tending the flock of Jethro and he led the flock to the back side of the desert. The Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. The bush appeared to be burning with fire, but it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” When he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush. (Exodus 3:1-4) At the burning bush, Moses found, heard, and saw things he never knew before about God.
You should know that God has provisions of His grace, mercy, glory and power that you have not discovered.
God has prepared a kingdom, treasure and pearl of great price for you. God is rich in mercy, grace and blessing for you. In both the parable of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price, the value is demonstrated by the willingness to sell out to buy the treasure. When Jesus finished these parables, He went to Nazareth.
Why has God hidden or concealed things that are of such great value from most people?
What is the function of the Holy Spirit in relation to things we have not discovered?
