Matthew 13:1-9, Context and Message

In Mt. 13:1 Matthew says we are with Jesus “on the same day.”  What day?  The day of the events of Matt. 12.  It was the Sabbath day when Jesus healed a man with a withered hand, the day the Pharisees plotted how they might destroy Jesus, the day the shepherds of Israel attributed Jesus miracles to Satan, and the day Jesus warned those shepherds of the danger of committing a sin for which there was no forgiveness. 

Matthew maintains an overall chronological order in the thematic approach he takes to the life and ministry of Christ.  He begins with the birth (Ch. 1-2).

·        Then the ministry begins with John the Baptist and Jesus’ baptism (Ch. 3-4)

·        Then Jesus explains the principles of His kingdom; after all, His ministry centers around the message that “the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Ch. 5-7).

·        Jesus then proves His ministry with the miraculous signs (Ch. 8-9).

·        He calls disciples and sends them out to preach (Ch. 10).

·        Then the opposition begins to appear, being a surprise to John in prison; and then becomes very strong in the blasphemy of the leaders (Ch. 11-12).

Everything is pointing to Jesus’ rejection.  Matthew 13 contains a series of parables called “the Mysteries of the Kingdom” (13:11).  With these stories Jesus begins to prepare His disciples for the reality of two advents, a first and second coming of the Messiah.  The two advents perfectly fulfill the prophecies of the OT; but the prophets in the OT did not foresee this.  This was John’s problem in prison.  Are you the One or do we wait for another?  How do the sufferings and the glory of the Messiah, which are both clearly prophesied in the OT, take place in the same Man?  One requires His death.  But if He is dead how can He reign on David’s throne?  Jesus’ resurrection was fully anticipated in the OT; but until it happened no one could conceive it. 

Then we ask, if there are two advents what happens in between?  Or does the second advent immediately follow the death of Messiah?  This is what Jesus begins to explain in these “mysteries.”  Unbeknownst to anyone but the Godhead, the Kingdom of Heaven was going to have a mystery form, a parenthesis of time between the two advents.  We know now that this parenthesis would involve the Son of God sitting at the right hand of His Father, awaiting the time when the Father says He can return.  He will be waiting for His Father to make His enemies to be His footstool.  Many of these enemies will stubbornly refuse to bow the knee to the Son.  But many will believe in the Son and will be transferred from the kingdom of sin and death and darkness into the Kingdom of grace and life and light, the Kingdom of God’s Son. 

We know this because we live 2000 years after the cross of Christ.  The early believers wondered if His return might not be sooner than it has been (a reading of Acts makes this apparent).  As we work our way through Matthew 13 let us seek to put ourselves in the sandals of Jesus’ disciples as Jesus begins to open their minds to this amazing truth: two advents.