Why Jesus Used Parables | Mark 4:1-20 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

Please turn your attention with me in the word of God to the gospel of Mark in chapter chapter four. Mark four. And as you're there, we'll begin in verse 10 together. Mark four ten. And when he was alone, those around him with the 12 asked him about the parables.

And he said to them, to you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those outside, everything is in parables so that they may indeed see, but not perceive, and may indeed hear, but not understand, less they should turn and be forgiven. Lord, this is a text that we need great help with, and we ask that in this moment, we would sense your nearness. And that the anointing that you promised in first John two would be realized in each of us, and that we would be taught by the spirit of God himself who is the author of this book. Lord, we pray that there would be a special touch from you upon the delivery of this word, But also, Lord, a touch on the hearts that every ear would indeed hear what you have to say.

Lord, we recognize that this moment as we read and break down your word, it is your voice. It is your voice. Therefore, let not the transmission be corrupted by the flesh, by man's opinion. Let it be pure, and, Lord, let it be unfiltered. And may the name of the Lord Jesus Christ be exalted in the faithfulness, not just of the speaking, but of the hearing as well.

In Jesus' name. Amen. This afternoon's message has one simple goal, and that goal is to answer a very straightforward question. That question is, why did Jesus speak in parables? Why did Jesus speak in parables?

Now, it could be that some of you hearing that question respond internally with, is that even important? Do we really need to know why Jesus spoke in parables? We have enough of a challenge to understand the meaning of some of his parables, let alone the reason for them. But whether or not we believe it is an important inquiry, the holy spirit makes it so clear that it is necessary to know why Jesus, at a certain point in his ministry, began to emphasize his teaching in the format of parables. And before we get one other allegorical lesson from the mouth of the savior, the holy spirit stops us, and he records and preserves a conversation between Jesus and his disciples around that very question.

So clearly it must mean something. And when you combine Mark, what we just read, with Matthew's version, what we have here as a scene is that at some point Jesus was alone. And the disciples, his closest group approached him. And in Matthew thirteen ten, they asked the very pointed question, why do you speak to them in parables? And the Lord answers, That question is partly motivated by the fact that they lacked understanding themselves.

But it was also a question of concern. Jesus, as you know, in the past four weeks, we've been discovering just finished teaching about the parable of the sower. But what Jesus did was he gave the parable and stopped before giving an explanation. And so you have these disciples who are part of this ministry that might be thinking to themselves, if this continues, this not might be very good. Because the audience might perceive this and say, this is incomplete.

This is unclear, or or this is even confusing. And so you have these men who are looking out for their teacher, leaning in and saying, Lord, why are you doing this? You already you already stopped before giving an answer to to these meanings of this riddle. Is this going to continue? And listen, what seems strange to the disciples was in fact a strategy from the Lord.

There was something so rich behind this method. Jesus knew exactly what he was doing when he started speaking in parables even though his disciples did not know the purpose yet. And here's what I wanna tell you at this point before even getting to the answer to the question. The attitude of these disciples, whether you want to admit it or not, is very common among disciples of Jesus today. What do I mean by that?

Even today, intimate followers of Jesus Christ can find themselves asking why when they try to understand the ways of God. Why? Why are you doing it this way? Why are you doing it that way? Why are you not doing it this way?

And so we find ourselves in the very same place as these men, but perhaps with different predicaments. But here's what's fascinating. Even with that question, you and I have the freedom to come to the Lord and ask. Because the Lord is willing and able to give revelation for that immediate situation to bring whether it's relief or wisdom, he can answer like he answered with his disciples. I'll tell you why.

You cry out to me, and I will reveal it to you. But is that always the case? No. Oftentimes, the answer comes much later in life. And God allows something that we know as providence to play out.

And as time goes on, the pieces will fill the missing areas of our understanding and complete the puzzle down the road. I think of Joseph. Joseph who had a dream and not knowing how this was gonna transpire, now is in a position of power after many years. And he can look back in retrospect and see the puzzles that had to be placed for him to arrive where he arrived. So they could there can be immediate answers.

There can be prolonged answers or delayed answers rather, and then there can be no answer, at least in this lifetime. And believer, you gotta be willing to accept that. You have to be willing to accept the fact that God doesn't owe us answers to every question. And there are many reasons for that. And let me present to you one strong possibility to why the Lord may not give you the answer to the why.

Because the disciples were not the only servants of God who had that pressing question. And my mind goes to a prophet, a prophet that is not a major one, a prophet that is not a common one in our conversations or even in our teachings, but an important one nonetheless because he had a question. And his question was answered in a way that I believe is extremely insightful for all of us, Habakkuk. In Habakkuk one two, we see this prophet, this man of God, inquire of his God, who is our God. And in Habakkuk one two, we read, oh, Lord, how long shall I cry for help and you will not hear?

Or cry to you violence and you will not save? Verse three. Why there it is. Why do you make me see iniquity? And why do you idly look at wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me. Strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous. So justice goes forth perverted.

That's how the book starts. It's this man of God who is righteous, who is observing the events of his day, and he is wondering where is God in all of this. You can ask that on a global scale, and you can ask that in your own personal world. Why? Where is your intervention in all of this?

Why are you silent? Why are you not aware? All these pressing questions. And what's amazing is how God answers him. We see here in verse five.

Look among the nations and see. Wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. God's answer is something I believe most of us in you need to take into our hearts and lock it there. First, when the prophet was wondering where God was and why he was not intervening in the chaos around him, the Lord assures him that he was actually at work.

He's been at work. He's always at work. And so with all the things that he was seeing, God says, hey, would you look back up and look at the nations and see? Yeah. You can consider all the turmoil in the nations.

Consider the the rise and fall of kingdoms. Consider the spiritual sickness that is abounding in society. Consider all of it. Con consider all and realize I'm at work. Realize that my hand is in it.

Realize that I am orchestrating it. Realize that there is a goal here, though you may not immediately perceive it. And that same truth applies today. God is not less aware or less active in our world than he than he was then. He is still completely sovereign supervising every stitch of our universe.

But it's the second part. I I can stay there, but it's the second part that humbles me. Because he finishes his thought, at least in this verse, by saying, not only am I presently involved, but all of this is leading to something so astounding, so beyond, so powerful that if I were to disclose it to you, you would have trouble believing it. And what he meant by that was this is leading. All all of these shifts in the world is leading to me raising up a foreign nation that's going to come after the nation of Israel and pull them out into exile, which was something unfathomable for the Jew in Habakkuk's day.

Actually, look at verse 12 and you see the response of God's answer and the man can't believe it. God was right. I'm just gonna give you a glimpse of it and you're not gonna believe it. And he goes, well, we're not gonna die. You're holy.

You're righteous. And I was meditating on that and you know what came to mind? It makes me wonder if some of the answers that you and I are desperately looking for are answers that you're not even prepared to believe. Paul says in Romans eleven thirty three that God's judgments, they are unsearchable, and his ways are inscrutable. You know what that means?

There is a category of God's ways that are defined by your mind being absolutely staggered if you just took a glimpse of it. There are waters so deep in the ways of God that for you to try to swim and explore would actually make you drowned in your understanding. There's just something that you can't cross when it comes to God's ways, and that shouldn't frustrate you or I. That should cause us to worship. See, when Paul says that his judgments are unsearchable and his ways are inscrutable, that that wasn't him saying, well, just too bad.

That was him exploding in doxology. Exploding in worship in the middle of his writing. That's what makes God, God. And and he can't help but just even in his writing spill over with praise with that thought. And we've limited God's ways to philosophical debate.

And trying to understand him with great frustration instead of it humbling us and bring us to our knees and say, God, you are God. I am a creature. I was made from dust. I'm borrowing your air. I humbly receive your ways.

And the bible reveals that if you were to just get a peek at the intricacies of God's methods, if your heart is right, it will erupt your your soul to magnify him and love him. And that's what I hope you will do at the end of this message when you and I consider not God's prophetic timetable for the the human race. That's what Romans 11 is about, at least for Israel and the world. Not about his purpose in suffering, though that is important, but why Jesus spoke in parables. Let me just say right off the bat.

Jesus didn't teach parables because they were nice stories. There are actually two reasons why Jesus did this. Two simple reasons. And so when anybody asks you, if you're discipling somebody and they say, why did Jesus speak in parables? You can give them these two answers because they are scriptural as you will see.

And the first one might be shocking to you. So lean in. Why did Jesus do this? Primary reason. Parables were an instrument of judgment against the unbeliever.

I know you didn't hear that in Sunday school, but parables were an instrument of judgment against the unbeliever. This may sound odd because the common understanding as you just heard is that, parables were engaging in illustrative stories to help make sense of spiritual truth. That's not what Jesus said. When the question was asked, he answered, to you, it's been given the secret of the kingdom of God. But for those who are outside, those who are not a part of my fold, those who are not a part of me, for those who are outside, I speak to them intentionally with parables.

And in other words, by using analogies, by using allegories void of explanation, the Lord intends you ready for this? To conceal the truth, and to keep certain people in the dark. Parables shroud the truth. The primary function is not to make sense of truth. The primary purpose is actually to veil it.

And I'm sure that is shocking to some because the Jesus we worship, the Jesus we know came into this world to save. He came into this world as light. He came as a physician to to heal the sick spiritually, not just physically. And now, early in the book of Mark, we hear something that sounds counterintuitive, almost almost concerning to us in our view of Christ. Are you saying that Jesus was teaching in a manner that would bar people out?

That would keep people at a distance. How do we make sense of this? Here's how we make sense of this. When you and I understand this is why context is important. When you and I understand the timing of his implementation and the audience that he was addressing, Looking at that will put any unease to rest.

Ask yourself this question. Why are the disciples asking this now? The reason why is because they've heard him teach and preach for a while, and at some point, they perceive that the Lord now is adopting and emphasizing his usage of these riddles that don't seem to provide immediate clarification. And so they ask, why are you doing this? Which tells me that this is something new.

This is something that is developing. This is something sudden. They've heard Jesus speak before and yes, he's used illustrations and examples and But it was clear, Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

Things like that. It was it was clear. There was a conclusion. But now, Jesus just finished sharing this story about a parable. He gives this idea of a sower, and the soils, and the seed going in, and the different kind of responses, and then he ends the sermon midway.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. And he walks off the platform and dismisses the service. So the disciples kinda said, Lord, what's going on here? And he says, listen. You you, I will explain it to you.

Them, I will speak to them in parables, and I will continue to speak to them in parables. You've been here week after week. Put up your rearview mirrors and ask yourself what happened before this that would cause Christ to do this. And I think there was a pivotal moment in the ministry of Jesus Christ, and that is spelled out both in Mark and in Matthew that really bring brings clarification. Scroll back to Mark three and look here at verse 22.

Mark three twenty two. And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying he is possessed by Beelzebul And by the prince of demons, he cast out the demons. Serious accusation. Blasphemous accusation. And and more dangerous is the fact that they made this charge at a time when the Lord Jesus so powerfully and clearly displayed and demonstrated his messiahship.

And for them to come to this conclusion, after all that these religious leaders have witnessed, is extremely concerning for the state of their souls. To say that Christ was in league with Satan ultimately exposed the severity of their hardened hearts. Remember, even before this, they had planned to destroy him. Now here's what's so significant. At the same time, they could not deny his supernatural power.

And so all they can do is is is shift the source by saying, we can't deny that he's doing this. So let's just say that he's doing this by the energy and the activity of Satan himself. And when the Lord heard that, he was not shy to tell them and warn them about the dangers of the damnation that they were they were flirting with. But he didn't just warn them. Listen.

I argue to you today that this was the turning point in how Jesus Christ would address and teach the general public who are unbelieving to his message. Those who have announced their stubborn unbelief in the face of amazing evidence would not just hear a warning about blaspheming the Holy Spirit, they would now inherit a teaching that was veiled. Jesus speaking to the general crowd in parables was a response to their gross lack of faith. You don't wanna believe after all that I've shown you, after all that I've said so clearly to you, then here you go. Here's some parables.

Matthew's version of this confirms what I'm saying to you. If you need a reference, it's Matthew thirteen fifteen. Jesus quotes a portion of the book of Isaiah and applies it to his reasoning. And this is what it says in that verse, for this people's heart, this is so important, has grown dull. He takes that from Isaiah and he applies it to his immediate audience.

And what he's saying is, in connection to his parabolic ministry is, these people, their hearts have grown dull, insensitive, unresponsive, indifferent to what I have to say to them. And instead of being humbled by the miracles, instead of being softened by the message, they resisted them time after time after time, sermon after sermon after sermon, healing after healing after healing, Correction after correction after correction. Deliverance after deliverance after deliverance until they finally cross the line where the Lord says, I'm no longer gonna give to you straightforward teaching. And why would he? Why would he?

They already trampled on everything that he gave them. See, this is a this is a a portrait of Jesus that many are unfamiliar with. He is gracious, but understand that his judgments are not just reserved for eternity. Christ can judge today. Christ has been judging until today.

Christ will judge to some extent until the final day. And one of his judgments is when he persistently attempts to persuade your heart and you persistently resist them, he meets that by finalizing your hardened heart and crystallizing it himself. And if you don't believe that this is true, realize that at the very end of this whole book, not Mark, the bible, he gives a strong, strong, strong word that is not often quoted. Can I show it to you? It's in Revelation 22, the very last chapter of the whole canon.

And I want you to see a verse that would seem a little bit awkward to our understanding of who God is. Revelation 22 verse 11. So we are now concluding. We're we're coming now to the to the very end of all that God has to say to humanity. And do you wanna know one of the final things that he says?

You ready for this? Verse 11 of Revelation 22. Let the evil doers still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy. Let the let the evil still be evil. You wanna be filthy?

Be filthy. And those who are righteous? Be righteous. Continue in righteous. You wanna be holy?

Stay holy. How do we understand? Is is God exhorting people to stay in their sin? That's so contrary to the call of repentance. What's happening here?

Is he encouraging people to just remain in their state of rebellion? I believe the only way to understand verse 11 is to connect it to verse 10. What does he say right before this? The angel speaks to John and he said to me, do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book for the time is near. And then he goes on to say, let the evil doers still do evil and the filthy still be filthy, etcetera.

Here's one of God's final instructions to the apostle John. John, my servant, listen. You cannot afford to conceal what I've made known to you in what we know is the book of Revelation. You must disclose it. You must share it.

It must be read aloud. It must be heard. It must be heralded. The apple the the last day's message, it cannot afford to be hidden because the consequences are eternal. And I'm gracious enough to reveal to reveal to every generation what is to come, so that they could be worn and respond appropriately.

So don't don't seal it. Reveal it. Expose it. Let it let it shine. And then verse 11.

This is the the same thought now. But after if after hearing everything that I've said in this book and predicted everything that I predicted in this book, and prophesied everything. After all the descriptions of the catastrophes that are going to come to this world, and the fate of the wicked which is eternal judgment, and the permanent glorious rule and reign of Jesus Christ. If after hearing all of that, someone still won't repent then they might as well still be wicked. In other words, you know what this means?

How can God warn you more than what he warns in the book of Revelation? If you can't be moved to repentance after the book of Revelation is heralded to you, then there's little hope for you. Stay filthy. You wanna stay in sin? Go for it.

You wanna be wicked? Go for it. After all that you've heard? Stay there. This is sobering, but it's bible.

This is God. God is long suffering, but his patient is not limitless. His truth is for all people, but those who have been graced and those who have experienced certain manifestations or revelations have a greater responsibility to what they heard and how they respond to it. And after reaching out and giving himself to someone who constantly turns his back, then listen to this. This is not the Santa Claus version of Jesus that that we heard of growing up.

After this, after God tries to and attempts and gets your attention, he has every right to move on. He has every right to move on and find someone else whose heart will be open to the truth, who hungers for the truth, who longs to be saved. And in fact, if you haven't been shocked yet, maybe this will shock you. You ready for this one? As messengers of the truth, we are to imitate him in that to some extent.

You've heard it. Right? Matthew seven six, do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs. He's not talking about little animals here. He's talking about people who resemble animalistic behavior in terms of their spirituality and the condition of their souls in response to the truth.

Lest they trample them under foot and turn to attack you. This is not teaching that there are some people who are undeserving of the gospel at all. The great commission mandate is preach the gospel to all creatures. But here's the reality of it. Some creatures are more aggressive than others.

More blasphemous than others. And you and I are called to have a level of discernment to know whether or not we continue reaching out to that person or if we reserve the pearls of divine revelation and bring them before someone who see the value of them. So so even you you hear this about God and you say, yes. He is God. And then even in this, we are called to imitate him as faithful declarers of God's truth.

Now I can imagine how some might still not be convinced. But what the Lord does is he quotes Isaiah. You heard in the verse 12 of Mark four. Let me read it to you again. After telling him that outsiders will be will be referred to parables, He says, so that they may indeed see, but not perceive.

It may indeed hear, but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven. That's from Isaiah six nine. That's something that God told Isaiah, that Christ actually told Isaiah. After that throne room vision where he was just absolutely moved by the holiness of God. And the triune God asking whom shall we send?

And here's Isaiah in that moment saying, here I am. Send me. Good. I'm gonna send you. You're gonna be my preacher in this generation, but you're gonna preach to a crowd who will not respond to you.

Can you imagine how encouraging that is? Hey, pastor. You're gonna preach at a church where every single Sunday what you say will not move one person. Well, sign me up. That's an example to me about how the Lord looks for faithfulness more than anything else.

But why is Jesus quoting from this passage? Because the ministry that Isaiah had was not of him addressing a reasonable bunch. He was preaching before a crowd that had already persistently rejected God's warnings and woes. And what the Lord is doing by reaching back seven hundred years and applying that context to his, he's saying, I'm preaching to a people who have already heard what I had to say and have determined to deny me. Just like Isaiah had to preach to such a crowd, I am preaching to that same crowd.

And so therefore, I will now address them in a veiled manner. So that may sound true, but it may it may also disturb us. But be more disturbed by the fact that after God does so much, people still raise their nose against them and turn their backs. Be more disturbed by that. Please.

And if if if you would want a fragrance of mercy on this, consider that even in this, what you just heard, there is a touch of mercy. There is a hint of grace. There is a fragrance of beauty. What do I mean by that? You've heard this, haven't you?

Everyone to whom much is given of him, much will be required. Have you heard of that? Then he goes on to say even from there, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more. What's the context of that? That's found in Luke chapter 12.

The context of that in Luke 12 is Jesus teaching that there will be various degrees of punishment that are in direct proportion to the requirement of revelation. What do I mean that by that? When he says, to much was given, much will be required. What he's essentially saying is, I will hold listeners to the word of God accountable to the revelation that they have received and how they rejected it. That is a rule in God's judgment.

The more light an unbeliever has, the more their judgment will increase if they deny it. Now, we in America boast about bible knowledge. Why? Why? We're boasting about our radio stations, and we're boasting about seminary, and we're boasting about the amount why?

That's a lot of light. As good as that is, that's dangerous. Because if you're if you're exposed to this light and you deny this light, Christ according to Luke 12 will say much is required of you because much has been given to you. Don't boast about being part of any ministry that preaches the bible faithfully if you don't wanna respond to it. That's dangerous stuff.

And yet, it's merciful in light of what Jesus does here with the Pharisees and the unbelieving crowd. Why? Because if we recognize this rule, don't you see it? Don't you see what the Lord is doing here? That by speaking in parables, he is deliberately dimming the light.

So that by dimming the light of the revelation, he is also diminishing their judgment. By by by putting layers on the truth, he's also in a sense limiting what will be heaped on them. Don't you see it? I see the heart of God in that. And here's the heart of God in that that he longs to save.

That he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. That if he could have it, he would want everyone to come to him. And so even when he shares these parables, he filters the truth. And even those who have denied him by not receiving the the clear revelation would in some way also not receive the judgment that it would demand for denying it. Perhaps this whole time you've been wondering how complete the answer that you just heard really is in light of the rest of the chapter.

Because if you go back to Mark four, it doesn't end in verse 12. You look at Mark four fourteen to 20, and you see Jesus explaining the very parable that you just heard was not meant to be explained to a certain people. And that thought transitioned us perfectly into the second reason for why Jesus implemented parables. You ready? The first one was parables were an instrument of judgment against the stubborn unbeliever.

But secondly, parables were an instrument of teaching to those who yearn for the truth. That's what you're more familiar with. Right? And that's okay because Jesus looks at his people and he says, to you to you it has been given the secret of the kingdom of God. Unlike the other crowd, when it came to the disciples, these parables would be helpful tools that would in fact unpack the truth and reveal the truth and help them remember the truth, insights about the kingdom.

And the opposite is those who could care less. They were determined to deny him no matter what he said. But this group, they're characterized by something else. There's an eagerness. There's a teachability.

There is a hunger. There's a longing. I mean, it's even seen with these disciples. They're they're always asking questions. And Christ honored that.

These allegorical lessons carry the potential of arousing holy curiosity. And listen, these parables were almost like doorways. Doorways that would lead into greater revelation. So the same door that would bar people from the truth was also the same door that could lead into spiritual treasures. What's the difference?

Do you have the right key in your hand? And the key in this instance is something that is applicable today in the quest for truth, humility. Humility. You see, the purpose of the parable really depends upon the heart posture of the listener. And when it came to the disciples and those who wanted to know the truth, Matthew Henry summarized it so well.

He said quote, a parable is a shell that keeps good fruit for the diligent, but withholds it from the slothful. It's a shell that for those who are diligent enough to crack it, to know the nutrients in it, it will benefit them. But also, it's a shell that those who are slothful and careless and blasphemous will keep them away. The difference is the ears to hear. A parable is really an invitation.

It probes. It provokes the honest inquirer. It causes them upon hearing what they just heard to now examine their own hearts and say, I wanna know what that means. I'm hooked. I can't let him walk away without telling me.

I'll persuade him. I'll sit before him whatever it takes for me to understand. So know this, Christ would never and Christ will never withhold the truth from those who thirst for living water. It's always available. It's always available.

Let me give you an example. Don't answer it. Some of you might anyway. Just think about it. If it slips out, it's okay.

What would you say is the most popular Bible verse ever? I heard it whispered. John three sixteen. Yes. You all thought right.

Modern history, I would say John three sixteen. John three six a glorious truth. But let me tell you this, those who know John three sixteen, I don't think many of them know in what context that was given. I don't think many people, I'm sure you do, know to whom Jesus revealed that wonderful insight to. You know who it was?

Nicodemus. Christ will not withhold the truth from anybody who desires living water even if he is a Pharisee. Even if he is a Pharisee. And Nicodemus was not just any Pharisee. Go to John three in closing to see what kind of Pharisee he was.

John three verse one. Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. Oh, he's not just a Pharisee. He's a leader of the Pharisees. High position.

Great respect. Jesus later refers him as a teacher of Israel, a sought after, expositor of the law. Verse two, this man came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi we know that you are a teacher. We know that you are a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Unless God is with him.

Have you ever wondered why Jesus revealed one of the most powerful verses in all of history? Why Jesus did it with a Pharisee? That is the last group of people that I would think Jesus would even have a long honest conversation with, and yet here we are. But before even that, look at some of the details about him. At what point did he come?

He came by night. Some say, well, he's being smart here. He wants to find Jesus when he is not being aggressively pursued or surrounded by a crowd. I suggest that when you consider Nicodemus in the whole gospel of John where he's mentioned three times, that he came at night for a much different purpose. He's afraid.

He's afraid. He doesn't wanna be caught with this controversial rabbi from Nazareth. So let me come in the blackness of night, and let me hide myself and pursue him. And hopefully, he'll be willing to speak with me. And Jesus, knowing all things, I'm sure, knew why gee why Nicodemus came by night.

And you know what blesses me about this? He's still willing to meet with him. He's still willing to sit with him even though in essence, in our estimation, he was a coward. And he had this worry about being seen by his companions and his fellow Pharisees, yet Christ is patient enough to embrace Nicodemus, sit with Nicodemus, and meet Nicodemus where he is at. Have you ever considered the great lengths that Christ is willing to go to meet us where we are at?

You go to John three, you see Nicodemus coming by night. Fear of the other Pharisees crawling his way to the truth embodied in the person of Christ. Then you go to John chapter four and here's Jesus now meeting with a woman at a particular time of the day. And her arrival at the well in that specific slot of time in the afternoon was also for a reason. Because of her shameful reputation, perhaps wanting to avoid the public scorn or even the death stares of other woman who would come to the well.

She comes when it was the least beneficial time to be able to work hard to get some water, and yet Christ meets her there. He's willing to meet us even in a place where not praise worthy, not honorable, at least fully to him. And Jesus was willing to converse with this man without condemnation. But when you look at the darkness, it wasn't just physical, it was spiritual. It wasn't just this man's visit, it was this man's perception of who Jesus was.

He comes up to the Lord and he says, Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God. Nicodemus, he's much more than that. He's much more than a teacher. He's much more than a teacher who can perform some miracles from time to time. And already in our introduction of him, we can perceive that this man is falling short.

He's coming in a sneaky way and he's limited in his view of who God is. But look at this. This this guy is a candidate for rebuke. This guy is a candidate for rejection. This guy is a candidate for Christ to say, I'm not wasting my time with you.

You're coming at me at night? Why don't you be a man and prove yourself? Come to me when it's harder to come to me. Nothing of the sort. It's with this man that Jesus unveiled some of the most glorious and precious gospel truths that we can share with anybody and they can understand.

Why? Why? I'll give you two reasons why. Look back at how he addresses Jesus. He says, we know that you're a teacher come from God for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.

What was the popular Pharisee opinion about how Jesus could do miracles? Yeah. He's doing it by the power of Beelzebul. This guy is demonic, and he's empowered by the prince of demons. And you know what Nicodemus says?

As a Pharisee, this can't be done unless God is with you. This can't happen unless God is with you. You know what I learned from Nick in this part of the bible? I see an honest man. I see an honest man.

A man who's not willing to be swayed by popular opinion. A man who is willing to see what it is and to be able to call it as it is and say this has to be from God. And I see that Jesus answers in the way that he does because of this man's honesty. Remember the Pharisees when they came to Jesus and they asked him by what authority do you do these things? And he goes, I love the Lord in this part of the bible, Matthew.

He goes, look. I'll answer your question to you first ask mine. John's baptism, was it from heaven or made up by man? And these they call back, I don't know. If we say this, this is gonna happen.

If we say that, that's gonna happen. We don't know. And the Lord looks at me and goes, I can't help you. Neither will I reveal to you by what authority I do these things. Jesus can't work with dishonest people.

Jesus doesn't Jesus doesn't do counseling with dishonest people. That's in any counseling, discipleship context, one of the first things I always say is, just be honest with me. Just be honest with me. I can't work with you if you're dishonest with me or dishonest with yourself or dishonest about the situation. Be honest.

Where do I get that from? I get that from my Lord. I get that from the counselor of counselors, Christ. But here's here is Nicodemus and he's honest. Hey, this has to be connected to God.

This can't be this can't be what they're saying. But it's not just his honesty. Because when you look at the rest of the chapter, Nicodemus only says a few more things. And what's astounding is every single thing that he says from this point on is in the form of a question. Look at verse four.

Nicodemus said to him, how can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? That's two questions. Jesus explains, and they come down to verse nine. Nicodemus said to him, how can these things be?

So here's a man who not only approaches Jesus honestly, here's a man who also approaches Jesus with hunger. I think these are sincere questions. He's not mocking. He's not scorning. He's genuinely trying to understand.

I don't understand how this all works. Born again, does a man go back into his mother's womb and come back out? What are you speaking about? The wind blows where how can these things be? And Christ perceiving this man's hunger says, I can work with this.

And he reels him in and he stays with him and he teaches him and he gives him more examples from the old testament. And he and he just unpacks the gospel mission, the gospel message. Christ is looking for people who are honest and hungry. Miracles can take place when that happens. And when he speaks with this kind of vocabulary, when he looks at metaphors and he brings up allegories and all these things, they are an invitation to the honest and the hungry.

I wanna know what that means. I wanna know if he's speaking about me. I wanna know if he's speaking about my soul. I wanna know if he's speaking I wanna know what this is. And for those kind of people, secrets can be revealed, can be made known.

And so you heard why Jesus spoke in parables. In a few short weeks, we're gonna see how this is not just applicable to salvation. That if we, as a people, want greater revelation, Christ is going to look at what we're doing with our current revelation. That's a very important truth. Let me end on a interesting thought.

It's not directly connected, but here's a nugget for you. Great debate about what happened to Nicodemus. Two other times, he appears in John. But this thought came at the last appearance of Nicodemus in the book of John, and I want you to see it and then we will end. Is Is Nicodemus gonna be in heaven?

What did Nicodemus end up doing with the revelation that he received? Well, here's a clue. John 19 verse 38. Our Lord was crucified, and a man inquired of his body so that unknowingly would fulfill prophecy because he would put the savior in a tomb, the tomb of a rich man, as Isaiah 53 says. In John nineteen thirty eight, we are introduced to that man.

After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for the fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he may take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave him permission, so he came and took away his body. All I know about this man from John is that he was a disciple of Jesus. The Holy Spirit would not say that unless it was true. He was a true disciple of Jesus.

But I learned something else. He was a secret disciple. He feared the Jews. And I don't know what the reason for the fear was. Clearly, it was some form of persecution.

But he here, fearing the Jews, comes privately to Pilate when everything is settled, and as a midnight mission, wants to honor Christ even in his death and and bring him a proper burial. Now, here here's what's so interesting. If this man, we are told, feared the Jews, then why is the next verse there? Verse 39. Nicodemus also.

I thought you were afraid of the Jews. Why are you bringing or allowing the leader of one of the leaders of the Pharisee party to join you, to honor Christ in this way. Unless you have no reason to fear Nicodemus. Why? Because maybe he was a disciple of Jesus too.

Let's pray. Heavenly father, we thank you for this morsel of truth this afternoon. Lord, it is our desire to know all that your word has to say. And our prayer is that the answer to the question, why did your son use parables would have been satisfied this afternoon. Lord, we see that you are a just God and that you hold those accountable who treat the truth with contempt, who are determined no matter what to destroy the message and even the person of Jesus Christ.

We see that you use parables as an act of divine judgment against those who are settled in their unbelief. But Lord, we also see that it is a double edged sword for it invites the honest and the hungry to know what you have to say. And Lord, our prayer as application to this message is that we would be a people who would continually hunger and continually be honest before you and before your word. That's our desire. Lord, as we stand to worship you, may it come from a heart that has been awakened by the wisdom of God, by the love of God, by the holiness of God.

For you are worthy of all honor and praise. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together, shall we?