And He Taught them at

length in Parables
( He knew what He was
doing)
 Parable
• plain old down home to the
point good teaching…
• Its God’s preferred medium
after all!
• Parables are ideas with “skin
on” (Word and flesh!)
• Not just ideas, but stories…
TRUTH!
 Parables
• 1) Use familiar images
• 2) bring out the unexpected
• 3) confuse you! (Temporarily)
• 4) Tease the mind into a deeper
understanding.
 Think about how any
good lesson really
sticks
• You observe….
• You hit a question
• Your mind tenses up and
attacks the problem
• And
• Eureka!!! You discover
something deeper.
Works that way in math
right?
• 4x(3+7)=(20-10)4
• Not too hard, but you see what I
mean?
• Anyway…
• Lets look at some parables.
• Open you bible…
• Pick one.
 What is the familiar
image?
• What is expected?
• What is surprising and why?
• What is Jesus’ point?
• Get it?
 Activity
• Everybody find one parable…
we’re going to list several.
• Any common themes between
them?
• Lets list a few
Major themes of Jesus’
teaching
I mean MAJOR…HUGE…If
you have ears to hear,
listen up!!!!
 The Kingdom of God
• The Kingdom is the theme of
everything Jesus taught.
• Jesus’ reign here and in heaven…the
Church now and in heaven…the
Kingdom.
• It is at hand!!!
• The Kingdom of God is about the
Spirit of the law, not just the letter.
(The letter is still important though)
• Christ is the way to that kingdom.
 Born from above
• (especially in John)
• Birth is not just about who ya’
mama is dawlin’…it is about
being born of water and Spirit.
• Jew or Greek…doesn’t matter…
Being born into the Kingdom is
a matter of faith.
 The letter of the law
isn’t enough
• A message for the Pharisees
especially…
• Follow the law…but have it in
your heart…understand the law.
• Jesus “fulfills the law.”
• Look at the Good Samaritan …
for example.
 The Last shall be first
• Look at Matt 5: 3-5 and 10-11
• Strange blessings eh?
• How does this work? What do you
think?
• The beatitudes are the New Law…
Moses Vista…an upgrade…the law
goes from outside to inside.
• Remember how to weed a garden.
 The First=the last
• Why? What is Jesus saying
here.
• Look up Luke 6: 24-26
• Look at the dude in Matt 19:20-
24
 More
• Love your enemies (Luke 6:27)
• Grace is not earned (Luke
15:22)
• Pray, pray, pray ( Matt 6:9-13)
• Jesus is the Bread of Life ( John
6…we’ll do more on that later.)
• Any others that you can think
of?