THE PARABLES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Prophet, Priest, King

John Sandbek

• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Year: 2018
• Print ISBN:
  9781641149853
• eBook ISBN:
  9781641149860
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

The parables of Jesus should not be studied as individual homilies or proverbs but instead as a series of prophetic installments, wherein each parable reveals an aspect of his coming millennial kingdom. The focus of all his parables was the kingdom and encompassed four areas of revelation. Jesus was sent by his Father to reveal to man eternal truths, to redeem the lost sheep of the house of Israel, to expound on the prophets and the Law, and to preach of the gospel of the Kingdom. With these four anointings, Jesus assumed the three offices of Prophet, Priest, and King and used parables to conceal his message from those who would not listen or sought to destroy his ministry. As Prophet, he foretold of events imminent to his time and the destruction of Jerusalem. He became our High Priest to redeem his people and instruct them in righteousness. As King, his parables reveal to us the grandeur of his coming kingdom, heretofore, kept secret from man and set the metrics for ruling and reigning with him. The Parables of the Lord Jesus Christ: Prophet, Priest, King examines Jesus's parabolic teaching from these three ordinations and how each relates to Christ's future kingdom. Each parable is placed in context with surrounding events and the customs of the day and its imagery and symbolism explained using Scripture to deduce and interpret its meaning.

Prophet

Parables of the Lost and Found

We will begin our examination of New Testament parables with a series of parables often titled “Lost and Found.” Each of these parables is based on the parabolic prophesies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and Ezekiel we previously studied and concerns the restoration of the house of Israel.

At the dawning of the New Testament age, many aspects of Old Testament prophecy remained unfulfilled, particularly those that foretold of the redemption of the house of Israel, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the reunification of the houses of Israel and Judah. At the time of Christ, Israel remained scattered throughout the immediate nations of the Mideast, with no national identity, separated, and divorced from God; they were rudderless and without a pilot. Jerusalem was the nucleus of political, religious, and cultural interaction, and the schism between the still-unredeemed Israel and the house of Judah was as fervent as ever.

The series of “Lost and Found” parables deal specifically with the relationship between Jesus Christ and the house of Israel. It is Jesus himself who reminds us of his ministry to the house of Israel in his encounter with the publican Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10). Here, Jesus cites his ministry to the house of Israel as the primary purpose of his visit. Although Jesus is addressing Zacchaeus and his family, the implied message is that Zacchaeus and his family are a part of the house of Israel.

“And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, for so much as he also is a son of Abraham.”

Notice Jesus identifies Zacchaeus as an Israelite, calling him a “son of Abraham,” a term Christ used exclusively concerning Israel. His reference to a “house” then has two connotations: the house of Zacchaeus specifically, and the house of Israel, which is implicit. He then continues:

“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus is talking to Zacchaeus concerning his salvation, but the inference is he has a greater calling, to “that which” was lost. Note, Jesus doesn’t say “those who are lost” or “the lost.” Each of these phrases is unlimited in scope. In other words, there can be any number, from two to infinity, who are lost. He also does not use the pronoun who, which always refers to an individual or a group of people. Instead, Jesus uses the restrictive clause “that which was lost,” meaning “the thing that was lost.” The phrase limits the scope and context of the passage, as it denotes a singular and specific item.

While one might argue that this distinction is merely a translation idiosyncrasy, a check of the major biblical translations reveals that most translate the original phrase as “that which,” except the ESV which renders it as “the lost.” Most of the less acceptable translations also change the pronoun form from which to who. But such a rendition changes the entire meaning and character of Jesus’s statement and ignores the subject of his previous statement in verse nine, the scions of Abraham.

Matthew Henry comments that Jesus “came from heaven to earth (a long journey), to seek that which was lost (which had wandered and gone astray), and to bring it back and to save that which was lost, which was perishing.”15 Though Henry correctly identifies the purpose for which Christ was sent by his Father and the restrictive nature of Jesus’s statement, he fails to make the connection to Israel. Who does Scripture consistently refer to as lost? Who does Jesus refer to as lost? Who does Scripture say wandered away from their first love, went astray after other gods, and became lost among the nations for their sins? Who was scattered among the nations and needs to be found and redeemed? The only correct answer to all these questions is the house of Israel.

Why is this point such a big deal? What is the significance of Jesus finding and redeeming the house of Israel? Why is it necessary we recognize that God has a chosen people? Can’t we just concentrate on teaching and preaching the gospel and winning souls for Christ?

The answer is twofold. First, Jesus says he was sent to fulfill the prophets (Matthew 5:17). The prophecies concerning Christ and his redemption of Israel are abundant in the old scriptures, both in and out of parabolic teaching. For Jesus, not to complete this commission given him by the Father would be a gross negligence of his ministerial responsibility. Conversely, if the prophets were wrong in their insight concerning Jesus and the house of Israel, then none of their prophecy is to be believed, as Scripture clearly stipulates true prophets of God are never wrong. If they are, they are not of God and are to be put to death. (See Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Jeremiah 28:9; Ezekiel 12:25, 33:33.)

In the new scriptures, Luke recounts for us the vision of Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist. The angel who appears before him prophesies of the birth of a son to his wife Elisabeth. Though barren throughout their marriage and well past childbearing age, she will conceive a son who will be the harbinger of Jesus Christ, who will bring salvation to the children of Israel and herald the redemption of lost Israel through him.

“And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God. And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Luke 1:16–17)

John the Baptist was to prepare the Lord’s people for the ministry of Jesus. We see from verse 16 that his mission was to the children of Israel. Christ’s mission was to redeem them, bring them to the knowledge of righteousness, and shod them “with the preparation of the gospel of peace,” equipping them to take the Gospel to the rest of the world. Others will follow him to augment the spread of his gospel.

This brings us to the second reason why the redemption of the house of Israel, as a national concern, is of such importance to Christ. It is through Israel, not the Jews who rejected him, that the rest of the world would receive the message of the gospel. The incident of Jesus’s encounter with the Canaanite woman, found in Matthew 15:21–28, is illustrative of this theme.

As Jesus was traveling through the coasts of Tyre and Sidon with his disciples, he came upon a Canaanite woman who entreated him to expel an evil demon from her daughter. From the perspective of the Jews, this woman was anathema or an abomination, as she was from a race of people deemed unclean and not worthy of Jesus’s attention or compassion. Even the disciples encouraged Jesus to dismiss her, as she was apparently pestering him at great lengths to grant her request.

Jesus’s response to the woman is intriguing. He tells her that he was sent to minister “only unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” She, not to be dissuaded, again insists he heal her daughter. Jesus yet again responds in a curious fashion, saying that food meant for children should not be given to the dogs. She retorts that dogs will eat the crumbs that have fallen from the table. Because of the intensity of her faith, Jesus then casts out the devil from her daughter.

At first blush, this incident depicts Jesus as callous and insensitive to the woman’s needs. Many may find Jesus’s comments to be uncharacteristic, if not prejudicial, of him. However, a deeper assessment of the passage reveals a perspective outside of what is occurring on the surface. This encounter is in reality a live demonstration acted out between Jesus and the woman, exemplifying how the gospel of Jesus Christ will be disseminated.

First, the gospel, represented in his conversation with the Canaanite woman as food, will be given to Israel. They will be given the initial franchise to disseminate the Word of God. As other people and nations come to Christ, they will take on the mission to witness for God to their peoples. They will eat the “crumbs” of the Word that has been given them, which they will share among their people.

But Israel remains lost to history. They must be revived and redeemed so they can carry out their divine ordination. Jesus reinforces this method of spreading the gospel when he instructs his disciples to ignore other peoples in their current ministerial efforts and “go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:6).

Another example in Scripture showing the importance Jesus places on the revival of Israel is found in John 21, where Jesus inquires of Peter as to the extent of his devotion to him. He asks him if he loves him. Peter responds in the affirmative. Jesus then instructs him to “feed my lambs.” Again, Jesus asks him if he loves him above all else. Peter replies “yes.” Jesus then entreats him to “feed my sheep.” The third time, he asks him if his love for him is unconditional. Peter, grieved at the reference to his denials of Jesus after his crucifixion, acknowledges his omniscience, responding that he knows he does. Again, he is told to “feed my sheep.”

“So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.” (John 21:15–17)

Three times Jesus impresses upon Peter that if he truly loves him, he will minister to, i.e. feed, his sheep. In Scripture, sheep are a metaphor for the house of Israel. In this manner, Jesus is limiting the scope of Peter’s ministry to the house of Israel. We see Peter’s obedience to Jesus’s command in his epistles, where he writes specifically to “the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” These are the areas where many of the house of Israel were dispersed.

The apostle Paul also receives the command to minister to the lost sheep of Israel. In Acts 16, he recounts for us his call from the Lord, forbidding him to go to Asia and preach, instructing him to go to Macedonia instead. Macedonia was the home of many of the lost sheep. By the end of his four missionary journeys, numerous churches were established in the area, whose ministries produced many converts.

Secondly, the Canaanite woman argues that even dogs eat of the scraps that fall from the table. In this instance, dogs are represen...

Table of contents

• New Testament Parables
• Prophet
• Priest
• King