Topic: Good Seed and Good Fruit. The Wheat and the Tares. Category: Kingdom> End Times>
Bible Scriptures: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 3:7-12, Matthew 13:41-43 and Revelation 21:5-8.
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When God became flesh and blood and walked this earth as a man, the Kingdom of Heaven, God’s perfect dwelling place, came down into this world damaged by evil.
Jesus – the Son of Man, the Son of God, gave His life as a sacrifice for us, rose from the grave in a resurrected physical body and ascended to heaven. As a result God at the New Testament Pentecost poured out His Spirit. That was the beginning of the end times.
the kingdom of heaven on earth
Jesus came into this world damaged by evil to repair, restore, revive and renew. God has already judged evil and Jesus defeat of evil on the cross, yet evil still exists. When Jesus returns all evil will be totally eliminated.
Until Jesus returns we live in the Kingdom of God now, in Jesus victory over evil, in this world damaged by evil.
Things of this world are temporary and need to be viewed through the lens of God’s eternal kingdom.
When Jesus walked the earth as a man He told many stories about the kingdom of God.
Matthew 13:24-30 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
who are the good seed?
Jesus said to His disciples in private that in this story the good seed are the ‘sons’ of the Kingdom. The sons of the Kingdom are those who have received Jesus, both male and female.
At that moment when we receive Jesus, we become a child of God. As first-born sons we inherit all of who Jesus is, what He has done and will do. We receive equal inheritance with Jesus – the Son of God, the Son of Man. We receive Jesus and His eternal kingdom.
What is the meaning of good?
In the original language of the Bible text the word that has been translated as good has a big meaning. It means proper, beautiful or handsome, valuable, useful, excellent, genuine, approved, better, honest, virtuous, honourable and ought to be praiseworthy.
The first time this word appears in the New Testament was when John the Baptist was urging the people to change their wrong thinking and open their minds and hearts, in readiness to receive the kingdom.
Matthew 3:7-10 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
the right to rule and reign
The Pharisees and Sadducees are of Jewish blood. The Pharisees were the custodians of the Old Testament writings and came to John the Baptist, believing they were children of God and going to heaven because they were born of Jewish blood. Yet John the Baptist was saying unless they receive Jesus as their King, the anointed one that was foretold throughout the Old Testament, and His right to rule, they are not of the good seed. Therefore they cannot bear good fruit.
However if they change their mind and accept Jesus, receive Him and His right to rule and reign, they will become the good seed and bear good fruit. John the Baptist testifies of Jesus as the Son of God. He reveals that He is the one who determines who is of good seed.
the good seed of the king
Matthew 3:11-12 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
John the Baptist (the true witness of Jesus) uses baptism as a word picture to reveal the need to receive Jesus in order to enter into His kingdom
The new covenant that started in Jesus becoming human. When a person receives Jesus, they receive His Holy Spirit within. From that moment they become fully immersed in His identity.
When we are born physically into this world we take on the identity of our family and become citizens of the country we are born in. Same when we receive Jesus. We are born of Spirit, a child of God and take on the identity of God in Jesus. We become citizens of heaven and the Kingdom of God.
two types of fire
Interestingly in Matthew 3:11-12 there are two types of fire. To those who receive Jesus the fire of God is His presence, His passion or love and His transforming power.
To those who reject Jesus, God’s fire is judgment, alienation, isolation and powerlessness.
The cleaning out that is mentioned in this text is not making a person clean, as those who receive Jesus are made clean. It is revealing who are the true ‘sons’ of God. They are those from every tribe and nation who receive Jesus.
Whether someone receives Jesus or rejects Jesus determines their eternal destiny.
John the Baptist reveals the truth that those who reject Jesus even if born of Jewish blood are not ‘sons’ of God. Back to Matthew 13:24-30.
the wheat and the tares
In the natural realm the tares look the same as the wheat, until fruit appears. It is therefore impossible for the servants to know which are the wheat and which are the tares.
Therefore in pulling up the tares the servants would risk pulling up the wheat as well. Only God knows the heart of a person. Therefore God protects those who have received Him from being pulled out or destroyed by the servants and instructs them to let the wheat and the tares grow together. Now is still the time of undeserved favour, where the rain falls on both the wheat and the tares. They both still grow together.
But make no mistake, our time in this life is short, yet it is significant because it determines our eternity. Our destiny for eternity is not decided by what tribe or caste we are born into in this world or by anything we do. Our eternity is decided by whether we receive Jesus or reject Jesus. This decision determines who we choose to worship and be one with.
Identity in Jesus is the only pathway to heaven.
Who are the wheat?
The wheat are those of the good seed. Those who receive Jesus.
Who are the tares?
The tares are those who reject Jesus.
The tares are those who reject Jesus. The wheat and the tares is a story about salvation. Salvation is a choice of identity. The choice is receive to Jesus and have an identity in Jesus or reject Jesus and have an identity in the enemy of God.
Matthew 13:41-43 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
Jesus declares that the wheat have right standing before God, are innocent, clean and full
of His light. They shine as the sun in the kingdom of God.
The tares offend having chosen their identity in evil. They are guilty before God, unclean and full of darkness. They will be cast into the eternal fire of judgment. The destiny they knowingly choose. The time is coming when all things that offend will be eradicated, removed and have no place.
Who are those who practice lawlessness?
The original language of the bible reveals the word translated as ‘practice’ is an important
word and the main action in this sentence. It means identifying with evil, choosing to be
one with evil and declaring in ones heart allegiance with evil.
The word translated as lawlessness is the result of choosing to reject Jesus sacrifice of Himself and being one with evil.
This is the total opposite to being one with Jesus, identifying with Jesus, choosing to be one with Jesus and declaring in ones heart allegiance with Jesus. Life in this body in this world damaged by evil is about choice, identity and allegiance. This determines our eternity.
We are given the power to choose. To reject Jesus and live in judgment, declared guilty, unclean and condemned to eternal darkness. Or to receive Jesus and live free of judgment, declared innocent, clean and live in His eternal light.
the kingdom of the good seed
When we receive Jesus we live in the Kingdom of God now, in this world damaged by evil.
The end times are here. Remember they begun after Jesus ascended into heaven and poured out His Spirit, at the day of Pentecost. We are no longer rooted in this world as are of the good seed.
Good seed brings forth good fruit.
We are no longer slaves to our selfish desires. When we surrender to our Father’s will He changes us each day. God’s desire becomes our desire. We bear witness to the powers the transforming power of His Spirit, working within us, around us and upon us. Even in this world damaged by evil, even in the darkest places in this world, God is at work planting the good seed in all who will receive Him.
At the climax of the end times the good and bad seed will be exposed and evil totally eradicated. Jesus will send out His angels to remove all that offend. The tares are bundled
up for the eternal fire of judgment and the wheat are gathered into the barn.
Remember the wrath of God is never directed at the wheat or the good seed. In Jesus we are protected from judgment. It is those who have chosen to be one with evil, have their identity in evil and stand in opposition to the Living God and His kingdom.
good seed overcomes
Revelation 21:5-8 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
In this verse in verse 8 the writer gives this negative list to show the positive change in identity when we receive Jesus, the good seed. It reveals God’s will. God’s will is not fearfulness, but faith; not distortion, but truth; not murder, but life; not sexual chaos, but wholeness; not mysticism, but relationship; not idols, but encounter with the living God; not deception, but the fullness of His Truth.
He who overcomes is the one who believes and receives Jesus. He who overcomes is the wheat. When we receive Jesus we are identified with Him. We have His name. We have
His seed. We have His fruit. We have His Kingdom.
Good seed brings forth good fruit. Hallelujah!
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Sermon categories: son of man> love of God> hope and healing> know God> truth> power> end times> experience God> life> success in life> kingdom>
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