Lesson #47

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #47
THE PARABLE OF THE HEN AND THE CHICKENS (MAT 23:37-39)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 86:15

• THE PARABLE OF THE HEN AND THE CHICKENS (MAT 23:37-39)
• READ MAT 23:37-39
• READ DEU 32:7-12 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• THIS PARABLE FOLLOWS JESUS’ LIST OF WOES (CURSES) THAT HE PUT ON THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS FOR THEIR VARIOUS SINS DOWN THROUGH HISTORY.
• MANY OF THESE OFFENSES COMMITTED BY THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAVE BEEN COVERED IN THE VARIOUS PARABLES IN THIS SERIES OF LESSONS.
• IN THIS PARABLE, WHO DOES THE HEN REPRESENT?
• THE HEN REPRESENTS THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST.
• DEU 32:7-12 GIVES US THE SAME ILLUSTRATION OF GOD.
• THIS IS A DEMONSTRATION OF CHRIST’S PROTECTIVE LOVE THAT HE IS EAGER AND WILLING TO POUR OUT ON THOSE WHO WOULD TURN TO HIM AND REPENT OF THEIR SINS.
• IT IS A MARVELOUS ILLUSTRATION OF A PARENTAL LOVE WILLING TO BE EXPRESSED AT ALL COSTS.
• WHO DO THE CHICKENS REPRESENT?
• THE CHICKENS REPRESENT THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS UPON WHOM JESUS JUST PRONOUNCED CURSES.
• THE CHICKENS ALSO REPRESENT THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN GENERAL WHO, IN THEIR IGNORANCE, HAVE REJECTED GOD.
• WHY IS JESUS SO SAD?
• BECAUSE JESUS IS GOD, HE HAS ALL KNOWLEDGE. HE KNOWS THESE RELIGIOUS LEADERS WILL NOT REPENT. HE KNOWS THAT THEY WILL REJECT HIM AND CRUFIFY HIM.
• HE IS SAD BECAUSE OF HIS KNOWLEDGE OF THE REJECTION THAT WILL COME FROM HIS OWN PEOPLE.
• HOWEVER, THE SADNESS IS NOT FOR HIMSELF. HE KNOWS THIS REJECTION WILL MEAN THAT MANY JEWISH PEOPLE WILL BE LOST AND SPEND ETERNITY IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
• JESUS KNOWS THAT THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM AND THE TEMPLE WILL COME IN 70 AD.
• JESUS IS SAD BECAUSE THIS DESTRUCTION IS NECESSARY IN GOD’S PLAN DUE TO THE JEW’S FAILURE TO REPENT.
• READ LUK 19:41-44
• THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM IN 70 AD.
• THE ROMAN EMPIRE WAS TIRED OF CONSTANT JEWISH UPRISINGS. FINALLY THEY DESTROYED THE TEMPLE BY BURNING JERUSALEM IN 70 AD. AFTER A 2 YEAR SEIGE OF THE CITY. THE TEMPLE HAD A LOT OF GOLD OBJECTS AND DECORATIONS. WHEN THE ROMANS BURNED THE TEMPLE AREA, THE HEAT FROM THE FIRE MELTED THE GOLD INTO THE ROCKS AND CREVICES. THE ROMAN SOLDIERS DID NOT LEAVE ONE STONE UPON ANOTHER IN SEARCH FOR THE MELTED FLAKES OF GOLD IN THE MORTAR AND ASHES OF THE TEMPLE AREA.
• THIS FULFILLED JESUS’ PROPHECY OF LUK 19:44.
• WITH THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM IN 70 AD. THERE WERE BETWEEN 600,000 AND 1,250,000 JEWS KILLED IN THE SEIGE OF JERUSALEM.
• AT THE DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM, A GROUP OF ORTHODOX JEWS FLED TO MASADA AND HELD OFF THE ROMAN ARMY FOR THREE YEARS.
• READ MAT 23:39 JESUS’ REFERENCE TO HIS SECOND COMING
• JESUS TELLS THE JEWS THAT THEY WILL NOT SEE HIM UNTIL THEY CALL HIM, BLESSED. WHEN WILL THAT BE?
• THROUGH THE CHURCH AGE THAT WE LIVE IN TODAY, THE JEWISH NATION WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST. HOWEVER, AFTER THE PRESSURE OF THE 7 YEAR TRIBULATION PERIOD UNDER THE ANTI-CHRIST, THE JEWS WILL ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS AS THEIR MESSIAH WHEN JESUS APPEARS IN THE SKY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• READ ZEC 12:1-13:1
• THERE WILL BE A NATIONAL REPENTANCE OF JEWS AS THEY RECOGNIZE JESUS CHRIST AS THEIR MESSIAH.
• WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE IN MAT 23 TELL US ABOUT JESUS AND ABOUT GOD, THE FATHER?
• =1= GOD HAS A STANDARD OF THE INWARD HEART AS WELL AS A STANDARD OF OUTWARD ACTIONS THAT REAP SEVERE CONSEQUENCES WHEN BROKEN.
• =2= GOD IS MERCIFUL AND LONGSUFFERING IN DELAYING THE CONSEQUENCES.
• WE THEREFORE, SEE THE BALANCE BETWEEN THE MERCY AND JUSTICE OF GOD.
• =3= GOD, IN HIS LOVE, SENT PROPHET AFTER PROPHET TO HIS PEOPLE TO GET THEM TO REPENT DESPITE THEIR REPEATED REJECTIONS. THEN GOD SENT HIS SON, JESUS CHRIST, TO PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE OF GOD’S LOVE.
• =4= GOD WILL NEVER REJECT ANYONE WHO COMES TO HIM WITH A REPENTANT HEART.

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• GOD LOVES HIS PEOPLE EVEN WHEN THEY REJECT HIM.

• APPLICATION:
• THE JEWS THROUGH HISTORY ARE GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE TO BE AN EXAMPLE. TO THE REST OF THE WORLD.
• IF WE WANT TO LEARN AS A PEOPLE AND AS A NATION WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO, WE HAVE ONLY TO LOOK AT THE JEWS.
• WE CAN OBSERVE HOW GOD CHASTENED THEM BECAUSE OF THEIR REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD GOD.
• WE CAN OBSERVE HOW A MERCIFUL GOD BLESSED THEM BECAUSE HE LOVES THEM.
• THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE:
• IN THIS PARABLE WE CAN KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US AS A PARENT EVEN WHEN WE ARE REBELLIOUS CHILDREN. HOWEVER, WE MUST NOT TAKE ADVANTAGE OF HIS GRACE AND MERCY.
• BECAUSE HE LOVES US, HE WILL CHASTEN US IN OUR REBELLIOUSNESS JUST AS HE DID, AND STILL DOES, CHASTEN THE JEWS.
• HOWEVER, WE CAN ALWAYS TURN TO HIM AND REPENT. HE WILL FORGIVE US (1JOH 1:9), BUT WE MAY HAVE TO SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF OUR REBELLIOUS ACTIONS.
• READ HEB 12:5-11
• GOD IS THE PERFECT PARENT WHO DISPLAYS AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THAT NEVER ENDS DESPITE REBELLION.
• NOTICE THAT EVEN THOUGH GOD IS THE PERFECT PARENT, HE HAS NEVER HAD PERFECT CHILDREN EXCEPT JESUS CHRIST!
• AS HUMAN BEINGS, WE ARE NOT PERFECT PARENTS TO OUR OWN CHILDREN, AND WE CERTAINLY DO NOT HAVE PERFECT CHILDREN.
• HOWEVER, OUR RESPONSE CAN BE LIKE GOD’S RESPONSE….LOVE THAT NEVER FAILS.

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE LIGHTNING (MAT 24:27) AND
THE PARABLE OF THE CARCASE AND THE EAGLES (MAT 24:28)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF THE PARABLE OF THE HEN AND THE CHICKENS (MAT 23:37-39)
• IS THERE IS SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE OF WHICH THE LORD IMPRESSES YOU TO REPENT? DO SO TODAY. THEN, IN PRAYER, THANK AND PRAISE HIM FOR HIS PATIENT LOVE AND MERCY.
• READ 1JOH 1:9

• PREPARATION FOR THE PARABLE OF THE LIGHTNING (MAT 24:27) AND THE PARABLE OF THE CARCASE AND THE EAGLES (MAT 24:28)
• READ MAT 24:1-28 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THESE TWO PARABLES.
• THIS CHAPTER IS CALLED, “THE OLIVET DISCOURSE” BECAUSE JESUS SPOKE IT ON THE MT. OF OLIVES. IT REFERES TO HIS SECOND COMING AND IS, THEREFORE, ALL PROPHECY ABOUT THE FUTURE.
• TO WHOM IS JESUS SPEAKING?

• WHAT THREE QUESTIONS DID HIS DISCIPLES ASK? (3)

• THE PARABLE OF THE LIGHTNING (MAT 24:7)
• WHAT DOES THE LIGHTNING REPRESENT?

• WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF LIGHTNING?

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE LIGHTNING?

• THE PARABLE OF THE CARCASE AND THE EAGLES (MAT 24:28)
• WHAT DOES THE CARCASE REPRESENT?

• WHAT DO THE EAGLES REPRESENT? (SEE REV 19:11-18)

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE OF THE CARCASE AND THE EAGLES?

• MEMORY VERSE:REV 22:12