Lesson#04

PARABLES OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
LESSON #04
THE PARABLE OF THE FAN AND WINNOWING (MAT 3:12)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 33:12

• MAT 3:12 PARABLE OF THE FAN AND WINNOWING
• FOR CONTEXT OF THIS PARABLE, READ MAT 3:11-17 AND LUK 3:15-17
• THE WHEAT HARVEST:
• WHEAT WAS THE CHOICE GRAIN, THE BEST, AND IT SYMBOLIZES TRUE BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• READ PSA 16:3
• THE THRESHING FLOOR:
• AT THE TIME OF HARVEST, A SMOOTH AREA OF LAND ON TOP OF A HILL WAS ESTABLISHED AS A THRESHING FLOOR. ALL THE CUT GRAIN WAS BROUGHT TO THE THRESHING FLOOR. THEN THEY WOULD WAIT FOR THE WIND TO COME UP BEFORE BEGINNING TO WINNOW THE GRAIN.
• WINNOWING:
• THE REAPER WOULD THROW A PILE OF HARVESTED GRAIN INTO A STRONG WIND WITH A SHOVEL OR RAKE. THE GOOD PART OF THE WHEAT WAS THE HEAVIEST AND WOULD FALL TO THE GROUND WHILE THE WIND WOULD TAKE THE LIGHT CHAFF AWAY. IN THIS WAY, THE GOOD WAS SEPARATED FROM THE BAD. THE CHAFF THAT FELL FURTHER DOWN THE HILL WAS THEN GATHERED AND BURNED.
• TO WHOM WAS THIS PARABLE SPOKEN?
• THE AUDIENCE IS THE SAME JEWISH RELIGIOUS LEADERS AS IN THE LAST PARABLE WE STUDIED.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THIS PARABLE?
• THERE IS A SEPARATION OF THE RIGHTEOUS FROM THE UNRIGHTEOUS.
• UNDERSTANDING THE DETAILS OF THE PARABLE:
• WHO IS THE ONE WITH THE SHOES THAT JOHN IS NOT WORTHY TO CARRY?
• IT IS JESUS CHRIST.
• HOW DO WE KNOW THIS?
• THE CONTEXT OF THE PASSAGE IN MAT 3:13 SAYS THAT, “THEN COMETH JESUS.”
• JESUS WAS PROBABLY WALKING UP WITH HIS SHOES IN HIS HAND READY TO BE BAPTIZED.
• WHO IS HOLDING THE FAN?
• IT IS GOD WHO COMES TO SEPARATE. HE IS THE ONE WHO BRINGS THE AXE TO THE TREES IN THE LAST PARABLE WE STUDIED.
• WHAT DOES THE FAN, THE INSTRUMENT OF SEPARATION, REPRESENT?
• IT IS JESUS CHRIST.
• WHAT IS IT ABOUT JESUS CHRIST THAT SEPARATES THE RIGHTEOUS FROM THE UNRIGHTEOUS?
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY TO GOD THE FATHER. (JOH 14:6)
• JESUS CHRIST IS THE STUMBLING BLOCK. (ISA 8:14-15 1PET 2:7-8 1COR 1:22-24)
• WHAT DOES THE THRESHING FLOOR REPRESENT?
• IT REPRESENTS JUDAISM OR THE JEWISH PEOPLE.
• WHAT IS THE PURGING?
• IT IS THE POINT OF DECISION WHERE EVERY PERSON MUST DECIDE WHAT HE WILL DO WITH JESUS CHRIST. WILL HE BELIEVE IN JESUS OR WILL HE REJECT JESUS?
• WHAT DOES THE WHEAT AND THE CHAFF REPRESENT?
• THE WHEAT REPRESENTS THE FEW FAITHFUL JEWS WHO BELIEVED IN GOD AND LOOKED FORWARD TO THEIR MESSIAH. JEWS LIKE SIMEON, ANNA, ZECHARIAS, ELIZABETH, JOSEPH, MARY, AND JOHN THE BAPTIST.
• THE CHAFF THAT REMAINS ON THE THRESHING FLOOR IS THE SPIRITUALLY USELESS, NON-BELIEVING JEWS. THEY ARE THE UNSAVED JEWS WHO WILL SPEND ETERNITY IN THE LAKE OF FIRE.
• WHAT IS THE GRANARY?
• THERE ARE TWO ASPECTS TO THE GRANARY:
• =1= THE GRANARY REPRESENTS THE CHURCH ON EARTH WHERE THE WHEAT (THE BELIEVERS) IS FIRST MOVED FOR PROTECTION FROM THE WEATHER. SOMETIMES A LITTLE CHAFF (THE NON-BELIEVERS) GETS IN THERE, SO IT IS NOT TOTALLY PURE.
• =2= THE GRANARY REPRESNTS ETERNAL LIFE WITH GOD IN HEAVEN WHERE THE WHEAT (THE BELIEVERS) ARE PURE AND NO CHAFF (THE NON-BELIEVERS) IS ALLOWED. (REV 21:27)
• WHAT IS THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE?
• THE PARABLE TELLS US THE CHAFF IS BURNED. IT LACKED WEIGHT AND SUBSTANCE JUST AS THE OLD JEWISH LEADERSHIP LACKED SPIRITUAL WEIGHT AND SUBSTANCE. CHAFF IS THE EXTERNAL HUSK. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS HAD THE EXTERNAL RELIGION BUT NOT THE SPIRIT. (JER 23:26-32)
• THE UNQUENCHABLE FIRE IS ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM GOD IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. (REV 20:15)
• HOW ARE JOHN’S AND JESUS’ MINISTRIES OF BAPTISM COMPARED AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

• APPLICATION:
• WHEN WE BELONG TO CHRIST, HE STILL SEPARATES THE GOOD FROM THE EVIL WITHIN US.
• DISCUSSION: HOW DOES GOD ACCOMPLISH THE SEPARATION OF GOOD FROM EVIL IN THE LIVES OF BELIEVERS?
• GOD USES THE WORD OF GOD (JOH 15:3)
• GOD USES THE HOLY SPIRIT (1COR 6:11)
• GOD USES PERSECUTION AND TRIALS (MAT13:20)
• GOD USES OTHER BELIEVERS (1THE 5:14)

HOMEWORK
THE PARABLE OF THE LAMB AND ITS LOAD (JOH 1:29)
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF MAT 3:12
• WHAT SPECIFIC DECISIONS DOES THE LORD WANT YOU TO MAKE TODAY THAT WOULD BRING A SEPARATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN YOUR LIFE?

• PREPARATION FOR JOH 1:29-36 THE PARABLE OF THE LAMB AND ITS LOAD
• READ JOH 1:29-36
• IF YOU HAVE A BIBLE CONCORDANCE, LOOK UP AS MANY OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT VERSES THAT REFER TO THE LAMB OF GOD AND WRITE WHAT YOU LEARN HERE.

• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE IN JOHN 1:29?

• WHO IS THE LAMB OF GOD?

• WHY IS HE CALLED A LAMB?

• MEMORY VERSE: JOH 1:29