The Finished Word

The  Parable of the Sower  provides the key to understanding the other parables of Jesus. Its point is that the kingdom of God began to invade the present age with the proclamation of the kingdom of God by the “ Son of Man .” He inaugurated the process, and ever since, the kingdom has been advancing throughout the earth though largely unnoticed by humanity.

Jesus explains that he is on the way to Jerusalem where he will be arrested, tried, and executed per the plan of God  – Mark 10:32-34.  In  Mark , Jesus is “ on the way ” to Jerusalem and his inevitable death. This same theme occurs several times, beginning with John the Baptist who “ prepared the way before the Lord .” The Son of God is the  suffering servant of Yahweh  who is on the road from Judea to Golgotha where he meets his death outside the city.

Jesus is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the one with absolute authority from Yahweh over the earth .  After defeating Satan in the wilderness, Jesus began to proclaim the “ good news ” of the kingdom – “ The season is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe the gospel .” The term “ Kingdom of God ” was a summary statement that meant different things to different people, but he identified his mission most closely with the “ Son of Man ” from the book of Daniel.

In the four gospels, the “ Son of Man ” is the self-designation found most often on the lips of Jesus. It is derived from Daniel’s vision of the one “ like a Son of Man ” who receives the “ dominion and kingdom ” from the “ Ancient of Days .” And according to Jesus, “ all the tribes of the earth ” will mourn when “ they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven .”

Next, Jesus takes us beyond the destruction of the Temple to the return of the “ Son of Man .” How much time will pass between the Temple’s demise and his arrival is not provided. But during the interim, the church must beware of deceivers who disseminate false information about his coming.