Messianic Viewpoint

Guest (Female): Shalom and welcome to Shalom Ariel and to this our 28th message from the Gospel of Mark with Messianic leader Jacques Isaac Gabizon. When God called Adam and Eve out of the bushes, he offered grace and forgiveness and a chance for that first sinning couple to repent. We will hear how Yeshua does the same today when calling the scribes unto himself, even to those who had just associated him with the demonic world.

But if there was even one among the scribes who would benefit eternally from that grace, then Yeshua's call would not have been wasteful. After all, would Yeshua have said this to the scribes if they had all committed the unpardonable sin, one that provides no forgiveness? We know that God's word does not come back void. It will accomplish what it was set out to do.

The rain falls from heaven and waters the earth, like common grace, and so the word will fall onto as many ears and hearts which are willing to receive forgiveness. This is an encouragement for us as we share the word with people and may feel that it falls far too often on deaf ears. But we don't know whose heart is going to be stirred when hearing the word.

And even if it's not in our own lifetime when someone finally comes to know Yeshua, even if it's after we are long gone and it's our grandchildren who remember a word or the spirit brings a conviction on the heart of someone who we witnessed to in the past, our business is to continue to share wisely yet openly and let God do the rest.

Even the time of our departure from this earth could be a testimony. Consider, for example, the centurion who watched Yeshua on the Tav and saw all the events that were happening. What was the statement that he made? He said, "Truly this is the son of God." And truly this death was like no other that the centurion had seen.

The earthquake, the darkness, and even Yeshua's composure on the Tav all led to this recognition. And of course, led by the spirit without whom we cannot truly confess Yeshua as the son of God. Our life's testimony goes right to the very end, right to those last hours. Lord, let us be a witness in this life and even in our passing if need be. Because if we are led by the spirit, then nothing of what we say will come back void. Be blessed as you listen in to today's program and Shalom Shalom.

Jacques Isaac Gabizon: Now, that all these things were said and done, the direction of the gospel changes—that is, the direction of the ministry of Jesus. This is when he begins to tell us of the consequences of the changes. Let us move to chapter 4, where we read of the parable of the sower. Verses 31 to 35 of chapter 3 were covered in our last study. Let's read verses 1 and 2 of chapter 4.

So he began to teach again by the sea, and such a great large crowd gathered to him that he got into a boat in the sea and sat down, and the whole crowd was by the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables and was saying to them in his teachings and so on. You know, there's a movement here from Yeshua's teaching at the synagogue to by the sea.

In chapter 1, we see him teaching in the synagogue, but as his ministry grew and as the rejection also grew, he taught by the sea. In history, this is where Jews would gather to worship in the case of the absence of a synagogue. It was always Paul's habit, if you remember, to first go to a synagogue when he entered a city.

However, where there was no synagogue, he would go to a large body of water, knowing that Jews would be present there to meet them and to pray with them. For instance, when he first entered the city of Philippi, he looked for a synagogue. There he could not find any, so that what he did is he went to a large body of water.

We read in Acts 16:13, "And on the Shabbat day, he went out on the city to the riverside, where he prayed and customarily made," and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there. This is where he made some Jewish people and Lydia, who became a believer whose house became the center from where Europe was evangelized.

And it was by the sea that Jesus began to teach them in parables, and the first parable was the parable of the sower, which stands as a key parable. For Yeshua says in verse 13, "Do you understand this parable? If you don't, how will you understand the others?" So this parable we're about to read is so important that without understanding it, we could not understand the other parables or the kingdom of God—that is, the current world where we live.

So it is crucial. However, don't worry about it if you don't understand it right away, because Jesus himself will explain it to us later in this chapter. Let us first read it and see what you can pull from it. It says, "Now listen to this." This is how it starts, by the way. "Listen to this. Behold, the sower went out to sow. And he was sowing; some seed fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate it up."

"Other seed fell on the rocky ground where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of soil. And after the sun had risen, it was scorched, and because it had no root, it withered away. Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it yielded no crop. Other seeds fell into the good soil, and as they grew up and increased, they yielded a crop and produced 30, 60, and 100-fold."

Now, what did you gather from this parable on your own? How do you understand it? You know, on the surface, what we see is that Yeshua here brings out a scene that the Israelites at that time were very familiar with: a sower working in his field. Sowing and harvesting constituted an important source of food, and so cities were surrounded by fields.

We know that in their daily prayer, the Amidah, the Jews would daily pray for rain so that the harvest would be plentiful. And so sufficient rainfall was perceived as a demonstration of God's favor and blessings. So, while they were very familiar with this scene, there are some unusual things in this parable which may have attracted their attention, something that Jesus will explain later.

They surely have thought the sower perhaps to be not very careful. Why? Because he was throwing seed besides the road. Why would he do that? He was throwing seed in the bushes. Why? Usually, one would plow the field and put the seed in the opening and then close the earth on top. What could be the significance of this great generosity?

And while the first three fields do not produce any fruits, the last produces a staggering amount of fruits: 100-fold. That was considered very high. What could be the significance? And why is it 30, 60, 100? Why not 30, 60, 120? If the first number is doubled, why not double the second as well? Something came short. What is it?

And this parable in Mark is somehow different from the one related to us by Matthew, where the numbers are reversed. Matthew speaks of 100, 60, 30. What is the difference? And in the overall, what does this parable mean to us? Well, and again, don't worry about it because Yeshua will explain it for us. But he doesn't do it right away. He doesn't.

Before this, he speaks words which many deemed as among the most difficult to understand. So the whole text is like a suspense thriller, by the way. Every time you want to know what happens next, another scene emerges that you have to deal with, and it's more complicated than the previous one. But let's follow the author. Let's follow the book. Let's read verses 10 to 12 now.

But when he was alone, those around him with the 12 asked him about the parable. And he said to them, "To you it has been given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God, but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, so that seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, otherwise they should turn and their sins be forgiven."

So the first thing we see is that Jesus began to speak in parables to the crowd. And the first question we ask is, why did he do that? A question that actually prompted the disciples to ask. First, what is a parable? And what is so exclusive to Jesus's parables? A parable is easy to define, but not always easy to recognize.

The Greek word *parabolē* refers to what is cast along. A parable is a story placed alongside the teaching to help the listener to understand its meaning. The Hebrew has the same meaning, *mashal*, which literally translated is to set aside or to throw besides. So, at the time, the Greeks in their literature and the rabbis used them a lot.

One has cataloged some 4,000 rabbinic parables. However, I wanted to tell you Yeshua's parables are very different from those of the Greeks and those of the rabbis. They are so profound. From a simple mundane everyday scene, one can pull from one the whole teaching of history, of eschatology, of morality.

And up to today, 2,000 years later, no one has succeeded to deplete the wealth of Jesus's parables. And they are not always easy to decipher. For instance, Jesus will use the birds as a symbol of the believers and at other times as a symbol of Satan. He would use a serpent as a type of evil and as a type of wisdom believers are to have.

He would use the same symbol for the mustard seed to illustrate the good thing, like faith, and evil growth. So the study of the parable is a great blessing when you get into it and to try to understand what Jesus means. But most importantly, while a parable was to reveal and explain a teaching, those of Yeshua were also designed to conceal, to hide a truth.

That is what was so special about it. For those whose heart was open, the parable would help them to further understand and realize the depth of his teaching. However, for the rest, the parable itself becomes a mystery. This is why Jesus begins to speak in parables at this time in the book of Mark. It is because of the rejection of the Jewish leadership.

From this point on, his teaching is for the training of the 12. This is where he explains the parables to them. See that here he makes a distinction between those that are outside and they—that is, the believers, the disciples. Those who are outside are the unbelievers, most of whom rejected Yeshua.

But those who are inside are those to whom he will explain the parables and the mystery of the kingdom of God. This is where the power of Yeshua's parables lies. And the understanding of Jesus's parables does not lie in one's being smart or educated, which is not really the case here because none of the disciples were that educated.

It was a question of the heart. This is what it is. A question of the heart. Whoever is sincere and true, the word will be revealed to them. As it is written, "But the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit, but they are foolishness to him, nor can they know it because they are spiritually discerned" (1 Corinthians 2:14).

There's no secret. There's no secret knowledge with Jesus. You know, when he was arrested, he says, "I spoke openly to the world, and in secret, I've said nothing." But one needs to come close to God with an open heart to get all these great truths that are enclosed in the scriptures.

And it is now that we're about to consider a most difficult verse, verse 14 of Mark chapter 4, which is a quotation actually of Isaiah chapter 6, verses 9 to 10. Let's read it and try to understand it. This is what it says: "Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, otherwise they should turn and their sins be forgiven."

You know, at first glance, these words look like there's a mass condemnation of people because of the refusal of a few. It looks like many are now prevented to understand the mysteries of God and are prevented to come to forgiveness as if it was a tit-for-tat between God and the sinner.

But that is not the way God operates; otherwise, the history of mankind would have stopped a long time ago. The translation of this verse is good, actually. But we can change one word for a synonym that translators have used elsewhere for the same word. The Greek *mēpote*. Here translated "otherwise", you can actually change it and put the word "perhaps", which is used elsewhere.

And so if you read it this way: "Seeing they may see and not perceive, and hearing they may hear and not understand, perhaps they would come, they would turn, and their sins would be forgiven." Seeing it this way, one can see the reason why the Lord is not allowing so many to come close to the truth.

It is perhaps to give them time to repent so that they may not commit the eternal sin and be doomed for eternity. So that the word "perhaps they should turn"—*teshuva* in Isaiah. This explanation fits the biblical context. You remember Adam and Eve? When they sinned, God moved them away from the tree of life, outside the Garden of Eden, so that they would not eat of it and be cursed for eternity.

Once saved in Yeshua, we find the tree of life in heaven, and then we'll be eating its fruits. You know, when man got together to build the Tower of Babel, in order to save man from continuing this conspiracy together and ultimately against God and go to destruction, the Lord confounded them, confounded their language, so to gain more time to save some.

If God waited 2,000 years today, it is because of the great love and grace toward man that he has. This is what Peter says, in fact. You remember again, 2 Peter 3:9? They were asking, where is the Lord? He's supposed to be here already. And he says, "The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but he's patient toward you, not wishing that any perish but all come to repentance."

That is the reason behind this long wait. The salvation of man. God takes his time, elongates it as much as he can in order that perhaps one soul will come. In the same way, Jesus's use of parables was to reveal and also to conceal with the ultimate intent to save.

And as we read in 2 Timothy 2:25, where Paul uses the same word *mēpote* in Greek, speaking to those outside, he says, "With gentleness speak to them, correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth." We need to read this passage, this whole passage of Mark, under the lamp of grace.

What then is the explanation of the parable of the sower? We will find out next time we meet, so the thrillers continue, right? But this same great grace of waiting for and of wanting the best for all men and women is also seen in the lives of the believers. Let me close with a story.

There was once a man, a painter, who was invited to spend time or some days in an old mansion, where one servant spilled some food on the wall, leaving a large stain. So while the family was out for the day, he remained behind, using different colors, paint, he incorporated the stain into a beautiful drawing.

When the family returned, they found a picture of a waterfall surrounded by trees and animals. He used his skill to make something beautiful out of what had been an ugly mess, right? God works in much the same way in our lives. The things that we think of as weaknesses and handicaps can, by his grace, become our greatest strength and the very thing he uses the most to bring glory to himself.

So God's grace provides the strength to meet every challenge and overcome every weakness. This is what comes out of the text: God's goodness and grace. Amen. Let's pray. I will pray part of an ancient Jewish prayer. Let us give praise to God on high. He is blessed and he is to be blessed, for no one is like you.

For you are great in holiness and doing wonderful things. Blessed are you, O Lord our God and the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob, the God who is great, powerful, and revered. The God most high, the Lord of heaven and earth, our shield and the shield of our fathers, the God who increases our faithfulness.

Blessed are you, O Lord, for you are the shield of Abraham, and you are the shield of everyone who humbly comes to you with a repentant heart. Today, Lord, we have seen how the action of some disturb you, but there again, you are so loving, so patient, not wanting that anyone perishes.

And so, Lord, we are very grateful. Put your—into Lord, we—we ask that you bless each and every one present here and each and every one who are listening to this prayer. Put your healing hand upon those who are sick and who are looking to you for healing. Rest your spirit on those who are hurting, who are going through difficult times.

Give them hope, give them joy. Rest your salvation on those who desire it but do not have it yet. Let them come to you. And to the whole congregation: the Lord bless you and the Lord keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen and amen.

Guest (Female): Welcome to this segment of our study where Messianic leader Jacques Isaac Gabizon will answer a question related to the divinity of the Messiah. When in his humanity Yeshua said, "No one is good but God", did he exclude himself out of the picture of pure goodness and divinity? Stay tuned and be blessed as we find out the answer.

The question is based on Matthew 19 when somebody comes to Yeshua and addresses him as "good teacher". But Jesus answered and said, "So he said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'" Now some use this as a proof that Jesus is not divine and lower than the father.

Jacques Isaac Gabizon: It is true many use this passage to try to show that Jesus is not divine. Let us look at the passage in its context, and we will see that Yeshua's answer was not intended to express or describe his divinity, but rather to bring the man to confess his inability to obtain salvation.

Let's read verses 16 to 17, okay? It says, "Now behold, one came and said to him, 'Good teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?' And he said to him, 'Why do you call me good? No one is good but one, that is God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.'"

You know, there are two things that Yeshua says in this passage in order to challenge the man. First, he says that no one is good but one, that is God, which brought some to conclude that he's not divine. And the second hard saying is found at the end of verse 17 when he says, "But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."

This also baffles us, since the Bible teaches that salvation is by faith only. Why then did Jesus use such tactics toward this man? His words, his answers were actually tailored, okay? They were made for this man. First, the man addresses Jesus as a teacher. Have you noticed this?

Jesus was indeed a teacher, but he was much more than this. If we compare how Yeshua was previously called, we will understand where this man is coming from. See how the others called Jesus. Peter, before in Matthew 16:16, called him the Son of the living God when he saw him.

John the Baptist said, "Here's the lamb of God." When Andrew first saw him, he said, "Here is the Messiah," as in John 1:41. But for this man, Jesus was demoted to just a teacher. So Jesus answered him in kind. That is according to how the man perceived Yeshua.

Now, while the disciples did call him teacher a couple of times, we know that his opponents exclusively used the term teacher. They never called him Rabbi or Rabboni, okay, which means "my teacher". They called him simply teacher. This already gives us a good indication from where this man's questions are coming from.

Furthermore, Yeshua corrects another presupposition. At the time and even today, many consider their rabbi or teacher as almost, if not, divine. So what Jesus is saying here is that if you consider me just as a teacher, why do you call me good? For only God is good and perfect and flawless.

So Yeshua laid the ground for the salvation of this man. But see that the man also believed that salvation is by works. See the other question he asks. "What good things shall I do that I may have eternal life?" This clearly tells us that he does not know Jesus and why he came down on earth.

His statement shows that common denominator we find in every man-made religion: the idea that salvation is by works. Do, do, and you shall be saved. The scriptures teach us that salvation is by faith alone, and then come the works. This man then was completely out in the left field, and Yeshua is trying to bring him back.

This man should have already known this, for this was taught from the very beginning in the Hebrew scriptures. Yet this man thought that salvation was attainable by works when he said, "What good thing shall I do?" In Genesis, for instance, 15:6, Moses clearly stated that Abraham believed in the Lord and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

Abraham, the father of the Jews, became righteous—*tzadik*—not through deeds, but through believing in God. Later, God confirms all of these things through Habakkuk the prophet when he said, "But the just shall live by faith" (Habakkuk 2:4). Not by deeds, but by faith.

This principal foundation has never changed throughout the scriptures. Yeshua's answer to the man's question by pointing to the Mosaic Law. But why? Why did Jesus bring him to the Mosaic Law? At that time and even now, many believe and still believe that Moses taught salvation by works and that we ought to do the law in order to be saved.

This is another of these misleading interpretations, but the Messiah corrects this belief right here. He first redirects the individual to God himself for salvation and away from anything that he can do to achieve it. And he tells him something quite extraordinary. "But if you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments."

What does this statement mean? Can the commandments, can the law give you an entrance into eternal life? The answer is no. No. The Mosaic Law is there to show that you cannot follow all the 613 commandments. And the realization of this fact will lead you to the Messiah.

And here was the Messiah in front of him who was about to fulfill the complete law on the Tav, on the cross. When Jesus said "keep the commandments", if the young man had understood the goal of the law and understood that he could not follow and execute all these commandments without failing, he would have fallen on his knees, and Yeshua would have revealed himself to him.

At this point, the man would have recognized the Messiah, would have obtained salvation, but no, he left. Unfortunately, he left. For us today, the spirit also inspired Paul in very clear terms in Romans 3:20: "Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in his sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin."

This is what the man could not understand. This is what Jesus was trying to bring the man to realize. The law then is in itself very good. It is inspired by God. But its purpose is to lead us to faith in the Messiah, who can then make us righteous and good.

Guest (Female): Shalom Ariel is a daily radio program emphasizing the Jewish perspective of scripture. God is not through dealing with Israel, nor will he renege any of the promises he has made to her. Our teacher for this program, Jacques Isaac Gabizon, is a Messianic Jewish believer and Messianic leader at Beth Ariel congregation right here in Montreal.

If you've been encouraged by the messages, we'd love to hear from you. Give us a call at 1-888-685-5902, or you may write us at info@bethariel.ca, B-E-T-H-A-R-I-E-L all one word. You are also welcome to join us for our Saturday morning services. We are located at 6297 Monkland Avenue, corner of Madison in NDG.

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