LIBERTY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF DIVINITY
The Supremacy of Christ in Spiritual Growth: Mark 4:26-29
Submitted to Dr. Debbie Warren in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the completion of
the course,
RTCH 500
By
W. Greg Hyche
February 21, 2021
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Contents
Part I Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------3
Authorship and Date of Gospel-----------------------------------------------3
Historical Context-----------------------------------------------------------------3
Literary Genre and Context----------------------------------------------------4
Part II Meaning of the Passage--------------------------------------------------------------------4
God and His Kingdom------------------------------------------------------------5
The Followers of Jesus and The Kingdom of Godly Rule---------------6
The Kingdom of God and The Teachings of Jesus------------------------7
Part III Application and Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------8
The Current Kingdom------------------------------------------------------------9
The Lordship of God Over His Kingdom-------------------------------------9
Application of Lordship Salvation--------------------------------------------10
Conclusion--------------------------------------------------------------------------10
Bibliography------------------------------------------------------------------------11
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Introduction
Mark chapter four reveals how Jesus began to teach His followers in parables. Parables
were often literary devices used by Jesus to communicate eternal truth. The parables often
were vailed stories that were not easily understood on the surface but when explained by Jesus
clearly provided theological revelations of the Kingdom of God and how individual must enter
His Kingdom. Additionally, Mark writes of four specific parables that Jesus taught which were,
The parable of the sower the lamp, the seed, and the mustard seed. At least three of the
parables can also be found in the synoptic gospels. However, the parable of seed is unique to
Mark. The purpose of my paper I will suggest that the parable of the seed reflects the growth
within the Kingdom of God. I will additionally show how the sovereignty of Christ has
supreme control over His Kingdom and its eternal growth.
Authorship and Date of Gospel
The book of Mark’s gospel barres the name of its author John Mark. The early church
fathers consistently supported Mark as the true author. Mark writes under the direction of
Apostle Peter and certainly under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In approximately A.D. 140
Papias, who was the bishop of Hierapolis further identifies Mark as the author and as an
interpreter of Peter. Additionally, early church leaders believe that Mark wrote from Rome to
Roman Christians.1 As for a date of writing there is some disagreement over the exact time, but
most seem to agree on a timeline between A.D.50 to A.D. 70. Considering that its ending is
somewhat abrupt it can be derived that it was written before the destruction of the temple in
A.D. 70. According to Eusebius, Mark wrote his account while he was in Rome and was
1John MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible (Nashville:Thomas Nelson, 2006),1420.
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encouraged by the followers of Peter to give an account of his preaching ministry after his
death.2 The Nerodian persecution began in 67 A.D. which means that Mark must have written
the gospel after 67 A.D. but before 70 A.D.3
Historical Context
Although there is not complete consensus on the date of authorship it can be assumed
that the timeframe of writing would have included the persecution of Christians under Roman
Emperor Nero. Nero was well known for his brutal treatment of early Christians and their
profession of faith in Christ. A massive fire destroyed most of Rome. To distract blame from
himself as the originator of the fire Nero blamed Christians. Christians therefore became the
target of catastrophic persecution under Nero’s reign. John Fox writes of the horrid details of
Christian suffering. According to Foxe
Christians were, “sewed up in skins of wild beast, and then worried by dogs until they
expired; and others dressed in shirt made of stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in
his garden…” 4
Literary Genre
The narrative contains a series of plot, setting and characters and are written from the
viewpoint of a particular person. Mark’s gospel is consistent with the other three synoptic
gospels in relation to literary genre. Literary genre includes an extremely wide range of contest
therefore, the gospels have some characteristics that are only particular to them. Brooks
suggest, “Mark is not a biography or history in the modern sense. It does not deal exhaustively
2 Euesdius, The History of the Church from the Life of Christ to the Conversion of Constantine, trans. Arthur
Cushmen McGriffert, (Overland Park, KS:Digireads.com, 2009),52,Kindle.
3 MacArthur, The MacArthur Study Bible, 1420.
4 John Foxe, Foxe’s Book of Martyrs:A History of The Lives, Suffering, and Triumphant Deaths of the Early Christian
and the Protestant Martyrs, ed. William Byron Forbush,4th ed. Hendrickson Christian classics (Peabody,
MA:Hendrickson Publishing, 2007), 5,9-10.
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with such things as family background, influences on Jesus, psychological analysis of Jesus, or
periods of his life.”5 Considering the unique style of literary genre that Mark employed it must
be inferred that He had a reason for the ones he chose. He selected certain parables out of
random thoughts that quickly came to mind. The set of parables communicates a board
message that must be examined in detail. The parables cannot be just taken simply one at a
time but rather studied together to get the full message.
Mark appears to make the purpose of his writing in the first verse which reads, the
beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.6 Mark wanted to paint Jesus as the
messiah, Israel’s 7suffering servant that had long been professed.
Part II The Meaning of the Passage
The question that every student of the scripture must ask is, “What is the point and
meaning of the passage.” It can be encouraging to read scripture but if we do not understand
the passage it cannot provide the application of scripture. It is clear in the Mark passage that
Jesus wanted to help His followers understand what the Kingdom was and what it represented.
As Christians it is critical that we fully understand what Kingdom growth means and how that
reflects in the outworking of the local church. Of course, Jesus was aware of the importance of
the church to understand the message of the Kingdom because it would be His followers that
would be a part of Kingdom growth.
God and His Kingdom
5 James A. Brooks, Mark New American Commentary. (Nashville, TN: Broadman Press, 1991).
6 Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the New American standard Bible (La Habra, CA; The
Lackman Foundation, 1995).
7 William L. Lane, The Gospel of Mark: The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids,
MI: Eerdmans Publishing, 1995),45.
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The Old Testament and The Kingdom of God
In the opening passage of Genesis chapter 1 we read “In the beginning God.” The
passage does make a case for a god or some type of god. It does not try to convince you that
God may have created the universe it simply says: In the beginning God created the heavens
and the earth.” The creator God is clearly ruling over all creation as King Lord and ruler. The first
chapter of Genesis is not the only place where we recognize God as King with a Kingdom but
other passages in the Psalms reflect God as Psalm 47:2-3 and Psalms 97:1 “The Lord reigns! Let
the earth rejoice; let the many coasts and islands be glad. (HCSB). Additional passage in Psalm
103: The lord has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules overall. (HCSB)
The prophets of God also gave credit to God as being sovereign ruler over Israel.
Passages in (Isiah 43;15 and Zephaniah 3:15) In the early days of Israel as a nation it possessed a
theocracy where God was King and ruler with Samuel as lead prophet. Even when Israel
demanded an earthly King it was understood that any human King was God’s representation on
earth.8 The Old Testament also reflected an understanding of a coming Kingdom of God. The
Old Testament prophets understood that God ruled the nation Israel in the present but also
spoke of a coming kingdom. God’s rule was not just in real time but a special Kingdom that God
would usher into the future. The writers and prophets were looking towards a day that God’s
absolute rule would be a strong, visible, and overwhelming presence on the earth. They
believed in a coming kingdom that no nation could ignore or question. In other words, God’s
Kingdom would be undeniable.9
8 Brian J. Vickers, “Mark’s Good News of the Kingdom of God.” Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 8. No.3 (2004):
13, accessed May 31, 2019, http://www.galaxie.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/article/article/sbjto8-3-03.
9 Ibid.,14.
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The Followers of Jesus and The Kingdom of Godly Rule
Mark chapter one verse fifteen reads, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at
hand; repent and believe the gospel.” The ministry of John the Baptist broke the 400-year
silence of God. The people at the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus had not heard a
strong prophet word from the Lord in generations. Therefore, the pronouncement by John the
Baptist that Israel’s true king and His Kingdom were coming soon would have been shocking
and exciting. Clearly, the last Old Testament prophet of God (John the Baptist) knew that he
was fulfilling scripture in his pronouncement that Israel’s long-awaited Messiah had arrived.
(Luke 4:16-21). The claims of Jesus are well documented in all 4 gospels. Jesus claimed to be
Israel’s promised Missiah. The followers of Jesus believed in His profession but believed the
Kingdom of which He spoke was one that would overthrow Roman rule and He would sit on the
thrown of David forever. There expectations were far different than the one Jesus sought to
bring. All the followers of Jesus express there hopes by seeking to take Him by force with intent
on making Him King. (John 6:15). Additional examples are in Mark 11:8-10 when they shouted,
“Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; … Hosanna in the highest” (NASV)
In final week of the earthly ministry of Jesus it became clear that Jesus was not going to fulfill
their expectations of an earthly Kingdom. The unwillingness of Jesus to meet the demands of
the people resulted in there cries for “Crucify Him.”
The Kingdom of God and The Teachings of Jesus
The Kingdom that Jesus taught was far different than the one the people believed. The
people wanted a King who would bring a strong and powerful overthrow of Rome. A King and
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Kingdom that would make Roman oppressive leaders pay for there wickedness. However, the
Kingdom that Jesus taught was likened to that of a growing seed in Mark 4:26-29. The parable
in Mark 4 taught that The Kingdom of God would be one that would grow slow, intentional, and
observable. The Kingdom of Jesus would be a Kingdom sown by preaching the gospel, discipling
the believer, and evangelizing the lost. The theologian F. F. Bruce defines it this way, “By Jesus’
ministry of preaching, the seed had been sown, and nothing could now prevent the harvest
which would ultimately result from it.” 10 Therefore, The Kingdom that Jesus preached would
not be overthrown by anyone; certainly, those who would seek to kill him.
Part III Application and Conclusion
Implications
The Current Kingdom
The most powerful and incredible reality as God’s people is that the Kingdom of God is
here and now. The Church, when established and empowered at Pentecost, made certain that
the presence of God would never leave. The person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross was
not just a work of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life but also a Kingdom work. The Kingdom
of God was not just a history lesson of when Christ walked the earth but a present reality. The
church established a Kingdom that should impact every facet of society. However, some
Christians throughout millennia have struggled balancing the belief of a present Kingdom of
God when there is so much evil, pain and suffering in the world. Some would argue that if God’s
Kingdom were here and now that there would not be the enormity of suffering that we witness
10 F.F. Bruce, New International Bible Commentary, (Zondervan. Grand Rapids, MI.) 1979.p1162.
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in our world. However, God’s word does make it plain that Jesus is on His thrown and sitting at
the right hand of His Father. As Jesus ascended into heaven, He left the church with a
commission to take the gospel to every nation and people. (Matthew 28:16-20) Wherever, the
gospel is shared and embraced the Kingdom of God rules. The persecuted church is itself a
testament to the current presence of the Kingdom of God. The enemy Satan knows the power
of a changed life. When one person accepts Christ as Savior and Lord, they lead a life of change.
A life no longer lived by the spirit of the age but rather The Holy Spirit. The more the gospel
spreads the more The Kingdom rules the hearts and minds of all humanity. The attacks of Satan
give credence to the power of Kingdom rule.
The Lordship of God Over His Kingdom
Considering that The Kingdom of God is a present and real, we must look at the parable
of the sower through a proper interpretive lens. The seed sown is the word of God and the
hearer is the soil. Therefore, the person who sows the seed does not have apart in the soil
bearing fruit. Jesus tells us just that in verse 28, “The soil produces crops by itself.” The word in
Greek “by itself” is where we get the word (automatos.) 11 The apostle Paul reaffirms the
principal of Lordship growth in I Corinthians 3:7 “So then neither is he that planteth anything,
neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.” (KJV) The fact is, God is sovereign
over the growth of His Kingdom and His church is responsible for sowing the good news of
Jesus Christ.
The Application of Lordship Salvation
11 James Strong, Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006),WORD
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Jesus Christ purchased His people through His death and resurrection on the cross. His
payment for our sin was not paid for His church to simply do nothing. Jesus redeemed His
people for the purpose of taking the gospel to every tribe, togue and people group. God is
ruling over His enemies and we (the church) are His representatives on earth. Although, this
earth is not our home it is our temporary dwelling, and we are truly ambassadors for Christ. We
have an eternal home. A home referred to in Revelation whose maker and builder is God. We
should never become discouraged in our work of Kingdom because we are guaranteed ultimate
victory in Jesus. As ambassadors for Christ, we enjoy His benefits of victory. Our Kingdom work
is never in vain. Evil may seem to be every strong at times, but the battle was won at Calvary.
Currently, we are only in warlike skirmishes as we Proclaim Christ and endeavor to disciple
believers for Kingdom growth.
Conclusion
We must remember that Mark was writing to a group of Christians who were suffering
various forms of persecution. It is possible that they were reeling from the martyrdom of the
Apostle Peter. The fear of Nero must have created a sense of concern that He would destroy
the church and its future. In my view, Mark wanted this parable included as a form of
encouragement that God sovereignly rules over His Kingdom. King Jesus was not going to allow
some temporal homicidal maniac to destroy that which He started. Mark wanted the followers
of Christ to contend for the faith and share the gospel regardless the cost. Mark was passionate
the God’s Kingdom was real, present, and eternal. The role of the church was to sow the seed
and allow the Work of The Holy Spirit to bring about His Kingdom growth.
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Bibliography
Brooks, James A. The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN. Boadman Press.
1991.
Bruce, F.F. New International Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. 1979.
10
Eusebious. The History of the Church from the Life of Christ to the Conversion of Constantine.
Translated by Arthur Cushman McGriffert. Overland Park, KS: Digireads.com,2009. Kindle.
Foxe, John. Foxes’s Book of Martyrs: A History of the The Lives, Sufferings, and Triumphant
Deaths of the Early Christian and the Protestant Martyrs. Edited by William Byron Forbush. 4th
ed. Hendrickson Christian Classics. Peabody, MA: Hendickson Publishing, 2007.
Kaiser, Walter C., and Mosise Silva. Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for
Meaning. Rev. and expanded ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.
MacArthur, John. The MacArthur Study Bible. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006.
_______. Mark 1-8. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary. Chicago: IL: Moody
Publishers, 2015.
Strong, James. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan,
20006. WORDsearch.
Vickers, Brian J. “Mark’s Good News of the Kingdom of God. “Southern Baptist Journal of
Theology 8, no 3 (2004): 12-30. Accessed May 31, 2019.
http://www.galaxie.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu/article/sbjt08-3-03.
Warren, Bill. ”Mark, John.” Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Holman
Reference, 2003. Logos.
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