Mark 4:30-34

The Unassuming Kingdom

Devotional 23 of 50 · Mark chapter 4

00:00--:--

Audio coming soon

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, rolled away the stone, and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards trembled in fear of him and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; He has risen, just as He said! Come, see the place where He lay. Then go quickly and tell His disciples, ‘He has risen

Mark 4:30-34 · BSB

³⁰Then He asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God? With what parable shall we present it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds sown upon the earth. ³²But after it is planted, it grows to be the largest of all garden plants and puts forth great branches, so that the birds of the air nest in its shade.” ³³With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, to the extent that they could understand. ³⁴He did not tell them anything without using a parable. But privately He explained everything to His own disciples.

Jesus

God must have created seeds, in all their potential, knowing that one day He would be able to use them to describe His Kingdom. Seeds are so common, but practically miraculous. Seeds are small and easily lost, yet they contain the potential to become a tree that can feed, shelter, and eventually bear more trees.

This transformation is absolutely astonishing, and Jesus points out the extreme size difference between a mustard seed and a full-grown mustard plant, supporting birds in its branches. Jesus reveals the Kingdom has this sort of potential.

A kingdom differs from a democracy and every other form of government. The critical piece in a kingdom is the king. As we examine the Kingdom of God in parables, we must keep the King in the center. The Kingdom will not make sense without the King—Christ Jesus.

Jesus—and, by extension, His Kingdom—is like the mustard seed. Jesus came as a humble infant, was overlooked by many, and was eventually betrayed to His death. And today, we see the global spread of Jesus and His resurrection power.

His Desires

The way into the Kingdom, and the Kingdom itself, revolves around humility and meekness. These are not typical characteristics of the winning army in battle, and yet, these are the characteristics of the King. Jesus desires that we sow the seeds of the Kingdom and trust His power to transform meekness and lowliness into something far greater—a seed that grows to bless and serve others.

Follow Through

Don’t reject Jesus, even as we’ve only seen a glimpse of His glory.
Walk in the reality that the Kingdom is growing exponentially.
Don’t reject the Kingdom, although it might appear small and unassuming.

Testimonies

This is where people will share how they actually obeyed this passage — and read what happened to everyone else who obeyed the same words.

Coming soon

Devotional 23 of 50

NextWho is This?Mark 4:35-41

← Kingdom of Rest

Comments

Coming soon. This is where readers will share how they obeyed this passage.