The second strategic event took place in heaven: Christ was enthroned in the place of highest authority. He is in the best place from which to lead the forces of His people to carry out this present phase of God’s Kingdom plan which is to take the gospel to every nation, every people group, every tribe, every language, everyone! No wonder that Jesus said to His disciples, “It is to your advantage that I go away to the Father” (John 16:7)."

Immediately after Jesus finished clarifying to His disciples their ministry priority, He returned to heaven. That priority is to reach the very nations which have for centuries resisted and rebelled. Yet, Jesus returned to heaven. Why did he leave, especially with such a challenging task he gave to his people then and now. How we wish we could have Him with us physically on the earth leading us! But He did not stay. Why did He leave?

The manifestations of God’s Kingdom had only begun when Jesus returned to heaven. Those first disciples understood that the King was now going to exercise His power and authority through them as they obeyed His final command. The final command that Jesus gave to His first followers is also His command to us. The priority of the Kingdom for this age has not changed.

In 40 days, the little band of men who had fled in terror on the night of Jesus’ arrest had been gathered, forgiven, restored, and strengthened. They had their minds opened and renewed as they listened to “the things concerning the Kingdom.” The Resurrected Teacher was putting the finishing touches on His work to prepare them for the challenge that lay before them.

In a matter of a few days, the Kingdom of God had exercised its power in the world in two new ways: victory over sin and death at the cross and the introduction of eternal life and immortality in the resurrection. The Kingdom of God was not set back by the evil plans of men, nor had it been abandoned by God for other plans. Rather, the Kingdom triumphed over every enemy and circumstance that opposed it. God continued to fulfill Kingdom prophecy and rule with might in the midst of His people.

Jesus' followers were stunned, shocked. In a matter of a few days Jesus had gone from the pinnacle of praise to the depths of a weak and shameful death. Had not all that Jesus stood for come to a painful and cruel end? Hopes were shattered. Disappointment and fear abounded. But what they could not see was that Jesus' death was the unexpected victory of the kingdom.

Jesus used parables about the kingdom to test their perception of his mission and the way he was inaugurating the kingdom. In this lesson, we will look at the parables of the wheat and the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure, the pearl, and the fish net.

A parable is a simple story drawn from everyday life. Throughout His ministry Jesus used them to illustrate key points in His message. Yet as the confrontation with some intensified, and as the multitudes increased, Jesus began to use parables for something more than illustrations. He used them to test their perception of His message on the Kingdom.