In the earlier parables, Jesus left people wondering what he meant. In the latter parables, Jesus was often very direct. For example, in Matthew 21:33-46, Jesus spoke a parable directly against the leaders of the Temple in Jerusalem. They had no problem understanding the parable, but they trapped themselves by their reaction to it. We too need to be careful not to fall into the same trap.
The extraordinary events in Jerusalem and the mundane events in Nazareth reveal Jesus' uniqueness and his ordinariness.
God’s choice of Saul to be Israel’s first king anticipated the eventual arrival of the coming King and also Christians’ royal calling.
The Thessalonian Christians show us what it looks like to live out God’s grace under persecution.
