The Gospel Of Matthew Chapter 13 Part 5 Gospel Seed In Good Ground Yields Much Fruit

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Perfect Master at using word pictures (parables) to teach us about the kingdom of God.

The first major parable in this chapter is named "The Parable of the Sower and the Seed."

Jesus used an agricultural scene that all His hearers would readily understand.

A field must be plowed before it is ready to receive seed. Hard dirt clods must be broken up and rocks or roots must be removed.

Fallow ground must be broken by plowing and prepared by removing rocks and roots.

Hosea 10:12  Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.

Field preparation or plowing fallow ground is always a picture of the ministry of the Spirit of God with the Word of God in the heart of man (See Jeremiah 4:3).

Fallow ground is not ready to receive the good seed of gospel. It is unplowed, unproductive, hardened soil which indicates a lack of repentance for sin.

Fallow ground must be touched by the plowing and preparatory work of God's Spirit in our heart. 

John 4:35-38  Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36)  And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 37)  And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth. 38)  I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours. 

Jesus shared the gospel with a Samaritan women and she was so impacted that she ran to her village telling everyone that Jesus is the Messiah.

Most villagers came out to hear Jesus speak and Jesus told His disciples that the field (all the people) was ripe and ready for harvesting.

Then, Jesus taught an important principle about reaping and sowing, which connects with the Parable of the Seed and the Sower.

A field (The hearts of sinners) must have been plowed and prepared and made ready to receive good seed (God's Word).

Those who sow the seed are missionaries, pastors, church leaders, parents, grandparents and parishioners who share the gospel of Christ with other people.

The singular purpose in sowing gospel seed is reaping a harvest of souls for the kingdom of God.

God wants to bring in a vast harvest of sinners who are transformed by entering the straight gate (Faith in Christ) and walking on the narrow way (Christ's commands) that leads to eternal life (See Matthew 7:12-14).

Jesus reminded His disciples that gospel ministry has been ongoing ever since the fall of Adam and Eve plunged humanity into sin and separation from God.

We may share the gospel with a friend, family member or neighbor and they may not respond at all to the truth we give them.

Yet, they may attend a church or hear a pastor preach a sermon on the radio and be converted to Christ at that moment.

Thus, we continue in gospel work and we may see someone saved who first heard the gospel from someone else.

Or, we may sow gospel seed without results, but that same person may be saved later when someone else shares gospel truth with them.

Thus, today when we share the gospel we enter into a work that began a very long time ago and that will continue until the Father sends His Son to bring home all those who trusted Him (See John 5:25-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

We sow good seed of the gospel with great hope that God will break through and save people.

1 Corinthians 9:10-11  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11)  If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 

This is why Paul tells each Christian that we must sow gospel seed in hope, trusting God for results, trusting that His Spirit can break through the fallow ground of sinful people.

When the Spirit of God breaks through the fallow ground of a sinners heart, He brings conviction for sin to lead them to repent and trust Christ for salvation.

So far, we learned about the seed that fell by the wayside. This pictures a person who is indifferent or careless about the things of God.

This person is a careless hearer and the Devil easily snatches away the gospel from his heart so that he cannot be converted to Christ.

The second kind of soil is a stony place.

This pictures a person who hears the gospel and makes a profession of faith, but they never put down deep roots into Christ and His Word.

When they face opposition for their faith or learn about taking up their cross to follow Christ, they turn away from the gospel and revert to their old, sinful ways.

The third type of soil is ground infested with thorns and thistles.

Jesus taught that this pictures a person who hears the gospel but who still loves the world and the things in the world.

This is a person who is overcome by a lust to become rich and have a prestigious job and they never produce fruit for the kingdom of God.

Today, we learn about the fourth soil that is fertile good soil and which produces fruit for Christ's kingdom.

The good ground pictures a person who hears the gospel and respond with repentant faith.

Matthew 13:8-9  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. 9)  Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. 

Good ground is excellent soil and with suitable characteristics to promote an abundant harvest.

Good ground represents a heart that has been prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the gospel. 

The word "good" refers to that which is beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, or morally righteous.  

It may take a long time for God's Spirit to prepare a heart to receive the gospel. 

This was certainly true in my own life and it was a process that took more than 30 years before I repented and trusted Christ.

"But others fell into good ground" 

The good ground is not trodden into a hard packed, wayside path by the feet of men.

The good ground is not stony and lacking a proper depth of soil. 

The good ground it not infested with thorns, but it is well plowed with roots and rocks removed.

Christians are to be productive fruit producers for the kingdom of God.

Matthew 13:23  But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 

Good ground pictures good, honest hearted hearers prepared by the Spirit of God to receive the gospel and the grace of God.

A person who is born again or as Paul puts it, is regenerated by the renewing of the Holy Spirit, is a brand new creation in Christ.

This person was previously dead in trespasses and sins but after responding by repentant faith in Christ, this same person is given a fresh start in life.

His old way of life and old circle of friends and old sinful habits pass away as he learns to walk with Christ in newness of life.

Proof of conversion to Christ is being a productive, fruitful Christian.

I do not think we can properly understand the power of gospel seed producing fruit in our lives without understanding how grains reproduce.

Bible scholar Adam Clarke gives an account of a farmer who planted red wheat for the winter. 

This account illustrates how profound wheat is at bringing forth much fruit. 

This is why the "good ground" is such an effective picture of  Christ's disciples haring the gospel with other people.

"On the 2nd of June, 1766, Mr. C. Miller, of Cambridge, sowed some grains of the common, red wheat. On the 8th of August a single plant was taken up, and separated into 18 parts, and each planted separately."

"These plants pushed out several side shoots, and about the middle of September some were taken up and divided."

"This second division produced 67 plants. These plants grew through the winter, and another division was made in the middle of March that produced 500 plants." 

"These plants were in general stronger than any of the wheat in the field. Some of them produced upwards of 100 ears from a single root and many of the ears measured seven inches in length, and contained between sixty and seventy grains." 

The whole number of ears produced from the single seed of wheat was 21,109, yielding  47lbs of grain!" 

This good ground pictures conversion to Christ and receiving the new heart and new spirit promised by God.

Each Christian is like a seed planted in the field in Christ's parable.

Each Christian is to be like this red wheat, producing fruit for the kingdom of God.

Fruitfulness for the kingdom of God is tangible evidence of true faith and genuine conversion to Christ.

God promised to give those who turn to Christ with repentant faith a new heart and spirit.

Ezekiel 11:19-20  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: 20)  That they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God. 

Ezekiel 36:26-27  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27)  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 

These texts exactly correspond with Jesus telling Nicodemus that he must be born again (See John 3).

The words "Good ground" pictures a heart that has depth of good soil having been well plowed by the Spirit of God.

The words "Is he that heareth" shows that gospel seed falling on good ground results in a person who diligently attends the ministry of the word.

The words "And understandeth it" means this person takes the gospel to his or her heart, deeply weighing its nature, design, and importance.

The words "Which also beareth fruit" means that conversion to Christ results in a life of fruitfulness as a necessary consequence of being regenerated by gospel seed. 

To hear and to understand the gospel will result in a person bringing forth fruit. 

These are the three evidences of a genuine believer. 

When gospel seed takes root in our heart it always bears fruit and produces a harvest for God's kingdom.

Some Christians bring forth an hundred fold, some sixty, and some thirty.

All fruit brought forth by the hearer pictured by the good ground, is the true fruit of grace and righteousness.

This fruit is all from Christ, by the influences of the Spirit, through hearing the Word for the glory of God. 

Luke 8:15  But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience. 

Fruit is not brought forth in the same quantity in all believers, yet is of the same quality; and is brought forth with patience. 

Fruit will be produced in our lives constantly, and continually, in all seasons, into old age, and even unto death where it is at last brought "to perfection". 

Such fruit holds fast to Christ and His Word and remains unto the end.

James 1:21-22  Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22)  But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 

James tells us that we must hear the gospel and be brought to conviction for our sins.

At this point we can repent and turn to Christ for salvation, which is receiving the Word with meek and humble hearts before God.

James also echoes the words of Christ and all apostles by telling us that faith in Christ must yield a new way of living, for the glory of God.

We must grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ and we must as Jesus said, live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

We must be doers of the word, obedient of its precepts and principles, eager hearers of its truths and ready to take up our cross and follow Jesus.

May the Lord of glory bless His Word as we read it and study it.

May we yield to His Spirit's guidance so that we seek at all times to honor God with our lives.

May God be pleased to use each one of us to reach others with the life changing gospel of Christ.

Bob