SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:47-50

SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 13:47-50

SUBJECT/TITLE: THE DRAGNET

PURPOSE: We are to proclaim the gospel faithfully and realistically, good and bad, alike, to clearly warn and admonish people about "the great separation."

 

THE PARABLES OF JESUS:

"THE DRAGNET"

 

 

47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. 48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. 49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

We have seen where Jesus taught in parables concerning the growth and development of the kingdom: [1] The Parable of the Mustard Seed – Matthew 13:31-32, and [2] The Parable of the Leaven – Matthew 13:33. We also saw where Jesus taught two parables concerning the value and preciousness of the kingdom: [1] The Parable of the Hidden Treasure – Matthew 13:44, and [2] The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price – Matthew 13:45-46.

Jesus also taught two parables depicting the present mixture and future separation involving the kingdom of heaven: [1] The first was the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, which we’ve studied in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. [2] The second one is The Parable of the Dragnet, which will be the focus of today’s study in Matthew 13:47-50.

In each case where there are two parables seemingly addressing the same subject, there are subtle differences in which different aspects of the kingdom are being stressed. In the two parables describing the growth and development of the kingdom, [1] One depicts the visible growth (The Mustard Seed). [2] The other depicts the invisible growth (The Leaven).

In the two parables describing the value and preciousness of the kingdom… [1] One illustrates the value of the kingdom to one who seemingly accidentally finding it (The Hidden Treasure). The other illustrates the value of the kingdom to the one actively seeking it (The Pearl of Great Price). In a similar way we will notice the subtle difference between The Parable of the Wheat and The Tares and The Parable of the Dragnet…

  1. THE PARABLE EXPLAINED…
    2.

    The details of the parable… A dragnet was cast into the sea. As defined by the Holman Bible Dictionary, a dragnet is:

    [1] "A large fishing net equipped with a weighted bottom edge for touching (dragging) the river or lake bottom and a top with wooden floats allowing the net to be spread across the water (Isaiah 19:8)."

    [2] "Such nets were normally let down from a boat and then drawn to shore by a crew positioned on the beach. In the case of a large catch the net was hauled to shore by boat (John 21:6-8)."

    [3] "Once the dragnet was drawn to shore, the fish were separated; those good for eating were saved in vessels, the inedible were discarded."

    The meaning of the parable… As with The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, Jesus explains what this parable means (verses 49-50). The kingdom of heaven, in its present state, will be a mixture of good and bad – just like a dragnet gathers in both good and bad fish. We saw in the Parable of The Wheat and the Tares that this will be due to the influence of Satan, such that there will be those "that causes sin, and all who do evil" (Matthew 13:41. Paul wrote that in a large house (such as the church) some vessels are "for noble purposes and some for ignoble" (See 2 Timothy 2:20-21). There are all different types and levels of commitment.

    But in the future there will be a separation, as we see in verse #49, "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous." The agents of this separation will be the angels (Matthew 13:41. The punishment of the wicked is described in verse #50, "and thrown into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." That is a very descriptive term for the horror and agony of that day!

    In giving His explanation, we see Jesus’ emphasis in this parable and the fundamental differences between it and The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares. The emphasis is upon [1] The future separation of those in the kingdom and [2] The punishment of the wicked.

    Unlike the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, there is nothing in the explanation related to the present mixture in the kingdom – contrast that with Matthew 24-30, "24Jesus told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25But while everyone was sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat, and went away. 26When the wheat sprouted and formed heads, then the weeds also appeared.
    27"The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?'
    28" 'An enemy did this,' he replied.
    "The servants asked him, 'Do you want us to go and pull them up?'
    29" 'No,' he answered, 'because while you are pulling the weeds, you may root up the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest. At that time I will tell the harvesters: First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned; then gather the wheat and bring it into my barn.' ""

    There is nothing depicting the blessedness of the righteous… Contrast that with Matthew 13:43, "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear."

    The Parable of the Dragnet then reinforces the spiritual truths taught in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, especially those relating to the coming judgment and condemnation of the wicked.

    That Jesus would emphasize the judgment and condemnation of the wicked in this parable ought to impress upon us that the ‘good news’ of the kingdom also contains ‘bad news for those who reject it.

    Since this parable focuses on the destiny of the wicked, this might be a good time to review just what Jesus, Himself, taught on the subject:

  2. JESUS’ TEACHINGS ON THE DESTINY OF THE WICKED:

Jesus taught the wicked will be judged. In Revelation, 20:11-15, the Bible says, "11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

We have seen the fact that the wicked will be judged in the two parables that we’ve been comparing. Jesus warned those cities that rejected Him of the coming judgment. In Matthew 11:20-24, we read, "20Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. 21"Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. 23And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. [1] If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. 24But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you.""

The wicked would be raised into condemnation, unlike the righteous. In John 5:24-30, we read, "24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. 25I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. 28"Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice 29and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. 30By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.""

Jesus taught that the wicked will be forever separated from God… He spoke about it when describing the judgment scene. Let’s view Matthew 25:41-46, "41"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.""

Jesus taught that the wicked will be cast into hell. ‘Hell’ is the Greek term used most often by Jesus to describe the destiny of the wicked. The Greek word is "geena" (gheh-en-nah), which in Hebrew is "Ge-Hinnom." One commentator remarked, "The term Gehenna arose from the Valley of Hinnom, south of Jerusalem, where the Canaanites burned human sacrifices to Moloch. After the return of the Jews from Captivity they made it a place of defilement, where the refuse (trash) of the city was thrown and burned [Never-dying fire! Unquenchable horror!]. The name was applied to the place of future punishment by the Jews. The word is often used in the New Testament, and always denotes a place of future punishment." The term is found twelve times in the New Testament, and it is used only by Jesus on one exception, which is recorded in James 3:6, "The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

Jesus used the term to describe the final place of punishment…
  1. In His Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5:21-22, 29-30, "21"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." "29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.""
  2. When sending His apostles on the "limited" commission – Matthew 10:28, "28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell."
  3. In warning against stumbling blocks – Matthew 18:8-9, "8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell."
  4. Perhaps the most vivid of use of this term is in Mark 9:43-48, "43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.[1] 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.[2] 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.'"

Jesus evidently used this word because it properly spoke to His contemporaries as to the horror and abomination of the eternal destiny awaiting the wicked!

This place called "hell" was originally prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41, ""Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."). But it will serve as a place of punishment for the wicked as well.

Jesus taught that the wicked will suffer torment… They will experience "the furnace of fire" – as described in The Parables of the Wheat and the Tares and The Parable of the Dragnet" – Matthew 13:42, 50, "42They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This furnace of fire is the same as:

[1] The "fire" of Gehenna – Matthew 5:22, "But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." and Matthew 18:8-9, "8If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. 9And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell." and

[2] The "lake of fire" – Revelation 20:12-15; 21:8, "12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." "8But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death." In fact, the Bible tells us that it is a fire that is never quenched – Mark 9:43-48, "43If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48where " 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." Jesus’ description of Hades is "the temporary dwelling of the wicked dead…" – Luke 16:22-24, "22"The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'"

They will experience "weeping and gnashing of teeth", as told in the two parables we have considered - Matthew 13:42-50; Matthew 8:12, "12But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

They will experience "outer darkness" as in the punishment of

  1. The "sons of the kingdom" (unbelieving Israelites) – Matthew 8:12, (as mentioned above);
  2. The "unprepared wedding guest" (Those who mistakenly believe they are saved), - Matthew 22:13, ""Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"
  3. The "unprofitable servant" (slothful Christians?) – Matthew 25:30, "And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'" Such ones will experience "outer darkness" and the punishment described by Peter and Jude for false teachers, 2 Peter, 2:17, "These men are springs without water and mists driven by a storm. Blackest darkness is reserved for them." and Jude 13, "They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever."

They will experience "everlasting punishment"… The punishment for the wicked is as "everlasting" as the life given to the righteous! – Matthew 25:46, ""Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." The wicked will be punished with "everlasting destruction" from the presence of the Lord - 2 Thessalonians 1:9, "They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power."

CONCLUSION:

As Jesus went about "preaching the gospel of the kingdom" (Matthew 4:23), He did not hold back…

  1. He called the people to repent – Matthew 4:17, "From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.""
  2. He warned them of the impending judgment and torment to come… as seen in The Parable of the Dragnet – and as seen in our survey of Jesus’ teaching on the destiny of the wicked.

If we are to proclaim the "gospel of the kingdom" faithfully…
  1. We must not only preach the "good news" of the kingdom….
  2. We must also tell the "bad news" Christ revealed through His parables and other teachings!

As we search our hearts, are you living in view of the coming judgment? When "the great separation" is made, where will you be? We need to make certain that we are each "born again of the water and the Spirit," so that we may unquestionably enter that wonderful kingdom,

John 3:5, "Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.""

Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Acts 2:36-39, "36"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"
38Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off--for all whom the Lord our God will call."

{Invitational song: "TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS" – Prayer of commitment and Dismissal to serve!]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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You are welcome to share this message in your local churches, home fellowship Bible studies, etc., but I suggest that you personalize it. You do not have permission to publicize it or to make money from it in any form. May God richly bless you as you minister for Him with rich spiritual rewards of seeing many souls saved and sanctified for all eternity! Please let me know whatever helpful results you may get from this!

With Warm Sincerity in Jesus’ Love,

Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist

Sonlight Ministries

Tijeras, NM

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Scripture quoted is from the: New International Version (NIV)
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