Jesus' Parable of the Dragnet Explained

JESUS WAS TELLING A STORY OF GOOD FISH AND BAD
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 13:47-50 47"Onceagain, the kingdom of
heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and
caught all kinds of fish. 48Whenit was full, the
fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat
down and collectedthe 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 separatethe wicked
from the righteous 50andthrow them into the blazing
furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.
What is the meaning of the Parable of the Dragnet?
Question:"What is the meaning of the Parable of the Dragnet?"
Answer: Jesus tells the Parable of the Dragnet, or the Parable of the Various
Kinds of Fish, in Matthew 13:47-50. Jesus prefacesthe parable by saying it
illustrates an aspectof the kingdom of heaven. The story concerns fishermen
using a dragnet, a weightednet draggedalong the bottom of a body of water
to collectan assortmentof fish.

In the parable, the dragnet is castinto the sea and pulled onto shore full of all
kinds of fish. Then the fishermen sat down to the business of sorting the fish
into the “good” and the “bad.” The fish worth keeping were gatheredinto
containers, but the restwere tossedaway.
Jesus then interprets the parable for His disciples: “This is how it will be at
the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wickedfrom the
righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping
and gnashing of teeth” (verses 49-50).
This parable is similar to the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matthew
13:36-43). Bothparables concernan end-times sorting, aided by angels, when
believers will be separatedfrom unbelievers once and for all.
Just as the net was castinto the sea drawing many fish, the gospelmessageis
spread into the world, drawing many people to it. Just as the net gatheredall
types of fish, regardless oftheir value, so the gospelattracts many people who
neither repent nor desire to follow Christ. Just as the fish could not be sorted
until the net was pulled ashore, so false believers masquerading as true
Christians will not be made knownuntil the end of the age.
These “badfish,” or false believers, canbe likened to the rockysoil and
thorny soilin Matthew 13:5-7 and to the tares in verse 40. They claim to have
a relationship with Jesus, saying “Lord, Lord” (Matthew 7:22), and Jesus’
reply will be “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (verse 23).

The sobering main point of the parable can be statedthus: “A day of
reckoning will come in which God will separate the true believers from mere
pretenders, and those found to be false will be castinto hell.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/parable-dragnet.html
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The Dragnet
Matthew 13:47-50
W.F. Adeney
This parable may be compared with the parables of the soils and the tares. All
three show different results following the teaching of Christ according to the
characters ofthose whom he teaches. The parable of the soils draws attention
to the varying degrees ofsuccessorfailure dependent on the condition of the
hearers;the tares illustrate evil influences side by side with the work of
Christ; the dragnet disregards these two causes offailure, and deals only with
results - it carries us on to the final judgment. Nevertheless, we should bear
the lessons ofthe earlier parables in mind, in order to avoid drawing
conclusions offatalism and injustice from this one.
I. THE GOSPELNET. Our Lord compares his method to the casting of a
greatnet and the drawing it through the waters.
1. Christ seeks men. He spoke to fishers, who knew the sea and its commerce,
and he compared his work to theirs. While the parable of the pearl of great
price shows us a man seeking the kingdom, this parable presents to us the

sight of the kingdom seeking men. Here is the grace of the gospel. It is further
suggestedby the woman sweeping for her lostcoin, and the shepherd going
after his wandering sheep (Luke 15.).
2. Christ uses means to gatherdisciples. The net may represent the preaching
of the gospel, orall the agencies,first of Christ and his apostles, thenof his
missionary Church. We are not to wait till the world comes to Christ. We
must mend our nets lest any slip through the brokenmeshes, and castand
drag them, using all means to gain some.
3. Christ aims at a large gathering of souls. The fisher does not angle with a
line; he casts a net, and that net, the dragnet, is of the largestkind. Plainly his
aim is large. Christ does not seek one here and there. He is the Saviour of the
world. His love embraces all;his work is for the people.
II. THE GREAT DRAUGHT OF FISHES.
1. The net gathers in many fishes. At first the popularity of Christ wona
multitude of adherents. Mostof these fell away;but after Pentecosta larger
host was brought in. Subsequently greatnumbers pressedin, till the balance
of policy in the Roman empire swayedfrom heathenism to Christianity. "Like
a sunbeam," says Eusebius, "it streamedover the face of the earth."
2. The fishes are of various kinds. The members of the Christian Church are
not all of one class ortype. Sociallythey differ, belonging to all grades and
ranks; intellectually they differ, from a Newtonto a simple ploughboy. But
these differences are slight comparedto the moral distinctions that are seen
throughout Christendom. The Church includes a St. Francis and a Caesar
Borgia. Church membership is no proof of Christianity.

III. THE SIFTING AND SORTING. Christcalls all kinds of people;but he
does not acceptall. "Many are called, but few are chosen." It is even possible
to be a guestseatedatthe king's banquet, and yet to be castout, if the
wedding garment is not worn. Nevertheless, there is no unfairness or
partiality; much less is there fickleness orunfaithfulness in Christ. He desires
to acceptall. If he must reject any, it is againsthis will, a pain to him. The
rejectionis not because ofhis caprice, but wholly because ofthe characters of
those whom he cannot receive. But how are we to reconcile this with Christ's
express declarationthat he came not to call the righteous, but sinners
(Matthew 9:13)? The explanation is that the fish are found to be worthless
when they are brought to land. If men remain sinners after entering the
Church, they must be rejectedby Christ. But Christ canchange the sinner
into a holy man, and he will do this with the truly penitent who trust him.
Then they will not be like the worthless fish. - W.F.A.
Biblical Illustrator
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net that was castinto the sea.
Matthew 13:47-50
The drawnet
W. Arnot.
1. We of this generation, a miscellaneous multitude of old and young, good
and evil, move about at liberty in the wide expanse of life, as fishes move
about in the deep broad sea;but certain mysterious, invisible lines, have been
let down into the water, and are silently, slowlycreeping near, and winding
round us.
2. Goodand bad alike are drawn in company towards the shore, but the good
and bad are separatedwhen they reachit.

(W. Arnot.)
Separating goodand bad
W. Arnot.
There is a machine in the Bank of England which receives sovereigns, as a mill
receives grain, for the purpose of determining wholesale whetherall are of full
weight. As they pass through, the machinery, by unerring laws, throws all that
axe light to one side, and all that are of full weight to another. That process is
a silent but solemn parable for me. Founded as it is upon the laws of nature, it
affords the most vivid similitude of the certainty which characterizes the
judgment of the greatday.
(W. Arnot.)
The net
M. Dods, D. D.
Here the mixture of goodand bad is not attributed to an enemy, but is
exhibited as resulting from the nature of the case. In fishing no selectionis
possible. We are here reminded that we are all advancing through life towards
its final issue. This suggests—
1. Enclosure.
2. Enlargement. But the main points of the parable are —
I. The TRUTH THAT THE NET GATHERS "OF EVERY KIND." The
Church embraces everyvariety. This mixture arises from the manner in
which the kingdom of heaven is proclaimed among men; publicly to all. But

this mixture is at length to give place. On the shore a real and final distinction
will be made and actedon. The test will be our value to God.
(M. Dods, D. D.)
The drag-net
Expository Outlines.
I. THE OCCUPATION IMPLIED. Ministers of the gospelare setforth under
various similitudes.
II. THE RESULT DECLARED. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net
that... gatheredof every kind;" so the Christian Church is at presentin a
mixed condition. There are two important uses to which this truth may be
applied.
1. To refute a common objection. When religious professors bring scandalon
the cause with which they are identified, the enemies of Christianity should
remember that in this respectthings turn out just as the greatFounder of our
religion foretold.
2. Inasmuch as the visible Church is thus mixed, all who name the name of
Christ should be jealous over themselves with a godly jealousy, and not rest
without seeking to ascertainwhatis their true character.
III. THE EXPLANATION GIVEN — "So shall it be at the end of the world."
Notice.
1. The period when the separationwill take place.

2. The agents by whom it will be accomplished.
3. The solemn issue in which it will terminate.
(Expository Outlines.)
The parable of the net castinto the sea
B. Keach.
The gospelpreachedmay fully be comparedto a net.
1. A net is a proper engine or instrument to catchor gatherfish; so the gospel,
or the Word of God preached, is a proper instrument to gather sinners out of
the world into the Church, both visible and invisible (1 Corinthians 1:2).
2. A net is castinto the river or sea before it can take fish, so the word of the
gospelmust be preachedthat sinners may be converted.
3. A net takes fish (when they are caught) out of their proper element, and
they die immediately; so those sinners who are indeed taken, or spiritually
and savingly wrought upon by preaching the Word, are taken out of that
element where they lived, and loved to live before — i.e., out of a course ofsin
and wickedness;and such die presently to sin and to all the vanities of the sea
of this world.
4. A net must be castinto the sea or river with judgment by a skilful
fisherman; it requires wisdom to use it to answerthe end appointed. So

ministers, Christ's spiritual fishermen, ought to be men of greatskill,
knowledge, wisdom, and experience (2 Corinthians 12:16).
5. A net is castwhere a fisherman hath ground to hope he may take store of
fish; so a minister should preach where multitudes of people are gathered
together, when an opportunity doth present; thus did our Lord (Matthew 5:1).
6. Sometimes fishermen labour all night (as Peterand John did) and take
nothing; it is God that blesses their labour when they succeedwell.
7. A net takes fish of every kind, some greatones, some small ones;some good,
and some bad. So the gospelnet gathers of every sort, some rich, some poor,
some greatones (but not many of that kind), some little ones, who are
despisedin the eyes of the world.
8. A fisherman's work is very hard, and he is exposedoftentimes to be tossed
on the tempestuous sea;so is the work of Christ's ministers.
(B. Keach.)
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(47) The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net.—The net in this case is not the
hand-net of Matthew 4:18, but the sagenè, orgreatdrag-net, which drew in a

largerhaul of fishes. The day’s teaching in the method of parables ends, as it
were, in an easylesson, which the former experience of the disciples would
enable them to understand. Still, as in the parable of the Tares, the main
thoughts are, (1) the mingling of the evil with the goodin the visible kingdom
of Christ on earth, and (2) the ultimate separationof the two, that eachmay
receive according to the divine law of retribution. Here, as there, the parable
perforce passes overthe fact that in the actual work of the kingdom the very
casting of the net may change, and is meant to change, the nature of the fish
that are taken in its meshes, and, therefore, that those that remain “bad” are
so in the end by the result of their own will.
BensonCommentary
Matthew 13:47-50. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, &c. — The
gospelpreachedto the world may be compared to a net castinto the sea, and
gathering fishes of all kinds. For by the preaching of it congregations are
gathered, and a visible church is formed, and both goodand bad men are
brought to profess themselves members of it, and are mingled togetherin such
a manner, that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to make a proper
distinction betweenthem: Christian discipline, however, and strong, close
exhortation, in all well-regulatedchurches, or properly-constituted Christian
societies, beginthat separationin this world which shall be accomplishedby
the angels ofGod in the world to come. “This parable will appear peculiarly
proper, if we considerthat it was spokento fishermen, who had been called
from their employments, with a promise that they should catchmen, Matthew
4:19. It differs from the parable of the tares in its extent, representing the
gathering of wickedmen in generalinto the visible church along with the
good, by means of the preaching of the gospel, togetherwith the final
judgment and state of the wicked;whereas the parable of the tares represents
the introduction and punishment of hypocrites in particular.” — Macknight.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
13:44-52 Here are four parables. 1. That of the treasure hid in the field. Many
slight the gospel, becausethey look only upon the surface of the field. But all

who searchthe Scriptures, so as in them to find Christ and eternallife, Joh
5:39, will discoversuch treasure in this field as makes it unspeakably
valuable; they make it their ownupon any terms. Though nothing can be
given as a price for this salvation, yet much must be given up for the sake ofit.
2. All the children of men are busy; one would be rich, another would be
honourable, another would be learned; but most are deceived, and take up
with counterfeits for pearls. Jesus Christis a Pearl of greatprice; in having
him, we have enough to make us happy here and for ever. A man may buy
gold too dear, but not this Pearlof greatprice. When the convinced sinner
sees Christas the gracious Saviour, all things else become worthless to his
thoughts. 3. The world is a vast sea, and men, in their natural state, are like
the fishes. Preaching the gospelis casting a net into this sea, to catch
something out of it, for His glory who has the sovereigntyof this sea.
Hypocrites and true Christians shall be parted: miserable is the condition of
those that shall then be castaway. 4. A skilful, faithful minister of the gospel,
is a scribe, well versed in the things of the gospel, and able to teachthem.
Christ compares him to a goodhouseholder, who brings forth fruits of last
year's growth and this year's gathering, abundance and variety, to entertain
his friends. Old experiences andnew observations, all have their use. Our
place is at Christ's feet, and we must daily learn old lessons overagain, and
new ones also.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net ... - This parable does not differ in
meaning from that of the tares. The gospelis compared to a net dragging
along on the bottom of a lake, and collecting all - goodand bad. The gospel
may be expectedto do the same;but in the end of the world, when the net "is
drawn in," the bad will be separatedfrom the good; the one will be castaway,
and the other saved. Our Saviour never fails to keepbefore our minds the
greattruth that there is to be a day of judgment, and that there will be a
separationof the good and the evil. He came to preach salvation;and it is a
remarkable fact, also, that the most fearful accounts ofhell and of the
sufferings of the damned, in the Scriptures, are from his lips. How does this
agree with the representations ofthose who say that all will be saved?

Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
47. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was castinto the sea,
and gatheredof every kind—The word here rendered "net" signifies a large
drag-net, which draws everything after it, suffering nothing to escape, as
distinguished from a casting-net(Mr 1:16, 18). The far-reaching efficacyof
the Gospel is thus denoted. This Gospelnet "gatheredof every kind,"
meaning every variety of character.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Matthew 13:50".
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Again the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net,.... By which also is meant, the
Gospel, and the ministry of it. This may be compared to a net, for its
meanness in the esteemof men; being despicable, and of no accountin the
eyes of the world: and yet like a net, a piece of curious artifice and
workmanship, being the produce of the grace ofGod; in which his manifold
wisdom is displayed, and is what angels desire to look into: it is designed, and
purposely contrived, for the gathering in of sinners to Christ, and to his
churches, though by accident, it has other uses;such as troubling of the world,
as the net does the waters of the sea, and drawing out the corruptions of the
men of it, as that does weeds, stones,&c. and which, like a net, can do nothing
of itself, unless cast;and not then neither, unless succeededwith a divine
blessing:
that was castinto the sea;by "the sea" is meant the world, so called, for the
storms and tempests of afflictions, and persecutions the saints meet with, and
for the continual troubles that are in it; for the restlessnessandinstability of
all things therein; for the dangers of it; and for its being the proper place and
element of fishes, as the world is to the men of it. The casting of it into the sea,
designs the opening of the Gospel, and the unfolding the mysteries of it, and
the preaching it in all the world; and supposes persons qualified for it; such
were the patriarchs and prophets under the Old Testament;and particularly

Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostles of Christ, and succeeding ministers
under the New Testament;and requires art, skill, and wisdom, might and
strength, industry, diligence, and patience;and which is done at a venture,
whether there are fish or not; and sometimes succeeds, and sometimes not:
and gatheredof every kind; the Persic versionadds, "of animals";but much
more agreeablyMunster's Hebrew Gospel, and the Vulgate Latin, add, "of
fishes";and so some copies read. The preaching of the Gospel, is the means of
gathering souls to Christ, and into his churches; and those that are gathered
into a visible Gospelchurch state, are of every kind, of all nations in the
world; Jews andGentiles: of all ranks and degrees ofmen, high and low, rich
and poor, bond and free; of all sorts of sinners, and of men goodand bad;
some who have the truth of grace in them, and others that are only hypocrites:
profess in words, and deny in works;have nothing more than a form of
godliness, and name to live, and are dead.
Geneva Study Bible
{8} Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was castinto the sea,
and gatheredof every kind:
(8) There are many in the Church who nevertheless are not of the Church,
and therefore at length will be castout: but the full and perfect cleansing of
them is deferred to the last day.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 13:47 ff. For αἰγιαλός, see note on Acts 27:39.

τὰ καλά and σαπρά] the good, i.e. the goodfish, such as were fit for use, and
the putrid ones (comp. note on Matthew 7:17), which, alreadydead and
putrefying, are yet enclosedin the σαγήνη (large drag-net, Luc. Pisc. 51, Tim.
22; Plut. de solert. an. p. 977 F) along with the others. The men took them out
of the net (ἔξω) and castthem away.
The aorists in Matthew 13:47-48 are to be understood in a historical sense, not
as expressing what was the practice, but merely as narrating what took place
on the occasion, justas in Matthew 13:44-46.
Observe further, that the net encloses fishof every γένος, i.e. of every species
(that is, according to the literal meaning, out of every nation); yet no γένος, as
such, is castaway, but only the putrid fish belonging to eachγένος, and that
not before the end of the world (in answerto the whole Donatistview).
Matthew 13:50. Closing refrain, as in Matthew 13:42.
Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 13:47-50. The Net. σαγήνῃ, vide on Matthew 4:21.—ἐκ παντὸς
γένους συν.: a matter of course, not intended but inevitable; large movements
influence all sorts of people.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
47–50.The Parable of the Net, in St Matthew only
47. a net, that was castinto the sea]The reference is to the large drag-net or
seine [Greek σαγήνη—the word in the text—hence sagena (Vulgate)and

English seanor seine]. One end of the seine is held on the shore, the other is
hauled off by a boat and then returned to the land. In this way a large number
of fishes of all kinds is enclosed. Seine-fishing is still practisedon the coasts of
Devonshire and Cornwall.
The teaching of this parable partly coincides with that of the parable of the
Tares (Matthew 13:24-30). In both are exhibited the mixture of goodand evil
in the visible Church, and the final separationof them. But here the thought is
speciallydirected to the ingathering of the Church. The ministers of Christ
will of necessitydraw converts of diverse character, goodand evil, and
actuatedby different motives. From the parable of the Tares we learn not to
rejectany from within the Church, in the hope of expelling the element of evil.
It is a parable of the settledChurch. This is a missionary parable. It teaches
that as a matter of history or of fact, no barrier or external test will serve to
exclude the unworthy convert.
Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 13:47. Ἐκ παντὸς γένους, of every hind) See John21:11, and
Gnomon thereon.
Pulpit Commentary
Verses 47-50. -The parable of the dragnet. This parable at once recalls that of
the tares, but it will be noticed that there our Lord's aim is to inculcate
patience and hopefulness on the part of his servants when they realize the
close proximity of the ungodly even in districts wonover to the faith, while
here his aim is rather to warn. To be in the kingdom is not enough; some of
those now within it may nevertheless be castout. It thus greatly resembles the
parable of the ten virgins; save that in that parable greaterstress is laid on
personalpreparation and continued watchfulness;in this, on personalworth.
Verse 47. - Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net (σαγήνῃ: Matthew

4:18, note), that was castinto the sea, and gatheredof every kind. (For the
thought, cf. Matthew 22:10;and for the word, συνάγειν, ver. 30, note.)
Matthew 13:47
Vincent's Word Studies
Net (σαγήνῃ)
See on Matthew 4:18. The only occurrence ofthe word in the New Testament.
A long draw-net, the ends of which are carried out and drawn together.
Through the transcription of the word into the Latin sagena comesseine.
From the fact of its making a greatsweep, the Greeks formeda verb from it,
σαγηνέυω, to surround and take with a drag-net. Thus Herodotus (iii., 149)
says:"The Persians netted Santos." And again (vi., 31), "Wheneverthey
became masters of an island, the barbarians, in every single instance, netted
the inhabitants. Now, the mode in which they practise this netting is the
following: Men join hands, so as to form a line across from the north coastto
the south, and then march through the island from end to end, and hunt out
the inhabitants." Compare Isaiah19:8 : "Those who spreadnets on the face
of the waters shalllanguish." Also, Habakkuk 1:15-17, where the Chaldaean
conquests are described under this figure.
Gatheredof every kind
Compare the graphic passagein Homer ("Odyssey," xxii., 384-389)ofthe
slain suitors in the halls of Ulysses.
"He saw that all had fallen in blood and dust,
Many as fishes on the shelving beach,

Drawn from the hoary deep by those who tend
The nets with myriad meshes. Poured abroad
Upon the sand, while panting to return
To the salt sea, they lie till the hot sun
Takes theirlife from them."
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
BRUCE HURT MD
Matthew 12:47 Someone said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your
brothers are standing outside seeking to speak to You.”
NET Matthew 12:47 Someone told him, "Look, your mother and your
brothers are standing outside wanting to speak to you."
GNT Matthew 12:47 [εἶπεν δέ τις αὐτῷ, Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρσου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου
ἔξω ἑστήκασινζητοῦντές σοι λαλῆσαι.]

NLT Matthew 12:47 Someone told Jesus, "Your mother and your brothers
are outside, and they want to speak to you."
KJV Matthew 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy
brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
ESV Matthew 12:46 While he was still speaking to the people, behold, his
mother and his brothers stoodoutside, asking to speak to him.
NIV Matthew 12:47 Someone told him, "Your mother and brothers are
standing outside, wanting to speak to you."
ASV Matthew 12:47 And one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy
brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee.
CSB Matthew 12:47 Someone told Him, "Look, Your mother and Your
brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to You."
NKJ Matthew 12:47 Then one said to Him, "Look, Your mother and Your
brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You."
NRS Matthew 12:47 Someone told him, "Look, your mother and your
brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you."

YLT Matthew 12:47 and one said to him, 'Lo, thy mother and thy brethren
do stand without, seeking to speak to thee.'
NAB Matthew 12:47 (Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers
are standing outside, asking to speak with you.")
NJB Matthew 12:47 still speaking to the crowds when suddenly his mother
and his brothers were standing outside and were anxious to have a word with
him.
GWN Matthew 12:47 Someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers
are standing outside. They want to talk to you."
BBE Matthew 12:47 And one said to him, See, your mother and your
brothers are outside, desiring to have talk with you.
ParallelPassage:
Mark 3:32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold,
Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”
Someone saidto Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are standing
outside seeking to speak to You.” - Mark's version is more generalsaying it
was the crowd who said to Him, but Matthew identifies a specific unnamed
individual who spoke to Him. Leon Morris says " The impression Matthew
gives is that the family felt that they had prior rights; they could interrupt

him in the middle of a teaching session, and he should stop what he was doing
and come to them." (PNTC-Mt)
THOUGHT - John Phillips has a pithy but pertinent observation - In the
Gospelrecordof the ministry of Jesus there are only two occasions (prior to
the crucifixion) when Mary appears (here and in John 2:1-4+). Both times she
seeks to have a say in His affairs and both times she is reproved by Him. Thus
there is no basis for prayer to her on the ground that since she is the Lord's
mother, He will listen to her and do as she says. Suchpassagesas these in
Matthew 12 and John 2 anticipate and repudiate Roman Catholic dogmas
that exalt Mary to the status of deity, teachthe bodily assumption of Mary
into Heaven, and make Mary coredemptrix with Jesus. (Exploring Matthew)
RelatedResource:
Did Jesus have brothers and sisters (siblings)?
Matthew 12:48 But Jesus answeredthe one who was telling Him and said,
“Who is My mother and who are My brothers?”
NET Matthew 12:48 To the one who had saidthis, Jesus replied, "Who is my
mother and who are my brothers?"
GNT Matthew 12:48 ὁ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν τῷ λέγοντι αὐτῷ, Τίς ἐστιν ἡ
μήτηρμου καὶ τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἀδελφοί μου;
NLT Matthew 12:48 Jesus asked, "Who is my mother? Who are my
brothers?"

KJV Matthew 12:48 But he answeredand said unto him that told him, Who
is my mother? and who are my brethren?
ESV Matthew 12:48 But he replied to the man who told him, "Who is my
mother, and who are my brothers?"
NIV Matthew 12:48 He replied to him, "Who is my mother, and who are my
brothers?"
ASV Matthew 12:48 But he answeredand said unto him that told him, Who
is my mother? and who are my brethren?
CSB Matthew 12:48 But He replied to the one who told Him, "Who is My
mother and who are My brothers?"
NKJ Matthew 12:48 But He answeredand saidto the one who told Him,
"Who is My mother and who are My brothers?"
NRS Matthew 12:48 But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied,
"Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?"
YLT Matthew 12:48 And he answering said to him who spake to him, 'Who is
my mother? and who are my brethren?'

NAB Matthew 12:48 But he said in reply to the one who told him, "Who is
my mother? Who are my brothers?"
NJB Matthew 12:48 But to the man who told him this Jesus replied, 'Who is
my mother? Who are my brothers?'
GWN Matthew 12:48 He replied to the man speaking to him, "Who is my
mother, and who are my brothers?"
BBE Matthew 12:48 But he in answersaidto him who gave the news, Who is
my mother and who are my brothers?
Who is: Mt 10:37 De 33:9 Mk 3:32,33 Lu 2:49,52 Joh2:3,4 2Co 5:16
ParallelPassage:
Mark 3:33 Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My
brothers?”
JESUS INTRODUCESA NEW
FAMILY RELATIONSHIP
But Jesus answeredthe one who was telling Him - Jesus was the Masterat
using common circumstances to make uncommon comments that had
profound implications! Mark has Jesus addressing the crowd but Matthew is
more specific identifying Jesus answeras directedto the one who had brought
him news about His family.

And said “Who is My mother and who are My brothers?” - Like a good
teacher, He asks a question to introduce a profound principle dealing with
salvationand relation to Him. His teaching point by asking this question was
that the only relationship to Him that matters eternally is one's spiritual
relationship not one's physical relationship. In proclaiming this principle He
demolished the argument of the Jews who were taught they would enter the
Kingdom of God because theywere physically related to Abraham, their
father (cf John 8:33, 39). His spiritual family was comprisedof those who have
a saving relationship with Him through faith and at this time "not even His
brothers were believing in Him." (Jn 7:5) They may have been His physical
family but at this time were not yet in his spiritual family which is the far
more important relationship.
Leon Morris comments "In the light of the ministry he is exercising in the
name of God, what do ordinary family ties mean? Must Jesus forsakethe
service of the heavenly Fatherin order that he may please his earthly
family?" (PNTC-Mt)
Matthew 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He said,
“BeholdMy mother and My brothers!
NET Matthew 12:49 And pointing toward his disciples he said, "Here are my
mother and my brothers!
GNT Matthew 12:49 καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ
εἶπεν, Ἰδοὺ ἡ μήτηρμου καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί μου.

NLT Matthew 12:49 Then he pointed to his disciples and said, "Look, these
are my mother and brothers.
KJV Matthew 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand towardhis disciples,
and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
ESV Matthew 12:49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,
"Here are my mother and my brothers!
NIV Matthew 12:49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my mother
and my brothers.
ASV Matthew 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand towards his disciples,
and said, Behold, my mother and my brethren!
CSB Matthew 12:49 And stretching out His hand toward His disciples, He
said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!
NKJ Matthew 12:49 And He stretchedout His hand toward His disciples and
said, "Here are My mother and My brothers!
NRS Matthew 12:49 And pointing to his disciples, he said, "Here are my
mother and my brothers!
YLT Matthew 12:49 And having stretchedforth his hand toward his
disciples, he said, 'Lo, my mother and my brethren!

NAB Matthew 12:49 And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he
said, "Here are my mother and my brothers.
NJB Matthew 12:49 And stretching out his hand towards his disciples he
said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers.
GWN Matthew 12:49 Pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, "Look,
here are my mother and my brothers.
BBE Matthew 12:49 And he put out his hand to his disciples and said, See,
my mother and my brothers!
His disciples:Mt 28:7 Mk 3:34 Joh 17:8,9,2020:17-20
ParallelPassage:
Mark 3:34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him He said,
“BeholdMy mother and My brothers!
THE FAMILY
OF GOD
And stretching out His hand toward His disciples - While Mark depicts Jesus
looking around the room, Matthew adds that He pointed to His twelve

disciples. Presumably His twelve disciples were seatedaround Him in close
proximity, probably in a circle or semi-circle. It is to them that He points.
Stretching (1614)(ekteino from ek = out + teino = to stretch) means stretch out
literally, as a gesture with one's hand stretchedout. Here Jesus stretchedHis
hands out "towardHis disciples" (Mt 12:49), later He stretchedout His hand
to Peterwho was drowning (Mt 14:31), and He also stretchedout His hand to
touch the untouchable leper (Mk 1:41, Mt 8:3, Lk 5:13).
He said, “BeholdMy mother and My brothers! - Jesus had just askeda
question to peak the attention of the crowdand now proceeds to answerHis
own question. He is saying that spiritual relation supersedes physical
relationship. In this new family the ties are spiritual, not natural! He is
singling the disciples out of the large crowd as those who while not physically
related to Him, were more importantly spiritually related to Him. Jesus
defines in essencethe New Family of God! One is reminded of the old song
"We Are Family." (the lyrics are not a bad "Christian song")
Edersheim points out that Jesus'declarationdid not demean Mary or His
family "“For, had He not entered into earthly kinship solelyfor the sake of
the higher spiritual relationship which He was about to found…? Thus, it was
not that Christ setlightly by His Mother, but that He confounded not the
means with the end."
Matthew 12:50 “For whoeverdoes the will of My Fatherwho is in heaven, he
is My brother and sister and mother.”
NET Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of my Father in heaven is my
brother and sisterand mother."

GNT Matthew 12:50 ὅστις γὰρ ἂν ποιήσῃ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρός μου τοῦ ἐν
οὐρανοῖς αὐτός μου ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀδελφὴ καὶ μήτηρἐστίν.
NLT Matthew 12:50 Anyone who does the will of my Father in heaven is my
brother and sisterand mother!"
KJV Matthew 12:50 For whosoevershalldo the will of my Father which is in
heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.
ESV Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of my Father in heavenis my
NIV Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of my Fatherin heavenis my
ASV Matthew 12:50 For whosoevershalldo the will of my Father who is in
heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
CSB Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of My Father in heaven, that
person is My brother and sisterand mother."
NKJ Matthew 12:50 "Forwhoeverdoes the will of My Father in heaven is
My brother and sisterand mother."

NRS Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of my Father in heaven is my
YLT Matthew 12:50 for whoevermay do the will of my Father who is in the
heavens, he is my brother, and sister, and mother.'
NAB Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the will of my heavenly Father is my
brother, and sister, and mother."
NJB Matthew 12:50 Anyone who does the will of my Fatherin heavenis my
brother and sister and mother.'
GWN Matthew 12:50 Whoeverdoes what my Father in heaven wants is my
BBE Matthew 12:50 For whoeverdoes the pleasure of my Father in heaven,
he is my brother, and sister, and mother.
Does:Mt 7:20-23 17:5 Mk 3:35 Lu 8:21 11:27,28 Joh6:29,40 15:14 Ac 3:22,23
16:30,31 17:30 26:20 Ga 5:6 6:15 Col 3:11 Heb 5:9 Jas 1:21,22 1Pe 4:2 1Jn
2:17 3:23,24 Rev22:14
he is My brother: Mt 25:40,45 28:10 Ps 22:22 Joh20:17 Ro 8:29 Heb 2:11-17
and sister:Song 4:9,10,12 5:1,2 1Co 9:5 2Co 11:2 Eph 5:25-27
and mother: Joh19:26,27 1Ti5:2
THE WONDERFULWORD

"WHOEVER"
For whoeverdoes the will of My Fatherwho is in heaven - One could misuse
this passageto teach"works based" salvation, but from many other NT
passages, the only one who can do the will of His Father is the one who has
been born again. The key in this passage is does the will of God. In other
words Jesus is saying that it is not professionof being His disciple that
identifies one who is truly spiritually relatedto Him, but it is active obedience.
Notice the pronoun whoever(KJV - whosoever)which means "anyone at all"
which flings open wide the Gospelgates to any and all who would come by
grace through faith and enter through those glorious gates into the Kingdom
of God! Romans gives a similar invitation, Paul writing "for “WHOEVER
WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED.” (Ro
10:13+)Jesus'invitation given almost 2000 years ago is still open to all who
what to experience true life in Him “Come to Me, all who are wearyand
heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29“Take Myyoke upon you and learn
from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST
FOR YOUR SOULS. 30“ForMy yoke is easyand My burden is light.”
(Matthew 11:28-30+)
THOUGHT - The antithesis of doing the will of God is committing sins!
Practitioners of sin are not of God! They are not regeneratedand indwelt by
the Holy Spirit as indicated by their unholy lives! They are not born from
above as shownby their pattern of living like those from below!A W Tozer
said "The Bible recognizes no faith that does not lead to obedience, nor does it
recognize any obedience that does not spring from faith. The two are at
opposite sides of the same coin."
Will is the whole man active. I cannotgive up my will; I must exercise it. I
must will to obey. When God gives a command or a vision of truth, it is never
a question of what He will do, but what we will do. To be successfulin God's

work is to fall in line with His will and to do it His way. All that is pleasing to
Him is a success. —Henrietta Mears (COMMENT -Praise God we are not left
on our own, but the indwelling Spirit continually energizes us giving us the
desire and the powerto actively obey God's will - see Php 2:13NLT+)
D A Carsonpoints out "We do not make ourselves Jesus’close relatives by
doing the will of His heavenly Father. Rather, doing the Father’s will
identifies us as his mother and sisters and brothers (cf. Mt 7:21)." (EBC)
Leon Morris - Jesus is not saying that earthly familial ties are unimportant,
only that they are not all-important. Doing the will of God is all-important.
(Ibid)
As alluded to above, in declaring this profound principle Jesus obliteratedthe
Jewishbelief that they were spiritually "safe" becauseAbraham was their
father. John records "They answeredand said to Him, “Abraham is our
father.” Jesus *saidto them, “If you are Abraham’s children, DO THE
DEEDS ofAbraham." (Jn 8:39) Do you see the same principle Jesus taught
here in Matthew 12? He qualified their claim to be in Abraham's family, by
stating if that were true then they must "DO" (imperfect tense) the deeds
which Abraham did. Their deeds would not save them, but they would
demonstrate that they were spiritual children of Abraham. James echoedthis
same truth writing "Was not Abraham our father justified (IN CONTEXT
THE MEANING IS SHOWN TO BE JUSTIFIED)by works whenhe offered
up Isaac his son on the altar? 22 You see that faith was working with his
works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; 23 and the Scripture
was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS
RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” (ABRAHAM'S FAITH
RESULTED IN HIS JUSTIFICATION, HIS DECLARATION OF
RIGHTEOUSNESS)and he was calledthe friend of God. 24 You see that a
man is justified (AGAIN THE SENSE IS THAT ONE IS SHOWN TO BE

TRULY JUSTIFIED)by works and not by faith alone." (James 2:21-24+)
Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone!
Speaking to His disciples in the Upper RoomJesus declared“You are My
friends (philos) if you do what I command you." (John 15:14) Do is in the
present tense which speaks oftheir obedient behavior as a lifestyle, not a
passing fancy. Such a lifestyle is not possible by relying on one's old nature,
but is made possible only as we rely on the Holy Spirit to obey Jesus'
commands! Trying to obey in our own powercan lead to legalismand will
result in failure and a sense offutility in our Christian life. The secretto an
obedient life is wholeheartedreliance on the Holy Spirit of Christ. None of us
will ever achieve this goalperfectly in this lifetime, but as the present tense
indicates such obedient behavior should be the generaldirection (as opposed
to complete perfection) of our life and lifestyle.
We see the criticalimportance of doing the will of God the Fatherin Jesus'
closing words of warning in His famous Sermon on the Mount...
So then, you will know them by their fruits (= "Fruit is evidence of the root")
21 “Noteveryone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ (PROFESSIONOF JESUS)
will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does (present tense - not
perfectly but habitually a habit which is enabled by the Holy Spirit) the will of
My FatherWho is in heavenwill enter. 22 “Many (NOTE THIS
FRIGHTENING ADJECTIVE)will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did
we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name castout demons, and in
Your name perform many miracles?’(HE DOES NOT DENYTHEY DID
THOSE WORKS - E.G., JUDAS ISCARIOT LIKELY DID THOSE WORKS
- cf Mt 10:7,8)23“And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you;
DEPART (COMMAND CALLING FOR IMMEDIATE OBEDIENCE -
PROBABLYSPOKEN TO THEM IN Rev20:11-15, 12+)FROM ME, YOU

WHO PRACTICE (present tense-habitually) LAWLESSNESS.’(Mt7:20-
23+)
He is My brother and sisterand mother - Clarke has calledthis "the adoption
of the obedient."
Henry Morris has an interesting comment - This mild rebuke to Mary did not
indicate a lack of love or filial respecton Jesus'part (John 19:27), but does
show that she does not hold priority with Him over other believers in the
family of God. (Defender's Study Bible)
In the book of Hebrews we read of this new spiritual family - "Forboth He
who sanctifies (CHRIST AND HIS SPIRIT)and those who are sanctified
(ALL WHO BELIEVE) are all from one Father; for which reasonHe is not
ashamedto call them brethren, 12 saying, “I WILL PROCLAIM YOUR
NAME TO MY BRETHREN, IN THE MIDST OF THE CONGREGATIONI
WILL SING YOUR PRAISE.” 13 And again, “I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN
HIM.” And again, “BEHOLD, I AND THE CHILDREN WHOM GOD HAS
GIVEN ME.” (Heb 2:11-13+)
Knox Chamblin - These words callfor severalcomments.
1. To become a disciple of Jesus is to enter a genuine family. Given the arrival
of Jesus’mētēr and adelphoi (Mt 12:46), the accenton these terms in Mt
12:47–50 is especiallynoteworthy. Conspicuous by its absence from these
references to human beings is the term patēr: Josephhas apparently died;
and within the family of Jesus’followers,the heavenly Fatheris the only one
to whom this name is rightly applied (Mt 23:9). Jesus here speaks of‘my

Father [tou patros mou],’ which makes it plain that the only others permitted
to address God in this way are those who belong to Jesus (Mt 6:9).
2. While Jesus teacheslove for the neighbors within one’s own family (Mt
15:4–9;19:19), he also insists that commitment to him and his mission must
exceedall others (see comments on Mt 8:21–22;10:34–39).
3. This passage, farfrom excluding Jesus’mother and brothers from the
circle of his disciples, invites them to join it: ‘whoeverdoes the will of my
Father’ (Mt 12:50). On this occasion, his mother and brothers show a lack of
faith (Mark 3:21); and John 7:5 reports that ‘his brothers did not believe in
him.’ But Mary is at the cross (John19:25–27);and both she and Jesus’
brothers gather with other believers in the upper room to awaitthe coming of
the Spirit (Acts 1:14).
4. The mark of the true disciple, and the one escape from this generation’s
rampant evil, is doing the heavenly Father’s will (Matt. 12:50)—which
especiallymeans loving him and loving one’s neighbors (Mt 22:37–40), by
which means goodconquers evil (Rom. 12:21), the very point of Mt 12:43–45.
(Matthew-MentorCommentary)
Counterfeit Reality - When people see a photograph or video today, they often
ask, "Is it real?" A home computer can manipulate images to create a picture
of an event that never happened. Images canbe inserted into or removed from
photographs. A video can be doctored to make it appear that a personwas
caught committing a crime or performing an actof heroism. The camera may
not lie, but the computer can.

Centuries before such modern technology, the apostle Paul warnedTimothy
about counterfeit reality in the church. He said that in the lastdays people
would be self-absorbed, "having a form of godliness but denying its power"
(2Ti 3:5+). He repeatedly emphasized the need to live a godly life, warning
that "evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being
deceived" (2Ti3:13+).
Paul chargedTimothy to "continue in the things which you have learned and
been assuredof" (2Ti3:14+). True godliness honors and obeys God while its
counterfeit seekspleasure and personalgain. One pleases the Lord; the other
gratifies natural desire. Both are identified by their actions.
When people hear us say we are Christians, they may wonder if our faith is
real. Our lives will answerthe question by reflecting the reality of Christ. —
David C. McCasland(Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand
Rapids, MI. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
DearHeavenly Father, Help me, I pray,
to honor You with all that I do today.
By Your Holy Spirit's power, may my words and actions
cause others to glorify Your Name. Amen.
Question:"Is Jesus our brother?" (from Got Questions - highly
recommended conservative resource).
Answer: The Bible clearly presents Jesus Christas being one with the Father
(John 10:30), a Member of the triune Godheadwho setaside His rights as
God and took on human flesh to dwell among us (Philippians 2:5–11+;

Galatians 4:4–5). Therefore, it is right to call Him Saviorand Lord (Luke
2:11+; 2 Peter3:18+; Jude 1:25+). However, a few passagesalso referto Jesus
as our brother (Hebrews 2:11+; Romans 8:29+; Mark 3:34). In order to fully
understand the conceptof Jesus as our brother, let’s look more closelyat each
of those passages:
Hebrews 2:11+ says, “Forhe who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all
have one source. Thatis why he is not ashamedto callthem brothers” (ESV).
The word translated “brothers” is the word used for blood relatives, but it
also refers to Christians. The generic term brother in Scripture usually also
includes sisters. In this passage, the writer of Hebrews is explaining how the
perfect God-Man, Jesus, couldcall imperfect humans His brothers and sisters.
This is more easily understoodin terms of physical relationships. Jesus
explained spiritual realities by telling Nicodemus that he must be “born
again” (John 3:3+). He used this physical term because we all understand
birth. When two babies have shared the same womb or the same father, they
are of the same family. They carry similar DNA, inherited traits, and rights to
claim parentage. When a human being is born into the family of God, through
faith in the death and resurrectionof Jesus, Godbecomes our Father
(Romans 8:15+; Galatians 4:4–6+). This happens through an actof the Holy
Spirit who moves into our spirits and begins to change us (2 Corinthians
5:17+). God is also the Fatherof the Lord Jesus Christ, and we share in that
relationship as adopted children. Jesus, our brother, purchased with His
blood the right for us to call His Father our Father. He is not ashamedto call
us brothers because His righteousness is imputed to us, making us blameless
as He is blameless (2 Corinthians 5:21+).

Romans 8:29+ says, “ThoseGodforeknew he also predestined to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brothers and sisters.”
Some cults have misinterpreted this verse to mean that Jesus was only the first
of God’s many adopted children. However, in the Bible, the word firstborn
does not always referto physical or even spiritual birth; rather, being
“firstborn” implies preeminence and position, as it is used in Psalm 89:27:“I
will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the
earth.” In Jeremiah31:9+, God calls the nation of Israel His “firstborn son.”
So when Paul uses the term firstborn in Romans 8:29+, he means that Jesus
holds the preeminent position of “only begottenSon of God” (John 3:16+) and
that, through His obedience to the Father, Christ made it possible for His holy
Father to adopt unholy human beings as His own children. The resurrection
of Christ was the first of many to follow, as God gathers His children home (1
Corinthians 15:20–23).
In Mark 3:34–35, Jesus declaresthatthose who follow Him are His brothers:
“He lookedat those seatedin a circle around him and said, ‘Here are my
mother and my brothers! Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister
and mother.’”
The setting for this statementis a house where Jesus was teaching. His
physical family had begun to worry about Him, and they had come to take
Him home with them. As they waited outside the packedhouse, messengers
informed Jesus of their presence. Seatedaround Jesus were the disciples. His
statementtold everyone that, while earthly relationships are important,
spiritual relationships are those that last. From then on, He would be focused
upon establishing those eternal relationships with everyone who trusted in
Him.

It is important to note that the qualifier for being consideredJesus’brother or
sisteris not the mental exercise of“believing,” since many in the room with
Jesus in Mark 3 would have consideredthemselves believers in Him. The
qualifier for being a brother or sisterof Christ is “doing the will of the
Father.” The ultimate will of the Father is that we love, trust, and obey His
Son (John 3:36+; 2 Thessalonians 1:8;Romans 2:7–8+). When we believe in
our hearts the gospelofJesus Christ and surrender our lives to His lordship,
God adopts us into His family and considers us “joint heirs” with His Son,
Jesus (Romans 8:17+;Ro 10:9–10+). Ourheavenly Father wants His children
to bear a family resemblance, andHe gave us the perfectexample in our big
Brother, Jesus Christ.
GREG ALLEN
"BadFish in the Dragnet"
Matthew 13:47-50
Theme: Those who are drawn into the influence of Jesus'kingdom must be
sure they truly have a part in it.
(Delivered Sunday, December3, 2006 at Bethany Bible Church. Unless
otherwise noted, all Scripture references are takenfrom The Holy Bible, New
King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
We have been studying the seven 'kingdom' parables that Jesus taught in the
thirteenth chapterof Matthew's Gospel. Eachofthese parables unveil a
profound truth concerning the 'mysteries of the kingdom of heaven' (v. 11)—
truth that could not be known unless God, in grace, revealedthem.

Now;you may have noticed that we've takenour time in studying them; and I
make no apologyfor that. Studying these parables has been time strategically
and wiselyspent. It would not be prudent to “hurry” through them.
For one thing, it is a great privilege to know and understand the things taught
in them. People who know what these parables say are uniquely blessed. Jesus
Himself has saidso. To those who first heard these parables, Jesus has said,
“Blessedare your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; for assuredly,
I say to you that many prophets and righeous men desiredto see whatyou see,
and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it” (vv. 16-17).
And not only is it a blessing to know these things; it is also stratigic.
Understanding the things taught in these parables will result in the Scriptures
being opened up to us. As Jesus told His disciples at the conclusionof these
parables, “Therefore every scribe [that is, every diligent student of the
Scriptures] instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder
who brings out of his treasure things new and old” (v. 52). The significance of
old biblical truths will become new to us in light of 'the mysteries of the
kingdom'; and new insights will open up to us in light of old truths.
Today, we come to the very last of these sevenparables. In some ways, it is the
most crucial of them all. There is a sense ofurgency behind this particular
parable that makes it absolutely essentialto hear. And it is a lessonJesus
teaches us about the kingdom through a very common thing that people saw
in those days as they lived and workedand strolled along the Sea of Galilee—
a dragnet. Jesus said;
“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was castinto the sea and
gatheredsome of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and

they satdown and gathered the goodinto vessels, but threw the bad away. So
it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked
from among the just, and castthem into the furnace of fire. There will be
wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50).
* * * * * * * * * *
I'm not much of a fisherman. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I've never been
any kind of a fisherman at all.
I went on a fishing trip a few years ago with someone in our church; and it
was the first time I had a rod and reel in my hand for decades.As the boat
drifted off from the shore and out onto the lake, I told him, “Believe it or not,
I haven't caughta single fish in thirty-five years!” Four hours later—after
circling the lake over and over, and not having even a nibble—I turned to my
fishing host and said, “You know; we've been on this lake for four solid hours
. . . and I still haven't caught a single fish in thirty-five years!”
But then, when most of us go fishing, it's usually for relaxationand sport
anyway. If we didn't catchanything, it's not as if the day was a total loss;
because we mostly go fishing in order to enjoy the peace and quite and admire
the beautiful scenery—notbecause we needfish that we could far more easily
go to the store and buy.
And even when we do catchfish, we're only really excited if it is a certain kind
of fish . . . and a certainsize. We spend money on a specific kind of lure or a
particular kind of bate, so that we can draw the specific kind of fish that we
hope to catch. Some weekendfishermen even equip their boats with a special
“fish-computer”—one that shows them were the fish canbe found before they
even castthe line out for them. And even then, we always have to be careful to

keepto our legallimit. All in all, “fishing” as a leasure activity is a pretty
'particularized' and 'picky' kind of operation.
Well; that kind of “fishing” is the exactopposite of what a “dragnet” was for.
In the days of our Lord's ministry—and even today in many parts of the
world—a dragnet was what professionalfishermen used in order to getthe
job done quickly and profitably. It was large square net—sometimes made to
hang upright under the waterby means of floats and weights, or sometimes
pulled along in the waterby means of ropes attachedto fishing boats.
The purpose of the dragnet was to draw everything that came into its sphere,
pull it all to the surface or to the shore, and allow the fishermen to empty its
contents into the boat or onto the beach and pick through it all—selecting only
the bestand most profitable fish, and discarding the rest. From a sportsman's
point of vew, that sounds like cheating. But or a professionalfisherman, that's
the only sensable wayto fish.
If you're a readerof the Bible, you're already familiar with how this kind of
fishing works. Perhaps you remember the time that the Lord Jesus preached
from Peter's fishing boat. After He was finished, He told Peterto let down his
net for a catch. And when Peterand his co-workers did so, the Gospelwriter
Luke tells us that, “they caught a greatnumber of fish, and their net was
breaking. So they signaledto their partners in the other boat to come and help
them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink”
(Luke 5:6-7). And then, there was that wonderful story at the end of the
Gospelof John—afterJesus had risen from the dead. He stoodon the shore
and commanded Peterand his fishing partners to casttheir net out at a
certain spot. When they did, “they were not able to draw it in because ofthe
multitude of fish” (John 21:6). Apparently, others had to come and help; and
the boats came to the shore, “dragging the net with fish” (v. 8). The Lord had
made a fire and invited them to bring some of the fish they caught; and we're

told that “SimonPeter went up and draggedthe net to land, full of large fish,
one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was
not broken” (v. 11).
And so, isn't it interesting that Jesus used that image—the image of fishermen
fishing with a dragnet—to teachus this last and very crucial truth about the
'mystery of the kingdom of heaven'? Just as a dragnet draws all kinds of fish
into itself, His kingdom would—throughout the unfolding centuries of its
spread—draw into its influence many kinds of people.
This kingdom 'dragnet' would not only draw people from all people groups
around the world; but it would also draw both the faithful and the faithless,
both the just and the wicked. And Jesus is teaching us that not all who appear
to embrace His kingdom will truly have a part in it. He warns that, at the end
of the age—justafterHe returns to this earth to assume the full possessionof
His kingdom—He will separate out from it those who do not belong in it.
I suggest, then, that this 'kingdom parable' is the most crucialof all of them.
It's not crucial simply because it is the last of them, but because itbrings all of
the others togetherinto a very practicaland very urgent call—especiallyto
what we might refer to as 'church people'. Among the many lessons we might
learn from it, I believe the most important is that those of us who are drawn
into the influence of Jesus'kingdom must examine ourselves now—while we
can—andbe very sure that we truly have a part in that kingdom. Just because
someone is in the net, that doesn't mean that they are 'good fish'! And how
dreadful it will be for those 'bad fish' who will have assumed that they were a
part of Jesus'kingdom just because theyhad been drawn along by its
influence in this age of grace;but who will, at the end of the age, discover
otherwise!

* * * * * * * * * *
Think with me, first of all, about . . .
1. THE CASTING OF THE NET
Jesus said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was castinto
the sea . . .” This is meant to be a picture of the spreading-forth of the message
of 'the gospelof the kingdom' into this world.
When it comes to the gospel, Jesushas already expressedHis determination
when He said, “And this gospelof the kingom will be preached in all the world
as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14).
The gospelof the kingdom—the GoodNews of who Jesus is and what He has
done on the cross for us—is to be takento every spot in the world. No people
group in the world was to be excluded from its influence; because Jesus
commanded His disciples to make more disciples “ofall the nations”
(Matthew 28:19). Forthat reason, the spread of the gospelis very much like
the casting ofa dragnet into the sea.
In this respect, then, spreading the gospelis not like fishing with a rod and
reel. It's not as if a particular kind of tackle is being used in order to win only
a particular group of people. It is our task to spreadHis gospel;and it is God
alone knows who it is that He has chosenbeforehand for faith. It is not our
business to decide who becomes a part of His kingdom; but only to spreadits
message. The gospelis a “net” that He has commanded to be castfar and
wide—and we proclaim it everywhere in the confident trust that the sovereign
God will draw into its influence whoeverHe choses.
Now;there is a sense in which Jesus has already taught us this in one of His
parables. He began that parable by saying, “Behold, a sowerwentout to sow”

(v. 3). The sowercasthis seedin such a way that it “fell” in various places.
The seedfell on various different places and brought about a variety of
different results. He said;
“And as he sowed, some seedfell by the wayside;and the birds came and
devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much
earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth.
But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root
they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up
and chokedthem. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty” (vv. 4-8).
And so, one of the lessons in this parable for those of us who are followers of
Jesus is that we are to spread of the gospelof Jesus Christeverywhere we
can—andwherever He places us in life. We are to, as it were, 'castthe net
widely' into the sea of humanity. And as we do, we are to trust God to bring
whoeverHe wishes into its influence. As someone has wellsaid, we are to
share the gospelof Jesus Christin the powerof the Holy Spirit, and leave the
results to God.
* * * * * * * * * *
Now this leads us next to consider. . .
2. THE DRAWING-IN OF THE CATCH.
Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven is like that dragnet that was castinto
the sea, “andgatheredsome of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew
to shore . . .” (vv. 47-48). Once upon the shore, the net was found to have
drawn in fish that were goodand fish that were bad.

What made fish literally “good” or“bad”? From a Jewishstandpoint, there
would be some fish that could not be used for food because the people were
forbidden by the law from doing so. In Leviticus 11:9-12, God tells His people,
“These youmay eat of all that are in the water:whateverin the water has fins
and scales, whetherin the seas orin the rivers—that you may eat. But all in
the seas orin the rivers that do not have fins and scales, allthat move in the
wateror any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to
you. They shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you
shall regard their carcassesas an abomination. Whateverin the waterdoes
not have fins or scales—thatshallbe an abomination to you” (Leviticus 11:9-
12).
No doubt, many 'unclean' fish were drawn into the net along with the good.
And even when it came to the fish that were considered'clean'for food, some
of the “clean” fishwould be “bad” from a strictly professionalstandpoint.
Some of the fish would have been of poor quality, or, for whatever reason,
simply didn't have resale value and were not particularly goodfor food.
But the purpose of the dragnet wasn't to simply catch only goodfish. It was to
catchas many of whateverkind of fish came into its influence and draw it to
the shore for inspection later. Jesus says that the dragnet was castinto the sea
and gatheredsome of every kind of fish; “which, when it was full, they drew
to shore . . .” (v. 48)—thatis, full of all kinds of fish, both goodand bad.
Now;I suspectthat this would have been an aspectof the “kingdom” that
came as a surprise to Jesus'disciples. Theyunderstood that the kingdom was
now at hand. But they—like many of their Jewishkinsmen—wouldhave
expectedthe kingdom to be commencedin a completely different way than
that. They would have expectedthat, right then and there, Jesus would have

selected'the very bestof the best' from the nation of Israel--exluding at the
very beginning those who didn't belong; both sinful Jewishpeople and the
unwanted Gentile Roman occupiers--andlet His kingdom spread on the earth
and grow in holiness and purity. But that is not our Lord's plan. Instead, He
throws out His net into the sea and allows many—both goodAND bad—to be
drawn into its influence until such a time as the net is “full”.
People have been drawn under the influence of the kingdom because of its
many attractions. They are sometimes drawn by the goodthat Jesus'kingdom
citizens do in this earth; and they wish to be a part of it. Drive around our city
and you'll see the 'kingdom' influence in the names that are on our hospitals:
“St. Vincents”; “GoodSamaritan”;“Emmanuel”; “Providence”. Think of the
major universities and collegesin our country; and of how they beganas
institutions of religious education. The kingdom of Jesus Christhas inspired
countless community service and relief organizations. Orphanages andschools
are built in its service. Many people who want to be a part of it all are drawn
in to the kingdom's influences in this way. And sometimes, people are inspired
by Jesus Himself—but in a completely wrong way. They are inspired by the
goodness ofHis teaching, and the charms of His life. They look upon Him as a
greatphilospher or a religious leader or teacher. And sometimes, people are
simply “religious” by nature, and love to be a part of a church community.
The kingdom of Jesus would draw all kinds of people under its influence for
all sorts of reasons. And they will think that, just because they are 'in the
dragnet', they must be 'goodfish'. But many of those who are drawn by the
kingdom's influences in this world—and who even attach themselves to Jesus'
kingdom in active ways—willprove in the end to have no part in His kingdom
at all. He said,
“Noteveryone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of
heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will sayto Me

in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, castout
demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I
will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice
lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23).
This means, of course, that Jesus'kingdom will grow and spreadacross this
earth with—for a time—a mixture of “good” and“bad” in its midst. But then,
again, He has already told us this in one of His previous parables. He said,
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heavenis like
a man who sowedgoodseedin his field; but while men slept, his enemy came
and sowedtares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had
sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of
the ownercame and said to him, 'Sir, did you not sow goodseedin your field?
How then does it have tares?'He said to them, 'An enemy has done this.' The
servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gatherthem up?' But he
said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheatwith
them. Let both grow togetheruntil the harvest, and at the time of harvest I
will sayto the reapers, “Firstgather togetherthe tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gatherthe wheatinto my barn”'” (Matthew 13:24-
30).
So; another lessonthis parable teaches us is that we are not to be surprised
when we discoverthat the “net” contains both good and bad in it. Jesus has
chosento allow His kingdom to draw into its influence both the goodand the
bad; and to make a final distinction betweenthem at the end of the age.
* * * * * * * * * *
This leads us, next, to consider. . .

3. THE SEPARATION FROM THE GOOD.
Our Lord said that, once the net was full and was drawn to the shore, the
fishermen “satdown and gathered the goodinto vessels, but threw the bad
away. So it will be at the end of the age.” (vv. 48-49). He tells us that, at that
time, the angels will come forth and separate the wickedfrom among the
good. He will, at that time, make a distinction.
Again, that's not the wayyou or I might have thought of doing it. Perhaps we
would have thought of sending down scuba-divers who would have kept the
bad fish out of the net, and directed only the goodfish in. So, why is it that the
Lord has chosento grow His kingdom in this way? Why does He allow the
bad to be drawn into the influence of the kingdom, and to be mixed up and
mingled with the goodfor such a long period of time?
Ultimately, we must say that we don't know, and must bow humbly to our
Lord's wisdom. But I can think of at leasttwo reasons why it may be that He
has done things in this way. Forone thing, I believe that our Lord has allowed
this because He is greatin mercy and grace. As the apostle Peterhas written;
But, beloved, do not forgetthis one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness,but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance (2
Peter3:8-9).
He is a goodand merciful Savior;and when the final judgment comes, no one
who heard His gospelwill be able to saythat He did not give them ample
opportunity to believe it and trust in Him. No one under the influence of His

“gospeldragnet” will be able to have an excuse for not knowing Him and
trusting Him as they should.
But another reasonI can think of for why it may be that our Lord allows the
bad to be drawn in with the goodfor so long is in order to, ultimately, show
display Himself clearlyas a righteous and just Judge who clearlydistinguishes
betweenthe righteous and the unrighteous. He says;
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him,
then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered
before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheepon His right hand,
but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand,
‘Come, you blessedof My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from
the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was
thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a strangerand you took Me in; I was
nakedand you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and
you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answerHim, saying, ‘Lord, when
did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When
did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or
when did we see You sick, orin prison, and come to You?’ And the King will
answerand sayto them, ‘Assuredly, I sayto you, inasmuch as you did it to
one of the leastof these My brethren, you did it to Me.’Then He will also say
to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting
fire prepared for the devil and his angels:for I was hungry and you gave Me
no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a strangerand you did
not take Me in, nakedand you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you
did not visit Me.’ Then they also will answerHim, saying, ‘Lord, when did we
see You hungry or thirsty or a strangeror nakedor sick or in prison, and did
not minister to You?’ Then He will answerthem, saying, ‘Assuredly, I sayto
you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the leastof these, you did not do it

to Me.’ And these will go awayinto everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into eternallife” (Matthew 25:31-46).
This, then, is another lessonconcerning Jesus'kingdomthat we learn from
this parable. We are to understand that though the kingdom will draw into its
influence both the righteous and the wicked—andthough we ourselves may
not always be able to tell the difference—Jesus Himselfknows those who are
truly His within His dragnet. And on the great day of judgment when the
dragnet is pulled to shore, He will see to it that the bad fish are separated
from the good—bothto the praise of His grace, andto the glory of His justice.
* * * * * * * * * *
And this leads us to a final and very sobering thing to consider;and that is . . .
4. THE JUDGMENT OF THE BAD.
I think it's very instructive that, in this parable, the Lord doesn't tell us about
the destiny of those who are His “just” ones. In the parable of the wheat and
the tares, He does tell us about their destiny. He tells us that, on that greatday
when He returns to this earth and commences His earthly reign with the great
“separation”,then “the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of
their Father” (v. 43). But there is no such joyful note here in this parable.
Instead, Jesus ends with the dreadful word of warning that the angels “will
come forth, separate the wickedfrom among the just, and castthem into the
furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (vv. 49-50). And I
suggestthat this underscores the main purpose of this parable—a parable that
comes at the end of all the others. It is meant to be a word of warning; calling
us who have come under the influence of Jesus'kingdom to, with the utmost

sense ofseriousness andurgency, be very sure that we truly belong in His
kingdom.
Some people saythat they prefer Jesus'teaching in the Bible over those 'nasty
and harsh' apostles. “Thoseapostles”, they say, “and especiallyPaul,
preacheda lot of talk about 'hell' and 'judgment' and 'fire'. But Jesus spoke of
love and acceptance.” Butthe truth of the matter is that Jesus spoke more
about eternal judgment than anyone else in the Bible. And what's more, He
used horribly graphic terms to describe it. There is a reason. It's because He is
the Saviorof mankind who will also one day come as the Judge of all the
earth. He loves people more than they realize, and does not wish for them to
suffer the eternal punishment that He promises will be poured out on the
wicked. Therefore, He speaks in horrible terms about eternaljudgment. It's
because He does not want people to experience it and has come to save them
from it!
Look at what He says. He says that, “at the end of the age”—thatis, at the end
of this current period of grace;the time betweenHis first coming as Savior
and the day when He will return againas Judge;during this day when us poor
wickedsinners may be drawn into His kingdom influences, and believe the
gospel, and come to know Him by faith, and live in obedience to Him as “just”
followers—atthe end of this age, the wickedwill be castinto the furnace of
fire. “There,” He says, “willbe wailing and gnashing of teeth”.
“Wailing” suggestsanguish. The place of eternaljudgment is a place of
conscious torment. And I believe that one of the greatestaspects ofthat
torment will be an eternal separationfrom the One who made us for Himself,
but whom we did not desire. The wickeddid not want to bow to Him or serve
Him or even know Him; and then—to their eternalanguish—they will have
what they wanted.

But it was startling to me to discoverthat “gnashing ofteeth” suggestsmalice.
Did you know that every other time that the phrase “gnashing of teeth” is
mentioned in the Bible, it describes intense hatred and malice?1 King David
wrote of how the wicked“plots againstthe just and gnashes athim with his
teeth” (Psalm 37:12); or of how ungodly mockers atfeasts “gnashedatme
with their teeth” (Psalm 35:16). Lamentations speaks ofhow the enemies of
Israel“have openedtheir mouth againstyou; they hiss and gnash their teeth”
(Lam. 2:16). And in the book of Acts, after Stephen preached to the Jewish
leaders—justbefore they rose up and stonedhim to death—we're told that
“they were cut to the heart, and they gnashedat him with their teeth” (Acts
7:54).
Could it be that those who once made a greatprofessionof being in Jesus'
“dragnet”, but who in fact refused to truly humble themselves before Him and
know Him by faith, will one day in judgment show their true characterand
“gnash” atHim with their teeth? What a horrible thought!
* * * * * * * * * *
This, then, is the greatestand most important lessonto be learned from this
most crucial of the seven “kingdom” parables:Those who are drawn into the
influence of Jesus'kingdommust be sure—must be very,very sure—that they
truly have a part in it.
The apostle Paulgave this word of warning once—to a church full of
professing Christians, mind you;
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Testyourselves. Do you
not know yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are
disqualified (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Don't ignore that word of warning. Take it seriously. Examine yourself as if
that self-examinationwas the most important thing you could possibly do;
because it is. Your eternal desinty depends upon making it certain. Is Jesus
Christ truly in you? Do you have an ongoing, growing relationshipwith Him?
Do you demonstrate the clear, unmistakable evidence of a transformed life—
the kind of transformed life that proves that He dwells in you?
This parable warns us that, just because you're drawn by the influence of the
kingdom, that doesn'tmean that you have a place in it. Make very sure that
you have a place in His kingdom. Make very sure that you have trusted Jesus
Christ by faith.
1The phrase in the Greek, as it is found in this verse, is ho brubmos ton
odonton. The exceptionis in Mark 9:13, with reference to the demon-
possessedboy. There, the word used is trizo; “to creak”;by analogy, to grate
the teeth.
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Copyright © 2006 BethanyBible Church, All Rights Reserved
JACK ARNOLD
THE PARABLE OF THE DRAGNET

Matthew 13:47-50
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Do you as a Christian sometimes wonder if God is really on the throne
and ruling over this world? When you see sin, graft, corruption, immorality,
perversion, injustice, prejudice, hatred, war and a multitude of other
inequities, do you sometimes question whether God has everything under
control. These kinds of thoughts in a Christian come from his frail humanity
and most certainly show a lack of faith in God’s Word. God tells us that He is
sovereignlyruling over all things and His plans and purposes are coming to
pass. God’s plan for this world as we know it will be consummated at the end
of this present age at the secondadvent of Christ (Daniel 4:35; Isaiah 46:9, 10;
Proverbs 21:1). NOTE:It is normal to question whether God is providentially
reigning over all but this is really a lapse in faith. God assures us that He is
ruling and reigning and that there is a future judgment coming for all men
without exception.

Daniel 4:35: And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and
he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the
inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What
does thou?
Isaiah46:9, 10: Rememberthe former things of old: for I am God, and there
is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counselshall stand, and I will do
all my pleasure.
Proverbs 21:1: The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of
water: he turneth it whithersoeverhe will.
B. You remember how these parables in Matthew 13 speak ofthe
development of the kingdom program when Christ and His kingdom are
absent from the earth. These parables tell us what God is doing behind the
scenes ofhistory and in the age in which we live. This age beganat the first
advent of Christ and will close atthe secondadvent. The parables of Matthew
13 give us the mystery of history and we can see this present age as God sees
it. God has seenfit, through parables, to allow us to understand something
about His plans and purposes. NOTE:The Parable of the Dragnettells us

that God is ruling over evil in this present age and that He will judge all evil at
the secondadvent.
C. This particular parable was spokenonto to Christ’s disciples and not
to the unsaved multitudes. We conclude, therefore, that this parable was
directed to men of faith, and faith we must have if we are going to get a divine
viewpoint of life. NOTE:Every Christian has said to himself, “How long,
Lord, must injustice reign, sin corrupt, your holy name be blasphemed and
your Son, Jesus Christ, be spurned and mockedamong men?” The Parable of
the Dragnetis designedto tell Christians to relax. God has it all under control
and will judge all sin and sinful men at God’s appointed hour.
II. THE PARABLE 13:47, 48
A. The Lord uses an illustration that would be very familiar to His
disciples, most of whom were fishermen. He speaks ofa mammoth net or
seine that was castinto the sea and the net is no respecteroffish. Every
conceivable kind of fish could get caughtin this kind of a dragnet. When the
net was full, and only when it was full, it was draggedto shore where the good
fish and the bad fish were separated. The goodfish were put into a special
vesseland the bad fish were thrown away.

B. The symbols in this parable are fairly easyto understand because our
Lord chose to give us a divine interpretation. (1) The “dragnet” is the
proclamation of the gospelas it is wateredby the convicting work of the Holy
Spirit. (John 16:8). When the gospelis declared, the Holy Spirit begins to
bring conviction to the human heart. (2) The “sea” is symbolic of the mass of
humanity (Rev. 13:1), for the sea is used symbolically of the nations or the
human race. The net of the gospelsomehow affects the whole of humanity in
this present age. (3)The “fish” which are not specificallymentioned refers to
all types and kinds of people in the world who are confronted with the gospel
and convictedby the Holy Spirit. (4) The “goodfish” representthose who
respond to Jesus Christ by faith, receiving Christ’s righteousness so as to be
declaredrighteous or just before God who is holy and righteous (Romans
3:24). Menare declaredrighteous only because of their relationship to Jesus
Christ. No man has any natural righteousness that is acceptable to God
(Isaiah 64:6). Righteousnessis found only in Christ (Romans 1:16, 17). (5)
The “bad fish” representthose who do not have Christ as their personalLord
and Savior. They have rejectedChrist and therefore have no righteousness
that makes them acceptable to God. NOTE:People are not born goodbut all
men are born bad because the whole human race is a fallen race. We are all
born into lost humanity. We all have evil at work within us and that evil will
create in our charactera resistance to truth. All of humanity is in a hopeless
and helpless condition spiritually unless God intervenes to change a person’s
position and characterbefore God.
John 16:8: And when he (H.S.) Is come, he will reprove (convict) the world of
sin, and of righteousness and judgment.

Romans 3:24: Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus.
Isaiah64:6: But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are
as filthy rags . . .
Romans 1:16, 17:For I am not ashamedof the gospelof Christ: for it is the
powerof God unto salvationto every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and
also to the Greek. Fortherein is the righteousness ofGod revealedfrom faith
to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
C. The difference between bad and goodpeople in this parable is that one
group see their need of salvationand respond to Christ by faith. The other
group see no need to be savedand spurn the person of Jesus Christ. NOTE:
The gospelof Christ makes men face up to reality. The gospelis the final
truth, the ultimate reality and the fundamental secretto life. The “good” are
those who deal honestly with Christ, who when they learn what is realand
genuine about Him, they respond by faith to Him. The “bad” are those who
run from the reality of Christ, who have no realdesire to put themselves

under the Lordship of Christ. They wilfully choose the world of unbelief, to
the world of faith, thy physical realm rather than the spiritual, selfrather
than Christ, and unreality rather than reality. NOTE: When a person is
confronted with the gospelof Christ, it reveals what kind of person he is. It
tells whether a personwill deal honestly with the truth or whether he will
rejectit and turn from it. The gospelisolates a man and causes him to make a
decisionabout Christ. His final decisionmakes a separation, for he either
follows Christ or turns from Him. NOTE:The gospelofChrist drives men
one way or the other. If a person believes and acts upon the truth, he will
never be the same again. It will change everything about his life, not all at
once and never completely in a lifetime, but gradually, little by little every
area of one’s life becomes affectedby the truth of Jesus Christ. But the same
is true if a person rejects the gospelofChrist. If he spurns the truth, then he
will never be the same again. He will become more and more hardened to
spiritual truth. NOTE:The gospelhardens or softens, depending upon one’s
response to it (II Cor. 2:14-16). The gospelis like a net which captures people
and eventually exposes whatthey are and lays bare the true motives of the
heart.
II Cor. 2:14-16 (NAS): But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His
triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweetaroma of the
knowledge ofHim in every place. For we are a fragrance ofChrist to God
among those who are being savedand among those who are perishing; to the
one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life . . .
III. THE INTERPRETATION13:49, 50

A. Our Lord tells us that this separating of the goodfrom the bad will
occur“at the end of the world.” Literally this means “at the end of the age”
which will close with the secondadvent of Jesus Christ when He will come as a
judge. The dragnet of the gospelhas been exposing men to the truth of Christ
and separating them into believers and unbelievers throughout this present
age, but at the end of this age there will be a massive, public demonstration
before every one of this division among men. NOTE:As we move on down
toward the end of the age, this division among believers and unbelievers is
going to become more acute and obvious. It is going to become increasingly
more difficult to be a neutral towards the true gospelof Christ. True
believers will be forced to take their stands for Christ. Unbelief will be
rampant towards the end of the age and it will become more and more
difficult to play the hypocrite. It is going to be harder to pretend to be a
Christian. Persecutionand the darkness of unbelief will cause the genuine
believers to stick out like a beautiful diamond in a sea ofdarkness. NOTE:
We believe that right at the end of the age there will be a period of tribulation
which will occurseven years before the secondadvent (Matthew 24:21, 22).
True believers will be severelypersecutedbut God will stop this Great
Tribulation to preserve His living elect.
Matthew 24:21, 22: Forthen shall be greattribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor evershall be. And except those
days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:but for the elect’s
sake those days shall be shortened.

B. Our Lord says that the angels will do the dividing betweenthe good
(just) and the bad (wicked)in this present age. Angles will be Christ’s
servants to separate believers from unbelievers; that is, those who truly follow
Christ and those who do not.
C. These angels with God’s full authority will castthe unbelievers into
the fiery furnace of hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“Weeping” speaksofgreatremorse and sorrow. “Gnashing ofteeth” speaks
of frustration and hateful anger. Whatis meant by the “burning fire” I am
not sure. Hell may be real fire or it may not. Whateverit is not we do know
what it is; hell is a place of eternalpunishment and total separationfrom God.
NOTE:It is never easyfor anyone to preachon judgment and hell, but a
faithful minister must do this, for eternal judgment is a reality and an
intricate part of the gospel. It is interesting to note that Jesus Christhad
more to say about hell than any other person in the Bible. The loving,
compassionateChristwho offers salvationto all men is the same Christ who
said that unbelievers would be castinto hell at the end of this age. NOTE:
You may say, “Why do we need a hell?” The answeris that hell is the just
dessertfor a man or woman who is a sinner and a rejecterof Jesus Christ.
ILLUSTRATION: Andrews Jackson. ILLUSTRATION:Ironside.
ILLUSTRATION: President Andrew Jackson, who was a Christian, made a
famous reply to a young man who objected to the doctrine of future

punishments. “I thank God,” said the youth, “I have too much goodsense to
believe there is a place as hell.” “Well, sir,” said PresidentJackson, “Ithank
God there is such a place.” “Why, Mr President,” askedthe young man,
“What do you want with such a place of torment as hell?” To which President
Jacksonreplied as quick as lightning, “To put such rascals as you in, that
oppose and vilify the Christian religion.” The young man said no more, and
soonafter found it convenient to leave.
ILLUSTRATION: Dr. H. A. Ironside used to tell people a story about hell as
it related to his own life. He said, “I remember how, when I was a little boy,
my mother would draw me to her knee and speak to me so solemnly of the
importance of trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior. And I would say
to her, ‘Mama, I would like to do it, but all the boys would laugh at me.’
‘Harry,’ my mother would say, ‘they may laugh you into hell, but they can
never laugh you out of it.’”
D. While the intent in this parable is to tell men about the terrible
consequencesofrejecting Christ, the King, we must never forget what the
marvelous benefits are for those who receive Him as the King, Lord and
Savior. Those who receive Christ become heirs with Christ and they are
guaranteeda place in Christ’s kingdom in time and eternity (Romans 8:17).
True believers shall be in Christ’s kingdom! As they hymn writer so well
stated, “To be with Christ will crown it all!” True believers are placed in a
specialvessel.

Romans 8:17: And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with
Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may also be glorified together.
E. We beganthis sermon by asking, “Is God ruling? Will God bring sin
and sinners into judgment? Will God triumph over evil?” The answeris
“yes.” Godsovereignlyreigns over all and His plans and purposes are
certain. Fearnot, Christian, your God will vindicate Himself at the second
advent of Jesus Christ. At that time, Christ will judge the world in
righteousness (Acts 17:31). Godwill have the lastword. It may appear at
times that God is losing the war againstsin, but be assuredthat, while it may
appear that some battles are lostto sin and the forces ofevil, that God will win
the war. One day God will make a public demonstration againstall sin and
sinners at the secondadvent of Christ.
Acts 17:31:Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the
world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereofhe hath
given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
IV. CONCLUSION

A. Are you a goodperson or a bad person? Are you a just man or a
wickedman? Are you a believer or unbeliever? In God’s eyes you are either
one or the other. You are either a believer, good and just or you are an
unbeliever, bad and wicked. If you are a believer, rejoice, foryours is the
kingdom of Christ. But if you are an unbeliever, you should be shakento the
roots and in a cold sweat, foryou will have no part in Christ’s kingdom and
will be eternally separatedfrom God.
B. Have you obeyed the gospeland believed in Christ? The scriptures
give a warning to all who do not obey the gospel(I Peter4:17, 18; I Thess. 1:7-
9).
I Peter4:17, 18:For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house
of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not
the gospelofGod? And if the righteous scarcelybe saved, where shall the
ungodly and the sinner appear?

I Thess. 1:7-9:And you who are troubled restwith us, when the Lord Jesus
shall be revealedfrom heavenwith his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking
vengeance onthem that know not God, and that obey not the gospelof our
Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence ofthe Lord, and from the glory of his power.
WILLIAM BARCLAY
The CatchAnd The Separation(Matthew 13:47-50)
13:47-50 "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net which was castinto the
sea, and which gathered all kinds of things. When it was full, they hauled it up
on to the shore, and satdown, and collectedthe goodcontents into containers,
but threw the useless contents away. So it will be at the end of the age. The
angels will come, and they will separate the evil from the righteous, and they
will castthem into the furnace of fire. There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth there."
It was the most natural thing in the world that Jesus shoulduse illustrations
from fishing when he was speaking to fishermen. It was as if he said to them:
"Look how your daffy work speaks to you of the things of heaven."
In Palestine there were two main ways of fishing. One was with the casting-
net, the amphiblestron (Greek #293). Itwas a hand-net which was castfrom
the shore. Thomsondescribes the process:"The net is in shape like the top of
a bell-tent, with a long cord fastenedto the apex. This is tied to the arm, and

the net so folded that, when it is thrown, it expands to its utmost
circumference, around which are strung beads of lead to make it drop
suddenly to the bottom. Now, see the actor; half bent, and more than half
naked, he keenly watches the playful surf, and there he spies his game
tumbling in carelesslytowardhim. Forwardhe leaps to meet it. Away goes the
net, expanding as it flies, and its leadedcircumference strikes the bottom ere
the silly fish is aware that its meshes have closedaround him. By the aid of the
cord the fishermen leisurely draws up the net and the fish with it. This
requires a keeneye, an active frame, and greatskill in throwing the net. He,
too, must be patient, watchful, wide awake,and prompt to seize the exact
moment to throw."
The secondwayof fishing was with the drag-net, the sagene (Greek#4522),
what we would call the seine net or the trawl. This is the way referred to in
this parable. The seine net was a greatsquare net with cords at eachcorner,
and weightedso that, at rest, it hung, as it were, upright in the water. When
the boat beganto move, the net was drawn into the shape of a great cone and
into the cone all kinds of fish were swept.
The net was then drawn to land, and the catchwas separated. The useless
material was flung away;the goodwas put into containers. It is interesting to
note that sometimes the fish were put alive into containers rifled with water.
There was no other way to transport them in freshness overany time or any
distance.
There are two greatlessons in this parable.
(i) It is in the nature of the drag-net that it does not, and cannot, discriminate.
It is bound to draw in all kinds of things in its course through the water. Its
contents are bound to be a mixture. If we apply that to the Church, which is

the instrument of God's Kingdom upon earth, it means that the Church
cannot be discriminative but is bound to be a mixture of all kinds of people,
goodand bad, useless and useful.
There have always been two views of the Church--the exclusive and the
inclusive. The exclusive view holds that the Church is for people who are
good, people who are really and fully committed, people who are quite
different from the world. There is an attractionin that view, but it is not the
New Testamentview, because, apartfrom anything else, who is to do the
judging, when we are told that we must not judge? (Matthew 7:1
http://www.crossbooks.com/verse.asp?ref=Mt+7%3A1). Itis not any man's
place to say who is committed to Christ and who is not. The inclusive view
feels instinctively that the Church must be open to all, and that, like the drag-
net, so long as it is a human institution it is bound to be a mixture. That is
exactly what this parable teaches.
(ii) But equally this parable teaches thatthe time of separationwill come when
the goodand the bad are sent to their respective destinations. That separation,
however, certainas it is, is not man's work but God's. Therefore it is our duty
to gather in all who will come, and not to judge or separate, but to leave the
final judgment to God.
BRIAN BELL
Matthew 13:47-58 8-21-16
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and everything in between
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Jesus' Parable of the Dragnet Explained

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