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Parallel Bible Verses Connecting The New Testament To The Old Testament Through The Gospels

Sometimes the Old Testament can be an underutilized tool. The focus is on the old covenant, right? After all, all of the stuff we need to know is derived from the New Testament. Not so fast. The links and connections between the Old and New Testaments are pivotal to Christianity. It is through these associations and direct quotes that promises and prophecies are actualized, and a deeper understanding of Christ’s New Covenant can be attained. In fact, fulfillment was always a part of God’s divine plan.

Jesus came to Earth to complete His purpose. God promised salvation in the Old Testament, and Jesus served as the vehicle to ensure salvation is available for all. 

To help you deepen your Bible Study and understanding, below is a list of the numerous interconnected scripture throughout the four Gospels. 

Remember

The Old Testament is important to incorporate into your Bible Study. By discovering parallels between the Old and the New Testaments, you are better able to understand and appreciate the inner-workings of God’s plan. 

- Torrance Church of Christ

The Parable about Parables

It is no secret that Jesus heavily taught in parables, but have you ever wondered why that is? His twelve disciples were curious as to why He preferred to teach using parables. In fact, on one occasion, after sharing a parable by a lake, His disciples asked Jesus why He favored teaching in parables. 

Jesus questioned His disciples:

Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 

Mark 4:13

So, what then was the parable Jesus taught by the lake that day? 

The Parable of the Sower

The Gospels of Matthew (13:3-23), Mark (4:3-20), and Luke (8:5-15) provide corresponding accounts of the Parable of the Sower. 

In this parable, Jesus unfolds a story about a farmer who went to sow his seed. As the farmer sprinkled the seed along the soil, some of the seed fell on soil on the path, soil in rocky areas, soil in thorny areas, and on good soil. 

Consequently, hungry birds flew in and ate up the seed that fell on the path. The seeds that fell in rocky areas sprouted quickly, but the soil was shallow and the rocks prevented the plants from taking a deep root; ultimately blocking sufficient nutrients and water. Because of this, the plants died because the heat of the sun was too much to bear. The seed that fell among thorns was obstructed by the piercing bristles. This rendered the plant incapable of bearing grain. Fortunately, the seed that fell among the good soil had all of the right conditions to amply grow and prosper. The bountiful crop multiplied a hundred, or sixty, or thirty times what was sown. 

Jesus ended the parable with:

“Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Matthew 13:9

Symbolism

+The Farmer depicts God

+The Seed depicts the Word of God

+The Soil on the Path depicts people who have heard the Word of God, but as soon as they have, Satan sneaks in and turns them away. 

+The Soil on Rock depicts people who have heard the Word of God. They believe and accept His Word. However, they are not able to take root in His Word. So in times of persecution and testing, they fall away. 

The Soil among Thorns depicts people who have heard the Word of God, but as life progresses, they become enamored by worldly pleasures, worries, and gains. They took root, but the thorns got in the way and inhibited them from maturing. 

+The Good Soil depicts people who have heard the Word of God and understand it. They continue to live by His Word and produce a prolific crop. 

How Can The Parable of the Sower Be Considered The Parable About Parables?

This is the point where His disciples ask Jesus why He speaks in parables.

This is why I speak to them in parables:

“Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”                               

Matthew 13:13

Here, Jesus is reiterating Isaiah. 

“Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise, they might see with their eyes,  hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”

Isaiah 6:9-10

All three accounts of the Parable of the Sower indicate that those who have the Word of God rooted within them are privy to understanding God’s messages. We see this in the scriptures below:

“Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.”

Matthew 13:11-12

+

“But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Matthew 13:16-17

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He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables”

Mark 4:11

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He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others, I speak in parables”

Luke 8:10

God has extended His Word and Grace to everyone- those planted on the path, among the rocks, intertwined with thorns, and in the good soil. However, only those who have cultivated their hearts with good soil are receptive to the messages and meaning of His Word. They are the ones who will truly understand. All others are on the outside. All they hear is a parable- a little story about a farmer. The Parable of the Sower reflects Jesus’ purpose of teaching with parables. 

Summing It All Up

The Parable of the Sower illustrates the inner workings of the parables Christ used throughout His ministry. Those who are close to Him, who haven’t hardened their hearts to His messages, are privileged to receive the powerful and transformative proclamations of the Word of God. 

Now, the only question that remains is what soil are you?

The Banquet Parables

The Parables of the Embarrassed Guest, Luncheon for the Poor, and the Great Banquet can all be found in chapter 14 of Luke. These three parables begin with the same setting. One Sabbath day, Jesus is dining at the house of a prominent Pharisee. Jesus knew that he was being scrutinized throughout the meal. He took the opportunity to teach the Pharisee and his guest a valuable lesson about the New Covenant, The Kingdom of God, and the attributes that are required to get into His Kingdom: compassion, humility, kindness, and charity, just to name a few. 

We will also discuss the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, which is found in Matthew chapter 22. In the Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Jesus is teaching to a crowd gathered at the temple. Chief priests and elders came over and began to question Jesus and His authority. 

The Parable of the Embarrassed Guest 

When he noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:7-11

The message is clear here. Dodge prideful ways. Keep pride out of your thoughts and actions. Don’t assume your esteem. Humble yourself. 

Humility is a resounding theme throughout the Bible. 

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The Parable of the Luncheon for the Poor 

Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:12-14

Remember, act with kindness. Don’t do things just because you expect something out of them. Do something because it is right. Show compassion and love. Be charitable. Help others, even if you don’t agree with them; even if you don’t like them. 

Give, help, and support because you can. 

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The Parable of the Great Banquet 

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

Luke 14:15–24

There are a couple of things to consider in this parable. 

The original guests invited to the banquet made up excuses as to why they wouldn’t be able to attend. These guests put their own wants and desires above their prior obligation to the host. 

So the host had his servant go out and invite people on the street to his banquet. Not just any people, but the poor, downtrodden, and dejected. 

Breaking it down:

• The Host is God
• The Banquet Hall is the Kingdom of God
• The Original Guests are the Pharisees and others of the Old Covenant
• The Servant is a disciple of Jesus
• The New Guests are the unclean, common man. You and me

The Pharisees of the Old Covenant mocked Jesus and His teachings. They put their wants and desires above God and His teachings. They were prideful and did not feel the need to submit themselves to Him. 

Meanwhile, the common people, Gentile or Jew, who were willing to listen and commit themselves to follow the New Covenant are invited to God’s Kingdom. Despite being seen as less in the eyes of the Pharisees, God knew their worth. 

Everyone who puts God and His teachings first is invited to the Kingdom of God-the sinners and righteous alike. 

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The Parable of the Wedding Banquet 

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Matthew 22:1-14

This parable is interchangeable with the Great Banquet. But there is a dark twist. Some of the people who denied the king’s invitation abused and killed his servants when they came calling. 

As a follower of God, there will be people who don’t understand you. You’ll come across those who will mock and criticize you and your faith. Don’t judge them, but stand firm in your faith. 

At the end of the parable, a man who was not dressed for the occasion was found among the king’s guests. The man wasn’t welcomed, so the king kicked the man to the curb. This man represents those who walk the line. They believe they are doing just enough, but still not fully committing themselves to Him. 

You can't straddle the line between God’s ways and the way of man. 

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In Closing

Through Christ, we are invited to have eternal salvation. He knows we are not without sin, yet He wants us to be with Him forever. Actually, beyond forever. How special and astonishing is it that somebody loves each of us so much that they want to spend an endless amount of time with us? The gift He is offering us is unlike anything that exists on this earth. This is why we must heed His words as well as His warnings. It is our decision if we will take Him up on His invitation.

- Torrance Church of Christ