Matthew 13:35
This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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It's easy to see Jesus speaking in parables as just a teaching style, but this verse reveals it as a deliberate unfolding of mysteries hidden from the very beginning of time. The chosen words, "utter what has been hidden," point to Jesus revealing divine truths that were veiled from the foundation of the world, bringing them into the light through his stories.
Just before this verse, Jesus had finished teaching the crowds in parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, like the mustard seed and the leaven. He then turned to his disciples and explained these parables privately, revealing the deeper meaning of his teachings and the unfolding of God's kingdom. Matthew inserts this quote to show that Jesus' use of parables wasn't random, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy, a divine method for revealing hidden truths.
Why did Jesus choose parables, of all ways to teach? It wasn't just for storytelling; it was a divine strategy to reveal profound truths.
Matthew 13:35 tells us Jesus spoke in parables to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. This wasn't about making things harder to understand, but about revealing divine mysteries that were hidden from the very beginning of time.
Revealing the Unseen
The prophet Asaph, in Psalm 78, spoke of opening his mouth in "parables" and uttering "hidden things." Matthew applies this to Jesus, highlighting that Jesus' parables weren't just simple stories. They were designed to unlock God's deep truths about His kingdom—truths that had been concealed within God's own mind since creation.
From Ages Past to Present
These weren't new ideas suddenly appearing. They were the unfolding of a plan and a wisdom that existed with God from eternity. Jesus, by using parables, was bringing these age-old, hidden mysteries into the light for those with ears to hear.
The Old Testament spoke of a future teacher, but Matthew sees that teacher's voice already present in Jesus' parables.
Matthew quotes Psalm 78:2, attributing it to 'the prophet.' While the original psalm was spoken by Asaph, a Levite and seer, Matthew uses this prophecy as a lens to understand Jesus' ministry.
A Familiar Voice, A New Message
The prophecy wasn't necessarily a direct prediction about Jesus in a predictive sense, but rather a description of a style and purpose of speaking that Matthew saw perfectly mirrored in Jesus. Asaph used 'parables' and 'dark sayings' to convey God's history and will to Israel. Jesus, likewise, used parables to convey the even greater mysteries of God's kingdom.
Beyond Literal Prediction
Matthew, in his characteristic way, saw the of Jesus' teaching fulfilling the of the prophet's words. The ancient words, describing a wise and illustrative way of speaking, found their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, the ultimate revealer of God's hidden wisdom.
Understand the original words
plēroō · Greek Verb
To make something true or bring it to completion, especially regarding the prophetic Scriptures. It signifies that the events of Jesus' life and ministry were in accordance with the divine plan ordained by God in the Old Testament.
prophētēs · Greek Noun
A spokesperson for God, inspired by the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s will or future purposes. In this context, it refers to those who spoke the message of God in the Old Testament, whose words find their ultimate realization in Christ.
katabolē · Greek Noun
In this context, referring to the origin of the created order, the beginning of time, or the inception of the world as established by God. It denotes that which has been determined by God's decree from the very beginning.
Jesus' teaching in parables wasn't just a stylistic choice; it was a deliberate fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy, revealing divine mysteries that had been hidden from the world's beginning.
c. 970 BC
Asaph's Psalm of Israel's History
Asaph, a musician in King David's court, composes Psalm 78, a lengthy historical review of God's faithfulness and Israel's unfaithfulness from the Exodus to David's reign. He uses poetic language and 'dark sayings' to convey profound truths about God's covenant dealings.
Early 1st century AD— this verse
Jesus Teaches in Parables
Jesus begins teaching the multitudes in parables, using familiar imagery like mustard seeds and leaven to illustrate the nature and growth of the Kingdom of Heaven. This method intentionally veils the deepest truths from those unwilling to understand, while revealing them to his disciples.
c. AD 60-62
Matthew Records Jesus' Ministry
The Gospel of Matthew is written, compiling Jesus' teachings and actions. Matthew specifically highlights Jesus' use of parables and connects this teaching method to Psalm 78, seeing it as a fulfillment of ancient prophecy.
This is the direct source passage quoted in Matthew, highlighting that Jesus' use of parables to reveal hidden truths about God's kingdom was a fulfillment of ancient prophetic language.
1 Corinthians 2:7This passage speaks of God's hidden wisdom, planned before the world began, which parallels Matthew 13:35's mention of 'things kept secret since the foundation of the world' revealed through Christ.
Romans 16:25Paul refers to a 'mystery hidden for ages' but now revealed, mirroring how Jesus' parables unveiled divine mysteries previously concealed from the world.
Isaiah 6:9-10While Jesus' teaching in parables here has a fulfilling aspect, this passage from Isaiah describes a similar prophetic commission where understanding is withheld from a resistant audience, illustrating the dual purpose of Jesus' parabolic teaching.
calvinMatthew 13:31-35: "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"
- He delivered another parable to them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard, which a man took and sowed in his field: 32. Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown up, it is the largest among herbs, [220] and becometh a tree, so that the fowls of heaven come and make their nests among its…
clarkeMatthew 13:35: "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."
By the prophet - As the quotation is taken from Psalm 78:2 , which is attributed to Asaph, he must be the prophet who is meant in the text; and, indeed, he is expressly called a prophet, 1 Chronicles 25:2 . Several MSS. have Ησαιου, Isaiah; but this is a manifest error. Jerome supposes that Asaph…
It's easy to see Jesus speaking in parables as just a teaching style, but this verse reveals it as a deliberate unfolding of mysteries hidden from the very beginning of time. The chosen words, "utter what has been hidden," point to Jesus revealing divine truths that were veiled from the foundation of the world, bringing them into the light through his stories.
Just before this verse, Jesus had finished teaching the crowds in parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, like the mustard seed and the leaven. He then turned to his disciples and explained these parables privately, revealing the deeper meaning of his teachings and the unfolding of God's kingdom. Matthew inserts this quote to show that Jesus' use of parables wasn't random, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy, a divine method for revealing hidden truths.
Just before this verse, Jesus had finished teaching the crowds in parables about the Kingdom of Heaven, like the mustard seed and the leaven. He then turned to his disciples and explained these parables privately, revealing the deeper meaning of his teachings and the unfolding of God's kingdom. Matthew inserts this quote to show that Jesus' use of parables wasn't random, but a fulfillment of ancient prophecy, a divine method for revealing hidden truths.
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"This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
“I will open my mouth in parables;
I will utter what has been hidden since the foundation of the world.”" — It's easy to see Jesus speaking in parables as just a teaching style, but this verse reveals it as a deliberate unfolding of mysteries hidden from the very beginning of time. The chosen words, "utter…