All by itself the earth produces a crop—first the stalk, then the head, then grain that ripens within.For the earth bears fruit by itself: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.The earth beareth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.
4 sermons cite this verse
… The earth brings forth on its own automatically. First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain in the ear is ripe, he sends forth the harvesters because the harvest has come. And he went on saying, so that the birds of the air can find shelter in its shade. With many parables like this, he would publicly speak the message to them, just as they were able to hear. And he would not speak to them without a parable, but when he was alone with his own disciples, he would explain everything. Now on that same day, when evening had come, he says to his disciples, let's go across to the other side of the sea. And after they dismissed the crowd, they took him with them in the boat because he was in the boat and there were other boats with him. And then it happened, a furious windstorm and the waves are beginning to break into the boat so that now the boat's starting to fill with water. But he was in the back of the boat on a cushion asleep. And they wake him. Teacher, they say, teacher, does it not concern you that we are perishing? And he awoke and rebuked the wind and says to the sea, quiet, be still. And the wind ceased and everything was completely calm. …
… Until next week. Mark chapter 4, verse 28. All by itself. The soil. So the soil represents God. So the soil represents in him I live and move and have my being. So the soil lets me know that when the seed went out of sight, it didn't go away. It went somewhere to change. Everything in your life has to go through the soil to become what it's meant to be. If it never gets planted, it never becomes grain. If it never becomes grain, it will never be bread. If it never is bread, it will never be what it was meant to be. So before it can be bread, it has to be buried. You never heard about buried bread because you'll just get it from the bakery. You'll just look at someone's life and say, they're so patient, they're so wonderful, they're so amazing. Well, before they became bread, let me tell you what they were. They were buried. They went through something that pulled out something, that changed something, that broke through something. …
But what is it to be born-again? I have already said that I cannot tell you how the Spirit of God operates upon the unregenerate, making them to be new creatures in Christ Jesus. I know that He usually operates through the Word— through the proclamation of the Truth of the Gospel. So far as we know, He works upon the mind according to the laws of mind by first illuminating the understanding. He then controls the judgment, influences the will and changes the affections. But over and above all that we can describe there is a marvelous power which He exerts which must remain among the inscrutable mysteries of this finite state, even if we can never comprehend it. By this power such a wondrous effect is produced that a man becomes a new man as much as if he had returned to his native nothingness and had been born-again in an altogether higher sphere! A new nature is created within him, although the old nature is not entirely eradicated. It will ultimately be destroyed, but it is not destroyed at first. Yet a new nature is born within the man, a nature which hates what the old nature loved, and loves what the old nature hated—a new nature which is akin to the Nature of God! That is a wonderful sentence in Peter's second Epistle, "that by these you might be partakers of the Divine Nature." In his first Epistle, he writes concerning "being born-again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the Word of God which lives and abides forever." This living seed is sown within our hearts and there it begins to grow, "first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear." The new birth is the implanting of that living seed within the soul—it is the creation within us of that new, Divine, immortal life. We must have that life or we cannot see or enter the Kingdom of God. …
II. THE TEXT MAY BE ANSWERED IN THE NEGATIVE. "Does the plowman plow all day to sow?" No, he does not always plow. After he has plowed, he breaks the clods, sows, reaps and threshes. In the Chapter before us you will see that other works of husbandry are mentioned. The plowman has many other things to do beside plowing. There is an advance in what he does—this teaches us that there is the same on God's part and should be the same on ours. First, on God's part there is an advance in what He does. "Does the plowman plow all day?" No, he goes forward to other matters. It may be that in the case of some of you, the Lord has been using certain painful agencies to plow you. You are feeling the terrors of the Law, the bitterness of sin, the holiness of God, the weakness of the flesh and the shadow of the wrath to come. Is this going to last forever? Will it continue till the spirit fails and the soul expires? Listen— "Does the plowman plow all day?" No, he is preparing for something else—he plows to sow. Thus does the Lord deal with you! Therefore be of good courage, there is an end to the wounding and slaying—and better things are in store for you. You are poor and needy and you seek water, but there is none and your tongue fails for thirst. But the Lord will hear you and deliver you! He will not contend forever, neither will He always be angry. He will turn again and He will have compassion upon us. He will not always make furrows by His chiding. He will come and cast in the precious corn of consolation and water it with the dews of Heaven and smile upon it with the sunlight of His Grace—and there shall soon be in you, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear—and in due season you shall joy as with the joy of harvest! O you who are sorely wounded in the place of dragons, I hear you cry! Does God always send terror and conviction of sin? Listen to this—"If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." And what is the call of God to the willing and obedient but this, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved"? You shall be saved now, find peace now if you will have done with yourself and all looking to your own good works to save you—and will turn to Him who paid the ransom for you upon the Cross! The Lord is gentle and tender, and full of compassion. He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger forever. …