world and the good and evil things in it (6: 19-7:12). (3) Invitations
to enter the kingdom (Matthew 7:13-29).

He was equally plain in regard to His own mission. He declared Himself
to be the Son of God and claimed equality with the Father (John
5:18-23). He said, "I and My Father are one" (John 10:30). He
affirmed His preexistence and that He had glory with the Father before
the world was (John 17:5) and whoever had seen Him had seen the Father
(John 14:9). At His trial, in answer to the question of the High
Priest, He declared that He was the Christ, the Son of God (Matthew
26:63-66). After His resurrection He told His disciples, in sending
them forth to their mission, that all power was given Him in heaven
and in earth (Matthew 28:18-20).

Parables (Mark 4:2; Matthew 13:3).--Christ spoke in parables to convey
and send home to the hearts of His hearers the truth, just as Nathan
employed the parable of the lamb in the case of David to make him
acknowledge his sin. They were adapted to the capacities of His
hearers. Each parable had some great central truth.

The parables have been classified as:

1. The Theoretic, which teach general truths concerning the kingdom of
God, such as, "The Sower" (Matthew 13:3-23), "The Treasure" and "The
Pearl" (Matthew 13:44,45).

2. Grace, setting forth the divine goodness and grace as the source of
salvation and law of Christian life, such as, "The Lost Coin," "The
Lost Sheep" and "The Lost Boy" (Luke 15).