Parables are nothing less than the structural foundation of the Bible. It is necessary that you know and understand this one fact: The Bible is understood by understanding parables … ALL the parables. Not just those spoken by Jesus, but every one of the numerous parables contained in the Old and New Covenants. Parables contain an inner message consisting of spiritual truths and moral lessons that reveal the multi-faceted characteristics of the nature and ways of God and His kingdom. In this way, the Bible, a finite book, can and does fully portray an infinite God.

Jesus saw the stories of the Old Covenant as parables having hidden moral lessons. For example, recall the time the Sadducees questioned Jesus concerning the resurrection. They based their inquiry on a passage from Deuteronomy.

5 “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her.
6 “It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.”(Deuteronomy 25:5-6)

With this statute from God, the Sadducees hope to trap Jesus with a question. However, their question shows their lack of understanding of the above passage. Their question and Jesus’ answer is as follows:

18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER.
20 “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children.
21 “The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise;
22 and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also.
23 “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?
25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
26 “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’?
27 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.” (Mark 12:18-27)

Jesus is not taken in by their false narrative, and His response clearly indicates that the Sadducees lacked understanding. Their question showed that their line of reasoning was not revealed to them by the Holy Spirit.

The Bible depicts stories and events that were carefully selected by God so that the Holy Spirit can reveal any characteristic of God through them. Through the Bible stories, the Holy Spirit can provide insight, hope, encouragement, grace and much more to provide help to you when you need it.