Parable of the Mustard Seed size." The Parable of the Leaven (which in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke immediately follows) shares this theme of large growth from small beginnings. As with the Parable of the Sower, which in "Matthew" and "Mark" occurs earlier in the same chapter, the man sowing the seed represents Jesus, and the plant is the Kingdom of God. The nesting birds may refer to Old Testament texts which emphasize the universal reach of God's empire, such as Daniel 4:12. However, a real mustard plant is unlikely to attract nesting birds, so that "Jesus seems deliberately to emphasize the notion of
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament an e-book for Amazon Kindle, and as a Bible software add-on for products including Accordance, Logos, QuickVerse and WORDsearch. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament was edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, and published by Baker Books in 2007. It is a comprehensive Bible commentary on Old Testament references within the New Testament. The editors headed a team of scholars to identify, explain and comment on both the direct quotations within the text of the New Testament and its many other probable allusions