SUFFERING KING: THE BOOK OF MARK:
Home Town: Mark 6:1-6
Pastor John Weathersby
Sunday May 17, 2020
Today, we’ll see people amazed with Jesus but not moved and we’ll see Jesus amazed by them.
The amount of time that goes into a message at Transcend is say 8 to 10 hours. Pastor John and I were talking some the other day about various approaches and tools. We both use Logos Bible Software, we share a few tools that we like, such as the treasury of scripture knowledge, we both look to the original language (but at different times in the process and approach). We both bring notes into the pulpit, I bring a manuscript his is more of an outline… but why?
Careful diligent study of the scriptures helps us to battle unbelief. Jesus’ miracles weren’t to soften hardened hearts, they weren’t to sustain faith, they were to help validate His early message and get people to become captivated by the Word – today he’ll marvel that faith in the word, backed by miracles hasn’t made his hometown people see the truth.
What about us?
We’ll see a people today, astonished by Jesus teaching of the scriptures go BACK to secondary issues (isn’t he the son of Mary, Isn’t he a carpenter, isn’t he from our town) to not believe in the messages that He points to from the scriptures.
Today we’ll see these people wonder at Jesus, but slander Him. And consider, how are WE received in our “home town” and whether our own familiarity with Jesus message and works can battle in us unbelief – perhaps we’ll freshly appreciate God’s gospel?
Mark 6:1–6 (ESV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
1 He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.
2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?
On Jesus’ first visit, he opened to Isaiah, prophecy about himself healing broken hearted, recovering of the sight to the blind, setting at liberty people and then started teaching the people saying, this scripture is fulfilled.
He read the prophecy of the messiah to come, said this is about me, and this was BEFORE His public ministry had fully started, before He’d healed the sick, cast out demons, etc. Jesus would show them the blessings of God on “un-likley people”. A serial was cleaned of leperacy, Jesus showed God’s grace upon ALL men – they brought Him to a cliff and he passed through their midst.
Jesus disciples were hundreds 12 were specifically apostles. However, here He shows up with the many to Nazareth. His first time alone and rejected, now with multitudes following and believing in Jesus – on the Sabbath day, reads the scriptures and preached. They were “astonished” and “wondered” they saw his “wisdom” and they “wondered” at the mighty works.
Astonished
Wondered
Wisdom
Wonder
Luke records these two visits, the first they ask “is this not the son of Joseph” – now they ask, “is this not the son of Mary”.
Why?
Was this a kind of jab?
I’ve worked for several WIC Programs in my life. They have this tool that they often give to nutritionists to help project birthdates, pregnancy maturity etc. it’s a little wheel where you put in some dates and it projects other dates, like birth etc. I used to walk around the office and ask co-workers their children’s birthdays and their anniversary date and look at the other dates on the tool.
I’m a funny person.
In John 8, Jesus is talking to the Pharisees in the temple courts as he was teaching people there. When the pharisees bring in a woman caught in adultery. They try to trap Him – it doesn’t work and they talk about why, Jesus says He judges according to His Father, they take the opportunity and say
John 8:41 (ESV)
41 You are doing the works your father did.” They said to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality. We have one Father—even God.”
And there it is.
When backed into a corner they resulted to personal attacks, Jesus we know your mother “conceived by the holy Spirit” we know you were born 7 months after your parents were married, OK wink wink nod nod, and you talk about your father….
Note before His good works the were OK with Him coming and teaching for a bit, they called Him Son of Joseph, now back in 6:1-3 He comes to town with several disciples and He is suddenly the son of Marry.
Interesting that they saw the insult, but not the insights. “behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son and name him Emmanuel, meaning God with us” (Matthew 1:23) – perhaps they’d bought goods and services from He and Joseph, he was familiar, common to them,
Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”
“where did he get this knowledge and power”…
Astonished
Wondered
Wisdom
And yet, they didn’t believe.
Remember, Jesus everywhere he goes, they’d bring their sick, rip holes in the roof, crawl to touch him, leaders of synagogues would bow to him but not Nazareth. Their unbelief, they continue in their reflections:
3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
They knew He was from their town, they know his family, they’d interacted with Him. Some of them likely grew up with Him, and so their unbelief was based on limited knowledge of Jesus. They didn’t really know Him, and they certainly didn’t understand Him. But, they let their high-level thinking get in the way of their really knowing Him, it wouldn’t be that difficult to track back His works and His words.
They’d been astonished by His teaching, but rather than focus here, they decided to allow all kinds of questions and unimportant facts (like we know His family, he is from here, we know Him) to seemingly invalidate His teaching and His miraculous actions.
Remember, Jesus has JUST healed a dead girl, cured a woman with decades long illness, and freed a man tormented by demons – maybe he’s come here for rest, and His own town denies Him, its foolishness of them really – they’re blinded by their desire to NOT believe.
4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.”
5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them.
In that event in John 8 – Jesus showed His judgement – the woman caught, redhanded guilty was a object for salvation and love, not wrath. He said, which of you hasn’t sinned and wants to judge her… then, He turned to them and said, do you think you’re in right standing because your descended from Abraham?
What did he say to the woman in John 8?
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.” ]]
I Am the Light of the World
12 Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Following Jesus – brings us out of the darkness and into the light. In this passage what we see is a people who have strong thoughts about Jesus – despite not really examining the scriptures, without contemplating Him, rather, they jeer His family tree – ignoring the scriptures claim that there salvation would come in EXACTLY THIS WAY.
They highlight something that so important – listening to people over God is a dangerous thing.
How do we listen to God?
I’m so glad you asked – In. His. Word.
Did someone tell you they heard from God that you should…. Great, tell them you didn’t hear it and see if God said it in His word.
Did a church tell you God commanded something from you, great – is it in His Word?
This scripture is where God communicates to His people, not through private revelation.
Read with me Jeremiah 17:9 (ESV)
9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
Does that describe to you a place you should go for wisdom?
If they’d gone to the scripture for wisdom, if they’d have said, show me in the scriptures – if you’re watching that’s what he’s there to do. In John 8 he is teaching from Scripture, with His disciples he is teaching from Scripture – little things like eating and rest got in the way of His teaching from Scripture, teaching in the synagogue, teaching from a boat, teaching from town to town, but he didn’t do great works here – because the people believed what other said and didn’t turn to the Scripture.
What about us? Are we amazed with Jesus but not moved?
Does our unbelief keep us from God, keep us from Jesus? If we see the gospel, today – we should turn to Him, to peace, freedom, to salvation – to God in grace.
The turn from darkness to light feels difficult, but it is freedom!
What was Jesus reaction to His hometown who’d reacted with Astonishment, and Wonder at His Wisdom but yet, didn’t believe:
Luke 23:8–10 (ESV)
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him, and he was hoping to see some sign done by him.
9 So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer.
Hard hearted Herod wouldn’t see a sign from Jesus, in Matthew 12:39 Jesus said “Matthew 12:39 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” – why, because miracles weren’t entertainment, they weren’t the Netflix of the day designed to eat up your time and make you say ohhhh and ahhhhh, they’re to draw you towards seeing His gospel message, repenting and believing.
Here, they’d determined to harden their hearts.
6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.
And he went about among the villages teaching.
He Marveled! He marveled that they could be amazed with Him but not moved
Have you seen salvation on a person? There is so much evidence for Jesus salvation and power in the church today. Radical change, addicts with no hope, slanderers with anger – who are love filled people druggies lost and near death who are now believers that serve Jesus with their lives!
Church, do those around us wonder at Jesus, yet slander Him?
Are they astonished at Jesus legacy 2k years ago, but they deny Him?
How are we received in our own home town?
Perhaps people say of you, oh I know who you really are – I remember you – you’re nothing special.
They’re right, Church! Let’s point through our witness but TO God! Point people to the scripture, have them read John’s gospel and ask,
Is this real?
What does this say about Jesus?
What does Jesus life say about me?
What the scripture is. What the scripture says about Jesus. And what Jesus says about me – that’s the lead in to the mighty works in Mark 6:5 that Jesus would have been doing in their midst if the people would look to scripture, come to Him and be transformed.
Mark 6:5 (ESV)
6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him.
So often, we look to argue.
Jesus frees us from that need – we simply need to:
live for Him,
revel in Him,
point to Him,
pray to Him, and
wait for Him.
We need to be amazed with Jesus AND moved.
Don’t become overly familiar with Jesus miracles, and with the word – dive into it, be reverent towards it – don’t chase interesting experiences, movements, modern miracles Joy in Christ, joy in God’s word and worship!
Pray, Observe, Apply.
