Mark 6_1_6

Monday: WHAT DOES THE TEXT SAY?

And He went out from thence and came into His own country; and His disciples follow Him. And when the Sabbath day was come, He began to teach in the synagogue and many hearing Him were astonished saying “from whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto Him, that even such mighty works are wrought by His hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and his own house.” And He could there do no mighty work, save that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages, teaching. (Mark 6:1-6)

And when He was come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is this not the son of Mary, and His brethren, James and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? And His sisters are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? And they were offended in Him. But Jesus said unto them, “A prophet is not without honor, save in His own country, and in his own house. And He did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. (Matt 13:54-58)

Summary: Jesus leaves Capernaum and comes to the town He was raised in, Nazareth. On the Sabbath day He taught in the local synagogue and the people were amazed at His teaching because He had such wisdom. They wondered where this wisdom came from along with the mighty works they had heard about. As they wondered these things they said isn’t this the man we all know, the carpenter, the son Mary. We also know His brothers and sisters James, Joses, Juda, and Simon they all live among us. At this they became offended and Jesus seeing this said “A prophet has honor everywhere he goes except for when he comes to his hometown and is with the people who know him.” And because of their offense and disbelieve Jesus didn’t do many mighty works there with the exception of laying His hands on a few sick folks making them well. He marveled at their disbelief and left to go teach in other villages in Galilee.

Tuesday/Wednesday: WHAT DOES THE TEXT MEAN?

Important Words:

Teach (didaskō) Main Verb = to provide instruction (2x in this text Vs. 1 and Vs. 6)

Astonished (ekplēssomai) Verb = to drive out of one’s senses, greatly amazed.

Mighty Work(s) (10x in Mark) (2x in text Vs. 2 and 5) (dynamis) = Miraculous Works, Supernatural works.

Hands (2x)

Offended (skandalizō) Verb = to stumble, to cause to sin or to cause another to anger or shock implying sin is involved if carried out.

Could do no – (Could = Be able) (Do = perform) (No = nothing) See Matthew 13:58 (He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief. THIS DOES NOT MEAN HE WAS POWERLESS TO DO MIRACLES BUT THAT HIS REPSONSE WAS DUE TO FAITH.

Marveled (thaumazō) Verb = Be amazed, be in wonder. *5x in Mark yet this is the ONLY OCCURANCE OF AMAZMENT BEING ASCRIBED TO JESUS.

Unbelief (apistia) = not believing, lack of faith.

Prophet (prophētēs) = One who proclaims God’s utterances and interprets His will. (Inspired Teacher)

Who? Jesus = The suffering Servant who gave His life for the ransom of many.

The Disciples = the twelve men called by Jesus to follow and Him and bear witness about after His death and resurrection.

Towns People = Those who heard Him teach and were offended at His wisdom and might.

Mary = Mother of Jesus.

James = Jesus’ half brother.

Joses = Jesus’ half brother.

Jude = Jesus’ half brother.

Simon = Half brother of Jesus.

Sisters

What? Jesus teaching in the synagogue and the towns people were offended and rejected Him. He could not do mighty works there because of the people’s unbelief at which Jesus marveled at.

Where? Nazareth in the synagogue

When? His second year of ministry (second tour of Galilee) after leaving Capernaum

Why? Why did Jesus return to Nazareth?

For rest after He healed the demon possessed, diseased, and dead.

To give the people of Nazareth a second opportunity to receive Him as Messiah.

Why did Jesus teach in the synagogue?

Because He was invited. (Custom teaches that to speak came by invitation)

To give the worshippers in Nazareth a second opportunity to receive Him as Messiah. (Luke 4:16-30)

To train His Disciples

Why were the people astonished?

He spoke with authority (unlike speakers of His day which regurgitated what others rabbis thought)

The people knew that Jesus had not received rabbinical training

The people knew Jesus as the carpenter

Why were the people offended?

They knew Jesus as an ordinary man, as a carpenter who works with His hands as many of them worked with their hands. They saw this carpenter as one parading around as a rabbi and a miracle worker.

They asked, Isn’t this the son of Mary which was a derogatory statement. It was an insult to be called the son of a mother instead of the farther even if the father was not living.

This shows they did know at all Who Jesus was nor His father

This also speaks of the people seeing Jesus as an illegitimate son.

The people were incapable of appreciating Jesus because of their familiarity with Jesus; they identified Him with themselves so closely.

Why could Jesus do no mighty works in Nazareth?

Because Jesus responds to faith not unbelief. Salvation is by Grace alone, through Faith alone, in Christ Jesus alone. This is not an issue of Jesus’ might being dependent upon man’s faith but His refusal to act in regards of faithlessness. Scripture teaches that the world was created through Jesus (John 1:1-5, Col. 1:16-17) yet the world was dark and void (void of people so completely void of faith).

Why did Jesus Marvel?

It was their deep lack of faith.

Marvel is used 6 times in Mark, 5 times it means amazement. In each occurrence amazement is ascribed to others towards Jesus, with this one exception, Jesus marveled at the deep lack of faith of those who knew Him well.

5:20 All man marveled at what Jesus did for the Demoniac

12:17 The Pharisees marveled at Jesus as He answered “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.

15:5 Pilate Marveled as Jesus did not answer Him

15:44 Pilate Marveled that Jesus was already dead

How?

How did Jesus Teach?

With the authority within Himself Mark 1:22

How did Jesus get His wisdom and power?

He is God come in the flesh.

It was given Him by God the Father as He walked perfectly in the will of God. Luke 2:52

How did Jesus do miracles?

By the Power of God

By laying of His hands

As a response to Faith

Context: We must begin by seeing the Grace of God in this scene as Jesus returns to Nazareth and teaches in the synagogue where He had been rejected once before. Luke 4:16-30 records this event which took place a year before. While there Jesus taught that the messianic prophecy of Isaiah 61:1-2 was fulfilled in Him. At this statement the townspeople tried to kill Him by driving Him out of the city and to the cliff on which their city was built in order to throw Him down. But Jesus passed through them and left.

Jesus has returned to teach again in His hometown giving them a second chance at receiving their messiah. Yet again Jesus was rejected in Nazareth, this was their final rejection. Jesus made in plain in Mark 3:28-29 that rejection will never be forgiven. Because of the people’s response Jesus did not do many mighty miraculous works there yet He did heal a few showing personal faith is responded to by Jesus.

It is important to contrast the faith of Jairus and the suffering lady of Chapter 5 who did not know Jesus well with the disbelief of those in His hometown who knew Jesus well. Those who were witnesses to Jesus raising Jairus dead daughter were amazed at what they saw now in Nazareth those who heard Jesus were astonished at His wisdom and His miracle working power which they had heard of and seen as He healed a few people in His hometown.

Thursday: WHAT DOES THE TEXT MATTER?

We must look past the familiarity we have with Jesus and see Him as He truly is, the Son of God who became the Suffering Servant who paid the ransom for our souls. This is not intellectual knowledge but heart knowledge. Today it seems that most everyone has heard of Jesus giving them familiarity based what they have heard form a loved one, a Sunday School Teacher, a friend, a politician, a preacher, a broadcast, a pod cast but not many people know Him by faith which is the only way that matters. To not receive Jesus by faith is to reject Jesus out right and this sin will never be forgiven. God is gracious and allows us many opportunities to receive Him but we must do just that, receive Jesus by faith. All but a few people rejected Jesus in Nazareth and their rejection was all out and final and to the best of my knowledge Jesus didn’t return. Let us respond to Him today through faith.

Friday: Preaching Outline

Mark 6:1-6“Fatal Familiarity”

Intro: While in Malawi Africa during the summer of 18 I was shocked at the response of the Gospel, many people were being saved and I had a hard believing it was real because this didn’t happen in the U.S. While speaking about this I was reminded that people in third word countries are desperately searching for hope and when offered to them they jump at the opportunity.

We live in a society that is all too familiar with Jesus yet there is little personal knowledge of Him through faith.

CPS: To be familiar with Jesus is to reject Jesus, those who reject Jesus will be condemned by Jesus but those who know Jesus by faith will be received by Jesus and granted newness of life.

Jesus taught those most familiar with Him Vs 1 -2a

He returned to Preach (Luke 4:16-30) (Is. 61:1-2)He had come to the poorest of the poor, those in Nazareth (fulfilling Prophecy) *The Grace of Jesus

Teach (didaskō) Main Verb = to provide instruction (2x in this text Vs. 1 and Vs. 6)….. He taught that He was the Messiah came to heal their broken souls.

ILL: An atheist and a preacher were having a dispute about the existence of God. , “If there is a God, may he prove himself by striking me dead right now.” Nothing happened. “You see, there is not a God.” The preacher responded, “You’ve only proved that He is a gracious God.”

The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines Grace as “the free and unearned favor of God” in the Christian vocabulary we call grace God’s unmerited favor. Grace is certainly free and unmerited but I think A.W. Pink best defines grace while saying “unmerited favor is picking up a tramp from the side of the road and bringing him home in order to cook him a delicious a nourishing meal, but that is hardly grace. Grace is picking up a tramp from the side of the road and bringing him home then after he had beaten you and robbed you of all that you possess you cook him a delicious nourishing meal.

In this text we see God’s grace revealed through His patience and persistence towards those who once tried to end His earthly life.

The Patience of God (The capacity to suffer much) *1st Peter 3:9

The Persistence of God (The firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.) God is the God of second chances! *1st Tim 2:4-6

Jesus was rejected by those most familiar with Him Vs. 2b - 4

The people astonished

Astonished (ekplēssō)= astonished, to be greatly amazed.

Ill: Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson are going camping. They pitch their tent under the stars and went to sleep. In the middle of the night Holmes wakes Watson up: “Watson, look up at the stars, and tell me what you deduce.” Watson: “I see millions of stars and even if a few of those have planets, it’s quite likely there are some planets like Earth, and if there are a few planets like Earth out there, there might also be life.”

Holmes: “Watson, you idiot, somebody’s stolen our tent!”

The people of Nazareth could not deduce (arrive at a conclusion by reasoning) where Jesus received this wisdom and might from, He was not educated; this was the boy who grew up among them.

The people offended

Offended - (skandalizō) Verb = to stumble, to cause to sin or to cause another to anger or shock implying sin is involved if carried out….. were made to stumble in Him.

This is an ego problem….

Ill: A preacher came to the breakfast table with a cut on his cheek. His wife asked him what had happened. He replied that he was concentrating on his sermon while shaving and cut his face. His wife said, “Maybe you should concentrate on your shaving and cut your sermons.” (Who does she think she is)

*** Who does he think he is? – Wasn’t He one of them…. = Rejection

Jesus marveled at the faithlessness of those most familiar with HimVs. 5-6

His Proverb

His lack of works

Their unbelief

Conclusion: To be familiar with Jesus is to reject Jesus and at the end of your life your will be sore upset. Familiarity is not enough what is needed is intimate knowledge, this comes by faith.