The Tragedy of Unbelief
We're thankful for the beautiful weather. We are praying for all those victims, and the families affected the homes affected there, in Mississippi or horrible, horrible storm.
May the Lord. Help them during this time. Mark chapter 6.
Verse number one. Since then he went out from there and came to his own country. And his disciples followed him. And when the Sabbath had come, I began to teach in a synagogue. And many hearing him were astonished saying, where did this man get these things? And what wisdom is this, which he, which is given to him, that such Mighty works, are performed by his hands. Is this not the carpenter? The son of Mary and brother of James, joses, Judas and Simon are not. His sister is here with us. So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country among his own relatives, and in his own house. He could do no Mighty work there except that you delay. Latest hands on a few sick people and healed them and he marveled the cause of their unbelief. Then he went about the villages in a circuit teaching. Let's pray together. Are Great and Mighty. Father, we humbly bow before your presence. All we, thank you, Lord, for this this day that you have given us, this is the day that you have made and we certainly rejoice in it. Thank you, Lord, for each person, that is here, those of our members, those who are visiting pray, God that you would speak to us. Father, I pray that you would open up our hearts to receive your word and prepare our hearts. My maintenance. And humility that we are able to apply the truth of the scripture to our heart. Father, we ask you Lord to
Speak to those Lord who are here who do not know your son Jesus. I pray, father. That today would be the day of salvation.
Father, I pray that every Christian here is strengthened and edified by Your Word feed us today. Father, we ask all these things in Christ name, amen. Want to speak to you this morning on this. Stop the tragedy of unbelief the tragedy of unbelief over the last few weeks we have noticed. This overall theme that Mark has is really wanting us as his readers to see. And that is he wants us to see the lordship of Jesus Christ. He wants us to know that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is King. He is the Son of God, and we have seen that, he is Jesus is Lord over the storm. He's Lord over nature as he calmed the Raging Sea, on the Sea of Galilee, we saw how Jesus he is, Lord over Satan, and how he healed that demoniac there in the Gatherings. And then we saw last week how he is Lord even over sickness And even over that you raised Jarius is daughter from the dead. And so, you would think with all that knowledge, But seeing all these Miracle, these Supernatural happenings at all is well.
But no, that's not the case not according to our text. We find here in returning to his hometown. This is Jesus, as visiting his last visit to his home town of Nazareth. As far as We Know, His previous homecoming. His first visit did not go well at all Luke chapter 4 tells us about that. How that Jesus went to Nazareth. He spoke there in the synagogue and he claimed to be the prophet that was sent from God. And initially the people of Nazareth were impressed by his preaching, Luke 4:22 tells us that, but the town that where he grew up, and they turned on him and they actually attempted to murder him and it is here and Luke chapter 4, that Jesus said that a prophet is not welcome in his own country. Well in spite of being treated this way. Jesus, returns this time with his 12 disciples and for his disciples, it would be a painful but very instructive time for them. Time of training for them. As we consider how Jesus was treated by his own home town, as we consider how Jesus was treated by his own family about his own friends, might be good for us, this morning, to reflect on, how we treat, and how we respond to the Lord Jesus Christ. To the one who was rejected by those who were certain that they knew him best. So with that in mind, it is critically important. Is it it is of utmost importance that we see Jesus as he truly is, and we see Jesus as he is revealed in the word of God, not as we might hope not as we might wish not as we might want him to be, but we see him completely and thoroughly as he used to be seen as he is display to us in the word of God.
don't want us to consider our Lord's visit to Nazareth today, as What happened there? Has something to say to those of us who are saved.
And it has something to say to those who are here this morning who are not safe. The first thing, I want you to notice with me this morning, as we look at this text,
Is that the people? We're shocked by the ministry of Jesus. The people were shocked by the ministry of Jesus, those in his hometown. Rashad. The people of Nazareth. They had an opinion of Jesus. They had an opinion of Jesus. They were not neutral. Concern the Lord Jesus. As a matter of fact, no one. Is neutral concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself said this, you are either for me. Or against me. You cannot sit on the fence. And so what? I'm just a neutral. Note to be neutral is to be against the Lord. Jesus Christ, there is no such thing as being neutral. And there are many who are content to believe that they are neither for, or against the Lord Jesus Christ. They believe they don't have an opinion of Jesus, but they are foolish. Because everyone has an opinion concerning who Jesus is.
There are those who would say, well, I just have a very high opinion of who Jesus is
Unfortunately, those opinions often fail to measure up. To the full Biblical Portrait of who Jesus is.
and I say that by meaning too often, even to those who claim to know him, we're tempted to take a cafeteria approach to Jesus. Selecting those parts of Jesus, that we find pleasing to our taste. And we like to think of the love of Jesus. We love to think only about the acceptance of Jesus. We love to think only about the Peace of Jesus. But the other aspects of his person, the other aspects, and nature of his nature. Most people just want to Simply Passover. Now yes, praise the Lord. Jesus does love a man. But because he loves so great. He hates that which would bring us harm. He hates sin. And yes, Jesus is very accepting. those of us who have been saved have been accepted in the Beloved, the scripture tells us Jesus is very accepting, but as we shall see in our text, he does not accept everyone. He only accepts those who respond to him by face, that's what the scripture teaches us. So Jesus, here. He heads back to his hometown. It's a reunions of sorts. Of course, Nazareth was a nowhere town. It was made up of nobody's, it would have been considered in that day. He cash town. Something. Maybe, I can to Greenbrier something. I don't know.
I hope none of you are from Greenbrier My romantic. I just thought about that. I got I know one. LaGrange Nazareth was a very small town, very small town. Theologians believe his stories believe, maybe just 150 people 200 people. Nazareth is very interesting, never mentioned in the Old Testament, is never mentioned in rabbinic teachings or literature. And it only receives very little attention. In the New Testament it so it is no wonder that Nathaniel said when he being called a disciple. Say, can anything good? Come out of Nazareth. Oh yes, it can. Jesus came out of Nazareth and we can we see here mark 16:1? Then he then Jesus went out from there. Now, where is there? Where did he come out from? Well, Mark is linking us back to Jerry says home. Jesus has just left and his disciples just leaving Jerry's his home. And came into his own country. Now, why is Mark telling us this with Marcus showing us the contrast? Here, the contrast of where he came from it was was a place of great faith, Jarius a religious leader, the ruler of the synagogue, had great faith in the Messiah that the Messiah could heal, and even raised his daughter from the dad. And so you take that contrast to this particular situation this context and you seen that he comes to a place of no face unbelief. Scripture tells us a one and his disciples followed him. and when the Sabbath had come, And began to teach in the synagogue. In many hearing him were astonished. Supposed to Taos is that on the Sabbath day, Jesus taught in the synagogue in the people were astonished. They were amazed, they were overwhelmed, they were struck by what they were hearing. They were struck by the words of Jesus Christ and listen, they were right to be astonished by the words of Jesus. They were correct to be amazed by the words of Jesus but understand, listen, his teachings alone. Are not enough. Listen, even though they were astonished and Amazed by what Jesus said, their amazement again, turn to skepticism much like it did in his first trip to Nashville. So do we see here in our texts? They began to ask at least five questions. Among themselves, the first three questions are really in a positive light.
Where did this man? Get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are these Miracles performed by his hands? Now those were positive. The last two questions. They ask her more than they negative. Isn't this the carpenter? The son of Mary and a brother James, joses Judas and Simon. And are not his sister's here with us as though. All of these questions were meant to be very disparaging. To the Lord Jesus Christ.
And again, they did not deny what he was saying, they did not deny what he was doing. Which really makes their rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ. All the more amazing does it not and it makes them even more comfortable and makes him even more responsible. You're they heard with her ears, they saw with her eyes. The supernatural works of Jesus yet. 8 rejected him.
And it makes us even more sad.
I say this because if he did not get these things, This wisdom in these, Mighty works from God. Then from home, did he get it from How did he get these things? Melissa Leisure questions that they should have asked themselves.
And honestly, they chose not to answer the question. I remember in chapter 3, how about the scribes returning to Jerusalem? They claimed that everything he did and everything, he said he did in the power of Satan.
In our day. Some simply claim that Jesus was just super smart. It was just a great intellectual philosopher. So those who deny his miracles, those who deny his resurrection can applaud, at least his teachings at least portions of it. Listen, his teachings should astonish us his teachings should amazes but that is not enough.
we seeing the rest of us to his miracles, make Captivate you but even that is not enough
Verse to tells us in Windows tablet, had, he began to teach in the synagogue and many hearing him were astonished saying. Where did this man? Get these things? And what wisdom is this, which is given to him, that such Mighty works, are performed by his hands. So then they admitted they saw his miracles performed by his hands. and at this time, we know that the number of Miracles are just astounding In chapter one, we know that Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law. He healed all types of sicknesses. He healed the leper and chapter 1 and chapter. Number 2, he healed the paralytic and chapter 3. He healed a man with a deformed hand and chapter 4, he calmed the Raging Sea, just by speaking. And then in chapter 5, as we have, just recently saw he healed the demoniac, he healed the lady, who came to him with an issue of blood and he, and he healed and raised from the dead. Jerry, is his daughter. So there are many, many, many miracles. And again, his hometown did not deny all these things, but these things do not bring them to Faith. They simply cannot reconcile what he was doing, what he has done and who they think you must be. So you want to ask yourself? How can this be? How can they be so blind? But what we must understand is this. Is that a part from the eyes of faith? No one will say no one will say Jesus for who he truly is.
You say in and out of themselves, Miracles are not enough. They're not enough. One Theologian said this. Jesus miracles are divinely ordained signs declaring in capital letters that this one is the Christ. The son of God, therefore, believe him Download p.m.
Do I have the people of Nazareth? Her, the message of Jesus. They rejected the message. Because they thought they knew everything there was to know about him. I mean, after all he had grown up among them, right? He was one of their own. They had seen him play there in Nazareth as a child. He, they knew his family or at least they thought they knew him. They knew that Jesus had never been to the the Divinity schools of the day. They knew that Jesus had no formal training, they knew everything there was to know about Jesus or so they thought. To them. Jesus, Jesus was just another boy from Nazareth. He did not deserve the respect. He did not deserve to be listened to as the teacher. They saw Jesus just as a common man. As a carpenter. we noticed this and verse 3, the negative question start coming. Is this not the carpenter? The son of Mary. Until we see here that the ridicule.
Really asked you lights from his hometown. Isn't this the carpenter the word Carpenter is the Greek word? Tekton
Means wood, worker.
We need to understand a carpenter. In those days, did not always build houses, they were not necessarily framers. There were not set divisions going in. Like they are in Conway and even here in Vilonia Carpenter in those days, were those who would build Ox, yolks or plow. Sometimes it would be things like tables, or chairs and beds. The were Carpenter referred to men who could do anything from carving out a plate, to building a house. We would call him maybe a handyman a man who might have been a jack-of-all-trades. And so the people of Nazareth think about this The people of Nazareth probably has things in their home that Jesus Christ had built for them. And this is why they saw him just as a common Craftsman. I still have that table in their dining room. It still had that bed that Jesus made earlier. They looked at him and said, hey, you are no better than we are. Why should we listen to you?
Sadly, I have seen this same sentiment and you have as well, maybe even as a preacher or a pastor who has an opportunity to serve here and his own church. But it's just regarded by those who claim to know him best.
We notice the phrase. Isn't this the carpenter? The son of Mary. I miss phrase here. Was never use publicly in that Society. A male was always referred to as the son of his father. Even if his father was dead, that's what you call a boy, the son of his mother was to imply that his mother had play the Harlot. The people were calling the birth of Jesus and the question. Now, why would they do this?
The people in that, they rejected the notion that Jesus was born by Supernatural. Means they rejected the notion that Jesus was born of a virgin. And they constantly called his birth into question. In other words, they were saying if anyone should know who you are, we should. You're nothing special. You are just one of us. You are a nobody, you were a illegitimate child to top it off. so you see the abstinence You see the unbelief? Their minds are made up as to who they thought Jesus was and no matter of amount of evidence that they witnessed would change their mind.
Obstinate. I notice we see the people stumbled over the ministry of Jesus. Secondly we see the people stumbled over the ministry of Jesus. Verse 3 tells us is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary. The brother of James Jose's Judas and Simon and are not his sister's here with us. So they were offended at him. But Jesus said to them, a prophet is not without honor, except in his own country among his own relatives, and in his own house. so, as We Gather from our texts, Not everyone responds to Jesus in the same way. Not everyone responds to Jesus in the same way. This is seen throughout all the New Testament. The Apostle Paul in 1st Corinthians. Says Jesus death on the cross. As our substitute, Paul said was a stumbling block for the Jews. And it was seen as foolishness to the Gentiles. however, as our text reveals even before the cross, Those who knew Jesus the best. Found his ministry to be offensive. Again, what we learn is that Jesus is teaching and his miracles do not automatically produced Fates. They actually offended those who knew him best.
it actually finding those to whom they had at one point fellowship with But not anymore, all that has changed. They were offended at him. The word offended in verse 3 is a word that means scandalized. They were scandalized by all this talk and all this hoopla, all that people are giving to Jesus. The word offended has the idea to calls to stumble, or to be repelled to the point of abandonment. Until we see here, Jesus offends, their personal sensibilities again, his works tonight, they cannot deny his words, they cannot handle, but they do not care. And in spite of overwhelming evidence evidence, they will not believe that he is the Christ, the son of God,
So, it's clear that this state of mind.
You still with us today?
People reject. What they cannot clearly explained. when it comes to Jesus, there is so much that cannot be explained to people satisfaction And what I mean, is this. People seem to have very little trouble with the manger scene. I seem to be able to accept a little harmless baby lying in a Manger. But when you tell people that that little baby was born of a virgin and that he is God In the Flesh, they can't handle that.
People seem to have very little trouble with Jesus going about from place to place, preaching his message of peace and love and acceptance like some itinerant philosopher. But when you tell them that he is the only Savior and that, if you reject them that reject, Jesus, that you will spend an eternity in hell. They have a problem with that.
People seem to have no problem with a dead Jesus hanging on the cross. But when you tell them that, he is rose again from the dead on that. Third and glorious day, just save, all those who will believe in him by faith. They cannot handle that.
So listen to me if your concept of who Jesus is stops with a baby in a Manger at or a dead man on a cross. You are missing the point of who Jesus really is.
Listen, you must come to the place where you understand that Jesus Christ, is the very Son of God. You must understand that he died for your sins on the cross and that he rose from the dead on that third day. You must come to a place where you turn from your sins and Believe on Jesus for your Soul's salvation. Are you have no hope in heaven. Versus Thor houses. But Jesus said to them. A prophet is not without honor except in his own country among his own relatives and his own house.
It has been said, and I believe it is true that familiarity breeds contempt. This seems to be the case Here with Jesus, the people of Nazareth. I've seen with their own eyes Jesus, eating. Drinking. Play working with his own hands and they could not for the life of them. See, a man that they would that they would have to respect. But could not for the life of them submit themselves to this man or follow him. Listen, this can be true for those of us. Raised in a Christian home.
This is certainly. Can be an ever-present danger, that we must be careful to guard against. Coming too familiar with Jesus.
That we no longer.
See him as he is to be seen. It's an innocent. We should never get comfortable with Jesus. As if he's just an ordinary guy. We should never get to that point. We should never feel so comfortable with Jesus, that we referred to him as the big man. Are the man upstairs. We should never get to the point that we are so comfortable with with Jesus that we lose respect for who he is.
Listen to Jesus is not some ordinary guy who lived two thousand years ago. Search some things up for a few years and got nailed to a cross for his troubles. Jesus Christ is the son of God.
And his hometown, got it wrong.
His own family for a long while, got it wrong. The religious leaders, got it wrong. Rome got it wrong and still today, people get him wrong.
I wonder this morning. Do you see Jesus? For who he truly is. Call him Lord. Savior, Master and King. Notice thirdly. The people are steadfast in their unbelief. They were steadfast in their unbelief, that Jesus is the son of God tells us, he could do no Mighty work there. Except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. A Marvel because of their unbelief. Then he went about the villages in a circuit teaching. The first verse six houses that Jesus left. His hometown of Nazareth and moved on to teaching and other villages. And to our knowledge. Jesus never returns again. But it is here that we are amazed at the unbelief. His hometown. I miss unbelief of the nazarenes brought up, brought about a two-fold reaction. Number one, we see here that unbelief Is one thing that limits Jesus unbelief is one thing that limits Jesus verse 5 says, now he could do no Mighty work there. Jesus did no Mighty Works in his hometown, except save a few. Now, we have got to understand here. That their unbelief. That their lack of faith, did not Zapdos. Jesus of his power as if this was some Kryptonite as to Superman know, Jesus was and is The Sovereign Lord, he could have done anything there. He wanted to do until we must clearly see He possessed the power but he refused to demonstrate his power in the face of blatant unbelief. So, don't think you're that somehow this unbeliever. This, this that Jesus hands were somehow tied behind his back. No. Because a few people came. To him in faith and those people receive his help. The rest rejected him and were then rejected by him. So what's not? He could do no Miracles because of their lack of faith. It is, he would not do any Miracles because of their blatant unbelief. They refused the message. And that's they forfeited the Miracles. reminds us of Hebrews 11:6 now, it says, now without faith Is what it's impossible to please God. the one who comes to God, must believe that he is, that he exists, and he rewards those who diligently seek him and so on one hand unbelief limit, Jesus, Not in his ability. No. But in his of but in its availability. Okay. On the other hand, on belief is one thing that amazes Jesus as Point their unbelief is one thing that amazes Jesus vs, 6 tells us and he marveled the cause of their unbelief That's very interesting to note that only twice in the Bible is Jesus said to be amazed. Jesus was not easily amazed, was he not? And Luke chapter 7. He saw the face of a Roman Centurion who believed that he could heal from a distance with by Jesus. Just speaking his word in the Bible says in Jesus marveled at his great faith. He was amazed at this roman centurions face I didn't mark 6:6. He was amazed by the unbelief. Not have a Roman. But about you and not just any Jew. The very place to whom Jesus grew up.
Unbelief. And my soul that scares me.
To thank those of you who have been in church, all of your life. Raised in a Christian home.
You've heard the gospel time and time again. But he has become so familiar.
It doesn't affect you.
It doesn't startle you.
Even to believe it for yourself.
The people of Nazareth. Could not get past Jesus. His humble Origins, they could not get passed by the familiarity of the Lord Jesus.
Jesus was astonished. He was amazed. Unbelief in light of all that. He said to him in light of all that he did.
But Nazareth, unbelief. Just sadly foreshadows the unbelief that the nation of Israel with fall into. And the unbelief that is still present in the world, by those who are maybe even familiar with Christ, but no, but do not know him as Savior and Lord.
I'll listen.
Be sure that the contempt. The ridicule, the unbelief that was shown by the citizens of Nazareth.
It said nothing about the character. Jesus.
It said everything about them as a people.
What about you and me?
Are we tempted to show contempt toward the Jesus? That is revealed to us in Scripture.
or are we tempted to just Jesus, the things that are pallet palatable to us. And then leave off certain aspects of his nature.
Is that is your way of accepting Jesus.
It will lead you straight to hell.
Because you cannot accept a part of Jesus. You must accept all of Jesus. Is love. His Wrath. His love for The Sinner. His hatred for sin.
Are we scandalized?
Are we offended by the Simplicity of the Gospel?
Does that give us a problem? It does for many that were saved how by grace through faith.
I said that does the Simplicity of the Gospel bother you to where I have to do something. I have to add to this somehow. Maybe through baptism or maybe through church membership or whatever the case is. Are we offended by the unfairness of its message? That says a child molester. Or a serial rapist and murderer on death, row can be made right with God. By childlike faith in Jesus Christ.
Does that offend you?
Or again, have we become so familiar with him? Having been raised in church all of our lives. His words no longer convictus. And miracles, no longer stories.
And his death on the cross. No longer strikes. The cord. Have Amazing Grace.
Familiarity. I believe, honestly can blind us to the greatness and Glory of a savior, if we are not careful. It can happen to us. Those of us who are say, we must be careful. We don't, we don't we don't get to the place where we become so so, so familiar with the things of God, that somehow we are spiritually inoculated at some point to where we become immune to the real thing. I've seen it happen so many times. In my Ministry. we must not come to Jesus on our own terms, but on his terms,
This Prophet Jesus.
What's without honor? Sadly in his hometown. Of course, Jesus was more than just a prophet, right? He was a prophet priest and King, And therefore we cannot make the same mistake in our own hearts. As we shall understand the consequences are eternal. Let's pray together.
Are gracious and kind Heavenly Father.
Lord help us.
To see your son, Jesus. Way, he is declared the way he is to be seen.
Through Holy Scripture.
Father, I pray.
I pray. Lord for those two. Have a form of faith.
Raised in church, raised in a Christian home. I've heard the gospel repeated so many times, they know it. Intellectually.
But it's never reach their heart.
They know the right things to say the know how to act when they need to know.
My father, they know deep down inside.
They really don't know. The Jesus of Holy Scripture. The father, I pray that you would do what I cannot do.
And that is reach down through the by the means of the Holy Spirit.
convicted mother seeing And father, draw them to your son Jesus. Father, we pray Lord for every believer here. Oh, Father. Help us not to Crow, so familiar. With the things of God. Apple's not to grow, so familiar with the death of Christ.
Are the resurrection of Christ. They don't know no longer moves this. And the hose has to be more. Holy Father, I pray that you use this message For Your Glory. Use it to edit by your church, while we asked all these things in Christ name. Amen.