Mark 6 = Astonishment In Action

a

s

s

Perspectives on Jesus (6:1–6)

Mark 6:1–6 ESV

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? 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. 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. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.

Are You Astonished?

Mark 6:1–3 “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? 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.”

impressive teaching is not enough (6:1–2).

Mighty works are not enough (6:2).

Prestigious background is not enough (6:3)

Are You Insulted?

Mark 6:3–4 “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. 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.””

And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.

Are You Doubtful?

Mark 6:5–6 “5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

Unbelief is one thing that limits Jesus (6:5).

Unbelief is one thing that amazes Jesus (6:6).

Are You Convinced?

It is the only thing that will save you.

It is all that you need to serve Him

Having a head knowledge will not save you it is only through heart CHANGE and that comes only by grace though faith… With a true change comes a new life, new mind, new heart, new call!!

Principles for Proclaiming Jesus (6:7–13)

Mark 6:7–13 ESV

7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.

Go with Jesus’ Power as a Team.

Go where you are Welcomed and Go when you’re Rejected.

Go doing the Work of an Evangelist.

To be a Christian is to be a Christ follower, to take on His message and His message by His command for His glory!… He has told you what to expect.

Predictions of Those Who Reject Jesus (6:14–29)

Mark 6:14–29 ESV

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias’s daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Some who reject Him will Fear you.

Let your good works honor you (6:14–15).

Let your good works haunt them (6:16).

Some who reject Him will Oppose you.

Guilt will drive some to oppose you (6:17–18, 20).

Hatred will drive others to oppose you (6:19).

Some who reject Him will try to Kill you.

Accept that the ungodly will use ungodly means to get you (6:21–23).

Accept that the ungodly may get your head on a platter (6:24–29).

All who reject Him will be doomed!

Let there be no mistake that to follow Jesus is not for the faint of heart, there will be opposition!… John 16:33 “33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”” 1 John 4:4 “4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”

Patterns from Jesus for Ministry (6:30–44)

Mark 6:30–44 ESV

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. 36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

We need times of Rest.

Rejoice in God’s blessings on your ministry (6:30).

Get away for some rest and relaxation from your ministry (6:31–32).

Jesus is the original designer of REST!

Even Jesus took time to rest and recharge. In our busy lives, it’s easy to overlook the importance of rest. Schedule a dedicated time this week for silence, solitude, prayer, or reflection.

Rest is essential not only for our well-being but also for sustaining our ability to serve others effectively.

This was how our Lord mentored His men:

• Teach them.

• Send them out.

• Have them return.

• Report and evaluate.

I doubt we can improve on this model of discipleship and training.

We must have Compassion.

People have spiritual needs we should address (6:33–34).

People have physical needs we should address (6:35–37).

As followers of Christ, we are called to cultivate a heart of compassion for others. This week, take time to intentionally notice those around you who may be hurting or in need. How can you reach out to them with kindness and support?

We should meet Needs.

Do what only you can do (6:37–40).

Trust Jesus to do what only He can do (6:41–42).

Recognize that a little can become a lot with Jesus (6:43–44).

Jesus didn’t just feel compassion; He acted on it by addressing the physical and spiritual needs of the crowd… What practical steps can you take to meet those needs?

CLOSING

As we conclude our time in Mark 6 today let us reflect on where we stand.

Are you astonished by His power and grace, or have you found yourself insulted or doubtful in the face of His calling?

Perhaps you are convinced of His truth and ready to share it with others.

Regardless of where you are on this spectrum, the message is clear: Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God and no-one comes to the father except through Him. Jesus invites each of us into a deeper relationship with Him.

We are called to go out into the world, empowered by His Spirit, working together as a body. We must be willing to enter places where we are welcomed and to move on when we face rejection, always remaining steadfast in our mission as evangelists.

Remember, there are consequences for those who reject Him. Some will fear, oppose, or even seek to silence us, but we must remain resolute, knowing that our calling is one of eternal significance.

Therefore, let us look to Jesus as our model in ministry. We need to extend compassion to those around us, and actively meet the needs of our communities, all while guarding one another from exhaustion and burnout.

So today, I challenge you: Reflect on your perspective of Jesus and consider how you can take action. Will you step out in faith, sharing His love with those who need it most? Will you commit to being a compassionate presence in our community?

The time to act is now. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ, bringing His message of hope to Allegan and the world!

Amen.

Group Questions

What aspects of Jesus' life and ministry astonish you the most, and why do you think people in His hometown struggled to accept Him?

How can familiarity with Jesus lead to a lack of honor or respect? Have you ever felt insulted or dismissed in your faith journey?

In what ways may doubts about Jesus' authority or power manifest in our lives? How can we address and overcome these doubts?

What convinced you of Jesus’ identity and mission? How can sharing your convictions help others in their faith?

Why is it important to work as a team in ministry? Can you share an experience where collaboration made a difference?

How do you discern when to continue sharing the Gospel and when to move on? What experiences have shaped this understanding for you?

What does it mean to you to be an evangelist in your daily life? How can you actively share your faith with those around you?

What are some fears that people might have about accepting Jesus? How can we help alleviate those fears?

Have you faced opposition for your faith? How did you respond, and what can we learn from those experiences?

How does this prediction motivate you in your approach to evangelism? How can we balance urgency with love in our message to others?

Bonus Question:

Reflecting on Jesus' compassion and His focus on meeting needs, how can your small group / this church better embody these characteristics in our community?