The Gospel of Mark, Pt. 26 - The Prophet who Perseveres

How many of you have made new year’s resolutions? Our household is doing the whole health thing - no eating out....no sodas....getting back to a healthier lifestyle in general. But every year I love reading the resolutions put forth by arguably one of the most influential theologians in all of American history - Jonathan Edwards. This man, who lived in the first half of the 18th century, is a giant in the American Christian world, and he once published 13 new year’s resolutions that I think would change all our lives for the better if we make them our own as well. He begins his list with these words:

(SLIDE) “Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God's help, I do humbly entreat Him, by His grace, to enable me to keep these Resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to His will, for Christ's sake. [I will] remember to read over these Resolutions once a week.”

Notice how Edwards recognizes that he cannot do anything apart from God’s help. I think so many new year’s resolutions fail so quickly because they are fundamentally divorced from the help of God’s grace. They’re rooted in human will-power, and that always falls short in the end. But also notice the nature of the resolutions - as far as they are agreeable to God’s will, for Christ’s sake. Another reason so many resolutions never make it past the first couple weeks of the new year is because we often fail to consider and seek the council of God’s will in the matter, and in the end, the resolutions are ultimately for our sake, not necessarily for Christ’s.

And so Edwards’ list is one of tremendous Christian maturity, humility, and a genuine sense of wanting to become more like Jesus each and every day. His 13 resolutions touch upon virtually every aspect of life, and one in particular is especially relatable to virtually all of us and will speak quite well into today’s message.

(SLIDE) “Resolved, After afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them; what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.”

The New Year is often met with significant amounts of optimism as we put the previous year and all its hardships in our rearview mirror with the hopes of a brighter and better new year. And all that is good within reason. And yet, the question remains, how quickly will reality set in as life’s afflictions continue to wage war in our hearts and minds?

So rather than trying to sugar-coat our afflictions or avoid them altogether, we should be like Edwards and honestly ask - “How am I better because of them, and what goods have been produced in my life through my afflictions?”

Have I become more patient.......more generous.......more forgiving?

Have I become a better employee.......a better friend........a better neighbor.......a better spouse......a better church member?

The life of Christ was markedly filled with affliction. Though he is fully God, he is also fully man as well, and therefore endured the sufferings with which we are all too familiar. But as we’re going to see in our text today as we resume our series in the Gospel of Mark, we’re going to gain some important insight into the life of the “Prophet who Perseveres”, and hopefully gain some wisdom to apply these these lessons in our own circumstances in life.

Before we took a break for the Christmas season, we left off with looking at three instances of miraculous healing from demon possession and physical ailments in Mark 5. The deliverance of the man possessed by a legion of demons, to the daughter of Jairus and the woman with the issue of blood, all three instances offered us great insight into who Jesus is as Lord and Savior and as the Great Physician.

But now as we continue on in Mark 6, we’re reminded of the harsh realities surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus, realities through which Jesus perfectly persevered to remain in the will of His Father and stay committed to the purpose for which he came - to proclaim the good news of the gospel.....to set captives free.....to make the blind see and the lame walk.....and to provide salvation for all who would receive it by faith.

So let’s now come back to Mark and see what his inspired writings can reveal to us about the character of Christ.

Mark 6:1–6 (SLIDE) “He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 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? 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. 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 he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

Jesus was previously in the surrounding area of Capernaum, where the bulk of his ministry occurred for the first couple years of his messianic mission, but here in the beginning of Chapter 6, Jesus makes a rare visit to his hometown of Nazareth, which the gospels record him doing only twice, this one here, and an earlier instance recorded in Luke’s gospel which we’ll look at in just a bit.

In Matthew’s gospel account of the birth and early life of Jesus, we’re told how Joseph took Mary and their new baby boy and fled to Egypt in order to escape King Herod. Then, after some time and in another dream, an angel told Joseph to take his wife and child and return to the land of Israel. But to avoid any trouble with Herod’s successor, his son Archelaus, Joseph took his family and diverted from Bethlehem and settled in Nazareth, which according to Matthew was a fulfillment of what the OT prophets spoke about.

Now this brings up an interesting point, because nowhere in the OT is the Messiah spoken of coming from Nazareth. Bethlehem is the only town specified in the OT, which was were Jesus was born, but there’s no prophecy concerning Nazareth specifically. Therefore, in order to make sense of Matthew’s statement here, its likely that the gospel writer had other Messianic texts in mind which spoke of the humble beginnings and the relative rejection of the future Messiah which we find in places like Psalm 22, Psalm 69, Isaiah 49 and 53.

You see, Nazareth had a very negative connotation in Jesus’ day. It was a relatively obscure town that had a terrible reputation. In our context, it would be likened to places like Wilseyville or Sheep Ranch, or other far-removed towns that no one knows about and is only connected to negative connotations. In fact, when the early disciples told Nathaniel that they found the long-awaited Messiah and that he’s from Nazareth, this was his response in John 1:45–46 (SLIDE) “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

Nazareth is located about 25 miles south of the Sea of Galilee and is amongst a very hilly area. It was about 60 sq miles, and had only about 500 people. So for anyone who grew up in this area, or in another small-town context, then you know what its like in that kind of environment. In a town of only 500 people, everybody knew everybody. And for those who have left the area for a period of time, its nice to come back to what’s familiar. The area looks the same.....the same stores are still open......the streets look the same.......the same faces are still around......and so its nice to return to that which is familiar.

Well, as Mark 6 opens up, we Jesus in a familiar place on a familiar - teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath. So there was a synagogue in Nazareth, but another interesting point that lends to the obscurity and unimportance of Nazareth......there is no record of a single church being built in Nazareth for the first 400 years of the Christian faith. That seems odd, given the fact that there are many churches that have been built to memorialize various locations of the life and ministry of Jesus.

Nevertheless, there was a synagogue in town, and we find Jesus teaching there like we always do when we follow the life of this itinerant preacher. And we see another familiar response in the those listening.....at least what seems to be a familiar response. In verse 2 and following we read (SLIDE) Mark 6:2 “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?”

Just as we saw back in the beginning of Mark in Mark 1:27, the people often connected the teachings of Jesus to his miraculous acts of power. In Mark 1, they related his teachings to the fact that even demons obey his commands. Here in Mark 6, it is likely that the people were relating Jesus’ teachings to the various miraculous healings that the people either saw with their own eyes in other areas, or they heard about the healings and were starting to connect the dots.

However, we see their responses here in Mark 6 take a peculiar turn for the worse as they begin to consider Jesus’s teachings and acts of power in light of who they knew him to be from his past. It can be both a blessing and a curse to return to your hometown after some time has passed and interact with those who knew you from the past. This is what we see as the story continues in verses 3 and following......

In Mark 6:3 (SLIDE) we read “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.” In previous situations like in Mark 1 and other instances in which the audience of Jesus digested his teachings and his miraculous works....they were often left in amazement and wonder as they couldn’t quite make sense of what they were seeing and hearing. But it was an awe and an amazement that left them wanting more. However, this isn’t what we see here in Mark 6.

We read that the people were “astonished” back in verse 2. That word is the Greek “ekplesso”, which has a root word that literally means “to strike”. So the equivalent in our modern context would be like saying “Their minds were blown.” These people were so astounded that they couldn’t quite make sense of everything. However, their so-called familiarity with Jesus tainted their ability to rightly understand exactly what they were witnessing.

You see, the crowd began to look at Jesus and consider his teachings and works in light of who they perceived him to be from past experiences. So they asked...… “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary......?” These two questions are not complementary connotations, and are in start contrast to how he was perceived in his first visit to Nazareth. Let’s look at that first encounter, which is recorded in Luke 4:16–17 (SLIDE) “And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,...”

Jesus then proceeded to read from Isaiah 61:1-2, which Jesus used to show the people that he was in fact Yahweh’s Anointed One and therefore those texts were now fulfilled in him. As a response we’re told that the people’s eyes were fixed on Jesus....they were utterly captivated by what he was saying, and then we read in Luke 4:22 “And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?””

Now contrast that with what we see here in Mark 6. First, they refer to Jesus as a carpenter. Now in our day, that may or may not mean anything, other than just an observation of what the man did for a living. However, in Jesus’ context, this is was no innocent observation, but was meant as a slight or an insult. The word that’s commonly translated as “carpenter” is the Greek word “tekton”, which literally means builder, and can refer to a host of manual-labor jobs, including masonry, carpentry, and other related jobs. In fact, given geographic area where Nazareth sits, which consists of very hilly terrain with alot of stone and rocks, masonry would have been a very common profession in that area.

Nevertheless, a reference to being someone engage in manual labor was no compliment. Manual labors were far from being highly-esteemed in Jesus’ day, which gave far more value and preference to doctors, lawyers, and religious teachers. Furthermore, contrast how Jesus’ familial line was referenced in Luke’s account with how it was mentioned in Mark’s. In Luke, the people did what all people did in Jesus’ day - they referenced the person in light of their paternal ancestry - Jesus, son of Joseph. This was the socially accepted way to refer to someone - by putting them in light of their faither. However, in Mark, notice how the people referred to Jesus.....as “the son of Mary...”

Now in some traditions, particularly in the Roman Catholic and even the Orthodox traditions, they see this as an elevation of the status of Mary. Since Mary is the revered theotokos (mother of God) in these traditions, they take this statement in Mark 6:3 as an ohmage to the person of Mary. Other scholars take this statement to indirectly refer to the possibility that Joseph had already died at this point. And since his father was now deceased, it only made sense for the people to refer to him as the son of his mother.

However, neither of these stances make much sense biblically speaking, or when we keep this passage in its proper context. Because whether or not someone’s father had died had no bearing on how that person was referred to. In other words, a person would always be referred to as the son or daughter of their father, no matter how long ago their father may have passed. Furthermore, to see this as an elevation of Mary is simply eisogeting the text and importing pre-conceived notions about Mary that are virtually foreign to the text.

Therefore, it makes much more sense textually and culturally to see this statement as it was - as a condescending insult, as a pejorative remark regarding Jesus and a possible reference to the rumored illegitimacy of his birth. Remember the context.....Jesus grew up in Nazareth......in a town of only a few hundred......so everyone knew his family business. And maybe growing up, they heard of the miraculous circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus and rejected a miraculous explanation in preference to assuming that Mary simply got pregnant out of wedlock. Maybe they noticed how Jesus bore little to no physical resemblance to his father Joseph, which would only add to their presuppositions. They knew his brothers and sisters, most of whom rejected Jesus outright as the Messiah and only changed their minds following his resurrection from the dead. Remember back in Mark 3, it was his mother and brothers who claimed he was crazy and were trying to do some type of family intervention to get Jesus to stop his ministry.

And change their minds they did! Two of the brothers - Simon and Joses, which is another form of the name Joseph, are relatively unknown outside of this passage and its parallel in Matthew 13. However, we know that James would later become the bishop of Jerusalem and write the epistle of James. And likewise, Judas is simply another form of the name Jude, to whom the NT Letter of Jude is attributed.

Nevertheless, because they thought they knew Jesus and his history and his family background, they were unwilling to accept his teaching and his miracles as examples of his divinity as the son of God, but rather they took offense at him as we’re told in the end of verse 3. And this is how Jesus responds to their insults and their sarcastic skepticism....Mark 6:4 (SLIDE) “And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.””

This speaks to the negative side of coming from a small town context like Nazareth. While it can be exciting to come back home and see all the familiar places and faces, it can also be filled with great heartache as those from your past can only see you in light of your past. You’re not the well-accomplished and successful person of today....you’re still that young kid from the past who used to get in all kinds of trouble and who no one thought would ever make anything of themselves.

In their eyes.....Jesus was no one special! He was the son of a lowly carpenter and a carpenter himself who was likely an illegitimate child born from his adulterous young mother. In their eyes, he was conceived in shame and grew up in shame, and therefore was deserving of no special honor or recognition. This was simply Jesus from down the street, and certainly NOT the divine Son of God and Israel’s Messiah.

However, isn’t this exactly what we read about what the Messiah had to endure in his own life, like in Psalm 22:6 (SLIDE) “But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people.” or Psalm 69:8 (SLIDE) “I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my mother’s sons.”

And then most famously as we looked at a few times throughout the Christmas season.....Isaiah 53:2–3 (SLIDE) “For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Jesus was well aware of this fate that he had to face on a daily basis, and yet this prophet persevered through it all to remain faithful to his mission and the purpose for why he came. Notice how Jesus responded to the crowd in verses 5 and 6......Mark 6:5–6 (SLIDE) “And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.”

So the text tells us that Jesus could do no mighty works amongst these people except for a healing a few sick people. Again, keeping in mind the intrinsic connection between Jesus’ teaching and acts of power, the fact that he only healed a few sick people tells us that only a few people were open and willing to receive Jesus’ teaching. However, it appears that the majority of the people had hardened their hearts towards Jesus. Remember, the end of verse 3 told us that they took offense at Jesus. They were stuck in their pre-conceived notions of who Jesus was based on his supposed family background and what his family thought of him, and as a result they chose to reject Jesus outright.

Jesus is often confronted by people who want him to give them a sign of his authenticity and as a proof that he is in fact the divine Son of God. However, in many of those instances, Jesus refuses their requests and rebukes them for their unbelief, because he knows the intentions of their hearts and that they’re asking for all the wrong reasons. This is the case here, and so when the text tells us that Jesus could do no mighty work here in Nazareth, its not that he’s unable, but that he’s unwilling because of their hardened and disbelieving hearts. And that’s exactly what the text reveals in verse 6.....

(SLIDE) Mark 6:6 “And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching.” Most of the time that a form of the Greek word that’s translated as “marveled” here in verse 6 is employed, it typically refers to a positive response of amazement and wonder at some revolutionary teaching or miraculous work. However, in this context, Jesus is not marveled or amazed in a positive sense, but in a negative one. Like in Luke 11:38, which says (SLIDE) “The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner.”

The Pharisee what not impressed with amazement and wonder, but rather he was disgusted that Jesus didn’t abide by Jewish cleanliness laws as the Pharisee saw fit. So in the case of here in Mark 6, Jesus is not impressed by their unbelief, but disgusted and amazed that they still don’t believe despite all his teaching which was verified time and time again by miraculous healings, deliverance of demons, and his command over nature itself.

This is often the case that I experience with unbelievers, especially in the context of discussions and debates over apologetical issues. I just think that the mountain of evidence for a transcendent God who is most perfectly expressed in the person of Jesus of Nazareth is more than sufficient and convincing, and like Jesus, I sometimes just marvel in people’s unbelief.

Furthermore, I think that this reaction of Jesus, amongst many other issues we find in the text of Scripture, is a clear indication that a Calvinistic understanding of God’s sovereignty is incompatible with Scripture. So Calvinism, or reformed theology, teaches a particular view of sovereignty in that God ordains all things to come to pass. So from a philosophical standpoint, if God is the first mover in all things and nothing happens apart from his direct, sovereign control, then it seems that God is the ultimate cause of all things that come to pass, including human reactions and responses. At least this seems to be the logical conclusion of divine determinism, which is exactly what Calvinism seems to be. Therefore, if it’s the case that God has pre-ordained people to either believe or not believe in Jesus, why would Jesus marvel at the unbelief of certain people? He should have simply known that his Father pre-ordained some to believe and some not to believe.

However, in this text, as well as in many others, it seems that people do in fact exercise libertarian free will. In other words, there is nothing external acting upon a person’s decisions outside of themselves, therefore making the individual fully culpable and responsible for their thoughts and actions. I believe that this is what’s going on here in Mark 6, and that makes sense that Jesus marvels at their unbelief, because they could have chosen otherwise in light of all the evidence to the contrary.

So in response to their seemingly self-determined unbelief, Jesus chooses to leave them in their hardened state, and moves on to other towns and villages that will actually listen to his teaching and receive what he has to offer. And we’re going to see this same attitude and tactic taught to the apostles who when they encounter people who will not receive their teaching, are likewise taught to leave, shake the dust off their feet, and move on to the next town.

So a few points of application that we can take into the New Year.....

Cultivate a biblically-informed identity.

Whether it comes from outside of us of from within, our identities become defined by a whole host of things that are unhealthy and unbiblical. We can be defined by our family heritage, like here in small towns where someone’s last name can be used, appropriately or inappropriately, to define the person. We can also be defined by our past, or by our circle of friends, or even by our current life’s circumstances.

However, a biblically-informed identity maintains that fundamentally, all humans are created in the image of God, and therefore worthy of dignity, respect, and compassion. Furthermore, those who have put their faith in Christ find their identities in Christ, not in their families, not in their friends, and certainly not in their past or current circumstances. In areas like psychology and organizational leadership, this is referred to as being highly differentiated. A person who is highly differentiated has a firm understanding of who they are in Christ, and therefore they are unaffected by external or internal influences that might suggest otherwise. They’re not swayed by the opinions or actions of others, and outside circumstances don’t change their identity that’s found in Christ alone.

If you are a truly born-again Christian, then 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that you’re a new Creation in Christ, for all old things have passed away, and everything has been made new. Therefore, you’re not defined by your last name.....you’re not defined by your past sins.....you’re not defined by how your feel about yourself or by what others say about you. Therefore, a born-again Christian cannot say “I’m an addict” any more than they can say “I’m a liar” or “I’m a murderer”. That’s not how God sees you, and therefore it shouldn’t be how you see yourself!

Honor the true family of God.

Notice the concentric circles of relationship in Jesus’ statement in verse 4. He implies that there’s these progressive levels of human connection, beginning with a broader level with the hometown, or the surrounding community, then amongst relatives, referring to one’s extended family, and then the immediate household.

And in context, Jesus is teaching that no matter the level of personal connection and relationship, a true follower of Christ - in this case, a prophet - must be willing to accept that they will be shunned and ostracized and rejected if they choose to follow Jesus without qualification. Its easy to assume that this will happen in the broader community, as not everyone is a follower of Christ. However, rejection can even occur amongst extended family, and it can be truly heartbreaking and difficult when the rejection and separation happens within a household.

This reality harkens back to Jesus’ teaching in Mark 3 where he taught who the true Christian family is. Its not defined by genealogy or personal affinity. Rather, Jesus makes it very clear in Mark 3:35 (SLIDE) “For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”” As Christians, our primary family in many ways is the family of God, not necessarily our blood relatives.

This goes even further and is practiced in more intimate detail within the context of NT church. Paul writes to the early church in Galatians 6:10 (SLIDE) “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” As Christians, we are to good towards everyone. However, there seems to be a priority placed on the household of faith, which refers to the Church globally, but specifically the local church. Practically speaking, one of the beautiful effects of church membership is that brothers and sisters who congregate together on a regular and consistent basis begin to form relationships with one another at such a deep level that we become beholden to one another in helping to meet each others’ needs, and we exercise this with one another as a matter of priority. So before I seek to bless those outside the church, I should be seeking in some way to bless those within the church.

This is important for the health and longevity of the local church in general - that Christians humbly take on a more biblical approach to issues regarding family and allow Scripture to direct our steps in those matters.

Stay true to the mission.

Here in this passage, Jesus quickly identified the level of his effectiveness in his immediate context. And rather than fighting against the inevitable, Jesus tactfully and strategically redirected his efforts towards those who would be more receptive, thus enabling him to stay true to the purpose for which he came - which was to preach and teach the gospel of salvation.

I want us all to consider how we live our lives and how we deal with various circumstances that we will face in 2026. Do you wake up each day just allowing life to happen to you, to which you will simply respond according to your feelings or what’s most convenient for you? In other words, does the purpose for the day depend on the day and how you’re feeling in that moment? Or does your direction depend on who’s supporting you and cheerleading for you, or who’s against you and in opposition to you? How much of your purpose each day is dictated by outside forces?

I want to encourage us all to be like Jesus, and live on mission. Jesus was a highly differentiate individual - he had a perfect sense of self-identity and self-worth, and therefore he remained perfectly faithful to his life’s mission - to provide salvation through forgiveness of sins. That was His Father’s will and it was His will, and he never strayed from it. You see, when we live on mission, we remain beholden and committed to our purpose, and we don’t allow outside circumstances to affect our walk.

So what is God’s will for my life and what should my mission be? Well, if you’re a parent - your mission is to raise your child in the fear and admonition of the Lord so that when they get older, they will not stray from the faith. If you’re a wife, your mission is to honor and respect your husband and to submit to him as to the Lord. If you’re a husband, your mission is to love your wife like Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. If you’re an employer or in charge of others at work, your mission is to remember that you yourself have a master, and therefore treat those under you with dignity and respect. If you work for someone, work as unto the Lord......in other words, perform your job as if Jesus is your immediate supervisor. If you’re a neighbor to someone else, love them as you love yourself. And if you are part of a church family, then serve the church and build others up with your spiritual gifting.

And at the end of the day, we should take Paul’s words in Colossians 3:17 quite literally (SLIDE) “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

So no matter what life may have in store for you this new year - no matter how amazing the blessings may be or how difficult the afflictions - be like the Prophet who Persevered.......cultivate a biblically-informed identity.......seek to honor the family of God of which you are a member......and stay true to the mission......and 2026 just might be your best year yet!