Where is Repentance?
Mark 2026 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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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 honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in 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 marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Introduction
Introduction
In our passage in Mark, we see two stories that show us the impact of the call for belief and repentance. While Jesus is rejected by those with unbelief, the disciples preach repentance and many are changed by the power of God. The message of Jesus is now commissioned to others to carry on the announcement of the kingdom.
Mark was likely the first Gospel written. Under the inspiration of God, he writes with an intent to point his readers toward the Cross and the Empty Tomb. Those who read are faced with a question: who is this Jesus?
As we grow in our walk with God this year, we want to be Following in the Life of Faith. That means that we must begin with the correct Person to put our faith in. Mark gives us the message of Jesus to all people.
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
Will you commit each day to believe God and His promises? Will you confess your sins and choose to grow in relationship to Him? If you have not yet, will you believe in Him for salvation? Let’s Follow in the Life of Faith this year and see God do!
There a many ways to improve your life available in the world today. Some would like to have more money to improve their life. Some would be better off with more friends that would encourage them and keep their spirits up. Some might like to have more opportunities to advance in their career or hobby. We could all probably think of several ways at least to improve our lives if the circumstances allowed.
The people of Nazareth are given an opportunity for the ultimate life-change in the passage this morning. They had known Jesus most of His earthly life. They knew His family. They saw the truth of the Word of God clearly presented. All that they needed to change their lives was put before them. But just because we can improve our lives doesn’t mean we will. The Gospel of John begins with a prologue that contains the sad truth of Jesus’ earthly ministry and its impact.
He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
Many rejected but some believed. Together belief and repentance are necessary for life change in mankind. Our sin has cut us off from fellowship with God. Our own confidence is in what we believe that we can do to get into heaven for eternity. Repentance and belief in Jesus stand in opposition to these. This morning, Jesus offers to His hometown and then the world the good news of the arrival of the kingdom. Will they repent and believe?
Declaration
Declaration
Every person has an opportunity to choose belief and repentance or not. Jesus experiences rejection here even as His disciples’ ministry encounter life change. Today, we are challenged to trust God in the days ahead because He is the power and the authority alone.
1. Unbelief Limits Jesus’ Life-Change
1. Unbelief Limits Jesus’ Life-Change
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 honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in 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 marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
The passage begins with Jesus traveling home to the town of Nazareth where He had grown up. On the Sabbath day, He is asked to speak in the service. The sad truth is that the people’s unbelief limits Jesus’ life-change in the surrounding area. How often has that been the case so far in His ministry!
Verse 1 brings us from Capernaum to the town of Nazareth. This would have been a longer journey that we had been seeing in His ministry. Yet, how many people love going home! It was available to any able Jewish man to be asked to speak in the synagogue meeting on the Sabbath. It seems that the local people, who knew Jesus and His family, ask Him to do the honors.
We know what Jesus read because of the record of this story by Luke. Jesus read from the prophet Isaiah a prophecy of the coming Messiah from Isaiah 61:1-2. When He had finished reading, He interpreted it as referring to Himself.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
Jesus is now at the peak of His popularity in Galilee. The people are following Him and they are looking for more miracles. Surely the people who knew Him best would also be ready to recognize His Identity as God Himself. Yet, these people were not willing to see it.
Verse 2 begins a series of questions that the people ask among themselves about Jesus. How can He know these things? How can He do these things? The answers to the questions of men about the power of God are found in the Word of God. Jesus had already told them who He was. He was the One who brought the rule of God and the change that was promised to the lost world.
The question of the people is about who gave Him wisdom. Wisdom was important for those who studied the Hebrew Scriptures. Only God has and can bestow wisdom!
The wisdom is then connected to the miracles in verse 2. The miracles were the “mighty works”. These were the actions of Jesus that showed that He was God. The healing of the sick, the freeing of the possessed and the calming of the storm were the “mighty works” of God alone. Every question that they ask has already been answered by the works that Jesus has done. Later, Jesus will give the key to this reality to His disciples,
Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
The people are unable to comprehend how a local carpenter could be able to work the miracles and teach the truths that Jesus did. This is the same condition that many have today. They choose to look at the impossibility of miracles instead of the truth that the God who created all can and does show forth His authority through changes to the conditions of nature. The light of the Gospel was all over Galilee but they could not see it.
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, When at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
The commonness of Jesus and His family was enough to discourage the faith of the people. Wiersbe records in his commentary (BEC) one of the stories of Aesop that proves this truth, “familiarity breeds contempt”. A fox went to meet a lion. He was worried about it because he had never encountered a lion before. In the lion’s presence, he was afraid. The second time he came to see the lion, he was not as afraid. When he met the lion on the third time, he was able to speak freely because he was no longer afraid.
The Bible Exposition Commentary Mark 6:1–6
“And so it is,” Aesop concluded, “that familiarity makes even the most frightening things seem quite harmless.”
When the familiarity of Jesus blinds our eyes to His truth, we are in a dangerous position. We tune out the preaching of the Bible. We miss the message of the songs that we sing. We perform the duties of the Christian life and we miss having our hearts involved in the relationship. The people respond to Jesus with a choice of turning away from what they should have received. The rejection of the only way of salvation removes all hope from the future for the sinner.
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
In verses 4-6, we see the people come to the ultimate rejection of Jesus. Every step toward the Cross is a reminder of the plan of eternal redemption by God worked out. The people have the emotional response of being “offended at him.” Jesus speaks a parable that has proven true. The prophets were rejected by the people that they preached to because of the sinful bent of the hearts of Israel. Now Jesus is also rejected by those who knew Him best. Only a few were bettered by the hand of Jesus. The unbelief of the people limited the life-change that Jesus wanted to do in that town. Jesus wants to work in our lives and change the lives of those who are lost without Him. In verse 6, Jesus has the rational response of marveling at their unbelief. They missed out on what Jesus could do because they did not believe His Word. So Parker,
Preaching through the Bible: Mark-John Mark 6:1–6
Why do not these people see that life is faith, and that faith is life, and that without faith life is a mockery, a transient dream?
We all have a tendency to be content where we are. Jesus wanted His friends and family to grow beyond in the life of faith. He marveled at their lack of faith. Do we have the faith to move forward in trusting Him for that next step? Do we have the faith to look with hope toward tomorrow? We have a journey to travel and we must walk by faith not sight.
2. Repentance Prepares the Kingdom
2. Repentance Prepares the Kingdom
And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits; And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse: But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats. And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
Verse 7 changes the scene from the synagogue of rejection to the sending of the Twelve. These men had been with Jesus and had learned from Him. Now Jesus sends them forth to preach because repentance prepares the kingdom. Jesus preaches and they preach. This is the case today as the Word of God is heralded by the believer and given to the lost sinner and the needy disciple.
Verses 1-6 were discouraging. The people of Jesus’ hometown do not accept the truth of who He is. Verses 7-13 are encouraging. Jesus is going to allow the Twelve to experience the working of God in their lives. In verse 7, He carries out His intention in chapter 3,
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
Jesus begins with sending them and giving them “power” or authority over the demons. Jesus sends and there is a spiritual warfare component here again. The forces of the enemy do not want people to repent of their sins and put their faith in Jesus for salvation. The word “power” is authority as in Matt 28. Jesus has power over the world and He has commissioned us as well to carry the good news of the Gospel to the world.
The Gospel is that Jesus came and lived a perfect life. He died on the Cross in our place. He died for the entire world and the sin of all people that have or will ever live. He rose again on the third day and lives forevermore. Jesus has conquered sin and death and that victory is offered to everyone who will believe in Him.
To this point, the disciples have not fully understood the full Gospel because Jesus has yet to die. However, they know the two elements of a proper response and this is what they are sent for. Repentance and belief result in salvation.
Jesus gives the disciples instructions about what to take with them. They do not need food or another outfit. Instead, God will take care of them. In Luke, after this mission, Jesus asks them if God had failed them.
And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
Along the way they will encounter those who will receive the truth and those who will not. Jesus gives them instructions about both groups. The reception of the people and the hearing of the people allow for rejection. Those who receive them with hospitality are to be dwelt with. Those who reject them will have condemnation worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. The disciples are to dust off at the outside of the city to show their rejection.
In the midst of these instructions is the mandate to preach. Preaching is God’s chosen way to communicate the good news of the Gospel to the ears and ultimately into the hearts of men. The message of the disciples is the same as Jesus. We saw in chapter 1 that Jesus preached repentance.
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
The disciples were not to force a positive response from their hearers. Instead, they are to present the truth and call for repentance. The “preaching” is a herald of the arrival of the kingdom and a decision for how to respond. What happens in these missions that Jesus has sent then on? It seems that faith and repentance occurred.
In verse 13, the disciples are able to cast out many demons and heal many with the oil that was poured on them. Again spiritual warfare takes place and again the forces of the enemy are defeated by the power of God, here through the disciples. The kingdom has arrived in power and there is victory and hope!
The repentance of sin is the message of the disciples. Repentance and belief are needed by those who have received salvation and those who have not. Our sin breaks our fellowship with God. Jesus has removed that wall and He will cleanse us from every sin. Have you repented?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Every person has an opportunity to choose belief and repentance or not. Jesus experiences rejection here even as His disciples’ ministry encounter life change. Today, we are challenged to trust God in the days ahead because He is the power and the authority alone.
Jesus was rejected. His disciples were blessed with seeing the power of God. We are given the same authority of Jesus and the same command to give the good news of the Gospel to the lost.
Where is our repentance? Where is theirs? Repentance and Belief are the two reactions in Mark to the arrival of the kingdom. We have a choice this morning whether we will respond.
Repentance is a turning away from sin and a turning to Jesus. We might have followed our own comforts and wants. He calls us back to Him. Turn your heart back to the One who died for you. He love you and He hears your cries. He wants you to grow and move forward in your walk with Him! He calls to you today to care for those who are in need of salvation and need of care in the love of Jesus.
Belief is a challenge that we all face. We see a mountain in front of us and we cannot think how to move it. Jesus can move it. We choose to believe Him and we will see the working of God among us. The people of Nazareth missed it. Let’s not miss it today!
Jesus came to die for sinners. He still offers that gift of salvation to anyone that will come. Man is sinful and will seek to protect his own “righteousness” without being convicted of sin. The people of that town were content with how things had been for many years. But, there must be repentance. This is the common theme in the message of Jesus and the disciples. Will you repent of your sin and turn to Jesus? Jesus speaks the fulfillment of the Isaiah passage on the preaching of freedom to the imprisoned. He has opened the prison doors. Will you walk out in faith in Him?
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; Because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Jesus offers freedom if you will put your faith in Him alone for the removal of your sin. Repent and believe today! Choose repentance!
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
