Rejected Series

ESSENTIAL KING JESUS: REJECTED

MARK 6:1-6

#kingjesus

USE AUDIO BIBLE: Mark Chapter 6:1-56 [8:15]

https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/esv/Mark.6

INTRODUCTION… Sometimes We Forget (p)

Sometimes we forget why people don’t believe what we believe or do what we do or think like we think or watch what we watch. Everyone is different and our experiences and thought processes are all different.

For example, I do not understand why some of you people like coffee. Coffee smells good, but then when you try to drink it you are greeted with a terrible tasting drink. In my life, I have not had more than 1 cup of coffee total. Some of you find that very strange. Well, I think you who drink cup after cup of coffee a day are strange!

For example, I forget that Star Wars is not a normal part of life for some people. I am reminded of this fact every time I make a Star Wars reference in a staff meeting and Melanie says, “I’ve never seen it.” “Excuse me, whah?” I think now she just hasn’t seen any of it out of stubbornness, but you’d have to check with her on that.

For example, many many people love country music. You love songs where you lose your wife, truck, dog, and all you are left with is friends in low places. I don’t like music like that. Not all the time, at least. Sometimes we forget why people don’t believe what we believe or do what we do or think like we think or watch what we watch.

This tendency to forget is also true in spiritual matters. People come to Jesus at different stages of life and our path to Jesus may be different than others around us. We forget that not all people come to Jesus in the same way. It is also true that people reject Jesus and sometimes we forget that. It is possible to be a Christian so long that we cannot imagine why anyone would say “no” to God or reject Jesus or get tired of talking about the Bible or spiritual matters. People do reject Jesus. We forget that. People not only reject Jesus in our day, but people rejected Jesus to His Face.

READ MARK 6:1-6 (ESV)

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.

REASONS FOR JESUS’ REJECTION IN NAZARETH

Jesus returns to His hometown of Nazareth where He grew up from probably two years old until He left for His ministry at about thirty. People in Nazareth knew Jesus and apparently they knew of His growing reputation as well because they asked Him to teach on the Sabbath in the synagogue. Jesus spoke. People listened. People were astonished. People rejected Jesus.

The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because even though they listened; they associated Him as a carpenter and not a spiritual teacher. During the time He grew up, He learned the carpentry trade and was considered a carpenter. Carpenters do carpentry work. In their estimation, carpenters do not teach from God’s Word. They could not reconcile the wisdom coming from Jesus from what they knew of Him and how they remembering Him growing up.

The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because some of them doubted His legitimacy and His birth. Some in town may have thought He was an illegitimate child. How do we know this? They call Him ‘Son of Mary’ (verse 3) which means the story of Joseph not technically being Jesus’ father had gotten around. Even if Joseph were dead, He would be referred to as a ‘Son of Joseph’ in their culture. He was not. They considered the message and then tossed out the Messenger because there was some unknown in His background they didn’t understand.

The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because they knew His brothers and sisters and they seemed normal and ordinary. None of Jesus’ brothers or sisters were exercising demons (Mark 1, 5), cleansing lepers (Mark 1), healing paralytics (Mark 2), restoring withered hands (Mark 2), teaching in parables (Mark 4), calming storms with a word (Mark 3), or raising people back to life (Mark 5). These miracles followed Jesus and told people that this man was something else… and yet His family was normal. The townspeople did not accept Jesus because they could not reconcile the Man standing before them with His family.