Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on July 17, 2020

The Scriptures teach us Jesus was not always welcome when He came to town. This time He came from Capernaum to Nazareth, and it was the second visit He made to His hometown during His earthly ministry.

Luke tells us Christs first visit to Nazareth came after He was tempted by the devil. He went into the synagogues throughout Galilee in the power of the Spirit. Luke said Jesus taught and He was glorified of all. He went to Nazareth, and on the Sabbath He went to the synagogue and read from the prophet Isaiah.

When He finished reading and speaking, the people in the synagogue were so filled with wrath that they forced Him out of the town to the edge of a cliff where they would have thrown Him over head first had He not escaped.

The second visit about which we read in Mark was a visit of grace. He would give them another opportunity to believe in Him, and so again He taught in the synagogue as every Jewish man had the right to do.

They were, as Mark tells us, astonished. How did He know so much about the Scriptures? This fellow grew up here, and we know He had no education. He is just one of us, they said. He has wisdom, they admitted, but who gave Him wisdom?

In their rejecting Jesus, the people were asking if His wisdom came from God or the devil? He did no miracle in Nazareth, but they heard of miracles He performed elsewhere. Were these miracles really divine in origin or did the devil make them possible?

Wasnt He the son of Mary? She was a poor widow who lived in Nazareth. They found Jesus only to be offensive.

A prophet is not without honor, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house, Jesus said in reply to their rejection of Him. So why did they reject Him? Perhaps they were jealous of Him. The poor hometown boy has grown up and become famous. They, like other people, believed no good thing could come from Nazareth.

Mark said, he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. There were a few who believed in His power and He graciously healed them, but He did no mighty work as He could have had the people believed in Him. Jesus was amazed at the people of Nazareth because they had no faith. He left town never to return.

The Lord Jesus Christ has come to town. There is no lack of churches in our county. It is about at the point that a person cannot throw a rock without hitting a church building. Has the Savior become so familiar that people look on Him with disregard? Are we to assume that just because people are members of churches they are saved? We are not to simply accept that.

Jesus is in town. The issue is what we will do about it. There was a time when He left and did not return. May it not be so with us.

The Sunday School Lesson is written by Ed Wilcox, pastor of Centerville Baptist Church. [emailprotected]

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Jesus came to town and He was rejected - Laurinburg Exchange

Category: Synagogue
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