Reflection Guide

Big Idea: Jesus faced rejection quite often during His ministry, but the people most offended and most rejecting of Jesus were those in His own hometown of Nazareth. If we are faithful messengers of Jesus, many people will take offense at us and we will face rejection as well, but we must not let that derail us. We need to shake that rejection off like dust from our feet and move on for the sake of those who will not reject, but rather receive, the Lord Jesus.

Who Takes Offense at Jesus? 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?

It was his fellow Nazarenes. Verse 6:1 says "he came to his hometown." That's Nazareth. These were people who attended the synagogue (v.2). Jesus was teaching them there. They were good church-goers. They had observed Jesus' wisdom (v.2); they had heard about his power and the miracles that he had done for people (v.2). They lived in a place where they had the privilege of access to Jesus. They had the best example of the Christian faith right there in front of them. Yet, for all of that, instead of seeing Jesus as a prophet to be honored...as a Savior to be trusted...they only saw Jesus as a riddle to be solved. “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?" They were not serious about Jesus, only curious. Are we so different? In this country, don't we enjoy unmatched access to the truth about Jesus? Haven't we been privileged to live in a place where we can freely assemble and observe his wisdom in the Scriptures? Don't we have access to the gospel that so many others are without? And yet, for all of our advantages, do we not often end up in a place of unbelief? Don't we often take offense at Jesus too? That kind of unbelief makes Jesus marvel!

What are some ways that you view Jesus as a riddle to be solved and not a Savior to be trusted? What are you currently struggling to believe about Jesus? Why is unbelief present even in the midst of great exposure to the truth? How has this been true in your life?

Why Were They Offended by Jesus? 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.

Who, after all, does this Jesus think he is? We've watched him grow up just like every other boy in Nazareth. How does he now make himself into a prophet? Isn't he a common tradesman...a carpenter? Isn't he an ordinary Nazarene like the rest of us? What's so special about this Jesus? Doesn't he just belong in a lineup of siblings? James, Joses, Judas, Simon?...his sisters? Don't we say the same thing today? What's so special about this Christianity thing? Doesn't it just belong in a lineup of religions and other systems of belief?...Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Atheism, Agnosticism, Secular Humanism? Don't they all encourage us to be better people? What's so special, then, about Christianity? It's common.

How have you regarded Jesus as ordinary recently? How have you become unimpressed with Him? In what ways have you displayed that your views about Christianity are no different than the many other religions of the world?

What Does This Passage Mean For Us Today 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.

First, we should proclaim a message that requires repentance from those who hear. This has been the message of Jesus from the beginning of His ministry (Mark 1:14-15)

Second, we should prepare for rejection as we do that (Mark 6:11). Jesus prepared His followers for rejection on the vary basis that He had chosen them. Because they were chosen by Him, this ensued that rejection would follow. (John 15:18-20)

The Gospel

Though we have taken offense at Jesus...though we have taken him to be a scandal--something to be questioned and to be skeptical about because he and his way of life can seem so ordinary at times--Jesus is pleased to save us through a very simple message: the word of the cross.

Though he was anything but common, Jesus allowed himself to be treated as such. He allowed himself to be condemned as a common criminal, when, in fact, what he was doing was dying in our place on the cross. He was taking the punishment from God that rightly belonged to us for the sinful lives that we have lived...lives of allegiance to self...allegiance to others...rather than allegiance to the God who made us and loves us.

Why is it hard to tell others that they should repent? What are some ways that you have tried to avoid rejection in sharing Jesus with others? What are we not believing about the gospel when we fear rejection by others?

One last time, Jesus was calling us to repentance from the cross, and once again, this was an offense (scandal) to some.

1 Corinthians 1:18, 21-25

18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God...... 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.