Wonderful

 Gtcotr/ss120521

When Jesus was 30 years old, He left His home in Nazareth and went to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River near Jericho. Afterwards, Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit out into the wilderness of Judea and there He was tempted by the devil for 40 days and 40 nights. Jesus defeated every temptation and after those 40 days the Bible records that Jesus began to openly heal people and perform miracles throughout the Galilee.

His reputation grew quite rapidly and soon many followed Him and began saying that He was the Messiah long promised to the nation of Israel by God. While some believed, others were skeptical and some were even angry and wanted to stop Jesus because they felt He was leading people to blaspheme God.

In the fifth chapter of Mark, we read where Jesus raised a young girl from the dead. This must have caused quite a stir since the young girl was the daughter of the ruler of the Synagogue in Capernaum. So, in Mark the sixth chapter we find Jesus taking His disciples and leaving Capernaum to visit His hometown of Nazareth, which is only about 20 miles west. Let’s read:

Mark 6 NKJV

1 ¶  Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

2  And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!

3  “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him.

4  But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”

5  Now 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. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.

Not too long afterwards, Jesus had been healing people and doing miracles in and around the city of Capernaum in the Galilee, and He was sitting in a house teaching a large group of people. The group consisted of some who believed He was the promised Messiah, some who doubted and just didn’t know what to think, and others who disbelieved and thought that Jesus was a blasphemous imposter. Then there was His family … they were just concerned that Jesus was maybe a little out of His head and needed to calm down and come home before He got hurt.

While Jesus is teaching this large group of mixed-minded people …

Matthew 12:46 ¶  While He was still talking to the multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak with Him.

I can imagine His mother and His brothers meant well. They made the trip from Nazareth to Capernaum to do an intervention. It is evident that Mary did not want her eldest son to be arrested and judged by the religious Pharisee court system. He could be beaten or even stoned to death for leading or even letting others to think He was the Messiah. However, the brothers of Jesus just simply didn’t believe Jesus was special. They just thought He wanted to be important and famous. And that’s what they told Jesus later …

John 7 NKJV

3  His brothers therefore said to Him, “Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.

4  “For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.”

5  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.

So far this morning, we have read three separate accounts which include the brothers of Jesus. These scriptures are included in the Gospels to make a few things evident to us:

·        Jesus loved helping, healing, and teaching people.

·        People were divided over Jesus.

·        Jesus had and was raised with brothers and sisters.

o   Half-brothers and sisters in truth.

o   Evidently sons and daughters of Joseph and Mary.

·        Jesus was raised learning the trade of carpentry - construction.

o   People from His hometown knew Jesus as a construction worker.

o   He probably learned it from Joseph, as did His brothers as well.

·        The brothers of Jesus did not believe He was special.

o   They thought He was not normal and maybe they thought He just wanted to be famous or important or perhaps He was a little crazy.

o   The brothers made fun of Jesus, even to His face.

Can you imagine what it would be like to be raised in the same house as Jesus and to have Him there all the time? You could ask Him questions and get His help on everything. What an opportunity! Well …

There are people today who are raised in a house with Jesus there all the time but still, like the brothers of Jesus and even some of the people He went to Church with, they do not believe He is the Son of Almighty God, Messiah, and their personal Lord and Savior. They simply see Him as an everyday commodity. Jesus is so common and so familiar many people never imagine the opportunity they have to get answers to questions and get His help for everything they do.

When I read through the Bible and find how that God saves and delivers whole families and households, it makes me a little sad that the brothers of Jesus grew up not believing in Him. Their unbelief lasted all the way to the cross. However, on the 3^rd day after the cross, Jesus was raised from the dead and for the next 40 days the Bible says that He showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs to more than 500 people.

We know that after His resurrection, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and to the 11 Disciples in Jerusalem. And, although the Bible does not give us the written account of Jesus appearing to His mother and His family, we know He must have. And I believe He made it a priority. What makes me think this? Well, on the day Jesus ascended to heaven, we read:

Acts 1 NKJV

12 ¶  Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.

13  And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James.

14  These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

I wonder how many times these boys heard mama calling the name of Jesus and asking Him to help her? Perhaps they imagined that because Jesus was in the house where they were raised and because mama had a special relationship with Jesus, that was enough.

Jesus was no doubt a household name. But there is an eternal difference between being raised where Jesus is a household name and having a personal encounter with the risen Lord and Savior of your soul.

Today, even if you have been raised hearing or even saying the name of Jesus in your house for all of your life … let me ask you … do you know Him? Do you know who He really is? He is not just mama’s favorite … He is: (Isaiah 9:6)

·        Wonderful

·        Counselor

·        The Mighty God

·        The Everlasting Father

·        The Prince of Peace

Do you know Him today as your personal Lord and Savior? You can … right now … you can call on Him to forgive your sins and save your soul. He will accept you, forgive you, cleanse you, save you, set you free, walk every step with you on earth, and take you to heaven when you die.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He is Jesus, the lover of your soul. This is the season to tell others about this wonderful Savior and Friend. His name is Jesus!!!