Ashe Alliance Church
Sunday Service 01.18.26
      • Bible Trivia
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  • 10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)
  • The Love Of God
  • Your Love O Lord
  • I Love You Lord

  • Main Idea

    The greatest barrier to experiencing the power of Christ is not a lack of evidence, but a heart unwilling to believe.
    “I NEED MORE PROOF.”
    When you witness to someone today, one of the most common objections you’ll hear is “I need more proof.” “If God would just show me a miracle… if I could just see something tangible… then I’d believe.”
    But the truth is, people don’t need more proof—they need new hearts.
    Proof was never the issue. Jesus stood before people, healed the sick, raised the dead, calmed storms, and cast out demons—and still, many did not believe. The book of Romans tells us that we need only look at nature to know with certainty that God exists. The empty tomb is historical proof that God walked among us.
    Our problem isn’t a lack of evidence. It is a hardness of heart.
    The recent events of the assignation of Charlie Kirk and the recent shooting in Minnesota are prime examples. We are all looking at the same evidence, and yet, people come to wildly different conclusions. Why? Because we all operate from a worldview… our belief in how the world operates… and will draw our conclusions based on that belief, and that belief will stir the passions in our hearts and develop action. In these cases, many people see what they already assume to be true.
    Today we’ll see Jesus return to His own hometown… the place where He grew up, where people knew His face, His family, and His voice. They had more exposure to Jesus than anyone else, yet they still rejected Him. As we open Mark 6, we’ll be reminded that unbelief doesn’t stem from intellectual confusion—but from spiritual resistance. We’ll also see that even Jesus, the Son of God, was amazed at the unbelief of His own people.

    Passage

    Mark 6:1–6 CSB
    1 He left there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished. “Where did this man get these things?” they said. “What is this wisdom that has been given to him, and how are these miracles performed by his hands? 3 Isn’t this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And aren’t his sisters here with us?” So they were offended by him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” 5 He was not able to do a miracle there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. He was going around the villages teaching.

    I - Jesus Comes Home v.1

    Coming as a former resident
    Traveling from Capernaum (or nearby) to Nazareth, a 20ish-mile trek.
    This is where Jesus grew up in those early, anonymous years.
    This is where His family is from… the same family that thought He was crazy and tried to bring Him home from Capernaum when he was dining with the tax collectors.
    The same town where, during a previous visit, He revealed His mission by quoting from Isaiah in the synagogue, and the townspeople attempted to throw Him off a cliff (Luke 4:16-30)!
    Coming as a Rabbi. Jesus was traveling with all his disciples. To return to Nazareth, away from the Sea of Galilee, where he had been ministering with his entourage, shows that He is coming not just as a resident but also as a teaching rabbi. His disciples had followed him and learned of his power and authority over sickness and death, but they had not yet experienced outright rejection from anyone other than the Pharisees. Today would be an important lesson for them to learn before they are sent out in pairs into the surrounding region.
    After this visit, Jesus leaves Nazareth, and there is no record of Him ever returning.

    II - The Town Amazed at Jesus v.2

    Jesus enters the heart of the Jewish community… the synagogue… and is invited to teach by the synagogue leader, which is amazing in and of itself, especially when you remember what happened the last time Jesus was here.
    As Mark notes in chapter one, the main thing Jesus came to do was to teach, so that is what we see Him doing on the Sabbath. He had enough clout and acclaim from His previous healings and exorcisms to speak to the same townspeople who had once tried to kill Him.
    astonished - ἐκπλήσσω (ekplēssō)
    A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. ἐκπλήσσω

    to cause to be filled with amazement to the point of being overwhelmed

    Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament ἐκπλήσσω

    1. to be utterly amazed — to be or become astounded to such a degree as to nearly lose one’s mental composure.

    This is a dumbfounded, speechless, jaw-on-the-floor type of amazement, and at what? At Jesus' diplomas or academic prowess? No, they’re amazed by His insane level of wisdom, which contrasts with the simpleton they grew up with.
    If anyone has experienced the proof that Jesus is who He says He is… they’ve heard firsthand reports of His miracles, heard of the possessed delivered, and listened to Heaven’s wisdom. And Jesus’ teaching was enough to dazzle their minds, but what they did with that information and realization was interesting. It didn’t cause them to fall to their knees in repentant worship… it made them mad.
    If you’ve ever been confused or discouraged by how someone can hear a powerful sermon, encounter undeniable truth, or even witness God’s work—and then explain it away, dismiss it, or grow defensive—you’re seeing the same dynamic at work here. Astonishment is not the same as faith. Being impressed by Jesus does not mean surrendering to Him. These people were overwhelmed by His wisdom yet unmoved in their hearts, because amazement without humility often hardens rather than opens. This reminds us of a sobering truth: no one ultimately rejects Jesus because of a lack of evidence, but because of resistance of the heart. Proof can stun the mind, but only repentance opens the soul. What we need most is not more information about Jesus, but transformation by Him.

    III - The town rejects Jesus v.3

    Growing offense. The townspeople could not reconcile the Jesus they knew, the one they grew up with, with the one standing before them. If the claim were true, Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah, the epic savior of Israel, foretold for thousands of years. This man would be larger than life. He had the power to redeem the entire nation. He would rule with an iron scepter and govern an eternal kingdom. So in their minds, they could not square this heroic messianic figure with the local, unimpressive carpenter from their no-name town, never once referenced in the sacred scriptures. He was just too ordinary to be accepted as that person.
    The questions they ask reveal a growing distaste for Jesus’ claims:
    1.     Isn’t this the carpenter? This means that Jesus was a blue-collar worker. He worked with his hands. A carpenter back in those days worked with wood or stone. So what they're really saying is, how could this be an esteemed, educated, wise rabbi when we know He’s never received such training? He grew up working with his hands, not his head. Now, the Jews did not necessarily look down on blue-collar workers. The Greeks did. And we have to remember that Mark's audience is a mixture of Jews and Gentiles. So, at the very least, this was a hat tip to putting Jesus in his place, saying that you're just a day laborer. What business do you have teaching others?
    2.     Isn’t this the son of Mary? This statement is a little more hurtful and borderline derogatory. In Jewish custom, the son’s lineage is traced through the father. Oftentimes, as you will see in Scripture, the son is called the son of his father. So in our day, we have a surname, a last name. For them, it was the literal name of their father. To call Jesus the son of Mary is at least a possible acknowledgment that he was illegitimate. The word got around town that he wasn't actually Joseph's son, but Mary’s illegitimate son by a different man. This was a cheap shot. Another possible reason people used this phrase was that in Jewish culture, the responsibility of the firstborn son is to take care of the family in the father’s absence. So this could also be a shot at Jesus for abandoning those duties to take care of his family because Joseph, at some point, died. So that responsibility would have gone to Jesus.
    3.     Isn’t this the one with other siblings? This is another way that points to the reality that Jesus is just a normal human guy. He has a mom, he had a dad, and he has brothers and sisters. His brothers are James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, and he has at least two sisters (because the word is plural). So how on earth could he be the Messiah when we know his whole family?
    In all of these things, they were offended by Jesus because they could not see past the contrast between knowing Jesus as an ordinary person and the expectations of the coming Messiah, even though they had every reason in the world to believe in him—the miracles he performed, the exorcisms, and the teaching they heard with their own ears. They were utterly offended by him. The Greek word for offended is skandalon, which means a stumbling block. In Mark's gospel, this word appears eight times, and every time it designates an obstruction that prevents someone from coming to a saving knowledge of who Jesus really is.
    No matter how we try to soften it, this rejection would have wounded Jesus deeply. He was not rejected by strangers but by neighbors—people who knew His family, watched Him grow up, and shared life with Him. Yet they could not see past His ordinariness to embrace His divinity. This confronts us with an uncomfortable truth: familiarity can become a stumbling block to faith. When Jesus doesn’t match our expectations—when He doesn’t look powerful enough, impressive enough, or convenient enough—we are tempted to dismiss Him, minimize Him, or take offense at Him. The tragedy of Nazareth is not that they lacked evidence but that they allowed their assumptions to blind them to the Savior standing before them. The question for us is simple but searching: have we become so familiar with our assumptions of Jesus that we don’t even recognize Him?

    IV - Jesus Reacts to the town vv.4-5

    Jesus reveals a sobering kingdom truth. He responds with a common proverb of the day: “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household.” This proverb speaks of three spheres of influence, each more intimate than the last. You begin with your hometown, Nazareth, then proceed to your relatives (both immediate and extended), and finally to your household. This would have been difficult to say, because Jesus lived that reality… that in all three spheres, he didn't have their respect. This was evident in his brief interaction with his family in chapter three, when they attempted to take him from the tax collector's house and bring him home because they were ashamed of him.
    In saying this, Jesus alluded to the experience of the Old Testament prophets. They were often rejected and not appreciated in the towns where they lived. Their message was rejected. They themselves were rejected, and some were even killed, which makes Jesus' statement about himself not just a similarity. It also makes it, in some sense, prophetic.
    Jesus could not perform miracles. At first glance, this suggests that there is something Jesus cannot do, based on our level of faith or unbelief. In other words, it implies that He is limited by our will, and that we are the cause of His inability. To clarify this, we need to turn to the parallel passage in Matthew 13.
    Matthew 13:58 CSB
    58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.
    Matthew’s account helps clarify Mark’s language. He doesn’t say Jesus couldn’t do miracles; He says He didn’t do many because of their unbelief. In other words, He chose not to. He could not because He would not. Why? Because Jesus’ miracles were never just displays of power—they were signs pointing to His identity as the Messiah and to the arrival of God’s kingdom. Yes, His healings expressed compassion, but they always had a deeper purpose: to reveal who He is and awaken faith.
    That’s why miracles were often accompanied by belief. The bleeding woman was healed not because she touched His garment, but because her faith was in who He was before she was healed. Her healing was the result of spiritual recognition, not superstition. Faith—real faith—is a gift of God’s grace. In Nazareth, where there was no faith, Jesus withheld miracles not out of spite or inability, but out of mercy. To work miracles in the absence of faith wouldn’t soften their hearts—it would only harden them further against the truth.
    Jesus’ power is not diminished by unbelief—but His work may be withheld from those unwilling to receive it in faith. Throughout the Gospels, miracles are never performed as mere spectacle; they are signs pointing to who He is—the Messiah bringing God’s kingdom to earth. That’s why faith is necessary for the right response. As Scripture says, “the righteous shall live by faith.” Faith is not just the way we begin with God—it’s the way we live with Him. In Nazareth, Jesus found no such faith, only hardened hearts that refused to believe despite overwhelming evidence. And in mercy, He withheld what would only have further confirmed their resistance. Miracles don’t generate faith; they confirm it. Without faith, even the clearest sign can lead to further rejection. But for those who trust Him, Jesus is willing and ready to act according to His will, purpose, mission, and timing. The question is: are we living by faith—or waiting for more proof before we obey?
    Think about a good parent and a teenager who wants to skip the hard parts of life. A son comes to his father and says, “I don’t want to start at the bottom. I want the meaningful job. I want the good paycheck. I want the position that matters.”And the father actually agrees—those things are good. Meaning, purpose, provision—none of that is wrong. But the father also knows something the son doesn’t yet understand. If he gives him the position before the process—before humility is learned, before discipline is formed, before character is shaped—then the very thing that seems like a blessing will actually become a burden. It won’t mature him; it will inflate him. It won’t strengthen him; it will weaken him.
    So the father doesn’t withhold the job because he lacks the ability to give it. He withholds it because giving it too soon would do harm instead of good. The son may interpret that as restriction, but in reality, it’s mercy.
    That’s what’s happening in Nazareth. Jesus does not withhold miracles because He is powerless—but because their hearts are unprepared. To give signs without faith would not lead them to repentance; it would only deepen their resistance. Just like the parent knows when a child isn’t ready for responsibility, Jesus knows when a heart isn’t ready for revelation.

    V - Jesus is Amazed by the Town v. 6

    First, the town people were amazed at Jesus' teaching. But now, Jesus stands amazed at the town people's reaction. There are two times in the Gospels when Jesus is amazed by what he sees. This is the first, where Jesus is amazed at their unbelief. The other instance is in Luke 7:9, where Jesus is amazed at the great faith the Roman centurion displays. Isn't that interesting? Jesus is amazed twice, in opposite ways. One at a powerful demonstration of faith and one at an utter lack of faith.
    What's really going on here? Why do they have such a lack of faith? I believe they are making the same error the Israelites made in 1 Samuel 16, only it's a mirror image of their type of acceptance. In that story, the people wanted a king and marveled at how Saul looked. He appeared kingly. His stature was tall and broad. Yet God said, do not look at his appearance. As human beings see, God sees. Humans look at what is visible, but the Lord looks at the heart. When they looked at Saul, they saw a powerful king. These Israelites in Nazareth, however, looked at the King of kings and saw an ordinary man. They saw a mere human being, one they had watched grow up. They could remember his childhood, maybe some even rocked Him to sleep in their arms. They saw a blue-collar carpenter. Some saw the result of an illegitimate, extramarital relationship. The truth is, they didn't want someone who looked like them. They saw everything but the truth that Jesus is the divine Son of God and the promised Messiah who would deliver his people from their transgressions.
    What does Jesus see when he looks at you? That is a sobering reality. Jesus can marvel at our unbelief or our faith. So this really begs the question, when Jesus looks at our life, what is he marveling at? What's really convicting for me in this passage is that Jesus is not marveling at mankind's desire or bent toward sin. What he is marveling at is the hardness of people's hearts and their unwillingness to believe in miracles, to believe in the exorcisms, to believe in his teachings, all of which point to the truth of who he is as the Son of God.

    🔥 Application: What do you want your life to be defined by?

    This whole passage is a chiasm. You've seen how the townspeople are amazed, then they react. Now, Jesus has reacted, and He stands amazed. In any chiasm, the core idea resides at the intersection of the mirrored elements. And that intersection comes down to a reaction based on belief or unbelief.
    Nazareth’s tragedy wasn’t that they lacked evidence—it was that they refused to believe. They were close to Jesus, familiar with His story, and impressed by His wisdom, yet they remained unmoved in faith. This passage warns us that exposure without submission hardens the heart. The great danger here is not open rebellion but comfortable unbelief that explains Jesus away while standing inches from Him.
    Lay aside familiarity, offense, and excuses—repent and believe. Receive Jesus not as the version you expect or assume, but as the Lord He truly is.
    ➤ Challenge: When Jesus looks at your life today, is He marveling at growing faith—or at resisted truth? What is keeping you from fully trusting and submitting to Him right now?

      • Mark 6:1–6CSB

      • Matthew 13:58CSB

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  • Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (Old 100th)
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Ashe Alliance Church
nroten@ashealliance.org
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http://www.ashealliance.org
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