Our Bible study this year recalls the details of some life-changing, biblical personal encounters with Jesus. Feel free to post your thoughts and reactions to things you have read and experienced in the study, #messagemagazine. Above all, it is our prayer that you get to know Jesus and experience His life-changing power for yourself.
When Jesus went home He was not the same person who left. Now He was a rabbi, a healer, and hope-giver who has followers. He knew what He was about, and His reputation preceded Him. But this is the latest download and update for those at home. They knew who He was; they knew His sisters; they knew the house He grew up in, but who is this guy? No, at His homecoming, Jesus received no celebration, pats on the back, smiles and waves from the neighbors, or a key to the city. Even the homies from around the way didn’t bother to throw a party.
Instead, they doubt and question Jesus. Mark writes the story this way in chapter 6:
“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? 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.” (ESV)*
In other words, “Who is this guy?”
He is the founder, CEO, and lead attorney of earth’s Innocence Project with the sole mission to be an advocate for those who have sinned, and to save through His grace those who come to Him in faith. He is unbeaten on the road, flawless in His execution, and has found His niche.
Don’t hate, He is simply about His Father’s business. Being on the road changed Jesus, but doing His Father’s work, and living His purpose changed Him more. He was unrecognizable. And that was a good thing for the world.
The “haterade” flowed like water at home though. Who do you think you are? How dare you return home and speak like this?
It is out of our emptiness that we fill ourselves with the blood of others who we have limited, and even killed with labels we have placed on them. Humans were labeling pros in the time of Christ, and today we carry on the tradition. We even do it to ourselves. Labels on birth limitation, and they often shackle their captives emotionally without the possibility of parole. We limit each other. We incarcerate each other. Those who take the risk of a prison-break are sometimes tried by a jury of peers and found guilty of attempting to exceed expectations. Jesus had broken free, and wanted the people in His hometown to be free as well. They, however, could not be. They would not be.
Who is this guy?
Deeper yet, what happens when the blessing we need does not appear the way we expect? Jesus simply came to be a blessing, and the limits of his community, and His home stood in the way because He is not 
what they expected. We treat our retuning children this way. We miss blessings because the person or vision did not fit the description. Too young. Too bold. Too much. Labels. Limits. We are missing out! How many years will we waste because we have no faith in the generation that is coming home? How long will we let our best minds, and most talented give their best outside of the city walls?
Who is He we ask?
An earlier chapter in Mark says that while in a storm that threatened shipwreck, and the lives of all aboard, Jesus is sleeping. He is labeled as not caring. All they could see was imminent destruction, but Jesus reminds them that He is not limited by storms and waves, and the fear of losing His life. He simply says, “peace be still.” Who is this guy? He speaks and nature listens.
Jesus then steps on the shore and strips off the label of “crazy demon-possessed man” from an outcast who was living among the dead. Jesus gave this shackled man unfettered freedom of life. Who is this guy, that even demons obey Him?
Jesus then rips the label of “incurable” from a woman by the mere touch of her hand to His garment. He is not done yet, because He deals with the biggest label of all, death. He rips the label of death off of Jarius’ daughter and she is brought back to life.
If I were there that day, I hope that I could say, “Jesus I want you to do your thing right here. You are always welcome here. Here is the key to the city, and I can’t wait to see what you will do right here at home.”
Who would He be then? The Savior of the world, the slain Lamb of God, and the coming King. The One who can free us from our limits and labels. Jesus/Savior.
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Baron A. Sovory is a pastor, husband, father, and youth leader in Southern California.
*Scripture quotations marked ESV are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Too Much Jesus
Too much religion. Too much church. Too much Jesus? For many it is hard to drive to the store without running into some sort of ministry. Steeple after steeple, cause after cause. It seems as if someone is always trying to find a way to spread the “Word.” Have you ever wondered if someone could have too much Jesus? Can you be around Him so long that you get weary of His presence? Let me ask a question that may be more relevant: Is there a time when you can get so familiar encountering Him that He no longer influences your life in the miraculous way He is capable of? As we continue exploring the different encounters people have had with Jesus, let us look at those who were exposed to Him the most.
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I must admit that in writing this, it just dawned on me that Jesus not only had a hometown, but also a home church. To get a real feel for the amazement that those who were in the synagogue experienced, the next time you go to church, look at one of the children in your congregation and try to see them as the King of the universe. Envision them as having all power and authority. Tell about this exercise. Can you do it? Does it make you chuckle? Tell us about it.
From the last section, are the questions that were asked truly preposterous? There is something to be said about the effect of familiarity. Has God become familiar to you? When was the last time Jesus truly blew your mind, or caught you off guard? Read Hebrews 13:8, Romans 11:34, and Isaiah 55:8, 9. How do these fit together? What do they say about being “familiar” with God?
It seems as though the hardest setting to share and live the Gospel in, is around those who call you family. The ones that know you the best are often the hardest to reach, because either they know your story, or are not open to what you have to say because of history. Jesus seemed to experience this also in Nazareth. The people believed they knew Him so well that it was a foreign possibility for this man to be the Messiah. Is there someone who has been trying to talk to you, but you do not listen to them because you are close? Is there someone God has put on your heart to reach out to, but you are hesitant to do so with because of the nature of your relationship? Write out a prayer. Do not say their name if you do not want to, but write it out, and if you are willing, share your prayer so we at Message can pray with you for that situation.
Make a list of the things in your life you are looking for God to show His power in. Then make a list of what you think the best outcome would be. Read the verse above again and erase, or rewrite your answer. I am convinced that no matter how fantastic our scribbling get, God can exceed them. In your own way, praise God for what He is going to do with your list. If your praise takes the form of a song, poem, picture, or anything else that is shareable, we would love to be blessed by your praise here at Message. Share it with us.
I pray that God takes you and me to a place that our name can never appear in this verse. If faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, I look forward to God dispensing His word in such excess that we will amaze Him with the abundance of our faith.
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*Scriptures quotations credited to NIV are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Rashad Burden is the associate pastor of the Progression church, in Atlanta, Georgia.
