Mark 6 tells the story of Jesus going home to preach and teach. He enters the synagogue and, like many other speaking engagements, the audience is impressed. In fact, the text says that “many who heard him were amazed.”
Unfortunately, this amazement runs aground on a series of questions. “Isn’t this the carpenter?” “Isn’t this Mary’s son?” “Don’t we know his brothers and sisters?”
Their problem was not with the message. The message was accompanied by miracles!
Their problem was with the speaker. They knew him too well.
Correction: The problem was that they knew Jesus as a kid.
Now, my question is simple. Children (whatever age), have you ever tried to teach your parents something? Parents, have your children tried to teach you about finances … or parenting?
Yikes! Now the point may be perfectly valid, but the conversation is hard. Why? Because it looks like the novice (the child) is “informing” the expert (the parent).
The people who had watched Jesus grow up couldn’t see beyond the baby. Jesus said, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” He did only a few miracles there. Obviously, they had missed the message and the messenger.
This is my Christmas wish: Do not miss the cross, because of the manger.
Christmas is beautiful. Emmanuel. God with us. Just remember that Jesus is more than the baby in the manger. Jesus is not content to simply complete the nativity scene in your front lawn. Jesus calls for more. Not just a place on the lawn or a room in your home, but your whole house and your whole life. It is good to see Christ wrapped in swaddling clothes, but you should also see him robed in heavenly splendor. The baby is cute, but the King is praiseworthy. A few shepherds and a few wise men went to see the baby, but now the world finds their Lord and Savior seated at the right hand of God.
I like to see Jesus as the baby, because the baby asks nothing from me. The man that he became, on the other hand, calls us to drop everything and follow him. He calls us to pick up a cross and follow him. The message that his playmates missed is redemption to all who do not miss the cross because of the manger.
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