SERMON OUTLINE:
(1). They Are Offended By Jesus (vs 57a).
(2). They Dishonoured Jesus (vs 57b).
(3). They Refuse To Believe In Jesus (vs 58).
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• George Campbell Morgan (9 December 1863 – 16 May 1945);
• Was a British evangelist, preacher and a leading Bible scholar.
• He was also twice the pastor of Westminster Chapel in London.
• If you read his books, even today they are acknowledged as quality works;
• They will if you take time to read them - bless ‘your socks off’.
• Although today we recognise him as a top Bible scholar;
• It wasn’t always that way.
• He was ordained to the Congregational ministry in 1890.
• Not only did he have to pass doctrinal examinations,
• But he also had to preach trial sermons.
• These trail sermons were not done in small chapels hidden away in the countryside;
• But in cavernous auditorium that could seat more than 1,000 people,
• Sat three ministers and 75 others who came to listen.
• When Morgan stepped into the pulpit,
• The vast room and the searching, critical eyes caused him to preach poorly.
• Two weeks later a list was published;
• Among the 105 REJECTED for the ministry that year was Campbell Morgan.
• Jill Morgan, his daughter-in-law, wrote in her book, A MAN OF THE WORD,
• “He wired to his father the one word, ‘Rejected,’
• And sat down to write in his diary: ‘Very dark everything seems. Still, He knoweth best.’ Quickly came the reply: ‘Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven. Dad.’”
• TRANSITION: “Rejected on earth. Accepted in heaven”
• That is the title for my sermon this morning;
• And summaries this little section of verses in Matthew’s gospel.
Note:
• You may have noticed in your studies of Matthew’s gospel;
• The way he changes his style from section to section.
• So you have several chapters of narrative (or, story) about Jesus.
• Then, you have several chapters of didactic teaching by Jesus.
• Then, you have some more chapters of narrative about Jesus.
• Then, you are back again to Jesus teaching again.
• This narrative, teaching, narrative, teaching pattern;
• Seems to be the style of writing Matthew uses throughout the entire book.
• i.e. For instance, in chapters 1-4, we have a section of narrative,
• Which begins with the birth of Jesus;
• And continues on through the beginning of the ministry of Jesus.
• i.e. Then, in chapters 5-7, we have the Sermon on the Mount,
• In which Jesus teaches about perfect righteousness.
• i.e. In chapters 8 and 9, we are back to narrative again.
• We find Jesus roaming around the villages, healing many people.
• i.e. In chapter 10;
• We return to read of Jesus instructing His disciples.
• i.e. In chapters 11 and 12, we are back in a more narrative section.
• Jesus was performing miracles, but being rejected by many.
• i.e. In chapter 13, we have been in a teaching environment again,
• As He teaches the parables.
But please notice that these sections haven't been disjointed:
• They have all focused their attention upon Jesus Christ.
• And in particular, they have focused their attention upon Jesus Christ as the King.
• i.e. In chapter 1, Jesus was born as a king.
• i.e. In chapter 2, Jesus was worshiped as a king.
• i.e. In chapter 3, John the Baptist prepared the way for the king.
• i.e. In chapter 4, Jesus defeated Satan's temptations.
• i.e. In chapters 5-7, Jesus taught about His kingdom.
• i.e. In chapter 8-9, Jesus demonstrated His authority as a king.
• i.e. In chapter 10, Jesus sent His disciples to proclaim the nearness of His kingdom.
• i.e. In chapters 11-12, we see the kingdom of Jesus face opposition.
• i.e. In chapter 13, Jesus again taught about the nature of the kingdom.
• The king was among them;
• But sadly many people they failed to recognise him!
• At the start of the gospel (chapter 2 verse 2) we read:
• “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?”
• And at the end of his gospel we read the words ailed to the cross (chapter 27 verse 37);
• “…this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”
• Note: And although he was “King of the Jews”
• Remember they wrote that inscription in three languages - Greek, Latin and Hebrew.
• Latin was the official language of the Roman Empire.
• Hebrew was the religious language of the Jews.
• Greek was the international language of the then known world
• Jesus may be a Jewish king but he is relevant for all people;
• Whoever or wherever they are!
• Now in our Bible passage this morning - the king was among them;
• But sadly the people of Nazareth would fail to recognise him!
Ill:
• Video clip – You tube – ‘Stop and hear the music’:
• http://youtu.be/hnOPu0_YWhw
• On January 12, 2007 at 7:51am in the morning;
• An experiment began … sponsored by the Washington Post newspaper.
• A young musician takes his position against a wall in the metro station;
• Of the Washington DC., subway.
• He is wearing jeans; a long-sleeved shirt, and a Washington National’s baseball cap.
• He opens his violin case … removes the instrument;
• Throws a few dollars into the case from his pocket as “seed money” … and begins playing.
• He plays for the next 43 minutes … and during that time
• He performs six classical pieces – flawlessly !!
• During that 43 minutes;
• 1,097 people passed by, tossing in a total of $32.17 into his violin case.
• Of that 1,097 people;
• Only seven paused longer than sixty seconds to listen to this performance;
• Of those seven who lingered … only one recognized the violinist!
The name of the violinist was Joshua Bell:
• Three days prior – he had filled Boston’s Symphony Hall;
• Where just “adequate” tickets sold for $100 apiece.
• And two weeks later,
• He would play for a standing-room-only audience in Bethesda, Maryland.
• Joshua Bell’s talents & artistry commands an average of $1,000 per minute;
• When performing this day in the subway;
• He barely earned enough to pay for a pair of cheap shoes.
• Now – you can’t fault the instrument;
• He was playing a Stradivarius worth 3.5 million dollars!
• You can’t fault the performance …
• He flawlessly played some of Johann Sebastian Bach’s best work!
• Yet … scarcely anyone noticed the presence of such artistry in this context:
• Flanked by a kiosk on one side and a shoe-shine stand on the other
• Most of those passer-by’s cynically wrote off this entertainer;
• As some typical, needy, dime-a-dozen musician,
• Who needed a few more cents to support his habit …or… to pay for a place to sleep.
• Little did they know that among them was a genius;
• And if they gave him some time he would greatly enrich their lives!
• TRANSITION In our passage this morning;
• The king was among the people,;
• But sadly most of the town of Nazareth failed to recognise him!
Question:
• Stop and get personal for a minute!
• Have you recognised Jesus as the King?
• If not, why not examine the evidence!
• If you recognise who he is;
• Please DO NOT make the same mistake as these people in today’s passage!
• You dare not…reject him this morning!
• For if we reject him in this life;
• Then he will reject us in the life to come!
• And some of the saddest words that will ever be uttered, will be uttered by Jesus;
• Matthew chapter 7 verses 21-23: “Depart from me, I never knew you!”
Note:
• The theme of Matthew’s gospel is ‘Jesus is king’.
• The style of Matthew’s gospel is a narrative, teaching, narrative, teaching pattern.
• In our passage this morning;
• Matthew brings to an end another narrative section in the life of Christ.
• Over the last few weeks you will have looked at various parables Jesus taught.
• The next four chapters (14 through the end of chapter 17).
• Are action packed chapters.
• You will see Jesus doing some miraculous things:
• i.e. Feeding thousands of people (Matt. 14:13-21; 15:32-39),
• i.e. Walking on water (Matt. 14:22-33).
• i.e. Being transfigured (metamorphosed) before the disciples (Matt. 17:1-13),
• i.e. Casting a demon out of a boy (Matt. 17:14-21),
• i.e. And pulling money from the mouth of a fish (Matt. 17:24-27).
• i.e. You will also see Jesus exposing the evil of the Pharisees (Matt. 15:1-14; 16:1-12),
• i.e. And beginning to reveal His plan to die at the hands of the religious leaders
• (Matt. 16:13-23; 17:22-23). I
• In all of it, People are forced to deal face to face with Jesus;
• And they have to keep asking two important questions; “Who really is this man?”
• And “What am I going to do with him – accept him or reject him!”
Note the Context of verses 53 to 58:
• Verse 53 tells us that Jesus had just finished teaching a series of parables;
• They make up the bulk of chapter 13.
• These were taught in Galilee, by the sea (according to verse 1).
• Now, Jesus and his disciples leave. "he moved on from there."
• Verse 54 tells us that he came "to His home town."
• Jesus came back into the region in which He grew up.
• Nazareth was the town where Jesus spent His childhood years.
• i.e. Matthew chapter 2 verse 23, says that Jesus "resided in a city called Nazareth."
• i.e. Luke chapter 4 verse 16 says that Nazareth was where Jesus "had been brought up."
Now verse 54 continues to describe what it was that Jesus did when He came back home:
• “He began teaching the people in their synagogue”
• Jesus would have been very familiar with this place of worship.
• ill: Just like some of you had Christian parents;
• Who brought you or dragged you to this building every Sunday of your lives.
• So Jesus would have been taken as a child to the synagogue;
• Because that was the place where the religious services were held,
• It was the place where the worship took place.
• It was the place, the centre of all community life.
But now when Jesus is in the synagogue;
• He is not there as a participant but as a leader, a teacher, a rabbi.
• It was the customs of the synagogues of the day to invite visiting rabbis to come and teach.
• And when Jesus took up the invitation to speak - I don’ think anyone fell asleep!
• Quote: Someone has described preaching as;
• “The fine art of talking in someone else’s sleep!”
• I don’t think anyone fell asleep when Jesus preached;
• In fact, the opposite, his teaching caused people to marvel.
• Verse 54 said, that; “they were amazed” another translation: "they became astonished."
• Notice that in response to the teaching of Jesus;
• The listeners began to express their astonishment by asking a bunch of questions;
• "Where did this man get this wisdom, and these miraculous powers?"
Ill:
• Remember they knew the past of Jesus;
• And for thirty years, Jesus maintained a fairly low profile in the community.
• Before his preaching ministry,
• Jesus made tables & chairs for people’s houses or ploughs and yokes for local farmers;
• He was a carpenter who followed in the family business of Joseph his step-father.
• He looked like a fairly ordinary carpenter in this fairly ordinary town.
• He had no halo, no illuminating globe of glory around his head.
• He did not have blue eyes and blond hair!
• He was a middle-eastern Jew with tanned skin and probably a large nose!
• He looked like a typical working class Jewish man.
• i.e. So much so that his own cousin John (the Baptist) could not pick him out in a crowd;
• He has not seen him since they were kids and at his baptism John had to say;
• “Only because the Holy Spirit pointed him out to me” that I knew who he was.
• (John chapter 1 verses 33).
• So for 30 years Jesus had blended into the Nazareth background,
• He had kept a low profile, working hard and preparing himself for his three years of ministry.
When at aged 30 Jesus went public and launched His ministry:
• His dynamic preaching and teaching accompanied by his miraculous abilities;
• Became known to all.
• Notice there was no doubt now of Jesus wisdom or of His miracle working power.
• No one doubted the things Jesus did;
• The issue is how could he do all this?
• Those in Nazareth who had known Jesus, assumed he was just an ordinary man.
• This is what the townspeople were saying in verses 55 and 56:
‘Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?’
These people of Nazareth knew the history and the family of Jesus:
• They knew that his step-father was Joseph,
• Who did carpentry for the residents in the city.
• They knew that His mother was Mary, who was known for her godliness.
• They knew His brothers very well. They identified them by name.
• In a small town like Nazareth they are even aware that he had sisters.
• We don't have their names recorded, but I believe that they could have named them.
• They knew…
• They knew that Jesus had received no special, religious education.
• They knew that Jesus wasn't part of some royal family.
• They knew he was a common labourer like themselves.
• But, what they did not know was how;
• How he could preach so wisely and authoritatively.
• What they did not know was how;
• How he could work miracles
• So they were left astonished at the preaching and healing abilities of Jesus.
Notice: Their response:
• Sadly, their astonishment didn't culminate in worship;
• Their astonishment didn't culminate in them accepting Jesus as the Messiah,
• As it ought to have done!
• Quote: “The same sun that melts the ice also hardens the clay”.
• These folks allowed all they know (or rather did not know) to harden their hearts.
• Notice that all of these questions posed in verses 55 and 56;
• Where NOT asked to genuinely seek answers.
• Rather, they were asked attempting to discredit Jesus.
• They are simply saying:
• Jesus is no super-hero. He is no Messiah,
• He's just an ordinary guy like you and me.
• We know his father and his mother and his brothers and sisters.
• So what right does he have to come and preach to us like he does!
• Their response culminated in a threefold negative reaction:
FIRST: They Are Offended By Jesus (vs 57a).
• Matthew doesn't tell us exactly why the people took offense at Jesus.
• Maybe it was something he said;
Ill:
• As a preacher I know that it is very easy to offend people;
• Sometimes we do it unknowingly by what we say;
• You make an ‘off the cuff’ remark or say something humorous;
• And it is misunderstood, taken the wrong way and people are offended and upset.
• And I have received telephone calls, letters and emails by those offended!
• More often or not the content, the message of what we preach to some is offensive!
• After all we are at times we are telling people truths they would rather not hear;
• And that will cause a reaction (or it should!)
Ill:
• John Wesley would ask new recruits training for the ministry in the Methodist Church;
• Two questions: “Was any one converted? Was anyone offended?”
• If they answer to both of those questions was “no”;
• He would say; “Perhaps you are not cut out for the ministry!”
• TRANSITION: They take offense and him (vs 57).
• Matthew doesn't tell us exactly why the people took offense at Jesus.
• But they were offended big time!
SECOND: They dishonoured Jesus (vs 57b).
• This comes out in the last part of verse 57 when Jesus speaks to them,
• " ‘A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home."
• Jesus quotes a common proverb of the day.
• It is generally true that a prophet of God;
• Was received with honour and recognized by people to be a man of God.
• However, when a prophet comes home to those who know him well,
• He is not received the same way.
Ill:
• In preparing my sermon I ‘googled’ the words of Jesus:
• ‘'A prophet is not without honour except in his own town and in his own home.'”.
• And was delighted to come across The Guardian Newspapers Northern Blog:
• (http://www.theguardian.com/uk/the-northerner/2011/dec/29/jameshudsontaylor-barnsley-yorkshire-china-missionaries)
• Which contains the story that:
• Christmas wouldn't be Christmas in a large part of the Christian world;
• Without a reference to Barnsley in Yorkshire. England.
• The Yorkshire tourist board have realised this fact;
• And they are now promoting it in China and around the world!
• The link is James Hudson Taylor, (21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905)
• The evangelical minister from Barnsley;
• Who founded the China Inland Mission (these days called the Overseas Mission Fellowship:
• Hudson Taylor spent 51 years in China.
• The society that he began was responsible for bringing over 800 missionaries to the country.
• They began 125 schools and directly resulted in 18,000 Christian conversions,
• As well as the establishment of more than 300 stations of work;
• With more than 500 local helpers in all eighteen provinces.
As the founding father of this mission;
• His influence with the gospel has impacted 70 million Chinese Christians;
• The membership of Christian churches in China and the Asian Pacific region.
• Yet if you asked most people in Barnsley or Yorkshire about him;
• You might get the answer - James who?
• Even sadder, if you asked many a Christian about James Hudson Taylor;
• Again you might get the answer – James who?
Just listen to the leading historian of Christian missions, Ruth Tucker:
“No other missionary in the nineteen centuries since the Apostle Paul;
Has had a wider vision and has carried out a more systematised plan of evangelising a broad geographical area than Hudson Taylor.”
John Foster, a Yorkshire Patron specially keen to promote Taylor's memory, says:
“Tourists from all over the world are regular visitors to Barnsley to see the birthplace of Hudson Taylor. Invariably they are astonished that a man so celebrated in China is virtually unheard of in his home town.”
• TRANSITION: Those words of Jesus were not an absolute statement.
• There were many prophets who faced great ridicule outside of their hometown.
• There were also prophets who had honour at home.
• But the simple truth is that when you look at a man of God from afar,
• He is often respected.
• However, when you mix with him on a daily basis, he becomes nothing special anymore.
• You begin to realize that he is just a man;
• He still has to put his trousers on one leg at a time.
• You begin to realize that in many ways he is ‘just like you’;
• Very ordinary in so many ways.
THIRD: They Refused To Believe In Jesus (vs 58).
“And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”
• Just for the record, when I preached in Nazareth (at The Emmaus Bible school);
• Two years ago – I couldn’t do any miracles there either!
• Although if I’m honest I didn’t try!
Matthew in his gospel has recorded a number of miracles that Jesus did:
• If you scan through the book of Matthew you will read about;
• Jesus healing a great crowd of people in Capernaum (Mat 8:1)
• Jesus healing a man with leprosy (Mat 8:1)
• Jesus healing a the servant of a Roman centurion (Mat 8:5)
• Jesus healing Peter’s mother in law (Mat 8:14)
• Jesus healing many were healed of all sorts of diseases( Mat 8:16)
• Jesus controlling the wind and waves making them obey him (Mat 8:23)
• Jesus raised back to life a girl from the dead (Mat 9:25)
• Jesus healing a the blind by restoring their sight (Mat 9:29)
• Jesus healing a mute and enabling him to speak – Mat 9:32
• Yet in Nazareth, nothing!
• “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.”
• "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief."
Notice:
• That Jesus did do some miracles, though not many;
• Partly so that the people might be left inexcusable,
• And partly that it might not be said, he did not wish well, to his own town.
• What he did Matthew does not record, but Mark in his gospel does;
• In Mark chapter 6 verses 5-6 we are told:
“He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith”.
• These sick people were willing to believe;
• Everyone else had failed them and in their desperation were willing to believe;
• And as they demonstrated faith;
• Their faith enabled Jesus to perform healing miracles on their behalf
Now what Jesus did many might not call ‘first class’ miracles;
• They will not be included in any top 10 list of miracles Jesus performed.
• And yet they were still miraculous, still supernatural, they were still unexplainable!
• And no-one else in Nazareth, Galilee or anywhere else could duplicate them!
• But notice that these miracles did not help people in their faith,
• Such were the peoples prejudices, their unbelief, and the hardness of their hearts!
• These miracles actually became stumbling blocks to them;
Conclusion:
Ill:
• A man and his dog were walking the beach;
• When they came upon another visitor to the beach.
• The owner of the dog was proud of his dog's newly mastered feat,
• So he said to the visitor, "Watch this!"
• Whereupon he tossed a piece of driftwood far out into the sea;
• And the dog immediately ran on top of the ocean, fetched the wood, and ran back.
• The visitor just shook his head in disbelief.
• So the owner repeated the procedure twice.
• Finally he asked the visitor, "Did you notice anything unusual?"
• The visitor responded, "Yes, your dog can't swim, can he?"
• TRANSITION: Sometimes we only see what we want to see;
• That was the problem for most of the people in Nazareth.
Ill:
Humanly speaking Jesus was very unsuccessful.
• He was born in poverty,
• And he died like a common criminal,
• He never wrote a book,
• Never made a film, or TV appearance,
• He never held an important office,
• He had no credentials but himself!
• Politically he failed,
• All levels of government rejected him.
• In religious circles he failed:
• He was rejected as an impostor by the religious leaders of his day,
• Both the politicians and the religious leaders conspired to kill him,
• His friends all abandoned him, and one even betrayed him.
Yet 2,000 years since Jesus walked on planet earth:
• 2.2 billion people claim to be Christians and follow him,
• Christianity is still one of the world’s fastest growing religion!
• The of Jesus teachings have influenced the thinking & shaped the lives;
• Of millions of people in vastly diverse cultures throughout the world.
• Jesus transcends the categories into which famous people fit.
• He is the man who struck history with such impact that he split it in two,
• Dividing it into two periods; before his coming & after it.
Note:
• Jesus is still in the business of dividing people;
• In the passage this morning (Matthew chapter 13 verses 53-58);
• The division was between the few who believed and the many who did not.
• Jesus always brings us to a choice;
• To accept him by faith or to reject him through unbelief.
• Question: Where do you stand this morning?
ill:
• There are two sides to a sheet of fly paper;
• And it matters immensely to the fly which side he chooses to land on!
Ill:
• Karl Barth, (May 10, 1886 - Dec 10, 1968) pronounced "Bart",
• Was a 20th century Swiss theologian in the Reformed tradition.
• One day when he was on a streetcar one day in Basel, Switzerland, where he lectured.
• A tourist to the city climbed on and sat down next to Barth.
• The two men started chatting with each other.
• Barth inquired: "Are you new to the city?"
• The tourist replied, “Yes”.
• Barth then asked him:
• "Is there anything you would particularly like to see in this city?"
• The tourist replied;
• "Yes, I’d love to meet the famous theologian Karl Barth. Do you know him?"
• Barth replied,
• "Well, as a matter of fact, I do. I give him a shave every morning."
• The tourist got off the streetcar quite delighted.
• He went back to his hotel saying to himself, "I met Karl Barth’s barber today."
• TRANSITION:
• That tourist missed the point – he failed to recognise the one he wanted to see!
• The people of Nazareth failed to recognise their Messiah!
• The religious leaders of Jesus’ day failed to recognise their saviour!
• Don’t make the same mistake.
Sermon audio:
https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=Gu5XjP6deqkp2oQfsYXwfQBL2iFwFRba&forceSave=Matthew_chapter_13_verses_53_to_58_-_sermon_by_Gordon_Curley.mp3
