Jesus Returns to Nazareth

Driving home: It was in Nazareth that people were privileged to see, passing through every stage of normal development, the only person in whom was ever found, perpetual, real, ordinary, but sinless humanity joined to full, undiminish…

Martin uses the example of ticker-tape parades for World Series winners and special recognition for astronauts or Olympic athletes returning to their hometowns to highlight the stark absence of any welcome for Jesus in Nazareth, underscoring their indifference.

They were very much aware that this was no ordinary son of Nazareth. And in a very real sense, he was indeed that city's favored son. But unlike the attention and the honor paid to the favored son in our towns and cities, there was no welcoming committee to greet him. In our day, when a certain team was the world's series, not only is that team welcomed to its home city, be it Detroit, New York, or Los Angeles, wherever it is, by a ticker tape parade, but then after those more general recognitions, when the individual members go back to their hometown, often the town's favored son is recognize...

13:08 - 14:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The people of Nazareth were astonished by Jesus' teaching and wisdom, leading to questions about the source of his power. They dismissed his authority based on his ordinary…

Martin explains the word 'offend' (stumble) by describing a wooden stick used as a snare to catch an animal, illustrating how Jesus' ordinariness became a trap over which the people stumbled to their spiritual destruction.

If he received none of these things from our leaders in the ordinary instruction, if he had no special endowments by birth and family associations, then either he's received them from God or from the devil, and the former were not prepared to acknowledge, and though some of the scribes and the Pharisees had already professed. professed the latter they were not prepared to take that position either and you know what happened the second thing that mark tells us look at verse 3 and they did in him now that word offend stumble it comes from a word that referred a wooden stick that was a snare that...

25:46 - 26:50 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Jesus reacts by repeating the aphorism about a prophet being dishonored in his own country, restraining his healing power due to their unbelief, and marveling at the depth of…

Martin uses the common aphorism 'the early bird gets the worm' to explain what an aphorism is, setting up Jesus' use of one.

First of all, He repeats an aphorism. Now an aphorism is a short, concise statement of a principle. When you say it's the early bird that gets the worm, you're using an aphorism. There's an aphorism among the Pennsylvania Dutch.

28:58 - 29:17 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Jesus reacts by repeating the aphorism about a prophet being dishonored in his own country, restraining his healing power due to their unbelief, and marveling at the depth of…

Martin shares the Pennsylvania Dutch aphorism 'He's too soon old and too late smart' to further illustrate the concept of an aphorism, emphasizing its concise statement of a principle.

He's too soon old and too late smart.

29:17 - 29:20 Read in full sermon

The point: Guard against familiarity with Jesus in his word and his people breeding contempt for him, his word, and his people.

Martin contrasts the spiritual apathy of those familiar with the gospel in the West with the hunger of people in the Third World who flock by the tens of thousands to hear the Word of God, highlighting the danger of familiarity breeding contempt.

You've seen real Christianity in the body of Christ. And it's that very familiarity with Jesus in his word and his people that has bred contempt for him, for his word, and for his people. When one hears the stories of what's going on even now in this generation in parts of the world where for centuries men and women have never heard the gospel, and where the very announcement that someone will come and speak from the word of God will bring tens of thousands flocking together under burning African suns to stand or sit for hours. I've talked to men who've looked into a sea of darned faces in man...

50:38 - 52:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Guard against familiarity with Jesus in his word and his people breeding contempt for him, his word, and his people.

Martin shares how people in other places have a 'bigger-than-life' image of him from his recorded sermons, contrasting it with the familiarity his own congregation has, which can lead to contempt.

Our privileges so that there was no Bible to read, there were no Christ-centered sermons to hear, there was no visible representation of Christ and his people, and we tried to make it in this parish. And perhaps we begin to appreciate a little more our high and holy privileges. You see, what is true in a general sense is true even more specifically when God is pleased in his will and providence to give a church a lengthy ministry. And I believe I've been here long enough, and why I'm here is plain enough to all of you who know me at all that I can say this without being misunderstood. Familiar...

52:07 - 53:26 Read in full sermon

The point: Guard against familiarity with Jesus in his word and his people breeding contempt for him, his word, and his people.

Martin recounts an incident where someone was 'threatened at the very thought of shaking my hand' due to his 'bigger-than-life image,' further illustrating the disconnect between his perceived image and his actual humanity.

And they have this bigger-than-life image. We had someone here just two weekends ago threatened at the very thought of shaking my hand. Such a bigger-than-life image. What a joy it is to let people know that I'm made of the same stuff that they are, and to let them know that I'm a man of like passions, a privilege that all of you have week by week in this place, as your flesh is pressed at the door and your eyes are greeted and your children are loved.

53:49 - 54:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let the ongoing ministry of God's servant be an occasion for breeding contempt, as it hinders spiritual profit.

Martin mentions men pleading for him to come preach for even a few days or a single Sunday, emphasizing the high esteem for his ministry elsewhere, which contrasts with potential contempt from familiarity in his home church.

And then they somehow expect a faith when I breathe. Yes. If I had some problem with ego that needed to be fed, just make it known I'm available for that. At this conference last week, a man who's been writing me a letter for three years pleading, can you come for even two or three days between Sundays?

54:47 - 55:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let the ongoing ministry of God's servant be an occasion for breeding contempt, as it hinders spiritual profit.

Martin quotes Charles Wesley's fear of preaching himself and his hearers into hell if he stayed in one place too long, illustrating the danger of a pastor's voice becoming too ordinary and losing its edge due to familiarity.

If it can happen with the Son of God Himself, it can happen with any of His lesser servants. This is why Charles Wesley said, he said, I fear if I stayed in one place longer than a year, I would preach both myself and my hearers into hell. That's what Charles Wesley said. You know what he meant by that?

57:05 - 57:39 Read in full sermon