What is the first word or image that comes to your mind when you think of Jesus?
The crucifixion, resurrection, his birth? Miracles?
A guy with long brown hair, beard, chiseled face, wearing white robes and sandals?
When is the last time you thought about Jesus?
Writers Frank Viola and Leonard Sweet, in their book Jesus Manifesto, say “Christians are starved for a real experience of the living Christ. We know a lot about our Lord, but we don’t know Him very well.”
Is that true?
Last week we saw how Jesus’ own hometown neighbors, family and friends didn’t know him. He spent 30 years growing up as the boy next door. The carpenter’s son. He goes away like so many others were at the time, to get baptized by John. Then he spends 40 days in the desert, and starts his ministry of preaching. That ministry is off to a great start, and word spreads fast that there is a new superstar preacher in the area. And he does miracles! Jesus is only gone a couple months, maybe, when he returns to Nazareth. The newly famous son returns home. On the Sabbath, he enters the synagogue and within a span of a few minutes into his first sermon before the hometown crowd, he has them so fired up, they’re ready to kill him.
Huh? How could they do this?
They didn’t know him. They thought they knew him, but he turned out to be very different.
Do you know him?
This week, after Jesus leaves Nazareth, Luke tells us that his next stop is the town of Capernaum. How will the people there react to him? Check out Luke 4:31-44 to find out, and join us at Faith Church tomorrow for worship. Maybe you’ll (re)discover Jesus!
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