His Eyes On Us, [The Ministry of Jesus]

 “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing?”

Mark 6:2-3, NIV

 Jesus amazed people.  When He is brought to the front of the synagogue, He begins to speak.  His listeners are driven to silence and an awareness of something else.  They attempt to try to decipher these things.  It seems they cannot make the connection between the Holy Spirit and their traditions.  But as they listened their hair stood up.  What is going on? Something isn’t quite right. Too many things are being threatened.

But they remain astonished.  The situation is getting out of control.  This young man is one of their own.  They don’t expect this type of intensity from Him.  He says things that very closely approaches a definition of blasphemy.  Who is this man, and why is He speaking to us in such a manner or attitude?

And on top of all these pronouncements, He begins to perform miracles! 

He does what no one can do, or has done before.  And He does it so easy– no theatrics or gyrations.  There is no effort.  Those who observe Him, are brought into even more astonishment.  Jesus is doing things that are unreasonable, and amazing.  I can just imagine their thinking.  Who invited this guy to speak and why was He invited in the first place?  Has He been brought here to mock and shame us?

Our tendency is to consider miracles to be fantastic interventions in our lives; when in fact they’re better understood as revelations of the nature of a Covenant keeping God.

Jesus simply reveals the heart of the Father.  He is the son of God. And at this particular junction, no one can compare.  As He stands behind that pulpit, He reveals an intimacy with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus clearly stands as the ultimate deliverer of the human race.  We will find no hope by looking somewhere else.  He has established Himself as the only way to the Father.  And He sees us clearly.  We may twist, and we may squirm.  But Jesus remains our only salvation.