Sermon Notes
Introduction
I welcome you all to open your Bible to the tail end of Matthew 13. God-willing, we will start chapter 14 next week, which technically can be considered the halfway mark in our expository journey to the Gospel according to Matthew.
Here is the word of the Lord, Matthew 13:53-58
Matthew 13:53–58 ESV
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
Brothers and Sisters, this morning I want to talk to you about the ‘offense of the Gospel’, and I want to start by saying that this offense goes much deeper than you think.
I’m not going to be talking about things that are difficult to grasp intellectually, but these are things difficult to grasp obediently. If you believe that the Gospel is first an offence to the world outside, I hope this sermon changes your mind. The Gospel is first and foremost an offence to your flesh before it is to anybody else, and it is offensive in ways you know but probably have not recognised.
But first, let us unpack the passage before us.
Exegesis
Matthew 13:53–54 ESV
53 And when Jesus had finished these parables, he went away from there,
54 and coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?
• After a glorious teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, in parables, Jesus departed from there and came to his hometown, which from Luke we know is referring to Nazareth.
It is possible that the arrival of his mother, and brothers in Matthew 12:46, was the reason he returned to Nazareth. They probably came to meet him, and then planned to go back with him.
• In any case, Jesus was back at Nazareth. This prophet who when he began his ministry with his baptism, was introduced by the Father and the Spirit as the only begotten Son of God.
This prophet who was tried in the wilderness and passed the test that his people failed many years ago when Moses led them in the wilderness.
This prophet in whom the glory of God was revealed in a measure unheard of or unknown to man.
This prophet who was the very incarnate Creator of all things.
His ministry was inaugurated with power and word, for he preached the good news all across the land and healed many people and did many mighty miracles.
And with great triumph if you think about it, he now returns to his hometown, to those who watched him grow up from a baby in the arms of Mary to a man who now taught them in their synagogue.
• they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? It has become clear for us from the many passages that we come across that wonder and amazement followed the words and works of Christ. People could not help but notice how visibly different the power of Christ was. However, they would not then go down to the logically conclusion that this must be the Messiah.
What prevented them? Why was it so hard to believe that Jesus was the Messiah? In this passage, the question they ask gives us the clue to answering that question.
“Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” They could not, or rather they refused to fathom how Jesus came by such wisdom and might. The obvious response to this question should have been that He is the Messiah! Or, quite simply, they should have at least concluded that it was from God. John 3:2
John 3:2 ESV
2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”
As John MacArthur points out in his commentary, the issue then was not with the lack of evidence, for even in the abundance of it, they still would not believe.
In the face of the answer, they keep asking the question, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” There is a difference between not understanding something and refusing to accept the understanding of something.
Matthew 13:55–56 ESV
55 Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas?
56 And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
• This then, is the reason for their apparent confusion – Jesus credentials. Their issue was that Jesus didn’t do seminary or intern with the Pharisees. I wonder how welcoming they would have been if Nicodemus spoke like this.
What you are witnessing here is the heart of sin, the seed of pride. Instead of judging a man by the uprightness of his character and the fruit of his labour, he is judged by social & cultural standards.
This is the same muck from which arise the sins of racism, elitism, and the likes of such that judge a man by his appearance or background instead of who he is.
• The Carpenter’s Son. Jesus is known as ‘the’ carpenter’s son. It seems very likely that Joseph was a known carpenter in the village, and Jesus learnt carpentry from him and worked in his business (Mark 6:3). The word for ‘carpenter’ is a general word for craftsmanship in hard materials including wood and stone. It is very possible that several of the houses and other objects within the household in that village were built by Joseph & Jesus. He is known to them as the carpenter’s son.
There was nothing fanciful about his trade, nothing about Jesus stature in that regard that suggested that he was anything but ordinary.
Men did not regard wisdom and counsel as the skill of a carpenter. They belonged to the educated. John 7:15
John 7:15 ESV
15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning, when he has never studied?”
The answer is obvious to them but they would not allow it. Since they clearly could not deny the learning, the wisdom, and the might of his works, they had to come up with an alternative to ‘this is God’s doing’.
The pharisees said it was Satan’s doing, Matthew 12:24
Matthew 12:24 ESV
24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.”
Why would God raise a carpenter from their midst? For them, wisdom and glory rested with the learned and the pious, like the Pharisees and the Scribes.
• the Son of Mary, and brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and sisters in Nazareth. Not only was he uneducated but his family was known to all of them.
They knew James, Joseph, Simon and Judas and none of them are special like Jesus. Just ordinary folk like the rest of them. Jesus’ sisters were probably married into families that lived in Nazareth.
How could a man of not great importance become a man of such great importance? In fact, they probably would have been more welcoming of John the Baptist, that mysterious prophet from the wilderness. But, for them, there was nothing to be curious about here.
• Now if I may take a detour here so that we can visit the subject of Jesus’ brothers and sisters. There is nothing about the use of the words for brothers and sisters here that would indicate within this text, outside of this text, or even in the literary use of it anywhere, that would suggest that these were not Jesus’ own brothers and sisters.
One of the beliefs, especially of the Catholic church, that has also creped into many other churches, is a profound interest to maintain the perpetual virginity of Mary. But there is no biblical or historical basis for this, and those who push down such an agenda do not understand the wonder and beauty or even the purpose of the sexual intimacy between a man and his wife.
• So, here we are pressed to wonder then about Jesus’ life in the family. He had Joseph and Mary, but also James and Joseph and Simon and Judas, and sisters.
He lived in a large family with many relationships, and we know from John 7:5
John 7:5 ESV
5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
The Son of God came down to live amongst us and he did not choose a fairy-tale family where all was bliss.
• We are told in 1 Corinthians 1:23, that the message of Christ was a stumbling block to the Jews.
• With such normalcy, they would not fathom the God theory, and remained asking the question, “Where then did this man get all these things?”
Matthew 13:57 ESV
57 And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”
• And they took offense at him. They were offended by the message and work of Christ. It offended their culture of thought, their standards of piety, and their own standing. They were offended that one so ordinary from among their own could be raised to such stature.
And since they were unwilling to attribute this to God, they took offense at Christ.
• And Jesus’ response was, “A prophet is not without honour except in his hometown and in his own household.”
Neither the people of his own town, nor those in his home honored him. Not because there was nothing to honour but because of their unwillingness to humble themselves.
Matthew 13:58 ESV
58 And he did not do many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.
