Matthew chapter 13. And I'm taking
the title for the message from the words found in verse 57. First part, the first sentence
in verse 57. It says here that they were offended
in him. They were offended in him. Remember what we read over there
in Luke chapter 4. says there that they were all
filled with wrath, anger. They were so offended and angry
that they attempted murder. They attempted to murder him.
They were offended in him or offended because of him. They
were offended of his person. You're the carpenter's son. They
were offended in his redeeming work. He came to save sinners. They were offended in his doctrine
of sovereign mercy. He will have mercy on whom he
will. They were offended in many ways,
so much so that they were determined to kill him that day. Now, a
question for all of us. I want you to personally consider
in your heart right now, Are you offended over the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is the gospel offensive to you?
I hope not so. I hope not. I don't think you'd
be here if you were offended over the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Believers are not and cannot
be offended about him. We own him. He is our Lord. He is our master. True faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ is never ashamed, never offended. Paul
writes this, 2 Timothy 1-2, I'm appointed a preacher, an apostle,
and a teacher of the Gentiles, for the which cause I suffer
these things. Nevertheless, I'm not ashamed,
for I know whom I have believed, and I'm persuaded that he is
able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that
day. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's
the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believes. The precious gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ declares a successful, effectual, redeeming work of
the Lord Jesus Christ. That's not offensive. to the
believer. Do you know what it is? It's
good news. It's good news. This is a faithful
saying and worthy of all acceptation. The Lord Jesus Christ came to
save sinners. He called His name Jesus. He
shall save His people from their sin. So believers are not offended
over the successful redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's good news. Christ died for the ungodly.
He didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. The
gospel message of God incarnate in human flesh. fulfilling all
righteousness for us, honoring the law of God for us. He said,
I didn't come to destroy the law and the prophets, I came
to fulfill. Just as we read there in Luke chapter four, when he
read from Isaiah 61 about the spirit of the Lord anointing
him in his priestly office, he said, these things are fulfilled
this day in your ears. The gospel message of God incarnate
fulfilling all righteousness for us, honoring the law of God
for us, is not offensive to the believer. It's good news. He came to fulfill all righteousness
for us. The word was made fresh and dwelt
among us. In him dwells all the fullness
of a Godhead bodily, and we're complete in him. Aren't you glad
he came? Aren't you glad he died as our
substitute? True believers are not ashamed
or offended of the gospel of Christ because it is the very
power of God unto salvation, Romans 1, 16. Remember, our Lord
said, those that are ashamed of him, he will be ashamed of
them in the day of judgment. In Luke chapter 9, verse 26,
listen to this scripture. He said, for whosoever shall
be ashamed of me, and my words of him shall the Son of Man be
ashamed, when he shall come in his glory, and in his Father's
glory, and the holy angels with him. If you are ashamed of him
now, and ashamed to confess him now, He'll be ashamed of you
in those days. Now, look what it says in verse
53. And it came to pass. And it came
to pass. You know, that statement is made
in Scripture over 450 times. 450 times. It came to pass. It's in the New Testament over
65 times, it came to pass. When Jesus had finished these
parables, he spoke these eight parables, we looked at each and
every one of them, he departed from Capernaum and he went down
to his hometown of Nazareth. Now that statement, it came to
pass, is a very common statement found in the scripture, but there's
nothing common or ordinary in it. Things come to pass because
God Almighty has decreed the end from the beginning. Everything
in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ came to pass
because Almighty God brought it to pass by His unchanging
decree. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem
them that were under the law. You remember from our study in
the Book of Acts, him being delivered by the determinate counsel and
full knowledge of God. That's the full ordination of
God. You have taken him by wicked hands and crucified the Lord
of glory. But God raised him from the dead. The Lord says in Isaiah 46 and
other places, he said, I've spoken it, I've purposed it, I'll bring
it to pass. I'll do it. He worked all things
after the counsel of his own will. It was true of the Lord
Jesus Christ that those things came to pass as God determined
and decreed. And it's also true of every believer.
And we know that all things are working together for good to
them who love God, to them who are the called according to his
purpose, his purpose. When the Lord finished his sermon,
teaching these eight parables, it says there, when he finished
his preaching, that he departed from them. The Lord was on the
move again, always accomplishing our salvation, always doing the
work of the Lord. Hold your place there and turn
over here a few pages to Matthew 19, verse 1. Matthew 19, verse
1. And we see again, and it came
to pass, you see that, Matthew 19, 1, that when Jesus had finished
these sayings, he departed from Galilee and came to the coast
of Judea beyond Jordan, and great multitudes followed him. and
he healed them. He was always on the move, always
preaching the word of God, always doing the will of God and the
work of God. You remember he said, I came
to finish the work the Father gave me to do. Now look at verse
54, back in Matthew 13. And when he was come to his own
country, now we're talking about his hometown, where he grew up.
He was born in Bethlehem, but he was raised in Nazareth. And
when he was come to his own country, his own city, he taught them
in the synagogue. Now we know what he taught them.
He took the word of God, Isaiah 61, and read to them the word
of God. He taught them in the synagogue
in so much that they were astonished and said, whence or where does
this man get his wisdom and how does he do these mighty works?
They were astounded, astonished. They were amazed. We find the
Lord Jesus Christ departing from Capernaum. and going back to
his hometown, his home synagogue. Now think about this. Most of
the writers think that Nazareth was a small city, just had one
synagogue. He was in that synagogue, Joseph
and Mary. And the Lord, as a very small
child, he grew up in a synagogue. They all knew exactly this was,
as they said here, this is Mary's son. This is the carpenter's
son. We know who he is. How does he have this wisdom?
Where'd this wisdom come from? When he preached to those Jews
in the synagogue that day, about the sovereignty of God, and how
God will have mercy on whom He will, they were no longer astonished,
but they were angry and filled with wrath. Now, turn back, hold your place
there, and turn back to Matthew chapter 7. When he had finished
that sermon on the mount, you remember? Look at Matthew 7 verse
28. They were astonished at his work
and his doctrine. But it says here in Matthew 7,
28, when he ended that Sermon on the Mount, and it came to
pass when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished
at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority,
not as the scribes. He has all authority, all power,
and all wisdom, because he is God. They could not understand
or believe the wisdom of his words and power of his doctrine. Those religious Jews stumbled
over his words because they were not the Lord's sheep. I want
you to hold your place there in Matthew 13, and then we're
going to read a few scriptures from the book of John, the gospel
according to John. Turn over here to John chapter
7. John chapter 7. Where does this
man get this wisdom and these mighty works? How can he do these
things? Look at John chapter 7. Look
at verse 14. About the midst of the feast,
Jesus went up into the temple and he taught. And the Jews marveled,
saying, how knoweth this man letters or learning having never
learned. And the Lord said unto them,
my doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. They were astounded
over the education and learning the Lord Jesus Christ had. And
they knew that he wasn't, and he didn't receive this from them.
It had to come from somewhere else. Now stay here in the book
of John. Turn over here to John chapter 8, verse 47. And the reason that they didn't
receive his word, or they acknowledged something special about it, but
the reason they didn't receive his word, because they were not
his people. His spiritual seed. Look at John
8, 47. He that is of God, heareth God's word. You hear them not,
because you are not of God. Now stay here in the book of
John. Turn to one more reference. Look over here at John chapter
10. John chapter 10. Look at verse 22. And it was
at Jerusalem, the feast of the dedication, and it was winter,
and Jesus walked in the temple on Solomon's porch. The Jews
came round about him, saying to him, how long dost thou make
us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly. And the Lord
answered and said, I told you, and you believe not. The works
that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. Look
at verse 26 carefully. But you believe not. because
you're not my sheep. They hear not God's word because
they're not of God. You believe not because you're
not my sheep. As I said to you, my sheep hear my voice. I know
them and they follow me and I give unto them eternal life and they
shall never perish and no man can pluck them out of my hand.
Where did he get this power? Turn to John 17. Now as God,
God the Son, He has all power, but as the Son of Man, the Messiah,
He has authority and power and wisdom given to Him of God. Where
did you get this wisdom? Where did you get this learning?
John 17, look at verse one. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify
thy son, that thy son also may glorify thee, as thou has given
him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou has given him. This is life eternal, that they
might know thee the only true God, Jesus Christ, whom thou
has sent, One more verse, two more verses. I've glorified thee
on the earth. I've finished the work you gave
me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own
self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
Where did you get this wisdom? Where did you get this power?
How do you do these mighty works? He's sent of God. He's the Messiah,
the one that sent him God, the one who was anointed of God.
In him dwells all the fullness of Godhead in a body. Now look
back to Matthew 13, verse 55 and verse 56. And they said,
we know this young man. He's in his early 30s. We know
this young man. We saw him grow up in this synagogue. Is not this Joseph's son? Is
not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary?
And his brother, James, and Josie, and Simon, and Judas, and his
sisters? They're all with us in this synagogue.
We know his brother, and we know his sisters, we know his His
father and his mother, they're all with us. And then they asked
this question again, whence then hath this man all this wisdom
and power given of God, isn't it? These
religious Jews had contempt for his person. They had contempt
for his education. They had contempt for his family. They had contempt for his office
as prophet, priest, and king. You remember it says in John
chapter 1 verse 11, he came unto his own, his own received him
not. But to many as did receive him,
he gave them salvation in Christ Jesus. Is not this the carpenter's
son? Is not this Joseph's boy? is not this Mary's baby. We know
his brothers, we know his sister, we know his family, that they're
nobodies from nowhere. These four men that are mentioned
here, James, Josie, Simon, Judah, these four men that are mentioned
here were blessed to believe the gospel. They were either
half-brothers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Most people think that
Joseph is dead at this time and Mary may have remarried and had
other children, or they think that these that are mentioned
here are his first cousins, children by the brother of Joseph. But three of these men were made
apostles of the Lord, James, Simon and Judah. Two of them
were used of God to write holy scripture. We have the book of
James and then we have the book of Jude. In the book of James,
James said, known unto God are all his works from the beginning.
And in the book of Jude, we read that scripture where it said,
he's able to keep us from falling and to present us before his
glory with exceeding joy. God used even members of his
family to be an apostles sent of God to tell us the Gospel,
and used of God to write Holy Scripture for us. And then verse
56, they mention his sisters. For whence then hath this man
all these things? They acknowledged that he had
something special. His wisdom and his power was
unusual, but they were acknowledging he didn't get these things from
Mary and Joseph. Could not be. And they were offended,
verse 57. They were offended in him. They
were offended in him. They repeated the scornful question
again in the end of verse 56. Where does this man get his credentials? Where does this man get his authority?
His wisdom, his power? Where does he get his wisdom
and power? From Almighty God. Remember Pilate said to the Lord
Jesus Christ when he didn't answer the question. He said, Pilate
said to the Lord, don't you know I have power to release you or
power to put you to death? And the Lord said, you don't
have any power over me except that which is given to you of
God. All powers are ordained of God. And then verse 57, they
were offended. They were offended in him. They
were offended in him. Or as the word could be translated,
they stumbled over his person. They stumbled over him. He's
called in scripture, the rock of offense. He's called the stone
of stumbling. In Roman chapter nine, behold,
I lay in Zion, a stumbling stone, a rock of offense, whosoever
believes on him shall not be ashamed, shall not be confounded,
but he was a stumbling stone to those Jews, the offense of
the cross, the offense of the cross, they were offended in
him. The offense of the cross and
the offense of the gospel has not ceased in our day. People
are still offended, religious people especially. The religious
self-righteous still stumble over his glorious person and
his priestly work. They still stumble over the gospel
of God's sovereign grace. And here's why. 1 Corinthians
2.14, The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit
of God, for they are foolish unto him, neither can he know
them, because they are spiritually discerned. The carnal mind receiveth
not the things of the Spirit of God. Paul writes in Galatians chapter
5, And I, brethren, if I yet preach circumcision, why do I
suffer persecution? Then is the offense of the cross
ceased. If we preach salvation by works,
that's not offensive to anybody. But if we preach salvation only
in the Lord Jesus Christ and by his grace, that's offensive
to the natural man. They won't have that. The gospel
of the sovereign grace of God is offensive for several reasons.
I'll give you at least three, because it offends man's religious
pride. When you call people sinners,
especially the self-righteous, when you call them sinners and
tell them that all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God, they say something like, well, I used to be, but I'm not
anymore. I'm living above it now. If we
say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth's not
in us. You see, that's not offensive to a man who knows and is taught
of God that he is a sinner. But the good news is Christ came
to save folks like us, sinners, sinners. The gospel's good news
to us. But to the religious man, it's
offensive because it offends his religious pride. Secondly,
the gospel's offensive to the natural man because it offends
his wisdom. Offends his wisdom. You tell him that the gospel
is a mystery, that he cannot understand it or even believe
it or see it unless it's revealed to him of God. And that offends
his wisdom. Wait a minute, now I'm a pretty
smart fella. I've got a degree in engineering or some other
field. The natural man doesn't understand
the gospel. It has to be revealed. You remember
from Matthew 11, he hid these things from the wise and prudent
and revealed them unto babes. Salvation to God's people doesn't
come by education. It comes by revelation. He has
to reveal these things unto us. And to tell a self-righteous
religious man that, well, it offends his wisdom. And then
thirdly, the gospel of the sovereign grace of God, offends the fallen,
frail will of the sinner. When you tell him that no man
can come to Christ except the Father which sent him, draw him,
and that offends his so-called, well, I have a free will. Well,
man's will is is free in this sense. He's free to act in the
confines of his religious or his total depravity. Man's will is not totally free.
It's in bondage to his nature. It's in bondage to his nature.
Man doesn't have what everybody in religion says that he has. He has a free will. His will
is in bondage to his rotten nature. His will is always southward.
and downward, never Godward and upward. So man's will is not
free. He does have a will, but it's
not free. It's in bondage to his nature.
They were offended. They were offended not only in
that, they were offended over the company that he kept. You
remember they said of him, this man is a friend of publicans
and sinners. They were offended over the company
he kept, publican harlots. He associated with them, didn't
he? The lowlife. Thank God that he
came to save such as we are. True faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ is never offended of him, never ashamed on him, never stumbles
over the Lord Jesus Christ and all that he has accomplished
for us. Never offended over. True faith is not offended. And
let me show you why. Turn over here to 1 Corinthians
1. 1 Corinthians 1. 1 Corinthians 1. Look at verse
23. The preaching of the cross is
to them that are perishing foolishness, but unto us which are saved is
the power of God. Now look at verse 18. 1 Corinthians
1 verse 23 rather, but we preach Christ crucified unto the Jews
a stumbling block, unto the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which
are called, called by the power of God, called by the gospel
of God, both Jews and Greeks, doesn't matter, Christ the power
of God, Christ the wisdom of God. Those who are called, called
of God. called to Christ in saving faith. Foolishness to the world, but
unto us which are called power of God. Now back to Matthew 13. They were offended in him. And
then the Lord said, a prophet is not without honor. You see
that in verse 57? A prophet, and he is that prophet,
son of God. A prophet is not without honor.
Those who are son of God with God's message, A prophet is not
without honor, but in his own country, in his own house, no honor. That's why when he
came back to Nazareth and they knew his person and they had
disrespect because they stumbled over his person. A prophet is
not without honor. Thank God for true prophets.
Thank God for true preachers, son of God, to tell us, to preach
to us, how God saves sinners. It pleased God through the preaching
of the gospel to save his people. The Lord places a high value
upon those sin of God to preach the gospel of God concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, go into all the world
and preach the gospel to every creature. I'm thankful the Lord
sent me a gospel preacher to hear the gospel. When the Lord
ascended up on high, he gave to his church apostles, prophets,
pastors, teachers, evangelists. Thank God he did. Teach us, show
us the gospel. But the Lord adds here this except,
save in his own country, except in his own country, own city,
his own family. These people in Nazareth, stumbled
over him because they watched him grow up as a little boy.
He said in Luke chapter 4, no prophet is accepted in his own
country. Now there was a book written
back in the late 1300's and you've all heard this statement, familiarity
breeds contempt. That's an old, old statement
way back. Now, Yaratee breeds contempt,
and that's what they had for him. Contempt. Contempt. Now, let me close by looking
at verse 58. Read verse 58 with me. And he did not many mighty
works there because of his unbelief. Now hold your place there and
turn over here to the book of Mark. The book of Mark. In chapter 6 in the book of Mark. And we have here Mark's account
of his same story. In Mark chapter 6 verse 3. They
said, is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother
of James, Josie, Judah, Simon, and are not his sisters with
us? And they were offended in him. And the Lord said in verse
4, Mark 6, a prophet is not without honor, but in his own country,
among his own kin, his own house. And he could there do no mighty
works, And he could there do no mighty work, or he did no
mighty work, say that he laid hands upon a few sick folk and
healed them, look at verse 6, and they marveled because of
their unbelief. And he went out, he went around
about villages teaching. He marveled at their unbelief. Now look back at Matthew 13,
verse 58. He did not many mighty works
there because of their Unbelief. Unbelief. Now, I'm going to wind
this up. Their unbelief and rebellion
against him diminished the blessings they could have received. All
things are possible to those who believe. You remember the
Lord said to that man, if thou can't believe, all things are
possible to him that believeth. And the man said, Lord, I believe.
Help my unbelief. What a great danger and what
great harm unbelief brings unto our soul. It's the only sin that
will condemn our soul and cast us out of His presence. Unbelief. What a precious gift it is to
have this gift of faith to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said in John 8, except
you believe that I am, you'll die in your sin. I said therefore
unto you that you shall die in your sin, for if you believe
not that I am, you shall die in your sin. In our study in
the book of Hebrews, when chapter 3 He's talking about the rebellion
of those in the wilderness who were led by Moses those 40 years. And the scripture says that most
of them did not enter into the promised land because of unbelief. Unbelief. It says here in the
text, he did not many mighty works there because of their
unbelief. Not because he could not or unbelief
does not hinder his power. Nothing can hinder his power,
but rather because he would not. He sovereignly chose not to. and he sovereignly chose to leave
them and their rebellion against God. Now, I quote this scripture
all the time in Romans 1, 16. I quoted it a while ago. The gospel is the power of God
unto salvation to everyone that believes. Without faith, it's
impossible to please God. so that if the mighty works be
not wrought in us, it's not for want of power or grace in Christ,
but for want of faith in us. Lord, give me faith. Grant me
faith. For by grace are you saved, through
faith, and that not of yourself, it's a gift of God, not of workless
any man should boast. Abraham believed God and it was
counted to him for righteousness. Oh, to believe, to be given faith
of God. Faith comes by hearing. Hearing
by the word of God. By the word of God. He that believeth
on the sun hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the sun
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him. One last scripture. Our Lord
said, he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent
me, hath eternal life, everlasting life, and shall not come into
condemnation, but is passed from death unto life in our blessed
Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. And he did not many mighty works
there because of their unbelief. And over there in Mark 6, it
says that he wondered He wondered at their unbelief. So many mighty
words were spoken. It just shows you an evidence
to us of our own depravity. God leaving us to ourselves,
faith in Christ is impossible. He must grant us and give us
faith in Christ.