HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE JESUS?
Mark 6:53-56 NKJV
53 When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. 54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, 55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. 56 Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
This chapter of Mark presents a great contrast. The first six verses deal with Jesus ministering in His hometown. Things did not go well for Him there. The lack of response of the people prompted Jesus to state that a prophet has no honor in his own town with his own people and family. Jesus was limited by the offense and the unbelief of the people that He knew and grew up with. They saw Jesus as the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother to the siblings still living in Nazareth. They did not recognize Jesus as a servant of God or a prophet. They certainly did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. They were bogged down in their limited perspective of Jesus, and His ministry was limited.
Now contrast the reception in Nazareth with the reception across the lake in the land of Gennesaret. When Jesus stepped out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him. But they did not recognize Him as a carpenter or the brother of some people they knew. They recognized Jesus as a miracle worker and a healer. We can easily determine how they recognized Jesus by their response to Him. They ran throughout that entire region, putting sick people out into the marketplaces wherever they heard that Jesus was coming. And they asked Jesus very respectfully if they could just allow the sick people to touch the hem of His clothes. One does not take sick people on their beds and lays them out in the street for no reason. They recognized Jesus as the answer to their loved one's problem and would do whatever it took to get their sick to Jesus. And as many as touched Him were made well.
This was a miraculous event. Sick people out in the public places, touching Jesus, and being made well. Such a contrast to the response that Jesus' hometown gave Him. And such a contrast in results. Very few people in Nazareth received healing from Jesus. We know Jesus was just and fair. He was not trying to pay back His hometown because He did not carry resentment or unforgiveness. If there was any group Jesus wanted to see well, it would be the people that He knew. So the differing results were a function of differing ways Jesus was recognized and received.
APPLICATION
More than a nice story, this is a great lesson. How do you recognize Jesus? For starters, the most important way to recognize Him is as your Savior—the only One who can save you from your sins. But you don't have to stop there. You can recognize Him, and by that I am referring to how you see Jesus, as Healer, Shepherd, Provider, the strength of your life. However you recognize Jesus is what you will receive from Him.
The scriptures form the guidelines for who we know Jesus to be. And when we see Jesus from the scriptures, we can begin to thank Him and give Him praise that this is who He is to us.
So here is the question of the day. How do you recognize Jesus in your life?