July 4

Words of Wonder

When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles? — Mark 6:2 BSB

They couldn’t help but be amazed because Christ’s words were full of wisdom. “No one ever spoke like this man,” they said. Yet, though they were amazed, they didn’t give Him their trust or love. Their amazement only led to scorn and unbelief. It’s often the same today. People admit that Christ is amazing, that He is the most remarkable person the world has ever known, that His teachings are beyond any human wisdom, that His power is unmatched, and that His love is beyond understanding. Yet, despite all this, they don’t give Him their hearts.

It’s like a drowning man marveling at the beauty and strength of the lifeboat sent to save him, yet refusing to climb aboard and choosing to perish instead.

They asked with derision, “Where did this man get these things?” They knew Him. Some had been His playmates, schoolmates, and later His coworkers. They knew He hadn’t gone to any special school—only the village school they all attended. How did this ordinary young man now have such wisdom and power? Unable to explain it, they treated it with contempt.

We can ask the same question today to those who reject Christ. Here is a man who spoke the wisest words ever spoken and did the most incredible deeds. Yet, He was just a village carpenter with a simple education.

How do you explain His wisdom and power? Could it be that He is more than human? Could He be who the Bible says He is—God in the flesh?