A REMINDER about MIRACLES:

  • Miracles are primarily SIGNS and secondarily Ends: Miracles in the Bible serve as signs pointing to a deeper reality. They are not ends in themselves but are meant to reveal God’s kingdom and His ultimate plan for redemption.
  • Miracles Don’t VALIDATE Faith: Jesus’ WORDS validate faith. True faith is rooted in a relationship with God and trust in His character, regardless of miraculous signs. It involves a relationship with Jesus, characterized by trust, obedience, and a willingness to follow Him regardless of the circumstances.
  • The Greatest Miracle is INCLUSIVE - While miracles are extraordinary events, the greatest miracle is God’s love for humanity. This love is demonstrated through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, which offer forgiveness and reconciliation to all who believe.

Jesus’ power is “DYNAMIS” – It is inherent.  Jesus’ power is “EXOUSIA” – It is authoritative.

Isaiah 53:2-3 CSB, [2] He grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground. He didn't have an impressive form or majesty that we should look at him, no appearance that we should desire him. [3] He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering who knew what sickness was. He was like someone people turned away from; he was despised, and we didn't value him.

Jesus was morally compelled NOT to show his power.

  • Mark 6:5, “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.”
  • Matthew 13:58, “And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith”

Put together, the point is this: Jesus “could not” because He would not. He was morally compelled not to display His power in the face of hardened unbelief.

  • His miracles were never random displays of force; they were signs of the kingdom, visible witnesses to His identity, designed to confirm faith and point to God’s glory.
  • To do mighty works for those who treated Him with contempt—who saw Him only as “the carpenter, the son of Mary”—would have violated the very purpose of His miracles.

This is where the distinction between FAMILIARITY and AFFECTION comes into play. The people of Nazareth were deeply familiar with Jesus: they knew His family, His trade, His ordinary life. But their familiarity bred contempt, not faith. They reduced Him to categories they could control and explain.

How does FAMILIARITY affect your AFFECTION?

  • Treasure - When I think of heaven, do I long most for freedom from pain and sin, or for being with Christ?
  • Obedience - Do I negotiate with His commands, or trust that His will is good?
  • Speech - When I speak of Christ, do my words carry warmth and gratitude, or only information?
  • Affections - Do I grieve my sin because it offends the One I love, or because of its consequences?
  • Community - Do I love His people because they are His, or only tolerate them as fellow churchgoers?
  • Resilience - Do my hardships push me away from Him, or deepen my affection for Him?
  • Identity - Do I mainly identify as someone who “knows about Jesus,” or as someone who “belongs to Him and loves Him”?