The Ministry of Jesus
172
If Jesus was going to prove His deity, He missed a great opportunity in His own home town,
didn’t He? You always want to look good with your home folks. Everyone wants to be
successful and have everyone they grew up with know about it. But the Bible says, in Mark 6:5-
6, that in His own home town, “He could there do no mighty works.” It didn’t say He
chose
not
to. It goes on to say, “And he marveled because of their unbelief.” Wouldn’t that have been the
perfect opportunity when they said, “This is the carpenter’s son. This is Mary’s boy. Who’s he to
say he’s anointed?” for Him to respond with, “Well, I’ll just show you Who I am.”
They quoted to Him this parable: “Physician, heal Yourself. The works You’ve done in other
places, do here.” (Luke 4:23) They challenged Him. We’re seeing a wrestling match with
tradition.
Don’t hold on so tightly to your tradition that you make the Word of God of no effect in your
life. You’re not obligated to believe a word I say, but if I’m quoting scriptures, don’t cut it off.
Even if it’s really different from how you’ve thought, don’t cut it off; otherwise, you’re cutting
off the Lord.
They challenged Jesus, didn’t they? In essence, they were saying, “Prove it. We heard about
these miracles You did in other places; do them here. Do it.” This was the perfect opportunity for
Him to demonstrate, “I am the Son of God,” and yet, He did not. The Bible says, “He could there
do no mighty work.” Miracles happened to fulfill Scripture, but they also happened to reveal the
will of God.
Let’s read the will of God. If I see Jesus doing something, what do I know? It’s the will of God.
If I hear Him saying something, what do I know? It is the unchanging will of God for all men for
all time.
We are on reason number 17, and I have given you much Scripture on every one of the reasons
why we are sure it’s God’s will for all to be healed. Yet, many more millions of people believe
it’s
not
always God’s will to heal than those who believe it
is
His will. We are in the minority.
But have you ever heard anyone give 30 biblical reasons why we’re sure it’s
not
always God’s
will to heal? Or even 15, or even 10? Yet, we’re the ones who have so much to prove. Why?
Because people are ascertaining the will of God by what has happened. They are not going to the
Word to get the will of God. They are ascertaining the will of God by what has happened or what
hasn’t happened in their small life experience.
Everyone has a choice, all the time, in reading the Word. You need to read the Word on a regular
basis because if you’ll do it, and you’ll read it honestly and openly, you will see things in there
that you don’t see here in your life. Maybe you’re reading about tithing, and it says, “I’m going
to rebuke the devourer and open the windows of heaven, and pour out so much blessing on you,
you don’t have room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10), and you’re thinking, “I’ve still got
plenty of room.”
Or you’re reading how the Holy Spirit fell, and they all were filled with the Spirit and, they
spoke with other tongues (Acts 2:4), and you say, “I don’t speak in tongues. I never felt like
speaking in tongues.”
