Proper 6

Ezekiel 17:22-24; 2 Corinthians 5:6-17; Mark 4:[10-12], 26-34

Are you an insider or an outsider? Jesus did not always make Himself clear. In fact, He purposely obscured His message to outsiders while explaining His message to a select few.

With so many people plotting against Him, that made good sense. Instead of speaking directly, He spoke to the public at large in parables. Later, He explained them in secret to His disciples. Even then, not everyone understood.

However, understanding that Jesus is the Christ — the Messiah — is important. Mark's Gospel makes clear that even Jesus is surprised when people do not know who He is. (Mark 6:6, "And he was amazed at their unbelief.") But did Jesus want people to understand who He was or not? Was His message, in fact, for everyone?

Click here to watch the sermon or read the transcript to learn more about understanding Christ and His message.