Introduction
Who are you going to follow as this new year begins, your culture’s trendsetters, your own instincts, or Jesus Christ even when following Him costs you comfort and applause? The central lesson I want to press into your heart is this: to follow Jesus is to stay with Him through both spiritual “peaks” and “slumps,” responding in faith when others are offended, and stepping into His mission with humble dependence on His power.
As we resume Mark’s Gospel after Advent, we pick up at a hinge point. Mark 4–5 showed us a soaring display of Jesus’ authority, over nature (calming the storm), over demons (delivering the man with a legion), over disease (healing the woman with the flow of blood), and even over death (raising Jairus’ daughter). You can’t read those chapters honestly and conclude anything less than this: Jesus is God incarnate, and His power is unrivaled. And yet, Mark 6 opens with a sobering turn: Jesus returns “to his own country,” and the disciples follow Him right into rejection (Mark 6:1). That’s a timely word for us, because it’s easy to celebrate “peak Jesus” in December and then quietly pack Him away when the calendar turns. Mark won’t let us do that. The question remains: will we still follow Jesus when familiarity breeds contempt, when faith is absent, and when obedience means being sent?
Main Points
Who are you going to follow as this new year begins, your culture’s trendsetters, your own instincts, or Jesus Christ even when following Him costs you comfort and applause? The central lesson I want to press into your heart is this: to follow Jesus is to stay with Him through both spiritual “peaks” and “slumps,” responding in faith when others are offended, and stepping into His mission with humble dependence on His power.
As we resume Mark’s Gospel after Advent, we pick up at a hinge point. Mark 4–5 showed us a soaring display of Jesus’ authority, over nature (calming the storm), over demons (delivering the man with a legion), over disease (healing the woman with the flow of blood), and even over death (raising Jairus’ daughter). You can’t read those chapters honestly and conclude anything less than this: Jesus is God incarnate, and His power is unrivaled.
And yet, Mark 6 opens with a sobering turn: Jesus returns “to his own country,” and the disciples follow Him right into rejection (Mark 6:1). That’s a timely word for us, because it’s easy to celebrate “peak Jesus” in December and then quietly pack Him away when the calendar turns. Mark won’t let us do that. The question remains: will we still follow Jesus when familiarity breeds contempt, when faith is absent, and when obedience means being sent?
Following Jesus Beyond Peak Seasons
Mark begins simply: “He came to his own country, and his disciples followed him” (Mark 6:1). That phrase “followed him” matters because it implies movement, not just admiration. The disciples aren’t following Jesus only when crowds are pressing in and miracles are frequent. They follow Him into Nazareth, where the atmosphere is colder.
I want you to notice something important for your discipleship: the Christian life includes both the booming seasons and the barren ones. If your expectations are built on constant “December highs”, felt joy, cultural affirmation, full rooms, and easy momentum, you will be confused and discouraged when Jesus leads you into harder terrain.
Following Jesus means I don’t treat Him like a seasonal decoration. He is not only the humble baby in the manger; He is the risen and reigning Christ, seated at the right hand of God. If I reduce Him to the familiar story I think I already understand, I may end up near Him yet not truly knowing Him.
Familiarity That Produces Offense
Jesus teaches in the synagogue, and at first the response sounds positive: “many hearing him were astonished” (Mark 6:2). But Mark quickly reveals the problem: their astonishment doesn’t become worship; it becomes skepticism and offense.
They say, in effect: We know who you are.
- “Is this not the carpenter…?”
- “the son of Mary…?”
- “Are not his brothers… and his sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:3)
And Mark gives the heartbreaking diagnosis: “So they were offended at him” (Mark 6:3).
This is one of the great dangers for religious people and church people: we can become so familiar with Jesus that we stop honoring Him. We know the phrases, the basic story, the patterns of church life, and we assume that means we know Him. But familiarity is not faith, and religious exposure is not discipleship.
Jesus responds with a proverb: “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country… and in his own house” (Mark 6:4). The warning cuts both ways:
- Don’t dishonor Christ through over-familiarity. Treating Him as ordinary is not neutrality, it’s rejection.
- Don’t be shocked when following Christ brings misunderstanding. If they can reject Jesus in His hometown, we should not be surprised when faithful discipleship meets resistance, even from people who “know us.”
Not Greater Than the Master
There’s a sobering implication here for anyone who wants to follow Jesus: the student is not greater than the Master. If Jesus can be met with offense, after calming storms, casting out demons, healing the sick, and raising the dead, then our desire for universal acceptance is unrealistic.
The world celebrates its heroes loudly. Mark wants us to feel the contrast: people will exalt a champion for winning a trophy, but the Son of God can bring life beyond the grave and still be scorned. That contrast exposes something in our hearts: Do I want the honor that comes with following Jesus, or do I want Jesus Himself?
Real discipleship means I settle this early: I follow Christ because He is Lord, not because it will always be applauded.
Faith That Comes to the Table
Mark then says something striking: “He could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them” (Mark 6:5). And, “He marveled because of their unbelief” (Mark 6:6).
We need to be careful here. This does not mean Jesus lacks power. Mark has already made His authority unmistakable. The issue is not Christ’s weakness; it is their refusal to come to Him. In earlier scenes, people pressed through crowds, fell at His feet, begged Him, reached out to touch His garment. Here in Nazareth, there is contempt, not dependence.
Here’s how I want you to apply it: Jesus is not asking you to muster up impressive faith; He is calling you to come to Him at all. He does not save those who will not call on His name. He does not heal the heart that will not ask. This is consistent with the whole gospel invitation: we receive by coming, by asking, by trusting.
So ask yourself plainly: In what area of my life am I refusing to come to Jesus?
- Is it my plans?
- My money?
- My habits?
- My wounds?
- My resentment?
- My secret sin?
If I won’t bring it to Him, I shouldn’t be surprised that I remain hungry. Faith is coming to the table.
Enduring When Rejected
What does Jesus do after being dishonored? “He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching” (Mark 6:6). He keeps going. He keeps teaching. He doesn’t spiral into bitterness. He doesn’t stop being faithful because others are faithless.
This is a word you may need at the start of a new year: following Jesus includes endurance. Some doors will close. Some people will not receive the message. Some seasons will feel like a “slump.” The answer is not to quit; the answer is to keep obeying, keep praying, keep worshiping, keep confessing sin, keep showing up, keep serving, keep speaking truth in love.
Don’t stay planted in the soil of rejection. Keep moving in faithfulness where Christ sends you next.
Sent Out With His Authority
Then Mark pivots to a new stage: “He called the twelve to himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits” (Mark 6:7).
This is critical: the disciples are no longer only watching; they are being commissioned. And notice when Jesus does it, not at the cultural “peak,” but in a moment marked by rejection and unbelief. Jesus advances His mission by multiplying His ministry through His followers.
Two applications I want you to hold tightly:
- Discipleship is not only learning; it is participating. Jesus trains His people by involving them. We watch, then help, then do with support, then do while others watch. This is how the gospel continues from generation to generation.
- Mission requires dependence. The authority to confront darkness (“power over unclean spirits”) is not self-generated. It is given by Christ. Following Jesus into a new year is not mainly about self-improvement; it is about Spirit-empowered faithfulness.
If you are following Jesus, you are not merely called to admire His work, you are called to join it.
Conclusion
As we begin a new year in Mark 6, Jesus confronts us with a deeper question than “What will my year be about?” The real question is: Who will I follow?
You and I are being discipled every day by voices that forecast what matters, what to chase, buy, wear, fear, and celebrate. But Mark puts Jesus in front of us again: astonishing in wisdom, limitless in power, yet rejected by the familiar and offensive to the proud. And still, He keeps teaching. Still, He keeps moving. And then, He calls His disciples to Himself and sends them out in His authority.
So I’m urging you: don’t pack Jesus away after the holiday glow. Come to Him with real faith. Follow Him through rejection. Endure in obedience. And step into His mission, trusting His power rather than your own strength.
Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for the ways we have grown familiar with You without honoring You. Forgive us for treating You as ordinary, or confining You to a season, while You are the risen King. Increase our faith, not as mere optimism, but as a humble coming to You for every need. Show us where unbelief has kept us from asking, trusting, and obeying. Teach us to endure when we face rejection or disappointment, and keep us faithful to Your word. Call us close to Yourself, and send us out as disciples who participate in Your mission, relying on the authority and power You provide. We begin this year declaring that we will follow You. Amen.
Conclusion
As we begin a new year in Mark 6, Jesus confronts us with a deeper question than “What will my year be about?” The real question is: Who will I follow?
You and I are being discipled every day by voices that forecast what matters, what to chase, buy, wear, fear, and celebrate. But Mark puts Jesus in front of us again: astonishing in wisdom, limitless in power, yet rejected by the familiar and offensive to the proud. And still, He keeps teaching. Still, He keeps moving. And then, He calls His disciples to Himself and sends them out in His authority.
So I’m urging you: don’t pack Jesus away after the holiday glow. Come to Him with real faith. Follow Him through rejection. Endure in obedience. And step into His mission, trusting His power rather than your own strength.
Closing Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us for the ways we have grown familiar with You without honoring You. Forgive us for treating You as ordinary, or confining You to a season, while You are the risen King. Increase our faith, not as mere optimism, but as a humble coming to You for every need. Show us where unbelief has kept us from asking, trusting, and obeying. Teach us to endure when we face rejection or disappointment, and keep us faithful to Your word. Call us close to Yourself, and send us out as disciples who participate in Your mission, relying on the authority and power You provide. We begin this year declaring that we will follow You. Amen.