Hidden in Plain Sight – July 14, 2021

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him? What are these remarkable miracles he is performing? Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
Mark 6:2,3

Hidden in Plain Sight

The ancient city of Petra in the country of Jordan has been popular with archeologists and tourists for centuries. It was thought that all the ancient buildings there had been uncovered until just a few years ago when a woman from Alabama discovered one of the largest ancient buildings at the site. Using a camera on a drone, she noticed that hiding in plain sight was a very large, partially buried building that people had just been walking over without giving any notice for hundreds of years. The building was always there, but no one had noticed what was right under their own feet.

Those who lived and grew up with Jesus in his hometown of Nazareth didn’t realize what was hiding in plain sight. They knew Jesus as a carpenter. He was the son of Mary and Joseph, it seemed. He had brothers and sisters. They saw him in the streets and talked with him as they would talk with anyone else. When he started doing miracles and teaching the people as the Son of God, the people had questions and were offended. Could the Messiah that God promised be hiding in plain sight?

People are still offended by Jesus for the same reason today. They think he was nothing more than a moral man who had some helpful things to teach us.

But Jesus wasn’t just a moral man. Jesus was sent by God his Father. In plain sight, before all the world, he taught like no one else and did miracles like no one else to show that he was like no one else. While he grew up before the world with a mother and brother and sisters, he is God from all eternity come to do what no one else could do—save the world from its sin and reunite us to our heavenly Father. He is Jesus, the Son of God.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus. Help me to always see him as your Son and my Savior. Amen.