Familiar, Yet Unrecognized

To many of the Jews in Jesus’ time, He was just a man. They knew His family. They knew His hometown. They saw Him in the synagogue and heard Him teach. But familiarity became a barrier - they couldn’t see past the carpenter from Nazareth.

“ 'Isn’t this the carpenter, the Son of Mary?' they asked. 'Aren’t His brothers and sisters here with us?' And they took offense at Him." (Mark 6:3)

To them, Jesus was common. Ordinary. Nothing special.

But that perception blinded them to the greatest truth: standing in front of them was the promised Messiah, the One sent from God.

John says it this way: “He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.” (John 1:11)

Jesus came as a Jew, to the Jewish people. Through Israel, God had drawn the architectural plans for His Kingdom. The covenants, the law, the temple, the promises - they were all leading to Christ. Israel was meant to recognize the Messiah when He came. And yet, when the cornerstone was set before them, they rejected it.

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” (Matthew 21:42)

They missed their moment.

Paul writes about it in Romans 9: “To them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises... and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ.” (Romans 9:4–5)

Jesus was the fulfillment of every promise - but they failed to recognize Him.

And this isn’t just history. This is a warning.

We, too, can miss Jesus. We can be so familiar with His name that we fail to see who He really is. We can cling to religion and miss relationship. We can admire Him as a good man, yet never receive Him as Savior and Lord.

The Jews missed their window of opportunity. Let’s not miss ours.

If He is the cornerstone - if everything God has planned rests on Him - then nothing in your life will stand without Him.

Don’t repeat their mistake. Don’t reject the One who came to save you.

Know who Jesus is.

Receive Him.