Will your expectations of what Jesus can do limit or release his power in your life this year?

A Hometown Visit

When Jesus visited his hometown, Nazareth, his childhood friends and neighbors were initially impressed. But then they recognized him: “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 then they took offense at him” (Mark 6:3).

Once they realized they knew Jesus, or thought they knew him, their expectation of what he could do changed, and they were offended. That’s when Jesus talked about a prophet lacking honor in his home town.  

The Scripture then says: “He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them” (Mark 6:5-6). That’s a profound statement. The low expectations of the Lord’s hometown crowd limited his ability to perform great miracles there.

Your Expectation Will Determine The Visitation of Jesus in 2023

Just before this incident a woman in Capernaum who suffered from a 12-year flow of menstrual blood, had spent her life savings on doctors and only gotten worse. Yet, this woman, who had not grown up with Jesus, expected to be healed if she could only touch his robe.

On that occasion many people brushed against Jesus, as His disciples declared when Jesus asked who had touched him. But her great expectation touched the heart of God and released healing power. In contrast, the no-expectation people from the Lord’s hometown bridled his miraculous healing power. Their familiarity bred contempt as they wondered who Jesus thought he was. They knew, or thought they knew him as nobody special. Yet, he pretended to be a worker of divine miracles.

Raise Your Expectation Regarding Jesus

As I look to the New Year, I want to raise my spiritual expectations. I don’t want to view Jesus through unbelieving eyes that bridle his power. Rather, I want my faith to grow so I expect him to do today, what he did back then.  

If you want this too, join me in daily asking the Lord to: “Open the eyes of my heart to see who Jesus truly is and who I am in him (Ephesians 1:18). Help me live with a high expectation of what he can do in and through me.”

Because Jesus is more powerful than whatever you’re facing now, and will face throughout 2023, expect him to act on your behalf as you draw near to him.

Join Me In Getting To Know Jesus Better

To strengthen my faith in Christ, I’m going to read through the four Gospels monthly throughout 2023. I hope you’ll join me in this pursuit of an expectant faith in Jesus. If you’d like to do so, consider a daily reading of the Gospels. I like to read The Jesus Story, a blending of the four Gospels, because it weaves the Gospels into a single chronological narrative. You can learn more about this excellent version at www.duplicatejesus.com.

I thank God for you and expect to see the Lord work though us in miraculous ways as we get to know the true Jesus.