Matthew 13:56
And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”
English Standard Version (ESV)
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In their astonishment and skepticism, the townspeople focus on Jesus' known family and upbringing, highlighting that his sisters were still among them. This detail underscores their dismissal of him not just as a carpenter's son, but as someone whose entire, ordinary human network was known to them, making his extraordinary abilities seem impossible rather than divine.
Jesus returns to his hometown and teaches in the synagogue, but instead of embracing his message, the people are astonished and then dismissive. They question his authority and wisdom, pointing to his humble origins as a carpenter and his known family members, including his mother, brothers, and sisters who are all there. This familiar, ordinary background makes it hard for them to accept the extraordinary divine power and wisdom they are witnessing.
Imagine hearing about incredible wisdom or amazing deeds. Now imagine finding out the person behind it is someone you've known your whole life, someone who used to play in the streets with you.
That was the jarring reality for Jesus' hometown crowd.
Jesus returned to Nazareth and taught in the synagogue, stunning the people with His wisdom and the miracles He performed. Their immediate reaction wasn't awe or belief, but a deep sense of offense.
When people refuse to believe, even the power of God can be limited in its impact. Jesus experienced this firsthand in His own hometown.
The people of Nazareth were amazed by Jesus, but their amazement quickly turned to offense. This offense, rooted in their familiar and low view of Jesus, led to a significant consequence.
Understand the original words
adelphai · Greek Noun
Refers to sisters by blood, sharing the same parents. In a biblical context, this term highlights the human, familiar nature of Jesus' upbringing, which became a stumbling block for those who knew him merely as a neighbor.
The disbelief Jesus faced in his hometown stemmed from their familiarity with his ordinary upbringing, blinding them to the extraordinary divine power at work in him.
c. 4 BC
Jesus' Birth and Early Childhood
Jesus is born in Bethlehem, and his family flees to Egypt to escape Herod the Great before returning to Nazareth in Galilee.
c. AD 12-27
Jesus' Youth in Nazareth
Jesus grows up in Nazareth, likely apprenticing as a carpenter, during a period of Roman occupation and simmering Jewish nationalism.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Public Ministry Begins
John the Baptist begins his ministry, preparing the way for Jesus, who then starts teaching, healing, and gathering disciples throughout Galilee and Judea.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Jesus Returns to Nazareth
After a period of ministry elsewhere, Jesus visits his hometown of Nazareth, teaching in the synagogue and encountering disbelief and offense from his relatives and neighbors.
The Jewish people in Jerusalem are equally astonished by Jesus' deep understanding of Scripture without formal training, echoing the incredulity of his hometown.
1 Corinthians 1:23This passage highlights the 'stumbling block' of the cross and the 'foolishness' of a crucified Messiah to many, similar to how Jesus' humble origins caused his hometown to reject his divine authority.
Isaiah 53:2-3This prophetic passage describes the Messiah as having 'no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him' and being 'despised and rejected by men,' which mirrors the reaction of Jesus' own people who could not see past his earthly connections.
Mark 6:4Jesus himself states the proverb, 'A prophet is without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own household,' directly explaining the sentiment his hometown expressed.
calvinMatthew 13:53-58: "And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence."
- And it happened, when Jesus had concluded these discourses, [342] that he departed thence. 54. And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were amazed, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom and these miracles? 55. Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56…
bensonMatthew 13:56: "And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?"
Matthew 13:56-57 . Whence then hath this man all these things? — “This, like many other things that have since been objected against the gospel of Christ, is as much the language of stupidity as of infidelity; for the meanness of Christ’s education was a demonstration that his teaching in so excellent a manner must be the effect of some extraordinary and divine influence on his mind.” — Doddr…
In their astonishment and skepticism, the townspeople focus on Jesus' known family and upbringing, highlighting that his sisters were still among them. This detail underscores their dismissal of him not just as a carpenter's son, but as someone whose entire, ordinary human network was known to them, making his extraordinary abilities seem impossible rather than divine.
Jesus returns to his hometown and teaches in the synagogue, but instead of embracing his message, the people are astonished and then dismissive. They question his authority and wisdom, pointing to his humble origins as a carpenter and his known family members, including his mother, brothers, and sisters who are all there. This familiar, ordinary background makes it hard for them to accept the extraordinary divine power and wisdom they are witnessing.
Jesus returns to his hometown and teaches in the synagogue, but instead of embracing his message, the people are astonished and then dismissive. They question his authority and wisdom, pointing to his humble origins as a carpenter and his known family members, including his mother, brothers, and sisters who are all there. This familiar, ordinary background makes it hard for them to accept the extraordinary divine power and wisdom they are witnessing.
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c. AD 30-33
Jesus' Rejection in Nazareth
Due to their lack of faith and familiarity with his humble background, the people of Nazareth reject Jesus' message and limit the miracles he can perform there.
"And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?”" — In their astonishment and skepticism, the townspeople focus on Jesus' known family and upbringing, highlighting that his sisters were still among them. This detail underscores their dismissal of hi…
