Jesus ministry in Galilee

(Zerubbabel’s temple dedicated on this day in 515bc)

Judaism and the culture of Jesus’ time is taking shape.

ME

I am getting better a rejecting people. I used to tip a minimum of 20% when I was at a restaurant. Still do. But now I reject the tip at the coffee shop, donut shop, ice cream shop. I feel we’ve gotten a little bold with our asking for tips. I bet they don’t go home crying, I got rejected by this guy at the ice cream shop.

YOU

How do you deal with rejection? In school if I got rejected by a girl, you just go hang out with the guys and push through. Rejection might get a little easier but it never gets easy.

Job Search. Cold words from a family member.

Is it harder to be rejected or to be the rejector?

Vanessa rejected me and wouldn’t look at me.

Today I want to show you that following Jesus comes with rejection.

We have to choose to reject and we will be rejected.

GOD: Jesus’s message in the Synagogue

Luke 4:14-30 “14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Synagogues were a part of Judaism that was separate from the temple worship. Synagogues are church. Church in greek is gathering. They have no offering of salvation like the temple used to. There are no sacrifices here- no offer of forgiveness. Often have Rabbis not priests.

Jesus preached one main message: Mark 1:14-15 “14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”” - Jesus is the King, change your mind and your ways and believe that he is all you need.

This is offensive. Only one king in a kingdom. Jesus is saying good news, The king is here! get right! If by king you mean God- not offensive. If by king you mean messiah, that is controversial .

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.

Jesus was invited to read (they see him as a Rabbi). You stand when you read and sit when you teach. They knew he would read but hoped he would sit and teach.

17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Anointed- Messiah- Christ. This is a messianic passage.

This is the jubilee year. Every 7 years land was rested for a year on a Sabbath. Every 7 sabbaths the year of Jubilee. Everything was released. Debts were cleared and slaves were released. Only God could declare the Jubilee year.

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.

When he sits down on the teacher’s seat, people realize, He is going to teach. This was welcomed

Jesus Mission statement ties in perfectly.

The text made the point, his sermon simply connected himself to himself. In essence, he said, “I am the fulfillment. It isn’t what I’m saying, it’s me!” The bible is about me!

Jesus goes to a whole nuther level. M.Night Shymalan type twist.

Not 5 ways to connect with God, just “It’s me!”

Hey, Isn’t God good, he sets us free when we are trapped, he forgives us, he saves us, he heals us. Oh, yeah, I’m God’s annointed. This whole thing is about me being here. I can declare what only God can declare. Great news is your lucky day because God’s salvation is here in the flesh.

A little delay. It is a good message that takes a turn. It is likely that he said much more because they “spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.” and they start mumbling- isn’t that Joseph’s boy? He lived down the street from me. He used to hang with tommy and billy.

The Rejection

“And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘ “Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’ ”

APP

They had heard he was a healer and that he was a good preacher. What did he do at Capernaum? -Mark 2:3 “3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.”  

Jesus healed a paralytic man and forgave him of his sins.

They had not hear his claim to be the messiah.

Imagine showing up for church and the visiting preacher claims he is the messiah right out of the gate.

They are questioning his heir to the messiahship. The carpenter from Nazareth didn’t seem to be in line for the throne.

Jesus’s reaction to their rejection

24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.

“29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away.”

Jesus meets their rejection head on. Aggressive. He warns them:

If you reject the messiah, he will reject you and go to the gentiles. Both examples are Old Testament examples where God blessed a gentile who trusted over a disbelieving Israel.

This doesn’t sit well. It makes them angry. The Jewish messiah who they hope will overthrow the gentiles and he’s offering to save them and leave Israel.

Jesus is closer to "turn of burn" than we might want to admit. He invited everyone but doesn't allow this who reject him

Commitments we make when we follow Jesus:

1. I will worship Jesus.

I won’t reject my savior.

Jesus was clear. John 14:6 “ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

This is the most obvious point. Jesus doesn’t care who you are or what you’ve done- you are invited. You are invited just as you are. But his message was clear: Repent and believe.

Repent: Everyone of us must decide to change our mind about who runs our life. We have habits and struggles and sins that we are managing and ok with. When we choose to follow Jesus, we decide we are going to go to war with those things. We decide we are going to pursue holiness.

Believe: He is our savior. He makes us right with God. We can fight and struggle with those sins for years before seeing a victory and be at peace because Jesus gives us the victory. He died on a cross to cover our sins and rose again showing He is God.

Sunday is somebody’s someday. If you want to follow Jesus today, it is a great day to have your sins forgiven!

2. I will pursue God together.

I will not reject my savior’s example.

- A disciple mimics everything a disciple does. (sit, stand, eat.)

- If we are disciples, we have to follow Jesus’ example. Jesus prayed in the mornings and knew scripture.

EXP. vs. 16- As was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Every week. Knowing Jewish customs, He likely never missed unless someone was sick. Come here to meet God. He knew more than the other preachers and the mood was likely solemn but he still went.

ILL. Ricky Bobby Jesus. I like my Jesus this way, with a tuxedo shirt. I’m formal, but I also like to party.

APP: Hebrews 10:25 “25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”

Have you committed to worshipping every week? Christ followers don’t ask “are we going to church?” . This is who we are, we are worshippers.

3. I will serve others.

I won’t reject my savior’s mission

Isaiah 61:1-2 “1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

EXP- When Jesus came, he proclaimed his credentials.

The problem is that Jews weren’t looking for a messiah to only heal, they were looking for a king. They wanted different credentials.

ILL- If I am going to present myself as an expert, I need certain credentials. For example, I have a master’s degree in theology from Southwestern Seminary. Some of you have sat under my teaching for a decade and know that I am well versed in some areas, such as the history of antiquities, which was my major at The University of Texas in Austin. You might say, I’m well equipped. Now what if I were to also tell you, I’d like to be your financial adviser? Or I’d like to be your general contractor on your next house. My credentials wouldn’t help me out. I can’t build a birdhouse.

The only credentials you need to follow Jesus is that of a servant.

APP. When his disciples asked how they could be Jesus’ favorites, the best disciples, he responded:

Mark 10:45 “45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.””

Serve team sign ups- when we say we follow Jesus but don’t want to serve, it is a heart check for us. not just in church but as a lifestyle

4. I will share the good news and the bad news.

I won’t reject my savior’s message.

ILL Doctors give us good news and bad. Life change is always bad if we hate change. Live long, eat differently.

Part of me wishes we were back in the 80’s where captain crunch was considered a nutritious breakfast. So when my doctor told me the truth, I have to choose what I need or what I want, I didn’t embrace it immediately.

What I do know is that my doctor most likely didn’t go home and say, “this is just too hard”. Joel rejected me. He rejected my advice and kept eating oreos. His job was to give me the best advice possible, but it wasn’t his responsibility to change my mind. I’m glad he told me.

APP- We have no evidence that he ever went back to Nazareth. He moves to Capernaum. If you believe Jesus, then there is nothing more important than those around us finding eternal life in Him. But we must tell them. Start with an invite to worship together. Start with your story of how Jesus changed your life, but Start.

YOU-

Close- Fabi and Ben. My first big rejection. Didn’t stop. Found Erica! Rejection is hard.

There is nothing better than someone finding forgiveness in Christ. There is nothing better than sharing hope with the hopeless and seeing their life changed.

Jesus tells us to go and share. In Luke 10 he says to “shake off the dust” when you get rejected. Here is my challenge for you. We have easter in 4 weeks, I want to challenge all of us to invite someone that you know is not following Jesus. Pray.

If you feel rejected or if you know someone who feels rejected. Jesus has a message for you. Today is the day. The kingdom of God is here. We are all invited we are all invited to invite others, but let’s not reject but embrace our hope in Christ.