Jesus Preaches in Galilee

Notes
Transcript
Handout
Luke 4:14-29
Have you ever seen someone return to their hometown after achieving success or fame?
Perhaps a professional athlete, a musician, or a successful entrepreneur.
Their return is often met with mixed emotions—pride from some and skepticism from others.
People may say, “I remember when they were just a kid!” or “Who do they think they are now?”
This is the scenario we find in Luke 4:14-29.
Jesus, now widely recognized as a teacher and miracle worker, returns to Nazareth, the small, unremarkable town where He grew up.
Imagine the anticipation.
The people had heard reports of His miracles and authority.
Surely, they thought, He would bring the same blessings to His hometown.
But what followed was not the triumphant homecoming they expected.
In this passage, we see Jesus teaching in the synagogue, declaring the truth about Himself as the Messiah, and confronting the people’s lack of faith.
The story challenges us to consider how we respond to Jesus’ message today.
Will we, like the people of Nazareth, reject Him because of our preconceived notions, or will we embrace Him as the Savior He is?
I. The Patterns of Jesus
I. The Patterns of Jesus
15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
To understand the significance of what happened in Nazareth, we must first examine the patterns Jesus established in His ministry.
These patterns not only reveal His priorities but also set an example for us today.
As Jesus traveled from town to town preaching, He maintained certain patterns as part of His ministry.
A. He Attended the Synagogue
A. He Attended the Synagogue
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
This practice was begun during His childhood years, as soon as He was allowed to attend.
Jesus is here providing an example for us of a pattern that He established.
If this was the pattern Jesus followed, should it not be our pattern to attend church regularly?
I want to challenge you to make a commitment to church!
Don’t let anything hinder your growth this next year.
15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
24 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:
25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
Quote: “If a man’s business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the services of his church, then that man has more business than God intended him to have.”—J.C. Penney
A typical service in the synagogue would begin with singing from the Psalms, followed by the recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord:
After the Shema, the eighteen benedictions of the Tefillah would be recited.
Next, there was a reading from the Torah scroll, after which there was a sermon.
B. He Taught in the Synagogue
B. He Taught in the Synagogue
… and stood up for to read.
The synagogue was most likely filled to capacity that day, as the townspeople wanted to see this man from Nazareth.
1. A Predictable Custom
1. A Predictable Custom
Great men often have predictable manners or customs.
Christians should have customs concerning spiritual matters.
21 And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught.
2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Your regular church attendance can be a testimony to others around you…Just as Jesus’ patterns showcased His devotion to the Father!
2. A Preaching Custom
2. A Preaching Custom
Jesus’ custom was to preach God’s truth in the synagogues.
Paul had this same custom.
An example of this can be seen when he preached at Antioch.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
Jesus’ patterns of attending and teaching in the synagogue prepared the stage for what He would do next.
As He stood to read, He didn’t just deliver another sermon; He declared a powerful and life-changing truth about Himself and His mission.
II. The Preaching of Jesus
II. The Preaching of Jesus
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
The text for Jesus’ message was Isaiah chapters 58 and 61.
A. A Preserved Book
A. A Preserved Book
17a And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias…
Jesus read from a copy of the original scroll of Isaiah, but He still treated it as inspired Scripture.
The Scriptures that we have today are preserved, just as the scroll of Isaiah was preserved.
6 The words of the Lord are pure words: As silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Quote: “The evidence for our New Testament writings is ever so much greater than the evidence for many writings of classical authors, the authenticity of which no-one dreams of questioning. And if the New Testament were a collection of secular writings, their authenticity would generally be regarded as beyond all doubt.”—F.F. Bruce
B. A Particular Text
B. A Particular Text
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
He read all of the passage from Isaiah 61:1–2 except the portion that reads, “The day of vengeance of our God,” because that portion was yet to be fulfilled. “
C. A Powerful Revelation
C. A Powerful Revelation
Jesus knew the text and its interpretation.
He was declaring that He was the one anointed by God to preach.
1. The Message
1. The Message
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Jesus was anointed to preach the message of the gospel.
The message of liberty was to be delivered to the following five groups of people:
THE POOR
The people He was addressing were poor, both physically and spiritually.
Quote: “The rich are often less likely to be aware of their spiritual poverty.”—R. Kent Hughes, Luke: That You May Know the Truth
THE BROKENHEARTED
This is referencing those people who have been crushed by grief or sin.
Scottish missionary John G. Paton was well acquainted with what it means to be brokenhearted by grief.
In 1858, he and his wife sailed for the island nation of Vanuatu. Three months after their arrival on the island of Tanna, his wife died. One week later, Paton’s infant son died. Struck with grief and surrounded by savage people who showed him no sympathy, he wrote these words: “Let those who have ever passed through any similar darkness as of midnight feel for me. As for all other, it would be more than vain to try to paint my sorrows … But for Jesus, and His fellowship … I would have gone mad and died.”—John Paton, Missionary to Vanuatu
Jesus came to heal the broken hearted.
If you are hurting today, Jesus is your answer…get closer to Him!
THE CAPTIVE
This is referencing those who are slaves to sin.
Quote: “He breaks the power of canceled sin, He sets the prisoner free, His blood can make the foulest clean: His blood availed for me.”—Charles Wesley
THE BLIND
The people Jesus was addressing were spiritually blind.
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.
Are there areas of your life where you are spiritually blind?
Ask God to show you today!
THE BRUISED
This is in reference to those who are oppressed.
Quote: “All other freedoms, once won, soon turn into servitude. Christ is the only liberator whose liberation lasts forever.”—Malcolm Muggeridge
Quote: “The reference here is the “Year of Jubilee” described in Leviticus 25. Every seventh year was a “Sabbatical year” for the nation, when the land was allowed to rest; and every fiftieth year (after seven Sabbaticals) was set apart as the “Year of Jubilee.” The main purpose of this special year was the balancing of the economic system: slaves were set free and returned to their families, property that was sold reverted to the original owners, and all debts were canceled. The land lay fallow as man and beast rested and rejoiced in the Lord.”—Warren Wiersbe, The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament
Just as the Year of Jubilee brought liberty to the enslaved, Jesus brings ultimate freedom from sin’s bondage today.
2. The Manifestation
2. The Manifestation
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
The Consolation of Israel, promised long ago, had been manifested in Jesus Christ personally.
25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Soon the people’s admiration for Jesus turned to cynicism, as they recalled that He was “Joseph’s son.” (v. 22c)
What began as a moment of awe quickly turned into a moment of anger.
The very people who marveled at His words soon rejected Him, proving that even the most powerful truth can be met with resistance when it challenges the heart.
D. A Prophetic Reminder
D. A Prophetic Reminder
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
Jesus was pointedly telling the crowd in the synagogue that He was the one about whom Isaiah had prophesied, and began to teach them about faith.
He must have sensed that the people were struggling to believe what He was telling them.
In order to help overcome their doubts, Jesus reminded the people of two illustrations in the Old Testament when God had blessed Gentiles who had faith:
THE WIDOW AND ELIJAH
The widow had faith, but did not demand a miracle from the prophet. Jesus was essentially telling the people that this Gentile woman had more faith than they had.
12 And she said, As the Lord thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
13 And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
14 For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth.
15 And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
NAAMAN AND ELISHA
Naaman was a commander in the Syrian army sent to Elisha for healing by the king of Syria.
13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?
14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
III. The Persecution of Jesus
III. The Persecution of Jesus
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
After hearing Jesus’ sermon, the people became angry at His words, and drove Him out of the synagogue.
A. The Anger of the Congregation
A. The Anger of the Congregation
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
The people heard the message of the gospel, but did not respond in faith.
The people of Nazareth couldn’t reconcile the Jesus they had known—the carpenter’s son—with the Messiah He claimed to be.
Their preconceived ideas about who the Messiah should be, and their pride in their own understanding of Scripture, blinded them to the truth.
They thought, How could someone so ordinary—someone from our town—be the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy?
Their pride led them to reject Jesus, not because His message wasn’t true, but because it didn’t fit into their expectations.
Instead of humbling themselves and accepting God’s truth, they allowed their pride to fester into anger.
This rejection reveals a hard truth about the human heart:
pride and preconceived ideas are powerful barriers to faith.
How often do we approach God’s Word with our own expectations or resist His truth because it challenges what we think we know?
How many times do we hold on to pride, unwilling to admit our need for Jesus?
Ask Yourself:
Are there areas in your life where pride is keeping you from fully surrendering to Christ?
Do you have preconceived ideas about what God’s plan should look like that prevent you from seeing the truth of His Word?
The people of Nazareth missed the greatest blessing because they refused to let go of their pride.
Don’t let pride or preconceived ideas rob you of the freedom and joy found in Christ.
The following quote applies well to many congregations today:
Quote: “They love truth when it enlightens them, but hate truth when it accuses them.”—Augustine
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
B. The Actions of the Congregation
B. The Actions of the Congregation
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
The people drove Jesus out of the town to the edge of the cliff on which the town was built.
The people of Nazareth didn’t just reject Jesus’ message—they became hostile.
Their rejection of the truth led to an extreme response:
they drove Him out of the synagogue and tried to kill Him.
Their anger wasn’t just directed at Jesus personally; it was a reaction to the conviction His words brought.
Truth often confronts deeply held beliefs and reveals uncomfortable realities, and that can provoke a strong, even violent, response.
This is a pattern we still see today.
When people reject God’s truth, it often leads to hostility—toward the messenger, the message, or both.
Whether it’s outright opposition to biblical values in society or personal resistance to the gospel in individual hearts, rejection often turns into aggression.
As followers of Christ, we are called to share the truth, even when it isn’t popular or well-received.
Ephesians 4:15 reminds us to speak the truth in love, not with hostility or defensiveness.
We need to remember that our job is to faithfully share the message of Christ, trusting God to work in hearts.
Ask Yourself:
Are you prepared to face hostility with grace when you share the gospel?
Do you respond to opposition with the same love and humility that Jesus demonstrated?
Even when truth isn’t welcomed, we can remain steadfast in sharing it lovingly.
Just as Jesus remained faithful to His mission despite rejection, we too must stand firm, knowing that the power of the gospel is greater than any opposition.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSION
The people at Nazareth had heard the teaching of the Messiah in the synagogue, but they hated Him for the message He preached.
His message was the gospel—that they could be forgiven of their sins by faith in Him.
But the people rejected Him.
So many people today reject the message of Jesus.
The leper Naaman realized that He needed God, and was healed because of his faith.
The widow realized that she needed God, and God provided food for her because of her faith.
Jesus has already made the way for us to be saved through His death on the cross.
All we must do is believe on Him.
18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Will you, like the Nazarenes, reject Him, or will you believe?