Needed: Partners in Ministry

In trying again each of us would, I am sure, do our best to determine what could be be avoided next time, that this last time might have partially opened a door that led to failure.

Problems and failure are part of life.

The Apollo 13 movie included this statement , “Houston, we have a problem!” Within the movie someone from Mission Control responded, “Failure is not an option!” Flight transcripts did not include that last line, but it so well summarize the NASA DNA that NASA personnel agreed that the line “Failure is not an option!” although invented, was the best possible summary.

Some well known, very accomplished people encountered failure at times in their lives.

If you’ve never failed, you’ve never tried anything new.

In we read of 4 men who had failed miserably and completely.

As we open this

In the text

Luke recorded the words of Simon, who would later be called Peter, “Master, we have toiled all night and took nothing!”

Simon, Andrew, James and John were professional fishermen. They made their living fishing. Fishing fed their families and others, but not that day.

That morning they were no doubt tired, hungry and probably discouraged.

In the midst of what they were facing, Christ when He had finished speaking spoke to Simon.

Luke 5:4 ESV

And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”

Lk 5:

As we consider this well known portion, there is wider context that is sometimes overlooked. That wider context is touched on in , that extends before,

Luke 5:1 ESV

On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret,

Lk 5:

The events with which begins followed multiple times when our Lord opened, taught and explained the Scriptures. In a sense, was the in home/take home application of what they had hearing over several days.

When we read of the crowd pressing in to hear the Word of God - - we can underline that the pressing in to hear the Word of God set the stage for the events that followed.

In the midst of events recorded by Luke in the preceding chapter, we have an encouraging insight and affirmation as to the importance of the Word of God.

Most of our Bibles have a heading before noting that at that point Christ began His ministry. This was before He called His disciples and taught them.

Christ began His ministry by teaching the Word -

The impact of His teaching and the Word is summarized in .

Because v 14 begins with “and” providing an indirect reference to the temptations of Christ during those 40 days in the wilderness, we should not process - and the verses after without noting that Christ used the Word, “It is written” as the basis for affirming that:

More than bread, the Word of God strengthens us - Lk 4:4

It is God alone whom we worship and serve -

Trusting God does not mean that we can be reckless -

With each of the temptation questions that devil asked, Scripture was used incorrectly. So from the outset, it is essential not only that we know and use the use the Word of God, but that we use it correctly.

The Apostle Paul reminded Timothy of that.

2 Tim

2 Timothy 2:15 ESV

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

With Paul sensing the need remind Timothy, a pastor with some experience and training, to use the Word correctly, we do well to remember that the Scripture can be used and misused.

Luke records that Christ began His ministry by travelling throughout Galilee and teaching in the synagogues.

Matthew described that ministry.

Matthew 4:23–25 ESV

And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

Matt 4:23-

Later Luke notes that those in the synagogue in Nazareth had heard of something that Christ did in Capernaum.

Luke 4:23 ESV

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.’ ”

Lk 4:23

John also mentioned that Christ, Mary, his brothers and some of His disciples went down to Capernaum for a few days after the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.

John 2:12 ESV

After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Although neither Luke nor John provide more details about the few days in Capernaum, the comment in the synagogue, that Christ did something suggests more teaching, perhaps a miracle.

In both verses 14 & 37 it is noted that reports/news of His teaching went to every place in the surrounding regions. Those reports were positive.

It is not surprising then that when Jesus eventually came back home to Nazareth where he had been raised and was known, he was given the scroll to read and if he chose to teach.

Before considering Christ’s reading of the Scriptures, we need to pause on Luke’s note re Christ’s going to the synagogue.

Luke 4:16 ESV

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.

Lk 4:1

In addition to noting that Christ went to the synagogue, Luke added “as his custom was”. There are many references to Jesus’ attendance at worship, but this is only one that it was His habit - custom, pattern.

Luke noted the same pattern in the life of Paul.

Acts 17:2 ESV

And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

For those of Christ’s day, the synagogue was a place where Jews gathered together. Synagogue is the transliteration of the Greek verb sunago (gather together). Literally, it was the gathering or the meeting place. They gathered to worship, read or have the Scriptures read to them. They gathered to discuss/debate that portion of the Scriptures.

Going to the synagogue affirmed faith, the Word of God, worship and spiritual community.

The same is true for those who are born again. Gathering together affirms faith in the Lord Jesus, the Word of God, worship and spiritual community.

It should not surprise us then that for those who are part of the church, ecclesia, the called out, gathering is not also important but commanded.

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

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.

Hebrews 10:24–25 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 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.

The word used by the writer to the Hebrews and translated as assembling, gathering together, is in the original Greek a slight variation of the word synagogue - episunago- . As NT believers and perhaps being Gentiles, the synagogue had less meaning and in many cases was a place of rejection and persecution.

That did not negate the need to gather together. The core reason being the church is not a building, it is people with whom we should want to gather to affirm our faith, our Lord, the Word of God and to worship.

This is not a matter of legalism but an affirmation of spiritual life and spiritual family.

Returning to … the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Jesus. We have every indication that the synagogue authorities chose the scroll. There is no record of a lectionary or schedule of readings.

Records indicate that this was usually preceded by reading from the Law. Local synagogue authorities would invite people to read and preach. The Scriptures would have been in Hebrew. Because Aramaic was also spoken in Christ’s day, there would also probably have been some translation into Aramaic - a semitic language of that day.

Stood up - a mark of respect for the Word of God

Sat down to teach - 4:20

Jesus unrolled the scroll - 24 ft by a about 10 plus inches - to the section that we refer to as , followed by Is 58:6

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me - , - because;

Although the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, the creator - what He did, He did in power of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:2 ESV

until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He (the Lord God) has annointed me to preach good news to the poor

Understood, by the Father

preach good news - same word used by the angel who appeared to the shepherds.

He has sent me to proclaim - preach:

liberty to the captives () and

liberty - forgive, pardon

Those of Isaiah’s day heard this a meaning God’s promise to bring back the Israelites who had been taken captive to other lands - Assyria, Persia, Babylon - prisoners of war - POW’s - MIA’s

recovering of sight to the blind and

open the eyes of the blind was repeated by Isaiah as what the promised LORD’s chosen servant would do.

Isaiah 42:7 ESV

to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.

This would be done by the LORD - I am the LORD -

Isaiah 42:6 ESV

“I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed

set at liberty - same word as set at liberty the captives

oppressed - crushed - bruised (KJV)

to proclaim:

the year of the Lord’s favour = day of salvation & my year of redemption

Isaiah 63:4 ESV

For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and my year of redemption had come.

Christ stopped reading half way through , the reason being the fulfillment of the rest of the promises recorded by Isaiah awaited the second coming of Christ.

Having finished reading, Christ rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, sat down - indicating that he was about to preach/teach.

The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed - look intently, stare, fixed on (KJV) - waiting for the sermon. They would have heard reports. Now they had the chance to hear him first hand.

Jesus began with a startling statement.

“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

For those who listened carefully, every word said a great deal.

Today (not yesterday or tomorrow) this Scripture has been fulfilled (not will be) in your hearing . I AM THE FULFILLMENT OF ISAIAH’S PROPHECY.

Later, Christ would remind the disciples of John the Baptist that He/Christ has fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and in so doing they could assure John that Jesus was the one who was to come.

Luke 7:22 ESV

And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them.

Having heard Christ affirmation of fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, many would have reviewed the Isaiah’s word. Most of them would have memorized key segments of the OT like that.

There was obviously some interaction as Jesus preached.

All spoke well and marveled at His gracious words.

His words expressed God’s grace.

Psalm 45:2 ESV

You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

While his words caused them to marvel, they also marveled because they knew he was the son of Joseph.

Luke 3:23 ESV

Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,

Lk 3:23

Christ obviously heard someone comment, “Is not this Joseph’s son?”Most of them were astonished someone from their town, one whom they called Joseph’s son could speak like this.

We need to note that Luke speaks of astonishment, not admiration and appreciation. They wondered at His preaching but did not take it to heart.

Hearing what they said and knowing what they were thinking, Jesus stated what he knew they were thinking and embodied in the proverbs, “Physician heal yourself, what we heard you did in Capernaum, do here in your home town as well.”

With no specific miracle in Capernaum having been mentioned by those in the synagogue, we cannot be sure what healing miracle had caught their attention. Very few details are recorded re Christ’s first year of ministry, but:

mentions a brief visit to Capernaum but no details are given

relates that while at Cana Jesus healed the son of a royal official. Leaving his dying in Capernaum, the official came to Jesus asking him to come before his son died. Christ’s response was, “Go; your son will live.” The official believed and on his way home was met by servant with news that his son was recovering. Asking when his son’s health turned, he was told and knew that was when Jesus spoke.

Of the message in this exchange was the royal official believed what Jesus said.

BY CONTRAST, THOSE IN THE SYNAGOGUE IN NAZARETH WANTED A MIRACLE BUT REFUSED TO BELIEVE IN JESUS AND WHAT HE SAID.

How ironic and sad!

Rather than ask for and allow Jesus to teach and fully explain how and in what ways He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecies, they asked for a miracle.

Like those who came to Jesus in Cana before the royal official the Nazareth attendees asked for signs and wonders rather than a deeper understanding of the Word.

They were not alone - Lk 4:24-27

In the days of Elijah when there was three years of famine, only in Zarephath in Sidon was there a widow who would listen and believe -

And in the days of Elisha there were many lepers, but it was only Naaman the Syrian who asked to be and was healed -