Responding to Jesus

Scripture states that it was the custom of Jesus to be in the synagogues on the sabbath. On this particular sabbath, Jesus stood up to read from a portion of the prophets as was customary at this point of the service… he took the scroll of Isaiah, found the desired place and He began to read Isaiah 61:1-2

Isaiah 61:1–2 NASB95

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

As we look at our passage today we will see that it takes place at separate times in separate synagogues and each have a separate response…

Let’s look at the setting of the Synagogue in Nazareth Luke 4:14-17

Luke 4:14–17 NASB95

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

Praise Turned to Rage

Jesus is beginning His ministry… notice how… “in the power of the Spirit”!!!

At Jordan He was baptized, and the Spirit descended on Him

In the wilderness He was led by the Spirit

Now as He begins to minister in Galilee He does so by the Spirit’s Power!

NOW! He is ready to teach and preach

His teaching was praised by those in Galilee… Now He comes to Nazareth

Nazareth:

His home town, 30 years growing up there

Known as the son of Joseph… not addressed as “The Son of God”

He is a carpenter as was Joseph… growing in wisdom and all there saw Him grow.

Now in the synagogue where He had been so many times, held so many discussions, He stands up and reads… (the passage of His choosing) but with a fresh power, authority, and brevity… Luke 4:18-19

Luke 4:18–19 NASB95

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Praise of Jesus

This was a well known Messianic passage from Isaiah! The Jews had been anticipating this!

All eyes as He sat to teach on this passage, expound on it in greater detail...

What will He say? So short… Luke 4:21

Luke 4:21 NASB95

And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

We all love those messages, sermons, full of Grace don't we!

Think about what Jesus was sharing with them...

Overview each point (first) and C.R. with Luke 7:22-23 when John questions if Jesus is the promised Messiah...

Luke 7:22–23 NASB95

And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them. “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Gospel (good news) to the poor

Those poor in spirit, needing what only Christ can offer

Captives free

Free them from the sin they are enslaved to

Sight to the blind

This would be both physical and spiritual blindness

Open their eyes to God’s unfolding plan to save all men

Bringing Light to the darkness

Free those oppressed

Not from Rome, but those who are living in the world oppressed by sin and Satan

Favorable year of the the Lord (the time)

Jesus stops short in the sentence and does not finish verse 2 (understanding the timing, his rejection, and His return)

Fully aware that this is the time He is to offer salvation and the kingdom

The Day is coming when Christ shall return with vengeance

I am the Messiah, the Christ, the fulfillment of this prophecy!

We like hearing a message that goes along with our plans and desires, BUT they missed it! Jesus knew their hearts…

They desired to see Israel great and powerful again as in the days of King David, no more Roman rule, prestige, power, glory for Israel! This is not what God had in mind.

Jesus Reveals their hearts with illustrations...

They want a show, proof, signs… rather than listening to the message of Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, the scriptures

Then He illustrates with Elijah being sent by God to a gentile widow instead of the widows in Israel

Elisha is used by God to heal a gentile Syrian leper rather than the many lepers in Israel

These two prophets of God rejected by Israel, God send to bless Gentiles

Jesus rejected by Israel will be accepted by the Gentiles

Their Response…

Initial Praise, with wonder/doubt with a transition to Rage

A temper tantrum, because they will not get their way

How dare you do it your way, I want my way, my desires, my plans for the messiah, an exclusiveness with God

We want the Glory, we don’t want to share this with gentiles… or God!

St. Augustine said, “They love truth when it enlightens them, but hate truth when it accuses them”

Christ had revealed their hearts and they did not like what was made visible.

You and I have fallen into the temptation to want God to follow our plan, scripture to say what we want to hear, and can find ourselves quickly shifting from declaring the praises of God to throwing a spiritual temper tantrum when we don’t get our way… OR we can respond like the next group...

Praise of Authority & Power

Setting in Galilee… Luke 4:31-32

Luke 4:31–32 NASB95

And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority.

Not only what He taught… but the authority He taught with!

Not a mere reading of the words but spoke as though He knew and understood what God was saying!

Christ Authority

With the Scriptures and His teaching

Over demons (one in the synagogue, and others in the region) Verse 41

Demon threw him to the ground but the man was unhurt… Christ perfect healing of demon posessed

Demons listened to Him, fear Him C.R. James 2:19 (we often fail to have the reverence for God that we should)

James 2:19 NASB95

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.

“Be quiet and come out of him” … not allowing the demons to speak???

Jesus was and is the Christ, God had a plan a purpose, a message, and a timing

Jesus did not need or want demons to declare him, they knew who He was,

God wanted people to acknowledge Him as Christ, He did not need the demons to do so

Over sickness...

After the synagogue Jesus went to Simon’s home and healed his mother-in-law (Peter was married)

Luke notes for us the fever was high (very sick)

Christ as with the demons heals completely! No rest or recovery needed… she jumps up and serves!

Service to God should always be the response of the heart to God working in us!

Word spread and many come to be healed… and all are

Their Response...

Recognition of the message as powerful, seeing a glimpse of His authority

They recognized His authority with the message prior to the casting out of demons and the healings!

They desired him to stay…rather than push Him away.

Our Response...

Realize Jesus dependance on the Spirit and prayer in His life

The main purpose Jesus is sent is to preach not heal… Verse 43

The expression “kingdom of God” should be interpreted dynamically rather than statically, for it involves the dynamic of God’s reign rather than a territory with static borders.

God’s kingdom is both present and future. It already has been realized in fulfillment of the OT promises and manifested in Christ but awaits the final consummation when Jesus returns.

How will you respond to His message?

Well if it lines up with your agenda, plans, ideals… but if not

Understand the authority of the One who is preaching the message

Push Him away or cling to Him and join with Him...

Jesus kept preaching in the synagogues… ultimately they would reject Him, Israel would hand over their Messiah to the Gentile Romans to be crucified

BUT...

On Sunday morning three days later He would rise up from the dead!

The Church would be born… we worship Him in many ways and forms around the globe today

We remember Him by something He instigated for us called communion…

not done in the synagogues but done with the church as a way to remember His coming, and sacrifice, and to look forward to His next coming!