Sermon Tone Analysis

Reason #1: Jesus claims to be the Christ (vv.

18-21).Reason #2: [But] Jesus is Joseph’s son (v.

22).

Reason #3: [And] Jesus

Jesus reveals himself (vv.

18-21)The people doubt Jesus (vv.

22-27)

Bock’s Outline:vv.

18-21 - Scripture Reading and Its Expositionvv.

22 - Response: The Initial Questioning of the Crowdvv.

23-27 - A Proverb and a Historical Picture of Their Rejectionvv.

28-29 - The Crowd’s Anger and Hostile Desirev.

30 - Jesus’ Departure

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Setting of the Scripture Reading (4:16–17)A synagogue service had various elements (m.

Meg.

3–4; m.

Ber.

2): recitation of the Shema˓ (), prayers (including some set prayers like the Tephillah and the Shemoneh Esreh [Eighteen Benedictions]), a reading from the Law, a reading from the Prophets, instruction on the passages, and a benediction.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Setting of the Scripture Reading (4:16–17)The Hebrew Scripture would be read in a standing position in one- to three-verse units.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Setting of the Scripture Reading (4:16–17)After the reading came an invitation for someone to instruct the audience.

Based on texts already read or on new texts, this instruction could be done by any qualified male in the audience, provided ten males were present.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Setting of the Scripture Reading (4:16–17)4:17 Jesus takes the scroll and unrolls it to the place from which he will give instruction.

It seems that Jesus chose the reading from the Prophets and “found” (εὗρεν, heuren) the place in Isaiah from which he wanted to teach (Luce 1933: 120; Fitzmyer 1981: 531; Schürmann 1969: 228–29).

If the text was part of a fixed reading schedule, then the scroll would have been opened at the appropriate place.

This detail suggests that a reading schedule was not used, but that Jesus chose his text.

cf.

​ ESVand coming to his hometown he taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?

In v. 23 Jesus is responding to v. 22. Obviously.

The people are thinking (and Jesus knows that they are thinking it and are about to ask for it), “You’ve claimed to be the Messiah.

We’ve heard about what you did in Capernaum.

Prove your claim by doing some miraculous things here as well.”

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 2: A Proverb and a Historical Picture of Their Rejection (4:23–27)He cites a low point in Israel’s history: the time of Elijah and Elisha.

In this historical comparison, the threat is that those closest to Jesus may miss God’s blessing, while others, who are far away, will receive it.

, which alludes to the period of the evil king Ahab, is unique to Luke’s portrayal of the synagogue account.

The OT text alluded to here is , which refers to a specific famine and judgment for covenant unfaithfulness.

Such unfaithfulness brought Israel under judgment at this time, so God’s provision and prophetic signs were absent from the land.

God’s blessings went elsewhere, to others outside Israel; Gentile widows and lepers!

But why?

Because they believed!

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 2 Response: The Crowd’s Anger and Hostile Desire (4:28–29)Like Paul’s message about going to the Gentiles, this warning also left its audience displeased (, ; ; Plummer 1896: 129).

Outsiders might end up being blessed, while insiders are left out.

But there is no need to be angry.

They can experience the blessing if they respond to Jesus the same way as Gentiles will - in faith!

cf.

​ ESVThe 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; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

​ ESVAnd the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

​ ESVBehold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

​ ESV“Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)Luke is summarizing textual material used by Jesus in his synagogue address, since a normal synagogue reading would not mix passages quite like this, and the description of Jesus’ remarks here is decidedly brief and dramatic (see the exegesis of 4:21).

Jesus likely used both passages in the actual setting.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)The figure of brings a message of God’s deliverance to exiles.

The deliverance imagery parallels the description of the Jubilee year (), when debts were canceled and slaves were freed every fiftieth year.

It is a picture of forgiveness and spiritual liberation, which is at the center of Jesus’ message

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)When Jesus applies the passage to himself, he is saying that the present time is like the message of comfort that Isaiah brought to the nation.

In fact, the totality of the deliverance that Isaiah described is now put into motion with Jesus’ coming.

He is the Servant par excellence.

4 infinitives...…to proclaim good news to the poor…to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind; ....to set at liberty those who are oppressed (cf. )

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)While a prophet could proclaim the message of liberty for the oppressed, he could not bring it to pass.

It is a deliverer who brings deliverance to reality.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)Jesus will do what Israel was rebuked in for not doing: Jesus will meet in love the needs of those who need God.

…to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)Because of the comprehensive character of the deliverance that Isaiah described, Jubilee was interpreted in Judaism as a reference to the dawn of God’s new age.

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)Jubilee, by analogy, becomes a picture of total forgiveness and salvation, just as it was in its prophetic usage in .

​Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: .

Cycle 1: Scripture Reading and Its Exposition (4:18–21)The remaining issue in is the omission of a reference to judgment.

One of two explanations is possible.

First, the omission may have been made to delay the allusion to judgment until Jesus’ warnings in 4:24–27.

As mentioned earlier with John the Baptist, the time of salvation is also a time of division (3:7–9, 16–17; 2:34–35).

But another reason is more likely: the ultimate time of God’s vengeance is not yet arrived in this coming of Jesus (9:51–56; 17:22–37; 21:5–37).

The division of deliverance and judgment in God’s plan, alluded to by the omission, is sorted out later in Luke.

This omission represents part of the “already–not yet” tension of NT eschatology, and a Gospel writer can discuss an issue from either side of the temporal perspective.

Jesus’ mission is placed initially in terms of hope, but it also brings an implication of judgment about which he will warn in 4:24–27.

is floating in the air, burning in their hearts, filling their minds, ringing in their ears.

All eyes are on Jesus in this moment.

What will he say next?

Jesus said more.

Luke says that he began to speak (v.

21a), but the crux of it was this, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing,” (v.

21).

“Σήμερον (today) is a key term in Luke’s theology and stresses that the opportunity for salvation is this very moment.

Luke uses σήμερον repeatedly in his Gospel to make this very point (2:11; 5:26; 12:28; 13:32–33; 19:5, 9; 22:34, 61; 23:43; and nine times in Acts; Liefeld 1984: 868).”

Bock, D. L. (1994).

(Vol. 1, p. 412).

Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

​ ESVAnd he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”