Confrontation at Nazareth: A Microcosm of Jesus’ Ministry

Confrontation at Nazareth: A Microcosm of Jesus’ Ministry - Luke 4:14-30

Illust. of microcosm - Most of us have at some point drawn, built, or at least discussed a scale model of our solar system. Now of course the flaw is always that the sun is too big by comparison and some of the distances too far to scale very well, but even with that, illustrations of it do help us understand the big picture to some degree.

This section in Luke is a microcosm of Jesus’ ministry. … In this encounter at Nazareth especially, but also including miracles performed in the remaining part of the chapter and Jesus’ concluding description of the nature of his ministry (preaching the good news of the kingdom of God, Luke 4:43)...

The rejection at Nazareth to Jesus’ teaching serves as a microcosm of what would take place in his life and ministry. - Although it is also possible that there was more than one similar occurrence in Nazareth, I believe Luke places it early for logical and literary purposes. (What Mark and Matthew have later chronologically.) - OUTLINE of the microcosm I’m indicating:

Jesus’ popularity grows.

(As) He teaches concerning the good news of the kingdom of God (and works miracles, vv. 31-41) by the authority and power of the Holy Spirit.

But many (like his hometown) reject him as Messiah and Lord.

Jesus explains that therefore the blessing is for those who believe (whom God chooses), extended to the Gentiles.

Responding in angry jealousy, they seek to kill him.

As we go through this, I want you to consider whether you have genuinely received Jesus on his terms… on God’s terms, not some version you feel like you’re willing to accept. - One can’t know God through Christ without confronting… and accepting… the claims of Christ.

I want you to consider the privilege and responsibility of sharing Christ with others. On the one hand, to not get caught up in fluffing around the hard stuff (for fear of man) but to speak the truth in love (by the power and authority of the Spirit of God).

And I want us to be warned against allowing our familiarity with the things of God to cause us to grow cold in our walk with Him.

Let’s look next then at both Luke’s summary of Jesus’ growing popularity as well as this example in Nazareth of his teaching—his claims about himself and his ministry.

Growing Popularity & Jesus’ Teaching (vv. 14-21)

Luke has completed the introductory section (about the birth, uniqueness, baptism, and anointing of Jesus) and now properly begins his information about Jesus’ public ministry.

In vv. 14-15 of our text for today then, Luke provides a summary statement of that public ministry beginning and picking up steam. As far as we can tell, he is also essentially skipping over about a year from the time of Jesus baptism & temptation (if we accept John’s timeline).

The Apostle John includes other details and early Judean ministry before returning to Galilee: Calling some of his disciples (Andrew & Peter, Philip & Nathanael… and maybe all of them during this timeframe), the wedding he attended at Cana in Galilee with his mother and turned water into wine, his journey to Jerusalem for Passover and clearing the temple the first time, his night meeting with Nicodemus, his disciples baptizing in Judea (and more people than J the B), passing through Samaria on his way back to Galilee and his interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well, and while in Cana again... healing an official’s son in Capernaum without going there.

It is hard to say why the synoptics speak so little of this early ministry. We don’t know. - Luke himself knows of some previous activity of Jesus but chooses not to describe it here.

What Luke emphasizes is the growing popularity as Jesus teaches in the power of the Spirit. - v. 14 & 18

Again, the first reaction to Jesus is that his fame spreads (Gk pheme, where we get our word fame), and he is praised by all… regularly preaching in their synagogues (a preaching tour in the region).

Then vv. 16-27 give an example of Jesus’ teaching... - The next portion of ch. 4 still has teaching with authority (v. 32), but the specifics revolve around Spirit’s power & authority in him to heal and cast out demons.

After this summary statement, Luke focuses on Jesus in his home village of Nazareth, which my historical background commentary suggests would have had “sixteen hundred to two thousand inhabitants.” - Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Lk 4:14–15.

Apparently it was his custom to participate in the weekly gathering when he was there. - Jesus stands to read (they normally stood for reading and sat for teaching). He is given the scroll of Isaiah, and he chooses to read from Is 61:1-2a in order that he can apply the fulfillment of that scripture to himself. - He stops before reading the last part of verse two, which speaks of the day of God’s judgment, likely because that refers to the second coming when he will return and rule as King, judging the earth’s wickedness.

In applying the text to his ministry, notice the emphasis of Messiah’ ministry to those in distress—poor, captives, blind, oppressed. - Luke notes throughout Jesus ministry that he has a particular compassion for those who are literally in these scenarios. But there can also be no doubt that the primary emphasis is on a spiritual condition we all face.

(Steve Cole) What is the heart condition of every person, religious or pagan, according to God’s Word? We are poor, spiritually destitute, bankrupt before God. … We are captives, spiritually enslaved to sin. … We are blind, spiritually unable to see the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ unless He opens our eyes. Finally, we are downtrodden. The word means “shattered” or “broken in pieces.”

Those who understand themselves this way are those who admit their need. - They begin to get it that…

Jesus does what we could not (and cannot) do for ourselves.

Illust. about pandemic of sin. We’ve all caught it… nobody escapes this disease.

We need more than a hometown hero. We need a cosmic hero. - Jesus is both the prophet proclaiming the good news, as well as the one who ultimately serves as the Deliverer who saves his people (Lk 1:74, Mt 1:21).

Finally, Jesus says (in the quote from Isaiah) that he came “to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” - Probably with reference to the concept of the year of Jubilee, the year of release, where every 50 years people were given back their land and their liberty. - With all eyes fixed on him, he says that today this messianic scripture is fulfilled in their hearing.

Rejection at Home & Extension to All (vv. 22-27)

Notice that they speak well of him and marvel at how well-spoken he is on the scriptures… BUT they also say, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” - Luke has made clear that he really isn’t Joseph’s son. Their cynicism rises from what they assume they know about Jesus.

The height of foolish ignorance is to assume we know something when evidence to the contrary is blatantly piling up in our faces. We keep assuming that what we thought we knew can’t be incorrect. Or we formulate explanations based on what we WANT the answer to be. That just doesn’t make sense. But that’s the problem with hard-heartedness.

As is common in Luke’s account, Jesus already knows what’s on their minds even before they speak it directly to him.

Proverb: Physician, heal yourself - A dentist should have nice teeth and a landscaper a nice lawn and flower bed. What we heard you did at Capernaum, do here. - In a major twist of dramatic irony in the Bible, Jesus came to save us, who are all guilty of rejecting God and going our own way. - At his crucifixion, Luke records the following reaction of people: Lk 23:35

Luke 23:35 ESV

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

Prophet not welcome in his hometown - “The tradition that Israel rejected its own prophets was strong in Judaism.” - Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Lk 4:23–24.

To make this point, Jesus gives OT examples where, because of the rebelliousness of Israel, God chooses to send Elijah to the widow of Zarephath and later Elisha to cleanse Naaman the Syrian of leprosy. This was not for lack of many widows or lepers among Israel, but due to God’s sovereign grace and Israel’s unbelief.

Jesus is saying that Nazareth will not receive him but that even some non-Jews will.

We understand from the OT covenant with Abraham that through his seed all the nations would be blessed, but the Jews have trouble with Jesus’ ministry and mission because he doesn’t do things the way they want. They have expectations for the Messiah, and he doesn’t meet those expectations. Rather, they’re afraid of some kind of reprisal from Rome, so they don’t want some social and political unrest that they aren’t convinced is messianic fulfillment on their terms.

What takes place in Nazareth is that Jesus is refusing, to their faces, to do signs among them because of their lack of belief. Instead, he will do greater works among others, even Gentiles.

Threat & Escape (vv. 28-30)

The hometown crowd understand his meaning (take is drift), and they are filled with wrath. - The folks from Nazareth don’t take kindly to the idea that Jesus would do for others what he would not do for them, and the insinuation that it was their own fault!

Now, a mob couldn’t legally execute capital punishment, but that certainly seems to be their intention here, to put him to death. - In fact, it seems that their plan is to stone him (v. 29). - “Stoning began with throwing the criminal over a cliff, then hurling rocks nearly the size of one’s head on top of the victim.” - Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Lk 4:28–29.

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 4:14–30—Preaching in His Hometown Synagogue

Whether the Lord hides him (cf. Jer 36:26), his attitude silences them, or his townspeople suddenly realize what they are doing to one of their own, Jesus walks through the crowd unharmed—his hour had not yet come.

None would succeed in killing him until the time appointed by the Father, when Jesus would freely give up his life.

Implication: Many reject Jesus, but some are saved.

I want us to consider the cause and cure for spiritual blindness. Why do so many people reject Jesus?

First, there is a clear tension here and all of scripture concerning God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility… both expressed clearly in scripture. We know that healing from spiritual blindness and freedom from captivity only comes by the grace of God to grant us the ability to accept him by faith. This is the sovereign grace of God in the salvation of man. And yet God’s word plainly describes the responsibility of man to respond to the offer of salvation through Jesus. So it is definitely the case that the ability to respond lies with God, and yet the responsibility of choosing to do so is still the experience of man.

— How does God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility impact my believing?

When the truth of the gospel confronts you, how you respond is genuinely on you.

- It is absolutely true that we are by nature poor (spiritually destitute), blind (spiritually incapable of seeing), captive (slaves to sin), and oppressed (utterly broken)

But if we go on rejecting Jesus, the cause of our rejection is that we are like Nazareth… like Israel. - They want God to do what they want (demanding signs) but they do not want to submit to God’s authority and plan (Jesus’ claims about himself) - Should God do things his way or our way?!!!

It’s not like there’s a shortage of proof! The issue is hardness of heart, self-reliance rather than trusting God. - The cause is a rebellious lack of submission (demanding that God deliver us on our terms, do for us what we want) - self-righteous and self-reliant

The cure is trusting God and submitting to his plan, his way — which is believing Jesus Christ is the only way and receiving him as Lord.

— The impact of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility in sharing Christ:

1. In prayer, “God give them eyes to see… transform their hearts... to respond to you.”

2. In proclamation, “Come and see that the Savior is Jesus. He invites you to receive him as Lord.”

***

Conclusion: Familiarity should NOT breed contempt.

Your greatest asset for spiritual growth is knowing God (intimacy with God). BUT… Experiencing intimacy with God

One can’t follow Christ and experience Christian growth (fully, the way God best intends for us) without submission to the method Christ sets forth in his example and commands.

That would be like thinking that you are going to run 26k by simply eating the right healthy diet. That’s right and good, but you also have to get up from the table and exercise, put into practice the goal of gaining endurance toward that end. So it is with following Jesus. If we want to experience God and grow in maturity, we must eat right AND discipline ourselves to exercise the commands and example Jesus has set for us.

Many of you have perhaps heard me say, which is probably a quote I got from somebody else, that we can’t complain we don’t know God (we can’t hear God) while our Bibles gather dust! … But I also want to add this, and it’s extremely important! God desires to bless you as you walk with him in obedience... to the path and gifts and practice he sets forth in his Word.

Don’t complain that you aren’t experiencing nearness with God and spiritual growth when the path and tools and training remain idle in your exercise. The path remains untrodden. The gifts and tools he provides just hang on the wall (for admiration?). There are no callouses on our hands and scrapes on our knees from sharing Christ with our neighbors. When that is the case with us, brothers and sisters, we are missing out on knowing Christ!

To walk with God is to follow the path Jesus walked, to put his gifts to good use, and to discipline ourselves to practice what he tells us to… so that he can bless us with nearness to him and knowing his pleasure.

If we know Jesus like that, such familiarity with him will cause us to trust him more, love him more, and live more like he lived.

Let’s PRAY in closing.