The Rejection of Jesus

Intro:

Show timeline, show map of Nazareth.

Last week, Pastor Bryan preached through the account of the healing of the officials son in Cana, the same place he had turned water into wine. Today Jesus returns to another familiar city, His hometown of Nazareth. Nazareth was a small and by most account an inconsequential city. In fact, up until recently many skeptics believed that the village never existed. That is until an archaeologist began to do a excavation in which he discovered the buried structures of this village.

Jesus made regular corporate worship a priority Luke 4:16

Whenever we examine Jesus actions, words, and deeds, we should ask the following questions.

Does my life follow the pattern that he has set?

Do I look at His example of His life and teachings as informational or transformational?

What areas of my life need to change in order to live like him?

What steps do I need to take today to ensure that I am better following his example tomorrow?

Reasons why we don’t make the gathering a priority:

We value other things more

We believe the gathering is for me instead of the gathering being about worshiping Him

We have believed the lie that our kids/grand kids will reject the church if we set it as a top-tier priority.

Jesus reveals His purpose in coming Luke 4:18-19 , Isaiah 61:1-2

Jesus Quotes reads from a passage of scripture found in Isaiah 61:1-2 that is titled the Messiah’s Jubilee. In the life of the nation of Israel they practiced what was called the year of Jubilee.

The Jubilee is the year at the end of seven cycles of shmita and, according to biblical regulations, had a special impact on the ownership and management of land in the Land of Israel. According to the Book of Leviticus, Hebrew slaves and prisoners would be freed, debts would be forgiven, and the mercies of God would be particularly manifest.

“His promise comes to people while they are in their misery. That’s why it’s good news. That’s why the angels shout, “Joy to the world!” That’s why the gospel gives life: it reaches people in their barrenness.

Our task is not to form a holy huddle or celebrate sublime things about Christ. Our task is not to swell our heads with theology and Bible knowledge. Our task is to, yes, feed on Christ, but also to find beggars and tell them where there is bread. We must find fellow lepers and tell them where there is cleansing. We must remember we were the lepers who woke up to find the enemy camp already abandoned. We needed the victory, but we didn’t earn it. Like people glad to have found what they most desperately needed, our task is to go to our neighbors and tell them there is a Savior who supplies all their needs, too.”

Anyabwile, T. (2018). Exalting jesus in luke. Nashville, TN: Holman Reference.

Preach good news to the poor

Proclaim release to the captives

recovery of sight to the blind

to set free the oppressed

proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor

Application: Jesus outlines both the message we preach but also the hope that it brings to those that are hopeless.

Jesus reveals His nature Luke 4:21

Jesus was saying I am the Jubilee.

Jesus prophesies of his Crucifixion, rejection, and the gospel being delivered to the gentiles. Luke 4:23-27

Jesus own people reject him. Luke 4:28-30

Where was the Jesus rejected? In his hometown place of worship.

Question: Is it possible that a place of worship could fall in love with their religious expressions and yet reject the saviors call?

Signs you may love religion more than Jesus

The hard truths of scripture upset you instead of change you.

You don’t see change as creating possibilities for kingdom advancement, but rather as an assault that must be stopped in order to protect the familiarity your way of life.

You find yourself dreaming more about passed successes than future movements of God.

You love to be in church but do not participate in the work of the harvest.

Application: As we mentioned earlier, the goal of scripture is to make us more like Christ. Does my life follow the pattern that he has set?

Do I look at His example of His life and teachings as informational or transformational?

What areas of my life need to change in order to live like him?

What steps do I need to take today to ensure that I am better at following his example tomorrow?