The sermon at Nazareth

Call To Proclaim

Key Verse: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

14–15. It is not quite clear why a report about Jesus began to circulate, for he has not yet been described as doing anything. But he came back from Jordan in the power of the Spirit (notice Luke’s interest in the Spirit). Evidently it could be seen that Jesus was filled with the Spirit and this caused comment. Jesus proceeded to add to his reputation by teaching in the synagogues and Luke tells us that he was glorified by all. The plural, synagogues, points to a preaching tour. For Galilee as the starting-point of Jesus’ mission cf. 23:5; Acts 10:37.

16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read,

16. Jesus had been brought up at Nazareth and, being there again, he went to worship on the sabbath as his custom was. There are many references to Jesus’ attendance at worship, but this is the only one that tells us that it was his habit. Many commentators tell us how synagogue services were conducted and point out where Luke agrees. But we should bear in mind that this is the earliest description of a synagogue service we have, so this passage is of critical importance for the study of the synagogue. We may assume that some customs, which we know from later times, were as old as this, but we should be clear that this is assumption. Luke is our only authority for what was done at this time. If later custom was as early as this, the service would have commenced with prayer and there would have been a reading from the Law (the books from Genesis to Deuteronomy) before Jesus read from the prophets. There were no ministers as we understand the term, but the local synagogue authorities would invite people to read and to preach. Scripture seems always to have been read in the original Hebrew, though a translation into Aramaic would have been made by the reader or someone else. From Acts it is plain that it was not uncommon for distinguished visitors to be invited to preach. The synagogue was used for instruction as well as for worship; indeed, teaching may be held to be its primary function (cf. 13:10). The synagogue was of uncertain antiquity, but in Palestine it was not highly developed before the destruction of the temple. There appear to be no certain ruins of synagogues in Palestine from pre-Christian times. Jesus stood up to read, a mark of respect for the Word of God. Preaching seems to have been done sitting down (20; cf. Matt. 26:55; so SB). Paul, however, stood on at least one occasion (Acts 13:16) and Philo speaks of this custom (De specialibus legibus ii.62).

17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:

17. Apparently Jesus did not select the book from which he read, for the Isaiah scroll was given to him. But this does not mean, as some think, that he read from a fixed lectionary. We cannot authenticate a lectionary as early as this. The passage may have been selected by the ruler of the synagogue or Jesus may have picked it himself. This would fit in with Luke’s words, He opened the book and found the place where it was written …

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners

and recovery of sight for the blind,

to set the oppressed free,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 

18–19. He read from Isaiah 61:1f. followed by 58:6. The words prophesy of the Messiah’s ministry to people in distress, the poor, the captives (‘prisoners of war’, Marshall), the blind, and the oppressed. Jesus’ application of the words to himself shows that the sense of vocation that came with the heavenly voice at his baptism remained strong (for the Spirit’s anointing, cf. Acts 10:38). Jesus saw himself as coming with good news for the world’s troubled people. The acceptable year of the Lord does not, of course, represent any calendar year, but is a way of referring to the era of salvation.

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him

20. Jesus rolled up the scroll (closed the book) and returned it to the attendant. He sat down, thus taking the posture for preaching. With everyone now looking at him expectantly all was ready for the sermon.

21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.

21–22. Jesus began by saying that the prophecy he had just read was being fulfilled. The words of Isaiah applied to the ministry he was beginning (cf. 7:22). Today is important. Jesus’ contemporaries did not doubt that God’s kingdom would come some day. Jesus’ teaching was different, in that he saw God as acting in the present, in his own work. ‘Not in a future age but now is the captive power of sin to be broken, communion with God to be established, and the will of God to be done’ (Manson). All spoke well of him is more literally ‘all witnessed to him’. Rieu’s ‘they soon began to recognize his power’ is a paraphrase, but it tells us what happened. As he spoke the villagers came to see that what they had heard about him was true and they said so. They were impressed by his gracious words, i.e. his attractive way of speaking. They were astonished that someone from their own town, one whom they could call Joseph’s son, could speak like this. Notice that Luke speaks of astonishment, not admiration or appreciation. They wondered at his preaching, but they did not take it to heart