Worship Call 0536 The Greatest Teacher Ever

Robert, beware of the blade! John 10:10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. Have you ever heard about how the Inuit Tribes kill wolves? You're not gonna believe this one! First, the Inuit people coat the blade of his knife with animal blood and allow it to freeze. He then adds and freezes more layers of blood, several coats, in fact, until the blade is completely covered with frozen blood. Next, he plants his knife in the snow, the blade facing up, and goes about his business. When a wolf finds his way to the luring aroma of fresh blood, he starts licking. Then more and more vigorously, lapping it until the sharp blade of the knife is exposed. However, by this point, so intense is his craving for the scrumptious blood, that the wolf does not notice the sharp sting of the blade on his own tongue, nor does he even realize that his ravenous craving is now being satisfied by his very own blood! By the light of dawn, the hunter will find him lying dead in the snow. Sin entices and seduces us in precisely the same way. Satan lures us to the place where he plans to ravage us with some sort of destructive fleshly pleasure -- gossip, rage, sexual sin, etc. Once we give in to its lustful pleasures, our craving for it increases. If we allow ourselves to indulge, it grips us all the more. And before we know it -- it can completely consume us. Robert, let's begin recognizing our enemy's tactics upon us! There is no more time to give in to his destructive ways! We must strive to walk in holiness and righteousness for the glory of God's Kingdom! Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

This is another fine day in the Lord!

we are in Luke 4:14 this morning where we enter a synagoge to hear the greatest teacher whoever taught give a lesson to those from his own home town.

In addition to John’s arrest, Jesus rejection in his hometown might have influenced his move to Capernaum. The people in Nazareth knew Him as the son of Joseph and Mary, not as the Messiah. Although they initially received Jesus’ message favorably, the people of Nazareth eventually try to kill Jesus because He criticizes their unbelief.

Matthew 13:53–57 (NASB95) — 53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He departed from there. 54 He came to His hometown and began teaching them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished, and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? 55 “Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary, and His brothers, James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56 “And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.”

To begin with, after his return back from Jerusalem he was a popular teacher, teaching in the Synagogues. We understand that

Hebrews 4:12 (NASB95) — 12 the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Jesus was an excellent and perfect teacher and prophet. What makes the Communicator of God’s word reputable is not his popularity but the willingness to preach regardless of the reception that he is undoubtedly will happen.

The word of God not only comforts which is good and great, people love a comforting message. Stay with it, you are sure to fill the seats. And to teach the deep things about God interesting things that will stimulate the mind can also be well received. But the word of God will also not only step on your toes it will step on your heart all together. That’s the rub.

And it is the very thing that got the prophets of old killed. And mind you those who kill we could imagine were some of the nicest people that one could find in a Synagogue. I could imagine these nice people were anxious to hear a message from Jesus their hometown boy and welcoming him on the sabbath with opened arms.

But the nice will run out when the word of God drives a spear right through their hearts, and then then the not so people will turn against the teacher.

Luke 4:16 (NASB95) — 16 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.

15 miles west from the tip of the sea of Galilee.

sYNAGOGUE (συναγωγή, synagōgē). A place for assembly and worship that developed in Jewish communities throughout the Mediterranean in the late centuries bc.

Jesus as custom would be handed a scroll and while standing would read from the scroll and then he would sit down and teach.

Jesus Read from the book of Isaiah

Luke 4:18–19 (NASB95) — 18 “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, 19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”

Jesus would stop short of the full message of Isaiah.

Isaiah 61:2 (NASB95) — 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,

Why did Jesus’ stop?

Rather he finishes

Luke 4:20–21 (NASB95) — 20 And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears.”

The first advent has been fulfilled. Jesus has come.

Advent means, “Coming.”

There are two advents.

1. First coming is the offer of Salvation.

John 3:17 (NASB95) — 17 “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

John 12:47 (NASB95) — 47 “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

Another thing about NICE, There are a lot of lost people comfortable in their NICENESS. The Preacher out of Love stirs a person of one’s niceness to hear the message.

In a place of Darkness and the Gnashing of teach, that gnashing of teeth will the expression of full blown hatred toward God whom they nevertheless have to bow a knee to.

2. Second advent is the Judgment

Isaiah 61:2 (NASB95) —And the day of vengeance of our God;

Luke 4:22 (NASB95) — 22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

the implication was clear. Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah who could bring the kingdom of God which had been promised for so long—but His First Advent was not His time for judgment.

Let’s look at these words which Jesus applies to himself.

Luke 4:18 (NASB95) — 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me

The word Christos (Christ) means anointed one. IN the Hebrew Messiah.

Going back to Isaiah, the prophet was speaking of the year of Jubilee and the release of the captives and the return from the Babylonian exile with hope of the Messiah through it all.

Jesus applies this to himself with the anointment of the Holy Spirit at His baptism and with the voice of God speaking out of Heaven.

Luke 4:18 (NASB95) —to preach the gospel to the poor.

εὐαγγελίζω [euaggelizo /yoo·ang·ghel·id·zo/] v

Romans 10:14–15 (NASB95) — 14 How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? 15 How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”

Romans 1:16–17 (NASB95) — 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Nice will not make it. Only the power of the message will save a person.

Who are the poor?

Poor is in reference not to the world status or riches, but to the spiritual assets.

Revelation 3:17 (NASB95) — 17 ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,

Those who are Lost. Those who have no heavenly assets. They are broken spiritually. And these includes all. Those who will receive the message along with those poor who will reject it.

Luke 6:20 (NASB95) — 20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.

Luke 7:22–23 (NASB95) — 22 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. 23 “Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”

Yes, being born in Depravity we are spiritually bankruptcy. We cannot buy our way out of our prison sentence by our own labor or financial status or goodness.

The only hope for the poor is the Gospel message.

He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,[1]

In the time of writing Isaiah was speaking of those in Babylon. They were put their due to their sin. Their rejection of the truth. Taken outside of the Land of blessing.

This Historical event like many other events shines light on a spiritual reality.

Ours.

We are the Poor.

WE are the captives born into slavery into the slave market of sin. Woe to any of us who do not recognize that we are captives. Woe to the nice, the ones comfortable in lock up. they found their comfort in the darkness and they care not be released from it.

These are the blind. Blinded by the disconnect from their God.

And recovery of sight to the blind,[2]

The blindness of the heart. There is the spiritual darkness that leaves a person in blindness in the dark. The fact is apart from the work of the spirit to open the eyes of the heart the finite mind could never conceive the infinite God.

And man remains blind not only to God but to his own depravity. Adam masked his shame and guilt before God by putting on fig leaves. He has no idea the depts of his depravity.

Matthew 5:4 (NASB95) — 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Who are those who mourn? They are the ones whose eyes had been opened to their own sin against God. WE have sinned against you. It is as Peter telling Jesus not even to look at him because he is unworthy. Blessed are the one’s whom God breaks their human heart in order that they can be comforted.

[1] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Lk 4:18). (1995). The Lockman Foundation. [2] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update (Lk 4:18). (1995). The Lockman Foundation.