Day 15

Luke 4:14–30 (NIV)

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

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. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷ The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, ¹⁹ to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 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, ²¹ and 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. ²³ Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ” ²⁴ “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. ²⁹ They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. ³⁰ But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Helpful Information

vs 19- year of the Lord's favor- the year of liberation among men appointed by Yahweh (Lev. 25:8-17) and now made symbolic of his own saving acts. It was held every fifty years, and during it the fields lay fallow, persons returned to their own homes, debts were relinquished and slaves set free. Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke : A commentary on the Greek text. The New international Greek testament commentary. Exeter [Eng.: Paternoster Press.

vs 28-29 A mob could not legally execute capital punishment in Jewish Palestine; the crowd is thus unusually angry—especially to attempt this execution on the Sabbath (v. 16). Although Nazareth does not appear to have been built on a hill per se, like many ancient cities it was set in the hill country, with plenty of jagged rocks and cliffs nearby. Stoning began with throwing the criminal over a cliff, then hurling rocks nearly the size of one’s head on top of the victim. One aimed for the chest first, but at such a distance one’s aim would not be particularly accurate. Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Pray for God to show you something to use from the passage

Read the Passage

Who is in the passage?

What action verbs do you see?

What other words stick out in your mind

Questions

Why would it be hard for Jesus’ hometown to believe He is the Christ?

What do we learn about the priorities in Jesus ministry based on what he read in the synagogue?

Why does Jesus bring up the two stories from the Old Testament about people who were not Jews being helped?

Do I have the same strength displayed by Jesus when people don't want to hear God's Word?

Notes

vs 14 Again the Spirit's role is emphasized.

Jesus was becoming popular for His teaching. He used the Jewish churches to teach (Paul takes the same model) Well thought of. Seems to be going well.

vs 16 Goes to hometown, people want to hear what he has to say (vs 20)

In synagogues a passage from Pentateuch read then a passage from prophets. Men from Congregation read. Jesus chosen for Prophet's reading, Jesus chooses the Isa 60:1-2 reading

vs 18 Passage comes from section where God promises to bring Salvation to His people. Then moves to a Servant song describing how God will do it.

Spirit of the lord is on me- been shown throughout Jesus beginning of ministry

anointed- His blessed purpose

· to preach good news to poor- Think how Luke has shown this. through parents of Jesus, The shepherds, expressed by reaching out to the everyday people not the greats of the day.

· Proclaim freedom to prisoners- imprisoned spiritually, there is a way out

· recover sight- Being able to see, the contrast between light and darkness (john 1:9)

· release oppressed- freedom!!!

· To proclaim year of Lord's favor- Year of jubilee referred to

vs 21 -TODAY Fulfilled in your hearing- what people been waiting for has come and Jesus is it! Bold statement! Question is whether they would believe it

vs 22- two opposite reactions See Mark 6

· Spoke well of him- knew Jesus a good man

· Amazed at gracious words- amazed that Jesus said what he said or amazed at his teaching? or both?

· Joseph Son- a carpenter's son saying this? (Mark 6:3) How can he be the one? We grew up with him, nothing special we saw-

While the latter view wins out and appears to be influenced by the fact Jesus would not do what he did in Capernaum (20 miles away) vs 23. It doesn't take away from the speaking well of him . Problem wasn't Jesus not good, problem was God wouldn't use a carpenter's son. Note: having Jesus earthly guardian father as ordinary fulfills the Isa 61 passage. God cares for the poor and oppressed

vs 24-27- Jesus knows the thoughts going on and instead of trying to ease the situation he points out there are no favorites for God. (Hometown thinking we will get special treatment because He grew up here) God would even choose non-Jews to help over Jews just like the two examples from Old Testament. . This statement sets the people off. God was for Jews not others. They think this is no prophet of God, he is blaspheming God (John 10:33) so they prepare to stone him by taking him to outskirts.

vs 30- Is it a miracle that causes the people to stop or did the people stop because they thought better of it? Regardless Jesus is confident even though he has been rejected and faced death. Doesn’t fear what man can do (Acts 4:19)

Do I have the same strength displayed by Jesus when people don't want to hear God's Word?

Do I discount people because of their background?

How do I act when God tells me something I don't want to hear?

Who do I preach to: am I reaching those Jesus wants me to?