Please open your Bible to Luke chapter four. Our text today is found in verses 14-30.
Before we read the text together, I want to remind you of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove. At his baptism Jesus was formally anointed by the Holy Spirit. John bare record saying this sign confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
It is interesting to note the title Messiah only appears twice in the Bible with both found in Daniel chapter nine where we read:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
The title messiah means “anointed one.” Speaking of the coming Messiah, Psalm chapter two says: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.”
Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one. We, of course, call Jesus the Christ. The name “Christ,” meaning “anointed,” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew messiah. There are over 500 instances in the New Testament where Jesus is referred to as “the Christ.”
Immediately following his baptism Luke says he was “full of the Holy Ghost” and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. And in our text today we shall note following his temptation our Lord returned from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. It is important to take note of what John the Baptist says of Jesus in the gospel of John chapter three. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
The picture of Jesus set forth by the title Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One, is that of the perfect Spirit filled man. Although Jesus was God incarnate, he came in the form of a servant. Thus, he chose to perform his earthly ministry as the anointed servant of his Father. He ministered in the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Now look at our text: Luke 4:14-30.
14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
Now look again at verse fourteen: Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. He taught in their synagogues and the people spoke well of him. His fame began to spread through-out the region. It is important to remember Jesus was anointed to deliver the Word of God to the people. Those who heard him speak experienced the convicting work of the Spirit in their hearts. They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth.
Jesus spoke with the unction of the Spirit. Jesus communicated the love of God for a lost and broken world. He preached a message of hope as he came to heal the broken hearted and declare deliverance to the captives. He preached in the power of the Spirit and his anointed words opened the eyes of the spiritually blind and sat at liberty those who were bruised. He came with the good news that it was the day of God’s favor. A day of God’s grace, indeed, it was the acceptable year of the Lord!
And so, he came to his hometown of Nazareth where he was brought up. Look again at verse sixteen. It says he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as his custom was. That is very interesting. All during his youth Jesus attended synagogue. Then in his young adult years this habit persisted. We might take a lesson from our Lord’s example. If gathering around the Word of God was important to our Savior, then it ought to be important to us!
Now, as set forth in our text on this occasion Jesus stood up to read from the book of Isaiah. Look again at verses eighteen and nineteen containing the words which Jesus read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
He then closed the book as every eye in the synagogue was fastened on him. Jesus then declared unmistakenly, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” My friends, Jesus was telling his hometown crowd, “I am the Messiah. I am the one of whom the prophet spoke!”
And how did they react? They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” My friends, Jesus was telling them plainly he was NOT Joseph’s son, rather, he was the promised Messiah. I need to issue a warning to each of you today. Be careful. When you are confronted by the Holy Spirit, who convicts the heart of the sin of not believing on Jesus, it is time to repent. Instead of rationalizing unbelief it is time to bow the knee!
Now look again at verses 28-30:
“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
Why did they become so angry? They became angry because Jesus told them they were in the same spiritual condition as where the people of Elijah’s day and the people of Elisha’s day (Cf. 25-27). Jesus was saying to them, if you don’t believe upon me then you are going to miss the blessing.
Before we read the text together, I want to remind you of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus at his baptism in the form of a dove. At his baptism Jesus was formally anointed by the Holy Spirit. John bare record saying this sign confirmed Jesus as the Son of God, the promised Messiah.
It is interesting to note the title Messiah only appears twice in the Bible with both found in Daniel chapter nine where we read:
“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”
The title messiah means “anointed one.” Speaking of the coming Messiah, Psalm chapter two says: “Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh.”
Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one. We, of course, call Jesus the Christ. The name “Christ,” meaning “anointed,” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew messiah. There are over 500 instances in the New Testament where Jesus is referred to as “the Christ.”
Immediately following his baptism Luke says he was “full of the Holy Ghost” and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. And in our text today we shall note following his temptation our Lord returned from the wilderness in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. It is important to take note of what John the Baptist says of Jesus in the gospel of John chapter three. Speaking of Jesus, John said: “For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God: for God gives not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
The picture of Jesus set forth by the title Messiah, the Christ, the anointed One, is that of the perfect Spirit filled man. Although Jesus was God incarnate, he came in the form of a servant. Thus, he chose to perform his earthly ministry as the anointed servant of his Father. He ministered in the power of God the Holy Spirit.
Now look at our text: Luke 4:14-30.
14And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
15And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
16And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
22And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
23And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
24And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.
25But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
26But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
29And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.
30But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
Now look again at verse fourteen: Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee. He taught in their synagogues and the people spoke well of him. His fame began to spread through-out the region. It is important to remember Jesus was anointed to deliver the Word of God to the people. Those who heard him speak experienced the convicting work of the Spirit in their hearts. They wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth.
Jesus spoke with the unction of the Spirit. Jesus communicated the love of God for a lost and broken world. He preached a message of hope as he came to heal the broken hearted and declare deliverance to the captives. He preached in the power of the Spirit and his anointed words opened the eyes of the spiritually blind and sat at liberty those who were bruised. He came with the good news that it was the day of God’s favor. A day of God’s grace, indeed, it was the acceptable year of the Lord!
And so, he came to his hometown of Nazareth where he was brought up. Look again at verse sixteen. It says he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day as his custom was. That is very interesting. All during his youth Jesus attended synagogue. Then in his young adult years this habit persisted. We might take a lesson from our Lord’s example. If gathering around the Word of God was important to our Savior, then it ought to be important to us!
Now, as set forth in our text on this occasion Jesus stood up to read from the book of Isaiah. Look again at verses eighteen and nineteen containing the words which Jesus read, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”
He then closed the book as every eye in the synagogue was fastened on him. Jesus then declared unmistakenly, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” My friends, Jesus was telling his hometown crowd, “I am the Messiah. I am the one of whom the prophet spoke!”
And how did they react? They said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” My friends, Jesus was telling them plainly he was NOT Joseph’s son, rather, he was the promised Messiah. I need to issue a warning to each of you today. Be careful. When you are confronted by the Holy Spirit, who convicts the heart of the sin of not believing on Jesus, it is time to repent. Instead of rationalizing unbelief it is time to bow the knee!
Now look again at verses 28-30:
“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way.”
Why did they become so angry? They became angry because Jesus told them they were in the same spiritual condition as where the people of Elijah’s day and the people of Elisha’s day (Cf. 25-27). Jesus was saying to them, if you don’t believe upon me then you are going to miss the blessing.
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