Luke 4:14-21

Date: Sunday, January 24, 2010
Study 8: Jesus came for all people.
Bible Study: Jesus Teaches in the Synagogue (Luke 4:14-21)

Luke 4:

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry
14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.
Jesus had just returned from His time in the wilderness being tempted by Satan
Word had gotten around that He did not give in to any of the temptations … which most would have

15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
16 So 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 to read.
Showing that he had a desire to read the Scripture to the congregation (Matthew 13:54; Mark 6:2).
It was the Jewish custom to read standing, but to preach sitting.

17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
So the scroll was given to Him and he read . . . As follows:
18 “ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
Holy Spirit = Triune God
Directly + Interpretation from:   Isaiah  61:1 + 42:7  + 58:6

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”
the year of jubilee, when all, both debtors and servants, were set free

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
You heard Me and hear I AM

Jesus went to his hometown of Nazareth.
he did as was his regular custom -- Christ taught in their synagogues, their places of public worship
where they met to read, expound, and apply the word, to pray and praise.
The emphasis Luke places on this description shows that Jesus was a pious Jew. He showed consistency in his religious behavior.
All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were upon him
by Christ, sinners may be free from the bonds of guilt
He came by the word of his gospel, to bring light to those that sat in the dark, and by the power of his grace, to give sight to those that were blind.
He preached during the acceptable year of the Lord.
liberty is already “in season”
This was no doubt a divinely arranged moment, for the Scripture reading was specific to the identity of Jesus. Jesus handed the scroll back to the attendant, who then placed the scroll in its secure location in the synagogue. Jesus then sat to instruct on what he had read.
This story helps us understand synagogue procedures. Jesus used such a gathering to help people understand who he was, as well as his mission in the world.
THIS was when Jesus wanted to reveal Himself . . . Not at the wedding.