Luke 4:14-24 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs,
Luke 4:14 (NIV)
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
On verse 14: Jesus had spent 40 days in the desert, praying, fasting, drawing near to God and also resisting temptation. He returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, ready to start his public ministry.
What can we learn from this? Go out of your way to draw near to God. Then you can go back into the world where you are called to work, study or serve in the power of the Holy Spirit. Protect your alone time with God. Each day get fueled up in His Word and in His presence so that you’re ready to tackle the day.
Luke 4:15 (NIV)
15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
On verse 15: Jesus was an amazing preacher of God’s Word. He’s the lamb of God who takes away our sins. He’s also the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time) when it comes to preaching God’s Word.
Luke 4:16 (NIV)
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.
On verse 16: Jesus goes back to his hometown of Nazareth where he grew up. There he goes to church (i.e. “the synagogue”), “as was his custom”. In other words, Jesus’ habit, or “custom”, was to go to church regularly. He didn’t just spend alone time with God. Jesus also protected his time with his church family. Likewise, if you want to have a healthy relationship with God, don’t just protect your alone time with God; protect your time in church as well. Don’t let lesser things get in the way of being regularly plugged into your church family.
Luke 4:17 (NIV)
17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
On verse 17: Back in Jesus’ time people didn’t carry their own Bibles. The only places where you would find a physical copy of the Scriptures would be in large papyrus scrolls located in the temple in Jerusalem (where worship sacrifices were offered), the local synagogue (where Jews would go to hear Scripture being read and taught), and possibly the king’s palace (if the king was a God-fearing Jew). We ought to thank God that today we can so easily access His precious Word.
Jesus goes to the local synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth. There Jesus is invited to read and teach from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. So Jesus stands up, takes the scroll and specifically finds Isaiah 61:1-2, which he then reads out loud to the people.
Luke 4:18-21 (NIV)
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.”
On verses 18-21: Jesus reads this famous passage from Isaiah and then sits down, signaling to the synagogue that he is about to teach. His first words are “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (v21) In other words, Jesus was claiming to be the fulfillment of these famous prophetic words that Isaiah wrote about the Messiah. These words which the Jews had been hearing for approximately 700 years were now coming to pass through the life and ministry of Jesus.
What can we learn from this? Jesus is the Messiah the Jews had for centuries been waiting for and whom the Old Testament prophets had been prophesying about. Jesus came to do for us all the things that Isaiah 61:1-2 talks about:
– Jesus came to preach good news to all of us who are poor (both the materially poor and the spiritually poor);
– Jesus came to proclaim freedom for all of us who were imprisoned by sin;
– Jesus came to proclaim recovery of sight for all of us who are blind (whether physically or spiritually);
– Jesus came to release all of us who are spiritually oppressed;
– Jesus came to proclaim for us the year of the Lord’s favor, ushering a new time when people would experience the favour of God like never before.
Luke 4:22-24 (NIV)
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.
On verses 22-24: People spoke well of Jesus and were amazed at how graciously he spoke. Whereas Old Testament prophets and John the Baptist had a message filled with judgment for the people, Jesus spoke words of grace. This amazed the people. It’s a reminder that we want our words to be full of grace when we communicate with others.
While all spoke well of Jesus, a number of people in his hometown of Nazareth had a hard time believing that Jesus, the local carpenter’s son, could be the Messiah (“Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” – v22) or that Jesus actually performed any miracles earlier in Capernaum, a town about 50 kilometres away (v23). Sensing this rejection, Jesus says, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown”.
What can we learn form this? If Jesus faced rejection from even his closest family and friends, don’t be surprised if at first the people closest to you are offended by or resistant to your newfound faith in Jesus. But don’t give up. Jesus didn’t give up and eventually much of his family would later come to believe in him. Likewise, if you don’t give up and you keep following Jesus, God will use your life to bless your family and lead them to Jesus.
Heavenly Father, thank You for the good news, freedom, recovery, release and favour we find in Your Son Jesus Christ and His Word. Thank You for making me to have healthy relationships, beginning with my relationship with You. I pray that every day I would guard my time with You as well as my time in church. I pray that, like Your Son Jesus, gracious words would habitually come from my lips. Just as You didn’t give up when You faced rejection, please give me the resolve not to give up when rejected but to keep following You, trusting that You will make all things beautiful in Your time. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
