Read Luke 4

Highlights:

Temptation of Jesus; His teachings; healings; miracles; call of Matthew.

He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day (Luke 4:16).

During the Sabbath service there were two lessons read. The first was always taken from the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, and the other from the prophets. No doubt, Jesus was invited to speak since our Lord was well known in His hometown and had recently gained a great reputation as a preacher and a healer. He stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias (Isaiah) (4:16-17).

It could be no coincidence that the opening words that the Lord read contained a clear mention of the three Persons of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit, the Father, and Himself, the Anointed One. And He read: The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He (God) hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He gives eternal treasures not material wealth to the poor; healing, not freedom from trial to the hurt and brokenhearted; freedom from sin to the captives; the recovering of sight to those groping in darkness; liberty to the bruised in spirit; and freedom to all imprisoned ones. The Great Physician was now in their midst ready to heal the brokenhearted (4:18-19; Isaiah 61:1-2).

After closing the book: He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled (Luke 4:21).

You can imagine how startled the little congregation was when Jesus said that He, their carpenter's son, was the expected Messiah. Aware of their thoughts of scorn and unbelief, the Lord reminds them that in rejecting Him, they would be rejected for their unbelief. Even as Israel was rejected for its unbelief during the days of Elijah when a despised Phoenician woman living near Sidon was mightily blessed with God's mercies (1 Kings 17:9-24) and Naaman, the Syrian leper, was healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5:1-14). The messiah was praising a Syrian and a Sidonian, both Gentiles. And, as one man, the congregation interrupted the worship service, seized the Preacher, and attempted to put Him to death by pushing Him over a rocky precipice (Luke 4:29). But He passing through the midst of them went His way (4:30). As far as we know, He never returned to Nazareth.

Jesus, the Anointed One, In His own country. . . . He could there do no mighty work. . . . And He marvelled because of their unbelief (Mark 6:4-6).

Thought for Today:

Every Christian is responsible to take part in the work of God.

Cross References:

For Luke 4:4: See Deut. 8:3. Luke 4:8: See Deut. 6:13-14. Luke 4:10-11: See Ps. 91:11-12. Luke 4:12: See Deut. 6:16. Luke 4:18-19: See Is. 61:1-2. Luke 5:14: See Lev. 14:1-32.

Word Studies:

4:29 brow of the hill, edge of a cliff; 5:9 draught, catch; 5:27 a publican, a tax collector for Rome; 5:36 rent, tear.

Prayer Suggestion: Keep your mind on the Lord and trust Him; He will give you peace (Is. 26:3).

Memory Verse for the Week: Psalms 139:16