And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. (Luke 4: 14-15)By way of review, let me comment that Jesus is here returning from his time of fasting in the wilderness. He had gone into the wilderness to fast and to be with God. While there, he also was met by Satan, of which we read in verses 1 through 13.
And now, the experience passed, he returns with spiritual power. He is ready to begin his formal adult ministry -- a ministry that will end with his crucifixion and resurrection.
Verse 15 mentions that Jesus taught in the people's synagogues. I am left with the impression that in the course of his ministry up to this time, he had taught in many synagogues and had been well received. As the story goes, however, he eventually travels through his home town of Nazareth and there receives a different kind of response.
Let me quote the scriptures, and comment further as we go.
And 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.Here reveals something about Jesus' pattern of preaching. He had developed a custom of entering the local synagogue, wherever he was at the time, and standing up to read from the scriptures as part of the pattern of sabbath worship.
I wonder, however, what did he do other days? He must have preached in their streets, and in their homes, and in any place he could gain an ear to listen.
And 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,
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.
And 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. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. (Luke 4: 16-21)First, its interesting to see briefly into the pattern of worship in the Lord's day. A minister, someone of authority who kept the scriptures and apparently directed the group's discussion, provided and then received the scriptures back from Jesus after his reading.
After reading his text, Jesus actually sits down -- and all the people look at him anticipating some kind of commentary and explanation. "Why did you read that Jesus? What does it mean to us today?"
This scripture foretells the coming of the Messiah. More specifically, it foretells the Messiah engaged in preaching the Gospel while simultaneously healing many kinds of spiritual and physical afflictions.
The people to whom Jesus spoke -- the congregation in his hometown synagogue in Nazareth -- were aware that Jesus had been preaching throughout Galilee. They knew of the miracles he had performed in other communities. So, when Jesus reads the prophesy of Isaiah about the Messiah's ministry and states that today the prophecy is fulfilled in their hearing, they knew what he meant.
Jesus was saying unambiguously that he is the Messiah, that he is the one of which Isaiah prophesied so many years before.
