After setting aside the written Word of God, the Word of God in flesh began to open His mouth to proclaim the spoken Word.
In the Gospel reading from last week (John 2), Jesus introduced Himself through His actions. In this week’s reading, He introduces Himself through His claims. And make no mistake, His claims were/are nothing short of revolutionary.
The day began like many previous Sabbaths in Jesus’ life. As was His custom, He came to the synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth. But this would be no ordinary visit. Luke shows the gravity of the situation by slowing down the pace and including detailed stage notes. “He stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written...” (verses 16-17). I wonder how long He took to find the place. He would not have needed much, for the prophet had been led by His own Spirit (1 Peter 1:10). Perhaps Jesus took His time to build anticipation.
After finding the right place, he began to read. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (verses 18-19; see also Isaiah 61:1). So far so good. This was not the first time Isaiah had been there. After the reading was done, Luke slowed things down again. “And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him” (verse 20). They could sense something significant was coming. You could hear a pin drop. After setting aside the written Word of God, the Word of God in flesh began to open His mouth to proclaim the spoken Word.
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” That was how He began. That was all it took.
The response came in waves. Like the collective reaction in the overarching Gospel narrative, they were initially happy to hear Jesus. They marveled at His gracious words and spoke well of what they heard. But that lasted only as long as He stayed safely in Israel. His sermon continued with a visit from several other prophets. It was one-two punch of examples of God sending prophets outside the family boundaries. Elijah brought salvation to the widow from Sidon. Elisha did the same for the Syrian leper. The punches landed. “When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath” (verse 29). They got the message. Not only was this hometown boy claiming to be the inspired object of the inspired prophet, but He was also telegraphing the plan that His message would extend beyond the people of Israel to all nations.
Not only was this hometown boy claiming to be the inspired object of the inspired prophet, but He was also telegraphing the plan that His message would extend beyond the people of Israel to all nations.
Their wrath would not remain in their hearts. “They rose up and drove Him out of the town and brought Him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw Him down the cliff” (verse 29). Which reminds us that, although opposition to Jesus’ message grew throughout His three-year ministry, it was already present from the very beginning. But just like last week (John 2:4), His hour had not yet come. He was not ready to be taken. With no need to run and hide, He simply passed through them and went on His way. His claims to be the one who bears the Spirit of God were already showing itself to be justified.
There is more than enough drama in this story to suggest a narrative sermon. Such a sermon would retell the story with all the theatrical flair Luke implies. Your goal would be to usher the hearers into the synagogue, so they might experience Jesus’ revolutionary claims firsthand.
The key to the narrative, which Luke sets apart with his slow-paced stage notes, is Jesus’ claim to bear the Spirit of God in verse 18 and 21. Had they been at His baptism (Luke 3:21-22), they would have been there to see it. But there in the synagogue they had nothing more than His claims. The tragic part of the story is how they were not able to hear the good news in Jesus’ message. The Spirit led Jesus to proclaim, “good news... liberty... recovery of sight.” In short, the year of the Lord’s favor had come in Him.
This text is a reminder that the Spirit of God and the Word of God go together. Not only was Jesus conceived by the Spirit (Luke 1:35) and baptized by the Spirit (Luke 3:22), He was also led by the Spirit into the desert (Luke 4:1) and returned in the power of the Spirit (Luke 4:14). Finally, after giving up His Spirit (Luke 23:46; see also Matthew 27:50 and John 19:30), He was raised by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:11) and gave His Spirit to His disciples to fuel their mission to make disciples of all nations (John 20:22). This same Spirit of Jesus continues to be poured out on all people who hear the Word and believe in Him still today.
Which leads to your sermon and your hearers. As they mediate on this text with your help, you would do well to proclaim the same promise Jesus proclaimed in the synagogue. You have also been anointed with the Spirit in your baptism to proclaim the Lord’s favor to your hearers, which is why I am not a big fan of how the editors of my Bible labeled this section of Scripture. “Jesus Rejected at Nazareth,” they call it. They are not wrong, but the good news in this text is much more than Jesus’ rejection. Jesus proclaimed liberty, release, and healing. In other words, He had a message of forgiveness, life, and salvation; for Israel and for all.
Paul makes an apt connection in Romans 8:11: “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Luke 4:16-30.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Luke 4:16-30.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Luke 4:16-30.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Arthur Just of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through Luke 4:16-30.
