MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
A couple of months before Christmas, we began a series on the Messiah. It's interesting to learn details about His coming, but more importantly, this is the same Jesus who is alive and present today. In this article, we'll look at the beginning of His teaching ministry, using two passages of scripture, Luke chapter 4 and Isaiah chapter 61.
The temptation in the wilderness ended with the words, "When the devil had finished every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time" (Luke 4:13). We know there were other times of temptation, including in the Garden of Gethsemane. Yet Jesus remained faithful to His divine calling and His personal commitment. The same Holy Spirit who was present at His baptism, who led Him into the wilderness, was now abiding with Him as He began public ministry. Luke's account tells that Jesus was preaching and teaching in Galilee, news about Him spread, and He was praised by many.
Then He returned to His hometown of Nazareth. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue, indicating this was His procedure in each town. He was asked to stand and read, and a scroll was handed to Him. There would have been a reading from the Law, and then a Prophet. The scheduled book that day was Isaiah, and Jesus found a scripture and began to read from Isaiah 61. With words about atonement, sacrifice, and the coming Day of the Lord, this was a Messianic passage, often used on the Day of Atonement. Those hearing would have recognized that the Anointed One, the Christ in Greek, is chosen to deliver His people.
Readings were usually in Hebrews with a commentary being made in Aramaic. But Luke chose to quote from the Greek Septuagint, a widely used translation. "'The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord'" (Luke 4:18-19). Then Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the minister in charge, and sat down.
The people in the synagogue recognized they had heard something special, and they waited, anticipating and ready. But Jesus' next phrase caught them off guard. He said simply, "'Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing'" (Luke 4:21). Up until then, they'd been marveling at His powerful, dynamic, gracious words. But they knew Him - He'd grown up with their children - and the claim He was making seemed preposterous. He'd told them truths that day they didn't want to hear, and those who knew Him best rejected the announcement, seeking to throw him off a high cliff.
Reviewing the passage:
. "the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" - the same Spirit was present at His baptism, and in the wilderness temptation.
. "because He anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor" - because of their want, the poor seem hungrier, but rich and poor alike need what He offers
. "He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted" (King James Version) - to loosen the detrimental effects of a shattered life
. "to proclaim release to the captives" - written during the Babylonian captivity, this also means we can be delivered from sin and Satan
. "and recovery of sight to the blind" - both physical and spiritual blindness
. "to set free those who are downtrodden" - we're released from the problem, or given grace to bear it
. "to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord" - this may refer to the Year of Jubilee, set forth in the Law, for every fifty years. This was a time of offerings for remission of sins; slaves were emancipated, debts forgiven, and the land was allowed to rest. Jesus the Messiah introduced a new era, to bring us into a favorable relationship with God. With His favor shining on us, we can rise up and start again.
Luke highlights this incident near the beginning of his Gospel in order to illustrate that this is the basis of God's Good News. God's message through Isaiah, through Jesus, to us, is that His Son Jesus reveals the heart of God. And this God is willing to sacrifice even His own Son so we can have all these good promises.
There are only two instances in scripture where Jesus was said to have marveled, once when speaking about the faith of the centurion (Matthew 8:10 and Luke 7:9). The other time is recorded in Mark 6:6 after this reading in the synagogue: "And He wondered [marveled] at their unbelief."
In 2019, we visited Israel and were able to stand on The Precipice, where those who first heard Jesus preach were ready to throw Him over the cliff. It's easy to criticize or pity them, but how much of what He said do we accept? He is alive today in the Spirit, and He is our Messiah, King, and Lord. We can draw near and begin living in the kingdom right now. The Holy Spirit, who was with Jesus, is with us, to shine light on the path and on scriptures.
