LUKE 4:22-31 - CONGREGATION’S REACTION TO JESUS’S DECLARATION

LUKE 4:22-31

CONGREGATION’S REACTION

TO JESUS’S DECLARATION

Luke 4:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

Susie: How did the congregation react after Jesus read a messianic passage from Isaiah 61:1-2 and declared that it had been fulfilled while they were listening?

Susan: At first, they marveled at the eloquence of Jesus’ speech. However, then they asked themselves, “Isn’t this the village carpenter’s son? Isn’t Joseph His father?”

Luke 4:23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.

Susie: Jesus realized their hesitation to accept that what He had just claimed could be true of a humble carpenter’s son. He prophesied that they would eventually say, as the mockers did at the cross:

Matthew 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

Susan: Jesus knew they would soon  demand that He authenticate Himself by performing miracles in Nazareth like the ones He did in Capernaum.

Luke 4:24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Susie: Many of the Old Testament prophets were persecuted by their own people. Jeremiah, for example, was beaten, imprisoned, and thrown into a well.

Luke 4:25-27 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias (Elijah), when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

Susie: The point Jesus was making here was that Elijah was not accepted by the Jewish people who were in a time of rebellion against God, and were worshipping Baal. Therefore, God sent him to minister to a Gentile widow (1 Kings 17:8-16).

Luke 4:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus (Elisha) the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Susan: Naaman’s Jewish servant girl told him there was a prophet in Israel who could heal him. Again, God had Elisha heal a Gentile of leprosy rather than a Jewish leper (2 Kings 5).

Luke 4:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

The MacArthur Study Bible note:

4:28 filled with wrath. This is Luke’s first mention of hostile opposition to Christ’s ministry. What seems to have sparked the Nazarenes’ fury was Christ’s suggestion that divine grace might be withheld from them yet extended to Gentiles.

Susie: Because of their lack of belief in Jesus as Messiah, He would not do many miracles in His home town. The implication that He would be more apt to perform healing for Gentiles than them really got under their skin.

Susan: In the minds of these Jewish people of Nazareth, all Gentiles were infidels, pagans, worshipping other gods instead of the one true God. How dare the carpenter’s son think they were less worthy than the people of Capernaum, and certainly than Gentiles.

Luke 4:29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.

Susan: The people who previously had “wondered at His gracious words,” now tried to hurl Jesus off a cliff to kill Him. But check it out, He became the invisible man!

Luke 4:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Susie: This was not the only time Jesus was able to simply walk away from a murderous group seemingly unnoticed. As Susan and I saw when studying the Gospel of John, the Lord protected Jesus until the moment the Father had predetermined for Him to be the final Passover Lamb sacrificed on the cross.

John 7:28-30 Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

John 8:59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

John 10:39 Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand

Luke 4:31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.

Susan: After Jesus walked right through the crowd undetected, He left the town He grew up in and resumed His teaching ministry on sabbath days in Capernaum by the Sea of Galilee. I think the people of Nazareth were left scratching their heads when He disappeared!

QUESTIONS

1.       What two examples did Jesus give of prophets who were not accepted in their own country? Can you name any others?

2.       Why do you think the people of Nazareth were upset enough to try to kill Jesus?

3.       Try to imagine yourself as one of Jesus’s childhood friends. Do you think it would be difficult to see Him as the Son of the Almighty God? Why or why not?