Saturday, May 10, 2014

Jesus' Mission on Earth

                    
                                                        Sunday School Lesson
                                            

Lesson: Luke 4:14-21
                                                                                                 
Golden Text: And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears (Luke 4:21).
I.  INTRODUCTION.  Critics will say that Jesus was nothing more than a simple yet wise itinerant or travelling preacher.  However, the Bible is consistently clear in presenting Jesus as the Son of God and the promised Messiah.  In this week’s lesson we will see that Jesus clearly stated that He was the Messiah prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.  Jesus’ ministry was clearly in fulfillment of what the prophets foretold that the Messiah would do.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (see Matthew 3:13-17), He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted by the devil.  After His victory over Satan in the wilderness, Jesus went to where John was baptizing in Bethabara, east of the Jordan (see John 1:28-29).  While there, He chose His first five disciples (see John 1:35-51) and then returned to Galilee where He performed His first miracle in Cana (see John 2:1-12).  Jesus then attended a Passover in Jerusalem, where He performed other miracles and met with Nicodemus (see John 2:13-3:21).  After spending time baptizing in Judea (see John 3:22-36), Jesus returned to Galilee, evangelizing as He went through Samaria (See John 4:1-42).  This is when Jesus and His disciples returned to Galilee according to our text in Luke.
III. A MINISTRY IN GALILEE (Luke 4:14-15)    
A. Jesus’ return (Luke 4:14).  Our first verse says 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.”  Jesus returned to Galilee “in the power of the Spirit.” From the moment of His baptism forward, the Holy Spirit was the indwelling and empowering personal force that characterized Jesus’ ministry.  Even though Jesus is the Second Person of the Trinity, His ministry was carried out in the strength and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  Note:  Luke noted three important points in the progression of events surrounding the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  As He prayed at the conclusion of His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove (see Luke 3:22).  Immediately after that, being filled with the Holy Spirit, He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested (see Luke 4:1).  Soon after His testing was finished successfully, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Ghost.   Just as the Holy Spirit was present with and in Jesus throughout His ministry, the Holy Ghost also indwells every believer, helping us to live the holy life that pleases God (see I Corinthians 3:16; 6:17-19).  When Jesus returned to Galilee, there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.”  Jesus had already gained a reputation by performing miracles at Jerusalem during the Passover (see John 2:23).  So when He arrived in Galilee, His home province, those who had attended the Passover welcomed Him back.  He had become a Galilean celebrity.
B. Jesus’ influence (Luke 4:15).  This verse says And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.”  As Jesus ministered in Galilee, He regularly attended the synagogue on the Sabbath where He would teach on His own authority while causing amazement and spiritual hunger among His listeners (see Matthew 7:28; Luke 4:31-32, 36).  The Greek word for “synagogue” means “a place of assembly.”  “Synagogues” functioned as places to teach from the Scriptures and to worship God.  Note:  The institution of the synagogue didn’t exist prior to the Babylonian Captivity, but apparently was born during that time as a way of holding the exiles of Israel together after the temple was destroyed in Jerusalem.  Over time, these gathering places were used for prayer and study and as community centers.  Today, synagogues are located wherever Jewish people are found.  Ten Jewish males (called a “minyan”) are required to hold a synagogue service.  For Orthodox Jews, the tradition is that worshippers must live within a few hundred yards of the synagogue, which is the traditional distance a Jew can walk on the Sabbath day.  As Jesus taught in their synagogues,” He was “glorified of all.”  This means that the people praised Jesus.  Even though later in His ministry Jesus would face much opposition from the religious leaders and even be abandoned by His disciples (see Luke 18:47; 20:19; John 6:60, 66), at this particular time He was popular with the crowds.
IV. A SABBATH IN NAZARETH (Luke 4:16-21)      
A. Attending the synagogue service (Luke 4:16).  Still referring to Jesus, this verse says 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.”  Sometime later, Jesus returned to “Nazareth, where he had been brought up.”  The village of “Nazareth” was located in the province of Galilee.  It’s not mentioned at all in the Old Testament or in any early Jewish writings.  It appears that if Nazareth hadn’t been mentioned in the New Testament we would’ve never heard of it.  The phrase “where he had been brought up” refers to Jesus’ early life.  But very little is recorded in the gospels about His early life.    It had become Jesus’ custom to go “into the synagogue on the sabbath day.”  The Sabbath Day was the Jewish day of rest from all work, but by Jesus’ time, it had also become a day of worship and teaching.   Whenever Jesus visited the synagogues He also “stood up for to read.”  Visiting rabbis or teachers were often given the honor of reading and expounding the Word of God in the synagogues.  It was normal practice for the Scriptures to be read while standing, but they were explained from a sitting position as we shall see in verse 20.
B. Reading the prophecy (Luke 4:17-19).
1. (vs. 17).  This verse says 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.”  When Jesus stood up to read, “there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias.”   The “book” that was given to Jesus was actually a scroll, pieces of dried skin sewn together with the two ends attached to two wooden sticks.  This particular scroll was “the book of the prophet Esaias” or Isaiah.  When Jesus unrolled or “opened the book, he found the place where it was written.”   The Scripture Jesus found to read was Isaiah 61:1-2 which was a prophecy of what the Messiah would come to do. 
2. (vs. 18).  The passage Jesus read said “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.”  This Scripture reading began with “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.”  Jesus was indwelt and empowered by “The Spirit of the Lord” or the Holy Spirit (see Luke 3:21-22).   The power of the Spirit of God “anointed” the Messiah to do several things according to this verse.  The word “anoint” means to appoint a person to a particular work or service.  The “anointed” person belongs especially to the Lord.  Both Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean “anointed one.”  This verse lists five works that the Messiah was commissioned to do when He came.
a. He was anointed to “preach the gospel to the poor.”  The word “gospel” means “good news.”  The coming Messiah would “preach” or proclaim the good news to the “poor.”  The word “poor” here refers to all those who recognized not only their material need, but also their spiritual need (see Matthew 5:3; James 2:5). 
b. The Messiah was anointed to “heal the brokenhearted.”  The word “heal” can also mean “to bind up.”   The “brokenhearted” were those who recognized that their deplorable condition was ultimately due to sin and therefore they looked to Christ for complete restoration.
c. The Messiah was also anointed to “preach deliverance to the captives.”  The word “captives” may have originally been understood to refer to those who would become captives in Babylon.  But the true fulfillment in the word “captives” includes everyone who is held captive by sin.  During Jesus’ ministry some who believed in Him stated that they had never been in bondage to any.  But Jesus replied that anyone who lives in sin is in bondage to it (see John 8:31-33; Romans 6:16; II Peter 2:19).  Only through faith in the Son of God could those captive by sin receive “deliverance” or become truly free (see John 8:32-36). 
d. The Christ was anointed to preach the “recovering of sight to the blind.”  This phrase is not part of Isaiah 61:1, but the idea is found in several other passages in Isaiah’s prophecy (see Isaiah 42:7, 16).  During His public ministry, Jesus gave physical sight to the blind (see John 9:1, 7).  However, as the Light of the world (see John 8:12), Jesus also gave sight to those who were spiritually blind (see Matthew 15:14; 23:16-17; II Corinthians 3:14-16; 4:3-4).  Through faith in Him they were no longer like prisoners bound in darkness (see John 9:38-41).
e. The Messiah was also anointed “to set at liberty them that are bruised.”  The word “bruised” can mean “broken in pieces” or “oppressed.”   In Jesus’ day, this included people who were demon possessed (see Luke 4:31-37), experiencing long incurable illnesses (see Matthew 8:14-15; 9:27-31; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 13:10-13), or oppressed by unbearable requirements of Jewish and Roman law (see Matthew 19:1-12; John 8:3-11).  Jesus set them free by giving their lives new meaning, joy and purpose.
3. (vs. 19).  Above all, this verse also says Messiah was anointed “To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”  This refers to the “day of salvation” Isaiah prophesied about (see Isaiah 49:8; II Corinthians 6:2) that Jesus was now introducing.  The phrase “acceptable year” does not refer to any particular year, but to a season or a divinely appointed time when the Anointed One of Israel would come to rescue His people from their sin through the gospel message.  As Jesus began His ministry that divinely appointed time had come.   “The acceptable year of the Lord” was a Jewish way of refering to the Year of Jubilee (see Leviticus 25:8-11).
C. Applying the Scripture (Luke 4:20-21). 
1. (vs. 20).  This verse says 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.”  When Jesus finished reading, He “closed the book” meaning He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the “minister.”  The term “minister” here refers to an attendant.  Every synagogue had at least two officials, a ruler (see Mark 5:35-36; Luke 8:41; 13:14) and an attendant.  The ruler was responsible for the building, the property and overseeing worship.  The attendant or “minister” was responsible for the maintenance of the building and its furnishings, which included the sacred scrolls from which Jesus read.  After Jesus gave the book back to the attendant He “sat down.”  As noted in the commentary on verse 16, in the first century synagogue, sitting was the usual position for a teacher.  The Scriptures were read while standing, but the teacher would then sit as they explained the Scripture.  Note:  It’s important to note that Jesus stopped short of reading the last portion of Isaiah 61:2 which says “and the day of vengeance of our God.”  The reason Jesus didn’t read that portion is because at His first coming, His ministry was about redeeming the lost.  Luke 19:10 says “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.”  The part that Jesus didn’t read “and the day of vengeance of our God” refers to Christ’s second coming when He will destroy God’s enemies and set up His kingdom on earth (see II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 19:11-16).  The Old Testament prophets didn’t distinguish between the two advents or comings of the Messiah: instead they viewed the coming of Christ as one event.  They didn’t mention the present church age which separates Christ’s first advent from His second advent.  After Jesus sat down preparing to expound on the Scripture He read, the last part of this verse says “And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.”  The Greek verb translated “fastened on” indicates strong anticipation.  In other words, they were sitting on pins and needles waiting to hear what Jesus had to say.  This eager anticipation was heightened by the teaching reputation Jesus already had (see Luke 4:15).
2. (vs. 21).  Our final verse says “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  What Jesus said was simple and direct.  He declared “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”  The tense of the verb rendered “fulfilled” signifies that the words of Isaiah 61:1-2 that Jesus read had been fulfilled and were being fulfilled right up to that present moment.  In no uncertain terms, Jesus was claiming to be the Messiah.  The words of Isaiah 61:1-2 found their fulfillment in Him.          

                           
V. Conclusion.  In Jewish synagogues, guest rabbis and other important people were regularly called on to read Scripture and expound on it; so it was not unusual for Jesus to be given that privilege.  His reputation preceded Him and the leaders of the synagogue were pleased to grant Him the honor.  After reading a select portion from the Prophet Isaiah, Jesus applied it to Himself, thus making a claim to be the Messiah.  Jesus’ first advent on earth was to declare salvation and provide the sacrifice for it.  But only those who trust Him can experience its blessings.  Those who don’t will experience the portion of Scripture that Jesus didn’t read “the day of vengeance of our God.”

 







 

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