Luke 4:14. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee:
Ah, dear brethren, if our Lord Jesus needed «the power of the Spirit», how much more do you and I need it! We have no power of our own, but he was the Son of God. He was a divine Teacher, and yet, when he went to his work, it was «in the power of the Spirit.» Tarry, brother, till you have that power; it is of no use for you to go without it.
Luke 4:14-15. And there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
There was a wondrous power about his teaching: «Never man spake like this man.» Perhaps his hearers did not understand what the power was; but they glorified the new Teacher who had come into their midst.
Luke 4:16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up:
It is always a difficult thing for a young man to begin preaching in His own native town. A prophet is not without honour save in his own country, yet Jesus «came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.»
Luke 4:16. And, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
It was the custom to read parts of Holy Writ in the synagogue, and then to say a few words by way of exposition; and this the Saviour did.
Luke 4:17. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And when he had opened the book, that is, unrolled the parchment containing Isaiah's prophecy,
Luke 4:17. He found the place where it was written,
You will find the passage in the sixty-first chapter of Isaiah.
Luke 4:18-19. 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.
There he stopped; it was all of the passage that then seemed suitable.
Luke 4:20. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
In those days, the preacher sat down, and those who listened stood up, I daresay that practice tended to keep the hearers awake, and it was all the easier for the speaker. Well might the Saviour sit down, weighted as he was with a burden of holy instruction that he was about to impart to the people; or, perhaps, sitting down as if himself at rest, he appeared the more ready to give rest to them also.
Luke 4:20. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
The young Nazarene, who had quitted them for a while, and had come home again, was the center of his fellow-townsmen's attention.
Luke 4:21. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
He thus declared that he was the anointed Messiah.
Luke 4:22. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious word which proceeded out of his mouth.
They did not at first cavil at or deny what Jesus said; his doctrine was pleasing and comforting; and they were ready to accept it.
Luke 4:22. And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?
Now they began to question: «Is not this the son of the carpenter?»
Luke 4:23. And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me the proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
«You have been doing great things over yonder at Capernaum, do the same at Nazareth. You should not leave your own native town without working miracles here.» Now there was an opportunity for Jesus to ingratiate himself with the people, and win their good word. If he would only perform miracles among them, he should be highly exalted in their esteem.
Luke 4:24-25. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the day, of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;
Many husbands died, and many widows in Israel were left desolate in those terrible days of trial.
Luke 4:26. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
This was as much as to say, «It is not because I lived here that I shall work miracles in this place. There were many widows round about Elijah, but he was not sent to one of them, he was sent to a widow in Sarepta, a city of Sidon, a heathen woman in another country.» Mark the sovereignty of God; he bestows his mercy where he wills, according to his declaration to Moses, «I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.» We dare not ask God why he does this, «for he giveth not account of any of his matters.» He acts wisely; but he acts according to the good pleasure of his own will.
Luke 4:27. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman; the Syrian.
He, too, was a heathen from a distant country. Healing came unto him, but unto none of the lepers of Israel. God will do as he pleases with his own mercy and grace. The question that he asks is, «Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? «This doctrine of divine sovereignty was not according to the taste of these people, they did not like it, and some of you, I fear, do not like it. They grew very angry, they began to gnash their teeth, and to say, «This young man must be silenced; we will not listen to such doctrine as this from him.»
Luke 4:28. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,
They did not mind hearing the first part of his teaching; but now that he exalts the sovereignty of God, and lays the sinner low, he speaks too plainly for them: «They were filled with wrath.»
Luke 4:29-30. 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. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
They could not destroy him at that time. His work was not done, and he was immortal till it was fully accomplished.
Luke 4:31-32. And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath day. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
God grant that his Word may be with power tonight! Amen.