Can Jesus Still Suprise Us

Luke 4:16-31 Jesus: Son of Joseph or Son of God

January 25th 2004

This morning we are going to look at Jesus’ homecoming.

Jesus’ neighbors were confronted with a decision they did not wish to make, and a claim they did not want to hear.

Can Jesus still surprise us?

He stood up to read. They had in their synagogues seven readers every sabbath, the first a priest, the second a Levite, and the other five Israelites of that synagogue. We often find Christ preaching in other synagogues, but never reading, except in this synagogue at Nazareth, of which he had been many years a member. Now he offered his service as he had perhaps often done; he read one of the lessons out of the prophets. The book of the prophet Isaiah was delivered to him, either by the ruler of the synagogue or by the minister mentioned (v. 20), so that it is obvious that he was no intruder.

He stood up to read, and all stood with him. This was to teach reverence in reading and hearing the word of God

Would you all stand with Me

Luke 4:16-21

16Then Jesusm came to Nazareth, where he had been raised. As was his custom, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day. When he stood up to read, 17the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

18“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,

because he has anointed me to tell

the good news to the poor.

He has sent me to announce release to the prisoners

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set oppressed people free,

19and to announce the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21Then he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

When I was a freshman in College I arranged for our Junior High band to do a service for the Boise Rescue Mission. They were going to lead worship and I was suppose to present a gospel message. I had spoken one time previously to the youth group, and the youth pastor instructed me that I should keep this message short and simple. So I got up in front of about 40 homeless men and read John 3:16 and then shared one story, and prayed a prayer of invitation. The whole thing took less than 5 minutes, and it only took that long because it took a while to find the passage. I had preached the good news to the poor, and it was a great learning experience, but this is not the picture of how Jesus Preached the good news.

Jesus does not check these actions found in Isaiah off a list of Messiah to do’s, he lives the good news with the poor,

I would like to quickly point two what it meant for Jesus to preach the gospel

Jesus preaching ministry included

[1.] Preaching the gospel to the poor; These are the people Jewish doctors would not treat, so those who could not get health care; who the priests spoke of with contempt; They are those who would not fit in the worship service. Why? Do they get Jesus attention. Because they are meek and humble, and sorrowful for sin. Mt. 11:5 speaks of those who will receive Jesus’ gospel and it is the poor who welcome his message.

Now about the message!

[2.]. Proclaiming deliverance to the captives. The gospel is a proclamation of liberty, like that to Israel after 400 years of bondage in Egypt and 70 years of captivity in Babylon. Like the liberty that was won by the equal rights movement. By the work of Christ sinners are delivered from the life long bonds of sin and guilt, and by his Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption.

In the movie Peter Pan (with it recent new release) we see the common picture of Wendy the captive of Captain Hook, and like we have grow to expect Peter flies to the rescue, cuts the bonds, wins her liberty and brings her to safety. This is our picture of a Savior, and that is what we want from Christ. It is one thing to be free but another to be changed. This is how Jesus if different, he frees us from sin, but that is only half of it. He changes us.

[3.] Giving sight to the Blind. He came with words to bring light to them the minds that sat in the dark, but also with the power to give sight to them that were blind.