Disabling Jesus-1

DISABLING/Dismantling JESUS-I—Luke 4:22-30

Attention:

Traveler/Lost in desert of Saudi Arabia/He began walking—Thirsty—Feeling faint/Reduced to crawling/On the verge of passing out when he spies a tent about 500 yards in front of him.

Barely conscious, he reaches the tent & calls out, "Water..."

A Bedouin appears & replies sympathetically, "I am sorry, sir, but I have no water. However, would you like to have a bowtie?"

With this, he brandished a collection of exquisite silken neckwear.

"You fool," gasped the man. "I’m dying! I need water!"

"Well, sir," replied the Bedouin, "If you really need water, there is a tent about 2 miles south of here where you can get some."

The man summoned sufficient strength to drag himself to the other tent.

With his last ounce of strength he tugged at the door of the tent & collapsed.

Another Bedouin, dressed in a costly tuxedo, appears at the door & enquired, "May I help you sir?"

"Water..." was the feeble reply.

"I am very sorry sir, but you cannot come in here without a tie!"

The lost stranger gave up everything because he had Disabled the 1st bedouin’s power.

The congregation at Nazareth(hometown synagogue) would not believe Jesus’ ability to fulfill Scripture’s mandate for the Messiah.

Religiosity thinks it implausible/absurd to believe that Jesus can save.

Religiosity thinks it implausible/absurd to believe that Jesus is Messiah.

What results from holding/viewing Jesus ability as absurd?

8 fruits borne when disabling Jesus.

1—Disabling Jesus produces...

ADMIRATION(4:22a)

Explanation: (4:22a)

:22—“So all bore witness to Him, & marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?””

Jesus had returned home as a homeboy turned celebrity, whose reputation had peaked the attention & admiration of the religious.

Jesus told the Jewish congregation worshiping in the synagogue, that the very Scripture He had read was already fulfilled upon their hearing it from Him.

He thus revealed Himself as the one of whom the Scripture spoke(the Messiah).

The “favorable year of the LORD was thus declared thru Jesus.

Following Jesus’ declaration, all the congregation were speaking. They were speaking well of Him or “bearing him witness”. They acknowledged that they had heard what He had said.

The congregation simultaneously “were wondering/wondered” at Jesus’ gracious words... Jesus actually was the One thru whom God’s grace would be bestowed. This seemed at best implausible/absurd/preposterous to the congregation who had been partakers of Jesus’ growth in their hometown.

Evidently Jesus was a great orator & particularly a great exegete, pulling the Scripture together perfectly in order to make it applicable to the congregation’s need. We admire those who can do this. However it simultaneously removes the wiggle-room from those who are harboring sin.

“Bore witness”—marturew—Thayer—1) To be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. To affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration—1a) To give (not to keep back) testimony, 1b) To utter honorable testimony, give a good report, 1c) Conjure, implore. Strong—To be witness, i.e. Testify(literally or figuratively).

“Marveled/Wondered/Amazed”—yaumazw—Thayer—1) To wonder, wonder at, marvel; 2) To be wondered at, to be had in admiration. Strong—by implication--To admire.

“Gracious”—cariv—Thayer—1) Grace—1a) That which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; 2) Good will, loving-kindness, favor—2a) Of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, & kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues; 3) What is due to grace—3a) The spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace, 3b) The token or proof of grace, benefit—3b1) A gift of grace, 3b2) Benefit, bounty; 4) Thanks, (for benefits, services, favors), recompense, reward. Strong—from cairw; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; especially the divine influence upon the heart, & its reflection in the life; including gratitude).

“Words”—logov—Strong—Something said(including the thought); by implication--A topic(subject of discourse), also reasoning(the mental faculty) or motive; by extension--A computation; specifically(with the article in John)--The Divine Expression (i.e. Christ).

“Proceeded out of/Falling from/Came from”—ekporeuomai—Thayer—1) To go forth, go out, depart; 2) metaph.—2a) To come forth, to issue, to proceed, 2a1) Of feelings, affections, deeds, sayings, 2b) To flow forth—2b1) of a river, 2c) To project, from the mouth of one, 2d) To spread abroad, of a rumor. Strong—To depart, be discharged, proceed, project.

From—ek—a primary preposition denoting origin (the point whence action or motion proceeds), From, out(of place, time, or cause; literal or figurative; direct or remote)—&—poreuomai—To traverse, i.e. Travel (literally or figuratively; especially--To remove [figuratively, die], live, etc.).

“Mouth/Lips”—stoma—Thayer—1) The mouth, as part of the body: of man, of animals, of fish, etc.—1a) Since thoughts of a man’s soul find verbal utterance by his mouth, the "heart" or "soul" & the mouth are distinguished; 2) The edge of a sword. Strong—probably strengthened from a presumed derivative of the base of tomwterov; The mouth(as if a gash in the face); by implication--Language(& its relations); figuratively--An opening(in the earth); specifically--The front or edge(of a weapon).