How Did Someone So Real Become So Fake? Series

We begin a new series this morning: Plastic Jesus: How Did Someone So Real Become So Fake. In the world of fashion, you can see Jesus is My Homeboy t-shirts on everyone from Ashton Kutcher to Brad Pitt. More than 500 movies have been made about Jesus. And everyone sings about Jesus from rapper Kanye West to Carrie Underwood. If you listen carefully to the opinions of many concerning Jesus, you might think Jesus is made of the same stretchy material they make old man pants from. It seems you can stretch Jesus into whatever mold you desire. Among the most popular of opinions concerning Jesus is that He was nice guy who inspires people to do good things. The thought runs like this: if everyone lived lives of love like Jesus did, the world would be a better place.

We are examining the life of Jesus in some detail from the Gospel of Luke. Embedded in the narrative of the life of Jesus is a story where He goes back home, only to find His life threatened by the people He grew up with. At the first glance, it is curious story and modern readers wonder what got these people so upset. That nice middle class, religious people were so irked by Jesus that they wanted to kill Him certainly makes us wonder about the modern idea that He was simply a nice guy.

I want to tell you a story today of some middle class people who go to church one day and get so mad at the preacher, they attempt to kill Him. How did a worship service turn into a lynch mob?

Today’s Scripture

And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph's son?” 23 And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” 24 And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:14-30)

Let’s look at the story briefly and draw from it its significance. There are really four parts to the story:

1. There’s Jesus’ sermon;

2. There’s a response to the sermon;

3. There’s Jesus’ explanation;

4. There a response to the explanation.

Jesus is in His hometown of Nazareth where He goes to the synagogue. Luke tells us that Jesus regularly went to the synagogue (Luke 4:16). One of these things that happened at the synagogue was that it was customary to read from the Bible. And that’s exactly what Jesus did:

And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives