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).
Argumentation:
Lk. 2:46-48—“Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them & asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding & answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; & His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father & I have sought You anxiously.””
Ps. 45:1-2—<
Prov. 25:11—“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver.”
Mat. 13:54—“And when He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished & said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom & these mighty works?”
Word of the works had preceded Jesus to Nazareth.
‘Charisma’—Gifts of God’s grace—Even these were abused by those who so admired the gift of tongues, wanting it for themselves above other gifts.
1Cor. 12:7-11, 18-20—“But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one & the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.”.....“But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.”
Acts 8:19-24—“saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. “Repent therefore of this your wickedness, & pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness & bound by iniquity.” Then Simon answered & said, “Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have spoken may come upon me.””
Eccl. 7:5—“It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise Than for a man to hear the song of fools.”
Acts 6:8-15; 7:54-60—“And Stephen, full of faith & power, did great wonders & signs among the people. Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, & those from Cilicia & Asia), disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom & the Spirit by which he spoke. Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses & God.” And they stirred up the people, the elders, & the scribes; & they came upon him, seized him, & brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place & the law; for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place & change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.”.....“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, & they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven & saw the glory of God, & Jesus standing at the right hand of God, & said, “Look! I see the heavens opened & the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, & ran at him with one accord; & they cast him out of the city & stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God & saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down & cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
Admiration can be very fleeting, especially when you are cut to the heart.
Illustration:
Poise—Intelligence—Charisma/ADMIRATION
Musicians/Admired for their talent/But what are they professing?/Most of it cuts against the grain of God’s truth/ADMIRATION
Actors & Actresses/Their pretend characters are what we admire them for/We project false conceptions upon them/The reality of who they are may be quite different & even appalling!/ADMIRATION
We listen to the smooth talk of Joel Osteen/I’ve always admired his power to illustrate/But he is more of a preacher of self-help/His doctrine is confused, Yet he has a huge following/ADMIRATION
Application:
?You Disabled Jesus as absurd thru worldly ADMIRATION?
?You see Christ Jesus as implausible/absurd?
2— Disabling Jesus produces...
FAMILIARIZED BLINDNESS(:22b)
Explanation:(:22b) Familiarity breeds contempt/Localized
: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?””
They questioned, “isn’t this Joseph’s son” & yet He is claiming these Scriptures as His own. How dare He claim to be Messiah!
Consider the adage “Familiarity breeds Contempt(:24). But why?
Because when we are familiar with the lives of those we are closest to, we view them with colored glasses as it were. We remember them before their call..when they were no different than us. Now they expect to be treated differently because they claim to be used of God.
The congregation was blind to Jesus’ identity because they could not get beyond His growing up as they had & them not recognizing any difference.
“They were the blessed, the blessed of all nations, the blessed of all generations, it was in this generation that He came & out of all that generation, the blessed of people because it was to them that He came, to that small little group in that small town in that small synagogue. To them had come the Messiah of God, to them had come the Savior of the world with the message of salvation, a message of riches, a message of forgiveness, a message of eternal life, a message of release. It was now present, it was now in their midst. What a day. No Sabbath ever began so wondrously & no Sabbath ever ended so tragically.”—John MacArthur
Argumentation:
Mk. 6:2-3—“And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, & brother of James, Joses, Judas, & Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him.”
Remember our recent Christmas destination?(2Jn. :7-11; 1Jn. 5:5-13; 1Jn. 4:14-16; 1Jn. 2:22-25):
2Jn. :7—“For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver & an antichrist.”
Jn. 7:32, 45-46—“The Pharisees heard the crowd murmuring these things concerning Him, & the Pharisees & the chief priests sent officers to take Him...... So there was a division among the people because of Him. Now some of them wanted to take Him, but no one laid hands on Him. Then the officers came to the chief priests & Pharisees, who said to them, “Why have you not brought Him?” The officers answered, “No man ever spoke like this Man!””
These were not blinded. The officer’s blindness was tested & cracking. Couldn’t argue with His reasoning from the Scriptures.
Jn. 6:41-47—“The Jews then complained about Him, because He said, “I am the bread which came down from heaven.” And they said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father & mother we know? How is it then that He says, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus therefore answered & said to them, “Do not murmur among yourselves. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; & I will raise him up at the last day. “It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’ Therefore everyone who has heard & learned from the Father comes to Me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except He who is from God; He has seen the Father. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life.”
Lk. 1:30-35—“Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb & bring forth a Son, & shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, & will be called the Son of the Highest; & the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, & of His kingdom there will be no end.” Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” And the angel answered & said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, & the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.”
Acts 9:26-31—“And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, & did not believe that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him & brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, & that He had spoken to him, & how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So he was with them at Jerusalem, coming in & going out. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus & disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea & sent him out to Tarsus. Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, & Samaria had peace & were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord & in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.”
2Cor. 13:5—“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?--unless indeed you are disqualified.”
Illustration:
The man in Christianity Today who had led a profligate life—selling drugs, pornography— but is now under much scrutiny when seeking a pastorate/We are well acquainted with such sin & know that it is not to be a part of the church/But we sometimes forget that Jesus is the Change Agent for sinfulness/FAMILIARIZED BLINDNESS
Donation box in the vestibule/How many can tell me what project it is for/Chances are that if it is not moved or changed in some way every week, it is disregarded as inconsequential/FAMILIARIZED BLINDNESS
Application:
?You Disabled Jesus as absurd thru a FAMILIARIZED BLINDNESS?
?You see Christ Jesus as implausible/absurd?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
Bedouin— "I am sorry, sir, but I have no water. However, would you like to have a bowtie?" You cannot come in without a bowtie!”
Action:
Disabling Jesus produces...
1. ADMIRATION(4:22a)
2. FAMILIARIZED BLINDNESS(:22b)
Presented 01/27/2012am to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
