Many around the world are waiting for the inaugural address of the new incoming US president Donald Trump, this month. The "inaugural address" itself is a speech given during this ceremony which informs the people of the intentions as a leader. The opening remarks are significant, for this is the first formal public address as leader now in power, as to priorities, actions and aims. It is an Epiphany of sorts in unveiling who this person is.
In Luke 4, in Jesus’ first public address in the temple, he explained who He is and what He has come to do. Before this point, through the first thirty years of His life, Jesus had lived in obscurity in Nazareth. The only recorded incident from those silent years is His visit to Jerusalem and dialogue with the teachers in the temple when He was twelve. Apart from that, nothing is known about His childhood years except for the general statement that He “kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). The next recorded event in Jesus’ life was His appearance at the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. After His baptism Jesus, at the direction of the Holy Spirit, spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. All that happened in His life up to this point in Luke’s gospel—the testimony of Gabriel, the angels who appeared to the shepherds, Zacharias, Elizabeth, Mary, Joseph, Simeon, Anna, John the Baptist, Jesus’ affirmation at age twelve that He was the Son of God, and His public attestation by the Father and the Holy Spirit at His baptism—had established His messianic credentials. The time had now come for Jesus to step onto the stage of His full public ministry.
It is only in truly seeing Jesus for exactly who He is and what He came to do, we can see who we are and what we must do. In order to be rescued and to act as rescuers, we must clearly see the human condition, need and avenue for escape. If we are unclear about this condition or how to help others in this condition then the effect is tragic and eternal. But if we can see the link of Jesus’ ministry to God’s promises, His tender call and hope of deliverance, then we can be sure of the sinners deliverance and assurance of salvation.
This introductory scene in Luke’s account of Jesus’ public ministry takes place in His hometown of Nazareth. His Inaugural Address in explaining who He is and what He came to do can be seen through: 1) The Area (Luke 4:14–15), and 2) The Announcement (Luke 4:16–21).
1) The Setting (Luke 4:14–15)
Luke 4:14–15 14 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. (ESV)
Verses 14 and 15 are the entrance to a new section of portraits of Jesus in Luke’s gospel. They introduce Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, the northern part of Israel, which the Lord would be engaged in for about a year and a half. Between Luke 4:13 and 4:14, 15 there may well have been an interval of about a year, during which the events related in John 1:19–4:42 occurred. If so, the date when Jesus returned to Galilee, to begin his Great Galilean Ministry (Luke 4:14–9:17), was probably about December of the year A.D. 27 or a little later (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953–2001). Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Vol. 11, pp. 246–247). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
Having been anointed at his baptism by the Spirit “in bodily form” (3:22, only Luke), being “full of the Spirit” (4:1, only Luke), and having been led by the Spirit to do battle and defeat Satan, Jesus “in the power of the Spirit” (4:14, only Luke) returned to Galilee to begin his ministry. Jesus’ conception (1:35), baptism (3:21–22), temptation (4), and now His ministry are all linked to the working of God’s Spirit. If Jesus depended on empowerment by the Spirit, how much more must we (Richards, L. O. (1991). The Bible reader’s companion (electronic ed., p. 655). Wheaton: Victor Books.).
He went “from one city and village [there were 240 cities and villages in Galilee according to the first-century Jewish historian Josephus (Life, 45)] to another, proclaiming and preaching the kingdom of God” (8:1). Jesus’ powerful preaching and the miracles He performed created a huge sensation, so that a report/news about Him went out/spread through all the surrounding country/district (cf. 5:15), and even south into Judea (7:17).
At this early stage in His ministry Jesus, verse 15 notes that He was glorified/praised by all. Galilee was not a large region, and Jesus would have thoroughly blanketed it in the year and a half of His ministry there. Perhaps that is why, as some have speculated, the Lord’s commission of the apostles in Acts 1:8 refers to Judea and Samaria, but not to Galilee. It might appear from reading Luke’s account, as well as the parallel histories of Matthew (Mt. 4:12) and Mark (Mk. 1:14), that the Lord’s ministry in Galilee began immediately after His baptism. That was not the case, however. There was an interval of about a year between Jesus’ baptism and the beginning of His Galilean ministry. While the Synoptic Gospels are silent about that year, which Jesus spent ministering in Judea, the gospel of John describes it in detail (John 1–4).
[REVIEW MAPS: “CHILDHOOD & YOUTH OF JESUS FROM NATIVITY TO MANHOOD, EARLY MINISTRY OF JESUS]
Please turn to 1 Timothy 5 (p.993)
[SYNAGOGUE CHART]
Luke’s note that He taught in their synagogues introduces the pattern and the priority of the Lord’s ministry. The priority for Jesus was teaching God’s Word (cf. Mark 1:38), and throughout Luke’s gospel He is constantly portrayed as a teacher of God’s truth (cf. 4:31; 5:3, 17; 6:6; 11:1; 13:10, 22; 19:47; 20:1; 21:37; 23:5). He is also frequently referred to as the Teacher (7:40; 8:49; 9:38; 10:25; 11:45; 12:13; 18:18; 19:39; 20:21, 28, 39; 21:7; 22:11). The numerous synagogues that existed in Galilee provided the perfect venue for Jesus’ teaching. Since the minimum number of Jewish men required to form a synagogue was ten, most, if not all, of the 240 cities and villages in Galilee would have had at least one. They existed primarily for instruction in the Scriptures. In a synagogue Sabbath service, a passage from the Old Testament would be read, followed by a teacher explaining its meaning to the congregation. The synagogues were ruled by elders (cf. Mark 5:22), the chief of which was the archisunagōgos, or ruler of the synagogue (Luke 13:14; Acts 18:8). It was his responsibility to conduct the worship service and approve the teachers.
It is this teaching function from which the primary role of Elders continues:
1 Tim 5:17-24 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. (ESV)
• The role of elder (pastor) involves authority, particularly in preaching and teaching. The “Double” honor implies ample provision, or financial provision in addition to proper respect. In turn, their standard and accountability is higher than for others. Therefore, the laying on of hands or setting aside for service, ordination must not be hasty. If, out of negligence, people appoint unqualified men as elders, they are implicated in the future sin of those elders. Because some sins … appear later, it is important to be patient in assessing potential elders, to let the quality of their lives become evident. (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (p. 2333). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.)
Illustration: Example, Teaching by
The story is told of a T.V. repairman who didn’t like to think about his job when he came home. As a result, he never bothered to properly install the T.V. antenna on the top of his house or fix it when one arm broke in a windstorm. One day a new family moved in next door, and the owner went up on his roof to install an antenna. Knowing that his neighbor was a T.V. repairman, he put his up exactly the same way and turned his antenna to face in the same direction as his neighbor’s. Then, after studying his neighbor’s antenna for a while, he reached up and broke one arm off his new antenna! As disciples, we teach by example, whether we intend to or not!( 433. Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (p. 130). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
2) The Message (Luke 4:16–21)
Luke 4:16–21 16And 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.”(ESV)
Of the many events that Luke could have chosen to begin his account of Christ’s ministry, he picked His visit to Nazareth. Luke highlights Jesus’ message brought first of all to the people of his home town. But when Jesus goes on to speak by implication of the preaching of the gospel and the performance of mighty works among the gentiles, Nazareth begins to take on the symbolical meaning of the Jewish nation. So the narrative takes on a more than literal significance; it becomes a paradigm not merely of the ministry of Jesus but also of the mission of the church (Marshall, I. H. (1978). The Gospel of Luke: a commentary on the Greek text (p. 178). Exeter: Paternoster Press.)
Nazareth was located in a hollow in the Galilean hills, just north of the plain of Esdraelon, about half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. It was an insignificant village in Jesus’ day (it was not mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud, or by Josephus), overshadowed by the larger city of Sepphoris just to the north. It was in this insignificant, off the beaten path village that Jesus had been brought up. Although He was born in Bethlehem and later made Capernaum His hometown (Matt. 4:13), Jesus remained associated with Nazareth throughout His ministry (4:34; 18:37; Matt. 21:11; 26:71; Mark 1:24; John 1:45; Acts 10:38; 26:9), being scornfully called, “Jesus of Nazareth.”
As was His custom, Jesus went to/entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Wherever He was during His ministry, the Lord attended a synagogue on the Sabbath day (cf. 6:6; 13:10; Mark 1:21; 3:1–2; 6:2). On this Sabbath, He was chosen to read from the Old Testament Scriptures. Out of respect for the Scriptures Jesus, as was customary, stood up to read. When the law and the prophets were read in the synagogue, those who read were expected to stand. Every Sabbath, seven persons read: a priest, a Levite, and five ordinary Israelites (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (p. 503). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers.).
As stood up to read, verse 17 notes that the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given/handed to Him by the chazzan perhaps because the worshipers were in Isaiah in the lectionary cycle, a two- or three-year schedule of planned readings through the Old Testament. (Black, M. C. (1995). Luke (Lk 4:16–19). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub.)
It evidently was not unrolled to any text, so Jesus 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… He read from two passages in Isaiah, 61:1–2 and 58:6. The prophecy that Jesus chose to read was clearly a reference to the Messiah, which means anointed one. The Messiah of Jewish expectation was not merely one who was anointed with oil, but was anointed with the Spirit of the Lord. (Redford, D. (2007). The life and ministry of Jesus: the Gospels (Vol. 1, p. 118). Cincinnati, OH: Standard Pub.)
The phrase the Spirit of the Lord is upon me reflects the reality again that Messiah would be empowered by the Holy Spirit (cf. Lk. 3:22; 4:1, 14). He would be anointed by the Spirit, set apart, and empowered for special service, as Isaiah 11:2 reveals: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him [Messiah; cf. v. 1], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (cf. 48:16).
Verse 18 succinctly summarizes the Messiah’s ministry. Four metaphors depict the desperate condition of needy sinners whom God seeks to rescue from hell. He was anointed: “to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty/release to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty/free those who are oppressed, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord.”
• Though people in their natural condition in this world may imagine themselves to be rich, free, healthy, and unhindered, until receiving the salvation that Christ brings, they are in reality poor, prisoners, blind, and oppressed. Those metaphors graphically depict their utter lack of any spiritual resources to extricate themselves from their deadly dilemma. Only through the Messiah’s work of salvation can they be rescued from eternal punishment in hell.
First, Messiah would proclaim/preach the good news/gospel to the poor. The good news of the gospel is that the spiritually impoverished can find salvation. Ptōchos (poor) derives from a verb that means, “to cringe,” “to shrink back,” or “to cower.” It conveys the idea of a beggar cringing in the shadows, cowering in shame. In spiritual terms, the poor are those who recognize that they have nothing by which to commend themselves to God (cf. 6:20; Matt. 5:3). They acknowledge their moral bankruptcy, that all their righteous deeds are nothing but a filthy garment (Isa. 64:6). Messiah can only bring salvation to those who acknowledge that they are spiritually destitute and that only God can supply their needs. The Greek word here (ptochois) is the same word Jesus used in the first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Often the financially poor are especially open to receiving Jesus’ teaching as good news because they realize their desperate spiritual straits.( Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: that you may know the truth (pp. 141–142). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.)
Second, Messiah will proclaim spiritual liberty/release to the captives. Originally Isaiah’s words were intended to give hope to those who would become captives in Babylon. But their second application had a more far-reaching import. They brought good news not only to those who were held captive by the Babylonians, but to all people everywhere who were held captive by sin.( Redford, D. (2007). The life and ministry of Jesus: the Gospels (Vol. 1, pp. 118–119). Cincinnati, OH: Standard Pub.)
Lost sinners imagine that they are free, and see Christianity as infringing on their right to be and do what they want to. But that is a tragic deception; sinners are not free. All sinners owe God an unpayable debt for violating His law (James 2:10; cf. Matt. 18:23–35), and are in bondage to “Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). The lost are also in bondage to Satan (Eph. 2:1–2), “held captive by him to do his will” (2 Tim. 2:26). Satan uses their fear of death to enslave them (Heb. 2:14–15). They are also slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6, 16–20), since “everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). Malcolm Muggeridge wrote, after coming to Christ in his later years, “All other freedoms, once won, soon turn into new servitude. Christ is the only liberator whose liberation lasts forever” (Malcom Muggeridge: Jesus Rediscovered, as quoted in Hughes, R. K. (1998). Luke: that you may know the truth (p. 142). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.).
The good news of the gospel is that God has sent His Son to free those who are in spiritual bondage (cf. Isa. 42:5-7) Aphesis (liberty/release) means “forgiveness” (it is so translated in 1:77; 3:3; 24:47; Matt. 26:28; Mark 1:4; Acts 2:38; 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18; Eph. 1:7; Col. 1:14; Heb. 9:22; 10:18). Messiah will set the prisoners free by paying the penalty for their violation of God’s law.
Through His sacrificial death God has “canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Col. 2:14). As Charles Wesley put it in one of his famous hymns: “O For a Thousand Tongues,”: “He breaks the pow’r of reigning sin, / he sets the pris’ner free; / his blood can make the foulest clean, / his blood availed for me.” This is the gospel according to Jesus. (Charles Wesley, “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing” (1739).)
Please turn to Acts 26 (p.935)
Third, Messiah’s mission was to provide recovery of spiritual sight to the blind. Spiritual blindness is the natural condition of fallen humanity. “They do not know nor do they understand; they walk about in darkness” (Ps. 82:5); they “have eyes but do not see” (Jer. 5:21).
Paul acknowledges this condition in the retelling of his conversion experience before King Agrippa:
Acts 26:12-18 12 “In this connection I journeyed to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 At midday, O king, I saw on the way a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, that shone around me and those who journeyed with me. 14 And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ 15 And I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 16 But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and witness to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you, 17 delivering you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you 18 to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ (ESV)
• In order to explain the reality of what God does through the Gospel, Paul admitted (v.12) his previous evil work, (v.13) the publicly attested vision, (v.14-15) the case against him, and (v16-18) his commissioning.
• His testimony continues (v.19) with what he has done since conversion, (v.20) a summary of the Gospel, (v.21) the expected opposition, (v.22) God’s empowerment for this task and the link of his message with past prophets, (v.25) the plain rationality of his message, (v.27) the appeal to the knowledge and experience of his audience and (v.29) the summary of God’s expectations.
• In it all it is an excellent summary of how to properly deliver a testimony that 1) highlights who God is, 2) what He does and 3) what He expects of all of us.
Finally, Messiah came in Luke 4:18 to set at liberty/free those who are spiritually oppressed. These are people overwhelmed by life’s painful circumstances, especially the wearying burden of sin and the inability to keep God’s law (cf. 11:46; Matt. 23:4; Acts 15:10). Jesus promises such people in Matt. 11:28–30 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30 cf. 1 John 5:3).
Because Jesus had already been ministering for many months these things were already happening. For the spiritually bankrupt, imprisoned by their sin and awaiting sentence by the Judge of all the earth (Gen.18:25), blind to the truth, and oppressed by the heavy burden of their sins, the year of the Lord’s favor had come as mentioned in verse 19. The “year of the Lord’s favor” (v. 19) is reminiscent of the Jubilee (one year in every fifty) when debts were forgiven and slaves set free (Lev 25:8–17). It means the time in history when God in sovereign grace brings freedom from the guilt and effects of sin. The inclusion of this quotation is consistent with Luke’s stress on the dawning of the new age of salvation. Stopping His reading of Isaiah 61:2 in the middle of the verse, verse 20 notes that Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. It was a dramatic moment, and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him wondering what His message would be. The omission of the next phrase in Isaiah 61:2—“the day of vengeance of our God”—is also significant. Jesus’ audience would suppose that the day of their own salvation would be the day of judgment on their pagan enemies. But the delay of judgment means that this time of the Lord’s favor benefits the Gentiles also (Leifeld, W. L. (1984). Luke. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke (Vol. 8, p. 867). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
What He said was shocking, unexpected, and unprecedented. Luke records in verse 21 He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” This is a PERFECT PASSIVE INDICATIVE. It speaks of the eschatological fulfillment of the promise of the coming of the Kingdom of God, which was now present in Jesus. The Kingdom of God is the focus of Jesus’ preaching. It is the reign of God in people’s hearts now that will one day be consummated over all the earth as it is in heaven (cf. Matt. 6:10). It is both here and now and yet future!( Utley, R. J. (2004). The Gospel according to Luke (Vol. Volume 3A, Lk 4:21). Marshall, TX: Bible Lessons International.)
Jesus stood up in the synagogue and talked about God in the present tense, and that is uncomfortable. It is much more comfortable to study about God and His mighty acts or to focus upon prophecy and the Second Coming. Prophecy and theology and church history are safe. It is much riskier to open your heart to God each day to listen and to ask, “Lord, what are you telling me today?” That plunges us into the now, which is the dimension Jesus introduces here. If God is not here and now there is no God. If we have only the God of history, the God of the apocalypse, and the God of eschatology, we have no God. Jesus said today this Scripture has been fulfilled. The Bible is full of “nows.” Behold, now is the day of salvation for those who repent of their sins and believe. This is our message now, this is our assurance now, this is our hope now. (Larson, B., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1983). Luke (Vol. 26, pp. 91–92). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.)
(Format Note: some base commentary from MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2009). Luke 1–5 (pp. 264–277). Chicago: Moody Publishers.)
