Expectations. “Do you really think that we’re going to get all that snow that they say we’re supposed to get?” “Have you heard about the frigid temperatures that are predicted?” “Do you think that they’ll cancel school?” The expectations, the anticipation and the excitement was hard to escape. And this time, the anticipation certainly did not disappoint – significant snow, followed by extreme temperatures. I think to some degree that it’s probably just human nature that loves the anticipation of what might happen, the expectations of the things that could come.
Can you imagine the excitement in Nazareth when they heard that Jesus was coming back home? This was Jesus’ home town, the place where he and his family had grown up and his mother Mary likely still called home. It had been months, maybe even close to a year, since Jesus had performed that first miracle just up the road in Cana. Jesus and his disciples had been travelling throughout the area. The news about what Jesus had been doing was spreading like wildfire. Listen to this description in Matthew 4, “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria… Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him” (Matthew 4:23-25). Jesus was famous. Luke tells us, “Everyone praised him” (Luke 4:15). People couldn’t wait to get a glimpse of Jesus, to see the miracles they had heard of, to hear him preach. And now this Jesus was coming back home.
You can only imagine the conversations and stories that were exchanged. “I was Jesus’ Sabbath school teacher. He always such a good student.” “My family used to go with Jesus’ family down to Jerusalem each year to celebrate the Passover. Remember that time when they forgot him in Jerusalem?” “I bought a table and chairs from Jesus and his father Joseph. Most comfortable chairs we ever had.” “Do you think that he’ll do some of the miracles like the ones he did in other places?” “I’m sure he’ll do even greater miracles than those! After all, he did those things for people he did NOT know. He knows us!”
When Jesus did finally arrive in Nazareth, Jesus did what he normally did on Saturday. He went to the synagogue, the place where God’s people gathered for weekly worship, to learn and be trained in God’s Word. But this Sabbath was different because Jesus was going to the synagogue that he had grow up in. When he looked around at the people he likely saw many familiar faces. The people in that synagogue were no doubt eager to hear what Jesus had to say so they asked their famous guest to read a portion of Scripture and to deliver a sermon. So Jesus stood up and began to read from the prophet Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has appointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18,19/Isaiah 61:1,2). He closed the scroll, sat down and began his sermon, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
With those words, Jesus undeniably claimed to be the none other than the promised Messiah. And what Isaiah foretold, Jesus was in fact doing. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism, indicating that this Jesus of Nazareth was appointed by God. Last weekend we heard how Jesus performed his first miracle only to be followed by countless others. Every miracle was evidence that Jesus was God, capable of doing what none other could do. That was in essence the good news that Jesus came to be and proclaim. To sinners who are spiritually poor, incapable of providing the perfect life that God requires of them for heaven, Jesus has provided by his perfect life lived in the place of every sinner. To sinners who are oppressed, held captive by the crushing debt of sin, Jesus has brought freedom, paying for every sin with his perfect life and innocent death. That word for “freedom” and “free” which is used in these verses to describe what the Messiah does, is the word for “forgiveness.” Yes, Jesus has come to proclaim the message of forgiveness, literally, the sending away of our sin, so that when God looks upon you, he no longer sees a person deserving of his punishment. Instead, the Lord looks on you with favor. Instead of being separated from him, he welcomes you into his kingdom, and promises you his protection, peace and blessing forever. Yes, Jesus has come to proclaim the good news of forgiveness and favor with the Lord.
How did the people react to what Jesus said? Listen, “All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips” (Luke 4:22). At first, it seemed that people were receptive to what Jesus said, but then we hear the question, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22). With that question, there seems to be a change or maybe just a revealing of what they were really thinking. How could good old Jesus be who he was claiming to be? He’s just the son of the carpenter Joseph. Jesus just wasn’t living up to their expectations! They were hoping that at the very least Jesus would do some of those fancy miracles, take away their problems and make their lives easier, bring them fame and fortune. After all, didn’t they deserve that? They knew Jesus! Jesus should be who THEY wanted him to be, do what THEY wanted him to do.
Are we ever guilty of doing the same thing? Do we ever try to fashion Jesus into someone or something that WE WANT him to be? We turn Jesus into a magic genie. Jesus should only speak when spoken to. So when I need to hear I am loved or forgiven, he better be there to assure me of those things. But when it comes to guiding my life, I don’t need him to tell me what to do. Stay in your lane, Jesus! Remember, you’re just Joseph’s son. Or maybe it’s the vending machine Jesus. Jesus, I want you to give me this, and this and this, but I don’t like what you have to say about sacrifice, suffering and sin. I’m going to pass on those things. Remember, Jesus, you’re just Joseph’s son.
Dear friends, we need Jesus to be exactly who he is, who the Bible tells us he is. Jesus is honest. He doesn’t silently stand by with a smile on his face while watching us walk down the road that leads to eternal damnation. He calls us to repent! To recognize our sin. To stop and to turn to him so that we may repeatedly receive the forgiveness of sins his Word proclaims is ours through faith. He promises his blessing, but not merely in ways that make our lives easy or enjoyable for a time, but in ways that go on into eternity as he calls us out of this world to be with him in heaven. That’s the type of Jesus we need, the type of Jesus that he is – a Jesus that can save us.
When I think about Jesus living in our world, one of the most difficult things must have been for him to look into people’s hearts and minds. He didn’t need to guess. He knew exactly what was or was not there. When he looked around at the familiar faces of the people gathered in that synagogue in Nazareth, he saw into their hearts. He saw what they expected and how they had rejected him and his Word. They expected special treatment from Jesus, for him to do miracles that were greater than those he performed in other places because they were from Jesus’ home town. And when they did not get what they wanted, they would reject Jesus and his message.
Jesus saw people who were sadly following in their forefather’s footsteps. Their Old Testament Jewish forefathers who thought that they deserved special treatment simply because they were God’s chosen people Israel, had rejected the Lord and his prophets. And so those prophets like Elijah and Elisha took God’s powerful Word to those outside of Israel, to non-Jews like the widow in Zarepheth and the military commander in Syria Naaman. Jesus saw the same thing happening here. The people of Nazareth were rejecting Jesus and his Word, and so Jesus would take it to those who were not Jews. The people of Nazareth were not any more loved by Jesus than others. Jesus was a Savior for all people.
The reaction to Jesus’ sermon was disturbing to say the least. Instead of repentance, they responded in rejection and hatred. They quickly carried Jesus to a cliff outside of town with the intention of throwing him off and killing him. But Jesus knew that his time to die had not yet come. He would willingly give his life on his own terms and time. And so he walked through the crowd and we’re told, “Then he went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and on the Sabbath he taught the people. They were amazed at his teaching, because his words had authority” (Luke 4:31,32). When God’s Word is rejected, it is eventually taken to others who by the Spirit’s working through that powerful Word welcome, treasure and are amazed by the grace of God.
We have examples of that throughout history. European cathedrals that were built as places for Christians to glorify God as his Word was proclaimed in speech and song, now stand empty, turned into museums where God’s Word is rarely heard or wanted. Sadly, we so many cases of the same in our own country, Bible believing Christian churches losing membership, Christianity not only seen as unnecessary, but more and more as dangerous. We see God’s Word being taken to places far away, places where God’s Word in previous generations was scarce, places like India and Indonesia, Africa, Korea, Vietnam and China. God’s Word continues to work powerfully, as the Spirit is bringing poeple to faith in Jesus, and God’s Word is welcomed and treasured.
Dear friends, it is through that powerful message of Jesus, that God the Holy Spirit has welcomed you into God’s kingdom, freed you from the oppression of sin, and promised you life eternal in heaven. What amazing things our God does through his powerful Word. May he help us to treasure it, continually amazed at its power and promises. Amen.
