Luke 4 - Jesus' First Sermon!
Verses for Today
He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed 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, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Commentary
Jesus returned to his hometown in Nazareth, where he went into the synagogue to give the message after a reading from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Here is a summary of what the service looked like back in his day.
The usual order of service in a synagogue began with an opening prayer and praise; then a reading from the Law; then a reading from the prophets and then a sermon, perhaps from a learned visitor. On this occasion Jesus was the learned visitor. Since this synagogue was in Nazareth, Jesus would have attended it often before, and now He would read and teach in His hometown synagogue. - Guzik
If you have ever returned to your home town to do something you had been trained to do after you left, it can produce some anxiety. People knew you there when you were younger. You might have had a good reputation or a bad reputation, but the people in the town were excited to see what had become of you. Of course, you don't want to let them down. This is especially true if you grew up in a smaller town, where everyone knew each other.
I've had the opportunity to preach in the church I grew up in. I was a little nervous about it and wanted to do a good job. After I preached people I knew so well growing up come up after the service and affirmed me and my call to be a pastor. It was a very special moment. It was not quite the same for Jesus.
The people in Nazareth knew Jesus too. The son of Joseph the carpenter, and Mary, his young wife. This would be the first sermon Jesus preached. His message was unique in that not only had these words been prophesied in Isaiah 700 years ago, but they had now come true. The one the Spirit had anointed was standing right in front of them.
While initially amazed, the townspeople of Nazareth quickly turned to rage, rejecting him because he suggested his ministry would extend to Gentiles and not just benefit them. - Finest of the Wheat
Jesus says, "The Spirit had anointed him." Jesus had just been baptized in the Jordan by John, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. Then the Spirit led him into the wilderness to be tested by Satan. Now the Spirit had led him into the synagogue to preach and teach that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophesy regarding the Messiah. \
When people were set apart for service for the Lord in the Old Testament I.e. priests and kings. They were anointed with literal oil, which represented the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit anointed Jesus ...
1. To proclaim good news to the poor. There was a special emphasis in Luke on the poor. In this sermon Jesus uses words pertaining to both the physical and spiritual realm. I.e. This was for those who were literally poor, and those who were "poor in spirit". This also reflects Jesus' own humble upbringing in Nazareth.
2. To proclaim freedom for the prisoners. The people in Israel were well acquainted with being in slavery, after they were exiled for hundreds of years in Babylonian captivity. Jesus now used this metaphor to talk about being freed from the slavery to sin.
3. Recovery of sight for the blind. Sin blinds us and from seeing God's plan our lives. Sin and pride put blinders on us, which prevent us from seeing our true spiritual condition and need for salvation and forgiveness.
4. To set the oppressed free. John said, "Whoever sins is a slave to sin." John 8:34. In our Lutheran Confession we say, "We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves."
The Good News is that Jesus not only freed us from the debt we owed for our sin, but also the consequences of it. He also set us free from the guilt and shame that binds us. Simply put, "If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!" John 8:36
5. To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. This seems to describe the Old Testament concept of the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-15 and following). In the year of Jubilee slaves were set free, debts cancelled, and things set to a new start. - Guzik
We must not forget how Jesus' first sermon still applies to us today. Once someone becomes a Christian it can be easy to forget all the benefits the Good News of Jesus brings to us. We have to be careful not to get complacent and slip back into the habits we had before Jesus set us free.
Application
1. Are you living in the freedom Jesus gave you when you were delivered from sin, death, and the power of the devil?
2. Are you allowing the world to blind you from the truth? There is where gift of discernment from the Spirit comes into play. The Spirit help you to distinguish truth from error.
3. We have all been anointed to proclaim the Good News of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will give us the words to say as we share Jesus with people who are still blinded by the god of this world!
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