Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: iHeartRadio | RSS
In our last episode, we focused in on a description Jesus pulled from the Old Testament and applied onto His ministry. But we ended up cutting that episode’s New Testament passage short because in the event that we focused in on, Luke used an interesting phrase when describing the initial response those in the Nazareth synagogue had towards Jesus, and that phrase has a connection with a different passage from the Old Testament.
However, before we pick back up with Jesus in the Nazareth synagogue, let’s look at the first two verses in a psalm that get’s connected with Jesus, and one that has descriptive similarities with how Luke described those in the Nazareth synagogue.
This psalm is found in the Old Testament book of Psalms, and it is psalm number 45. Reading from the New American Standard Bible translation, starting in verse 1, the psalmist writes:
1 My heart overflows with a good theme;
I address my verses to the King;
My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are fairer than the sons of men;
Grace is poured upon Your lips;
Therefore God has blessed You forever.
While we could read more, let’s stop reading here. On the surface, nothing in these first two verses sounds prophetic. However, when the psalmist is describing the King who he is addressing his verses to, he describes the King as having grace poured upon His lips.
With that framing in mind, let’s read about Jesus’ experience in Nazareth. For those who listened in for our last episode, I’ll repeat the opening of the passage to give context, but then we’ll read a few additional verses to the point where we find this idea present.
Jesus’ visit to Nazareth’s synagogue is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 4 and we will begin reading in verse 14:
14 And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. 15 And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.
16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. 17 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
20 And He closed the book, 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.”
This is where we stopped reading in our last episode. However, continuing reading in verse 22:
22 And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
And with this description, we come to the end of anything that could be described as gracious words. After this initial response, Jesus then shifts towards challenging this group of people, and the way Jesus challenges them is received much less graciously.
Continuing reading in verse 23, Luke writes:
23 And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” 24 And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. 25 But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; 26 and yet 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 Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” 28 And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; 29 and they got up and drove Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, He went His way.
While it is very tempting to focus on the rejection Jesus faced at the end of this passage, while reading this passage in the context of our year of podcasting, focusing on this rejection here would be a mistake. Instead of looking at Jesus facing rejection, which there will be more than enough time to do later in this year as Jesus makes His way to the cross, since our focus for this year of podcasting is looking at connection points between the Old Testament and Jesus, what can we learn from the description Luke gave regarding Jesus’ message? Prior to Jesus challenging this group of synagogue attendees, Luke described the words Jesus spoke as gracious words, and since this description appears connected to an Old Testament description of God the King, is there any way of describing the final message Jesus shared with these Jews within the framework of grace?
In an amazing way, while the direct challenge Jesus shares with those present that a prophet is not accepted in his hometown is easily prophetic, while not being grace-filled, Jesus’ actions themselves draw attention onto the grace present in this challenge. While the prophecy clearly suggests that He would not be accepted, nor would any prophet in any respective hometown, the simple fact that Jesus traveled to His hometown and spoke to those in His local synagogue strongly suggests that even though Jesus knew He would be rejected when sharing God’s message, He still went.
Jesus offered grace to those who were prophesied to reject Him by being willing to go and share God’s message with them anyway. That lesson is powerful in itself, because it tells each of us that God is willing to reach out to us even after we have rejected Him, and even if He knows that we will reject His offer. God reaches out to us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. That is powerful.
However, moving forward in Jesus’ message to those in the Nazareth synagogue, Jesus shares two events where God led His prophets to help those who were not of Jewish ancestry. In Elijah’s case, God sent him to bless a widow in a foreign land while he was an outcast in Israel. In Elisha’s case, God sent someone from a foreign land to him for help, and Elisha indirectly helps bring about this foreigner’s healing.
In these two events, it is amazingly obvious in my mind that grace is present. In both these historical accounts, God acted gracious towards the foreigners present, and that is because God loves humanity, in stark contrast to the narrow view that God only loves a specific nationality. Jesus opened His ministry in a way that drew attention to His ministry being one that was for all humanity. While Jesus did come to humanity with a certain ancestry, Jesus made it clear as early as He could that His mission was to bring grace to more than just one subset of humanity. The only subset present in Jesus’ ministry was those who were willing to accept and follow Him, verses those who chose not to. With rare exception, the people who did not follow Jesus were those who intentionally decided to not follow Jesus because of something Jesus said, or because of the social pressure from the religious leaders.
As we continue moving forward in our year looking at prophecies and connection points between the Old Testament and Jesus’ ministry, expect to see this theme show up again. Jesus came to give grace to both Jew and gentile, and Jesus is willing to extend the grace he offers to you too. Regardless of your past, your nationality, or your failures, Jesus is more interested in offering you grace that extends into your future, and the future Jesus wants to see you in is the one that extends for eternity!
As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:
As I always open by challenging you in one way or another, intentionally seek God first in your life. Choose to accept the gift of grace that Jesus offers and choose to live each day being grateful for this gift Jesus made available.
Also, as I always challenge you to do in one way or another, intentionally pray and study the Bible for yourself to grow personally closer to God each and every day. The Bible has been preserved for thousands of years because it is God’s story of redemption, and it is a story we are invited into.
Don’t let anyone trick you into discounting or leaving God’s story, because as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or abandon where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!
Year of Prophecy – Episode 17: While in the Nazareth synagogue, before Luke describes those present turning on Jesus, the description of Jesus’ message is that He spoke gracious words. Having gracious words was a description of God found within the Old Testament, and discover if Jesus’ challenge to these Jews went too far, or whether Jesus simply decided to share just how grace-filled God really is towards us.
Join the discussion. Share your thoughts on this passage.