Okay, here we go with verse 16,
Luke chapter 4. And he came to Nazareth, watch
this, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he
went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for
to read. There was delivered unto him
the book of the prophet Esaias, or Isaiah. And when he had opened
the book, he found the place where it was written. The Spirit
of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captive, recovering of sight
unto the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach
the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book and gave
it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all
of them that were in the synagogue were fastened upon him. And he began to say unto them,
and watch this please, this day is the scripture fulfilled in
your ears. And all bear him witness, and
wondered at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph's
son? He said unto them, Ye will surely
say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself. whatsoever we have
heard done in Capernaum do also here in thy country. And he said, Verily I say unto
you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you
of a truth. Many widows were in Israel in
the days of Elias, or Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three
years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the
land. But unto none of them was Elias
sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was
a widow. And many lepers were in Israel
in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and none of them was cleansed,
saving Naaman the Syrian. And all they in the synagogue,
when they heard these words, were filled with wrath. and rose
up and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow
of the hill whereupon the city was built, that they might cast
him down headlong. But he passing through the midst
of them, went His way, came to Capernaum, the city of Galilee,
and taught them on the Sabbath day. And they were astonished
at His doctrine, for His Word was with power." Now, this passage
that we have read from the Gospel of Luke, a part of it is only
included in Luke's Gospel. Luke is the only one that tells
us some of these things that are included here, but it is
most significant nonetheless, because it gives us the account
of the Lord on a Sabbath day, in a synagogue, taking up the
prophet Isaiah, and reading from chapter 61. Then, having read
it in the hearing of those that were gathered there, he sat back
down again, handing the book unto the minister or the keeper
of the scroll. He said to them, These words
are a description of me. These words are fulfilled in
your ear this very day. These words are fulfilled in
me, saith the Lord. That is, He hath anointed me. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me." David Brown, A commentator described it this way, the Lord
reads a passage that both describes his mission as well as his qualification
for that mission which is the anointing of the Spirit of God
for the preaching of the things of God unto the people. But let's
look back, if we might, and work our way into this grand passage,
beginning back yonder at verse 16, where we began. Now the incident
occurred, we're told, in the town of Nazareth, which was in
the region or the province of Galilee. Notice something in
verse 16, where he had been brought up. where our Lord had lived
in an earlier time. It was the city in which Joseph
and Mary lived, and our Lord was raised up there. He grew
to manhood there in that city of Nazareth. His family lived
there. Luke 2 and verse 39. and 2 and
verse 51, he was known there not as Jesus the Messiah or the
Christ, but he was known there as the son of Joseph the carpenter. They referred to him as Joseph
the carpenter's son. why He was known as Jesus of
Nazareth, for He was Jesus and He lived in Nazareth. And He
was called Jesus the Nazarene, that it might fulfill another
of the Old Testament prophecy. Matthew 2 and verse 23. Now, the Jews did not expect
anything good to come out of Nazareth. And they said so. John 1 and verse 46. nor the
Christ to come out of Galilee. They did not expect that Christ
would rise up out of Galilee. John 7 and verse 41. It was not a town that was prominent
in the prophecies of the Old Testament. It was held in contempt
even by many of the Jews in that day and time. And John Gill spoke
of, quote, the wickedness, meanness, and obscurity of Nazareth, unquote. And yet, the great one of God,
the one sent into the world, was brought up there, as we read
in verse 16. Now, another city, or another
town, was prominent in the early life of our Lord, as well, and
that was the city of Capernaum. Far from John 2 and verse 12,
it seems evident that our Lord took up residence in the city
of Capernaum. Some commentators said this was
after Joseph had died or passed away. And his mother and his
brethren and he lived in Capernaum. And this also fulfilled a prophecy
from Isaiah 9 verses 1 and 2 noted in Matthew chapter 4 verses 12
through verse 16. were done in Capernaum. If you read the Gospels and trace
out the life and travels of our Lord, you will find that some
of the mightiest works of our Savior were done in the people
in Capernaum. But in spite of the great works
that were done there, the people repented not and they believed
not on Him as the Christ, Matthew 11, 23 and 24, making them ripe
for the judgment of God because great works they saw and they
did not repent. But the incident here in our
present text, in chapter 4, occurred in the city of Nazareth, in a
synagogue, on a regular Jewish Sabbath day. And the first thing
that we learn here is that the Lord, who asked to the flesh,
came out of Israel, Romans 9 and verse 5, and was made under the
law, Galatians 4 and verse 4, observed the Mosaic law as a
Jew during his lifetime. So look at verse 16 again. And
as was his custom, he went into the assembly in the Jewish synagogue
on the Sabbath day. Now, this Sabbath day is not
the same with our Sunday, our first day, or our Lord's Day. A synagogue service was somewhat
after this order in that day and time. There were those that
were in charge. We read of the rulers of the
synagogue in the scripture, Luke 8 and 41. And then there was
the reading of the law and the psalm and the prophets almost
every Sabbath day. Acts 13 and verse 15. Someone would stand and read
from the law, Moses. Someone from the psalm. Someone
from the prophet on the Sabbath day. But as stated in Acts 15,
And verse 21, For Moses of old hath them in every city that
preach him being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. Gil said, every sabbath day. And he was pretty familiar with
Jewish laws and custom. And Gil said that every sabbath
day there were seven that stood up to read on the Sabbath day. And as a courtesy, any visiting
rabbi or dignitary would be invited to read or to say a few words
to those assembled in the synagogue. And you can see this in Acts
13, 15 when Paul took advantage. And the rulers of the synagogue
said to Paul, look, if thou hast anything to say, say only. And if we know Paul, he had plenty
to say. And he took the floor and gave
a great discourse on Christ. Now, in accordance with that
liberty afforded dignitaries and visitors, the Lord stands
up to read. And he was handed the scroll,
not the book, but the scroll that was rolled up of the prophet
Isaiah. When he had unrolled that scroll
and had found the place that he desired, which we mark as
Isaiah 61, 1, and 2, He read in the hearing of all
the people these words from Isaiah, The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
and to preach deliverance to the captive, recovering of sight
unto the blind. the setting at liberty them that
are bruised, and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Now, let's stop and consider
the prophecy found in Isaiah that our Lord uses. And the first
thing about it that we would consider is that like portions
of the Psalms, other portions of the Scripture, it is no doubt
capable of a double application. It can pertain in a degree to
the prophet Isaiah, as some things in the Psalm did under David.
It can even apply unto other prophets of the Lord. But as
Calvin noted, none speak for God unless the Spirit anoint
them and guide them and give them unction. However, the Lord
Jesus here, in Luke chapter 4, reading that passage of Scripture,
applies these things to Himself. Every Jew, of some or of any
age, any Jew of any maturity and of any knowledge of the Scripture
and of religion would be familiar with that passage from the prophet
Isaiah, having read it, having heard it read time and again
in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. And the Lord not only reads
the words of that prophet, but He makes an application particularly
and especially unto Himself when He says in verse 21, this day
is the Scripture fulfilled in your ears, in your very hearing. This is a historical moment,
as if the Lord said to them. And at this the Lord Jesus declared
to those that were present there that day that He Himself is an
anointed prophet, minister, and servant of the Most High God,
that He acted and that he spoke only the truth by the unction
of God, by divine anointing through the Holy Spirit. In other words,
he presents himself as a messenger, as a prophet, as a preacher come
from God. Now, here is a point which I
never would have caught in a hundred years of studying or reading
unless it was mentioned in a person's commentary on the book of Isaiah. And the author said three times
in the book of the prophet Isaiah, the prophet mentions that the
Lord would be especially endued and anointed with the Holy Spirit
of God. That the prophet Isaiah makes
three mentions of this blessed and special anointing of the
Lord. The first one would be Isaiah
chapter 11. And verse 1 and 2 that goes,
There shall come forth a rod, literally a shoot, out of the
stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots, and the
Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit
of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. That's the first
one. Now the second one found in Isaiah
chapter 42 and verse 1. It goes like this, Behold my
servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delights, I have
put my spirit upon him, he shall bring forth judgment unto the
Gentile." Also there is Isaiah chapter 61, verse 1 and 2. Now, let's consider also, if
you'll turn to the book of Acts, if you want to, the 10th chapter,
and verse 34 through 38, I'd like to read something there
that is also pertinent unto this moment that we have this morning. Acts 10, 34 through verse 38,
and I read, It is down at the house of Cornelius, It is at
Cornelius and the house full of Gentiles that the Apostle
Peter says this, verse 34, Peter opened his mouth and said, Of
a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of person. But in
every nation, he that fears him and works righteousness is accepted
with him. The word which God sent unto
the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ, he is
Lord of all. That word, I say, you know, which
was published throughout all Judea and began from Galilee,
after the baptism which John preached, and watch this, how
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with
power, who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed
of the devil, for God was with him. Especially notice the word,
how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Spirit and with power. Also in Acts 4 and verse 27,
it speaks of, quote, thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anointed. You'll read in Psalms chapter
2 and verse 2 that calls him His anointed, the anointed of
God. You'll see it also in Hebrews
1 and 9, anointed with the oil of gladness above all of thy
fellows. Now the question at this point
might come or enter into our mind, When exactly did this anointing
of the Lord take place? Was it before the world began? Was it in the everlasting council
when the sun was set up to be the mediator and the surety of
the new covenant? There may be some truth here
as seen in Hebrews 1 and 9 anointed with the oil of gladness above
thy fellows? Or was it when or after the sun
was incarnated after the Word had become flesh and as he began
the start of his earthly ministry. For example, was it at the baptism
when John baptized him in Matthew chapter 3 Verse 16 and 17, he
had the Spirit of God descend upon him like or in the form
of a dove, and it lit and it abode upon the Savior as he came
up out of the water being baptized. Not only that, but a voice from
heaven said, This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
Then what if one should ask us, why must the Holy Spirit anoint
and empower and direct the Lord Jesus Christ? Is He not Himself,
very God, and the Eternal Son? Has He not all power and all
authority, having all power in heaven and in earth?" Matthew
28. 18 through 20. Is not all judgment put into
the hands of the Son? Acts 17 and verse 31. Now, the anointing with the Spirit
at His baptism has at least a two-fold significance for those there
that saw it, for John and for us who read in the Scripture. Number one, think about this,
that anointing, that voice, it marked the official entry of
our Lord upon His earthly ministry. Now all through the Old Testament,
kings and priests and prophets were anointed with oil as they
entered or were put into their office or official capacity. The Lord's anointing, however,
was not with oil, as was that of Saul and Aaron and others,
but it was with the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit of God marked
the commencement of the earthly ministry of our Lord. And then
secondly, the anointing marked Him. It identified Him as the
special One of God, especially to John, who it was that administered
water baptism unto our blessed Lord. John would say, that is
John the Baptist, in Luke, excuse me, in John 1 and verse 32, John
gave witness saying, quote, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven
and like a dove and it abode upon him, unquote. Again, John
1. And 33, John further gives witness,
quote, he that sent me to baptize with water, that one said unto
me, upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining on him,
The same is He that baptizes with the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit."
It was not so with any others that John baptized during that
season of baptizing, and he baptized many. None other size the Lord
had this experience of the Spirit lighting upon Him and a voice
commending Him from out of heaven. Folks came from areas all around
to be baptized of John. Matthew 3 and 5 said. Luke 3
and 7 calls it the multitude. And even publicans came out to
be baptized of the Lord. Luke 3 and verse 12. Some John
refused to baptize because of their immoral life. Matthew 3,
7 through 12. But of those he baptized, not
another had the Spirit to light upon them in that visible way,
nor a voice to commend their ministry out of God from heaven. We can add a third thing served
by the Lord being anointed there, with the Holy Spirit at His baptism. And I think that's in John 1
and verse 31, that He should be manifest to Israel. That this One who came, came
to His own. And by this, signs and symbols,
manifestation, should be manifested unto Israel, revealed to them,
unveiled as Him that comes from God. Till then, had you ever
thought about it, our Lord had lived in virtual obscurity up
until that point, known as simply Joseph the carpenter's son, and
of whom nothing in the scripture is recorded of him from age 12,
as we read in Luke chapter 2, until his baptism, when Jesus,
Luke 3 and 23, began to be about 30 years of age, when he entered
into his public ministry the work that God had sent him to
do in the flesh in this world. And by the way, John also, John
the Baptist, also lived in virtual obscurity until his revealing. Luke 1 and verse 80. He was in
the desert till the day of his showing unto Israel. John lived kind of like a recluse
with his leather girdle and eating locusts, remember all of that. But John says the purpose of
his ministry and baptizing was that Christ should be made manifest
unto Israel. For John, you remember, baptized
them unto repentance. that they afterwards should believe
on Christ to come. Acts 19 and verse 4 tells us
that. But now let's get back in Luke
chapter 4 and the Lord's reading in the synagogue and the passage
which He read and which He applied unto Himself. Now, the question
that we want to face is this. Why this passage? Why do we imagine
that the Lord chose this particular passage at that time in His ministry
that might seem suitable more to a mere human prophet such
as Isaiah or John or any other true prophet of God? To be honest,
at first sight, at first reading, at just a casual reading of what
we have here, it might not seem to distinguish the Lord in any
greater discernible way from all others and above all others,
and one might suggest that there were other prophets suited to
identify him by his death, suffering, and such like as the one that
has come from God. So why this one about a prophet
from Isaiah? So let us consider a couple of
things. Number one, let's consider when
this event of the reading of the scripture occurred, and also
let us consider where it occurred, when it occurred, and where it
occurred. And the when is not is not on
a certain Jewish Sabbath, and the where is not in a synagogue,
though these be true. As to the when, what we're after
is, it was the beginning It was early. It was the commencement
of the earthly public ministry of our Lord. He had been baptized
by John. He had been exalted by John. He had been tempted or tested
by the devil. And in Matthew's Gospel, he puts
the start of the Lord's public ministry soon after the temptation
and John being put in prison. For in Matthew 4 and verse 17,
from that time began Jesus to preach and to say, repent for
the kingdom of heaven is at hand. But as yet he has made no open
claims of Messiah-ship. Not as yet. He has made no open
claims, I am He, I'm the Christ, I'm the Messiah. Not openly and
not emphatically. He preached and he taught in
Galilee. There the Scripture said he did
some miracles in the power demonstration of the Holy Spirit. He taught
some in the synagogue from place to place. And his fame began
to spread abroad. Luke 4, 14, and 15. This in the very beginning of
his ministry. By contrast, In the closing days
of our Lord's ministry, He spoke openly, directly, using the Scripture
concerning His coming suffering and death, which He would endure
at Jerusalem. declaring that he would be delivered
into the hands of the Gentile, that he would be crucified, and
that he would rise again after three days and nights in the
grave. So the wind was at the beginning
of his earthly ministry. I am anointed by the Spirit of
God for this end. Now let's consider the where
this took place. which was in the province of
Galilee, in the city of Nazareth, which we read back in verse 16,
was the place where the Lord had been brought up. Matthew
13 and verse 54 calls it His own country. where he lived as
from a youth, known again, I'll say in that place, only as Joseph,
the carpenter's son. Now, as the Lord taught, we notice
here two responses from his hometown folk, if we may call them that,
when they heard him say, This day is the Scripture fulfilled
in your hearing. his manner of teaching, the way
that he spoke with an air of authority and authenticity and
spirituality. His knowledge, his handling of
the Scripture astonished those that were gathered there and
that heard. Luke 4 and 22, they wondered
at the gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. This was often
the response of some teaching of our Lord Jesus. As in their
hearing in the Sermon on the Mount, you'll find in Matthew
7, verse 28 and 29, The people were astonished or
amazed at his doctrine, for he taught them as one having authority,
not like the scribes and the Pharisee. The same we read in
Mark's Gospel chapter 11 and verse 18, where the scribes and
the chief priests wanted to silence him from teaching because, quote,
all the people were astonished or amazed at his doctrine or
at his teaching. Secondly, this puzzled the people. They could not reconcile this. It puzzled them to hear such
wondrous words and teaching and exposition of the Scripture come
out of the mouth of Jesus. That was true upon two accounts. There were two reasons, at least,
that they were amazed at the teaching and the quality of the
knowledge of Jesus of Nazareth. A. He had no formal training. He had never been to seminary.
He had never studied under the great doctors, theologians of
the day, and they knew it. They ask in John 7 and 15 on
one occasion, how does this man know letters, having never learned,
unquote, Formal instruction? He had none. As in Matthew 13
and 54, they said, where did this man get such wisdom? You'll see it also in Mark 6
and verse 2. There's yet some of this spirit
in the church. It's because some always want
a doctor to be their pastor or to preach unto them. Secondly,
or B, they knew him as the son of Joseph. That was how he was
known. That's how he lived in that city
all those years, Luke 4 and 22. Is not this Joseph, son? What they mean by that, This
is a common, ordinary citizen whom we know, who was brought
up here, lived in the house of Joseph. In Matthew 13, 55 and
56, they say we know the whole family. Is not this the carpenter's
son? Is not his mother called Mary? The brother of James and Joseph? And Simon, and Judas, and his
sisters, are they not all with us? Whence hath he all these
things?" What they're saying is, he has, first of all, not
had any formal theological, biblical training, none at all. And the
second thing is, he's from a common, ordinary, peasant-type family
that lived here among us. his mother an ordinary maid in
Israel, Joseph a carpenter, his brothers and his sister. We've
known them and we've talked to them and we've known them, their
ordinary fellow citizens with us here in the city. How could
this seeming ordinary man be the very Messiah of God living
among them in obscurity. Consider Luke 4 and 23 and following. Here the Lord responds, not to
their words, but to their thoughts. The Lord's responding now, not
to something they said, but what was in their mind. That He, as they think in their
mind, these people are beginning to think in their mind that He
should favor Nazareth with His great works and miracle. His
hometown should have the advantage and the favor over strangers
in Capernaum. as if to say, do for your friends
and your family and your neighbor and acquaintances more than you
do for strangers abroad. To such the Lord replies, it
was these very factors that caused a prophet to have no honor in
his own country, in his own house, and among his own people. Mark
6, verse 4, among his own kin and his own house, to have no
honor. Matthew 13, verse 57, in his
own country. John 4, verse 44, a prophet,
in other words, is less respected among their own. That was the
case with those in Nazareth, who said, upon hearing great
things from the Lord, why, this is Jesus. This is Jesus, the
carpenter's son, who grew up here among us and whom we know. And Mary is his mother, and his
brothers and his sisters we have long been acquainted with. We
have a saying in the country, familiarity breeds contempt,
and this may have been the case here. I think when I read this
of Moses, I think of Exodus 2 and verse 14, when a fellow Hebrew
jumped in Moses' face and said to him, who made you a prince
or a judge over us? I think of Genesis 19 and 9,
when the gay community resented Lot calling them evil and said,
why, you're a fellow sojourner here just like we are. I think
of Genesis 37, verse 8 through 11, when Joseph's brothers resented
the revelation that he had had in his dreams from God and they
sold him away into slavery. And so the Lord in Luke 4, 25-27,
as J.C. Ryle wrote, was under no obligation
to work miracles there in the city of Nazareth, or in any other
place, or any other people for that matter. In fact, from Matthew
11, verse 20-24, We learn that the great works
which the Lord did in Capernaum did not cause them, and other
places, did not cause them to believe or to repent, and thus
it increased their judgment because the Lord. had favored them with
such mighty works, and yet they repented not." You remember he
said Sodom and Gomorrah had heard these things, they would have
continued until this day. Great works that were seen at
the hands of our Lord, that He is by these the very One sent
from God. And those who reject them are
under greater condemnation. By the way, I guess I ought to
throw in here, people today are so fond of miracles and signs
and wonder, yet you frequently read in the Bible that great
signs and wonder did not cause many to believe who saw it from
the Lord Himself. In fact, there were times when
they saw the miracles of our Lord and blasphemed that He did
it through the power of Beelzebub. Yes, people today think, oh,
if we could just see miracles and wonder and signs here and
there, more people would believe. No, they would rationalize it,
have a scientific explanation for it, and go on their way. Look at the end of our text.
There's something very, very interesting here, as when the
Lord reminds them of the prophet Elijah and Elisha, that these
two prophets of God went outside of Israel and worked great wonders
in behalf of Gentiles. And it was not for lack of Jewish
prospect that they did so. There were many widows in Israel
at that time. There were many lepers in Israel
at that time. Many starving from hunger and
many dying from leprosy. And yet, Elijah gave a destitute
Gentile widow in Sarepta an unfailing cruise of oil and of meal. And Elisha ignored all the lepers
that were there in Israel and cleansed the Gentile leper Naaman. and made His skin as smooth as
a baby's again." Look at the response of the people when our
Lord tells them these acts of sovereignty. See their response
to the Lord proclaiming the sovereignty of God. He works His miracles
when He will. He goes to strangers and rather
the house of Israel. What do they do? They attempt
to take our Lord and take him to a cliff and throw him down
off of the cliff and kill him. They went from thinking his words
were amazing in just a little while to wanting to throw him
over the cliff and be rid of him. Once again we see how the
Lord in all things fits the Scriptures perfectly, that He is the prophet
of prophets. anointed by God to preach the
things of God, fitted in every way and in every fullness for
the work that the Father has sent Him to do. This teaches
us how self-righteous men And religious hypocrites despise
the sovereignty of God. I think they'd throw the preacher
off the cliff sometime if they thought they could get away with
it. But people who claim they love the Bible and hate the sovereignty
of God. And that's what our Lord is saying.
Look, there were many widows in Israel that could use help.
in the famine, and yet the prophet goes outside to a Gentile. There are many lepers in Israel.
What does the prophet do? He takes in General Naaman, a
Syrian, a Gentile, a foreigner, and cures him of his leprosy
and sends him home clean of that. And that made them angry. And
it makes people angry to hear of the sovereignty of God, but
our Lord declared it here without fear or without favor. He is the anointed preacher of
preacher, the prophet of prophets, anointed of God, sin of God,
to proclaim and reveal the things of God. No wonder the Samaritan
woman said, when Messiah's come, he'll tell us all things in John
chapter 4. And indeed, he did. Thank the
Lord for this passage that shows our Lord beginning his ministry
and being anointed for the work that he was to do.