Sunday Sermon Notes from 1/31/2021
Read Luke 4:14-22 (NIV)
https://www.bible.com/111/luk.4.14-22.niv
“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 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, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 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. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.”
Let’s answer some “W” questions:; Who, What, Where, When, Why?
Who are the main characters in the passage? Jesus and Jews
What is the main activity in the passage? Jesus teaching in synagogues
Where are the events occurring in the passage? Galilee and, more specifically, in Nazareth
When did the events take place? After being tempted in the desert
Why did these events take place? To begin telling folks in Nazareth about the Good News
Read Luke 4:23-30 (NIV)
https://www.bible.com/111/luk.4.23-30.niv
“Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’ ” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.”
Q. What’s with the proverb Jesus quoted?
Q. Why this change by the crowd in the second half? Why did the group get so angry at Jesus?
Read Isaiah 61:1-11 (NIV)
https://www.bible.com/111/isa.61.1-11.niv
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.”
What is the message in this passage? Who did the Jews in Jesus’ time think this passage was for? Does this aid in your understanding of Jesus’ use of this passage?
Communion
Read Hebrews 10:1-14 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/heb.10.1-14.niv
“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”
Jesus came to fulfill the Law, to bring it to completion through his life, death, and resurrection.
Some additional interesting points:
- Galilee and Nazareth were located in the northern part of Israel. It was very fertile and green and located around the Sea of Galilee-great produce and fish. Jerusalem and Judah are in the south of Israel and very hilly and desert like with no water, but figs and olives grew there.
- Galilee was very “Hellenized”- this means highly influenced by Greece. It was located near the Decapolis, 10 large Greek influenced cities. They were heavily Greco Roman in culture, following Greek gods and mythology.
- People from Nazareth were able to trace their heritage back to David and were very proud of this fact because they knew the prophecy that the messiah would come from the root of David.
- Important to know these cultural contexts because this is why the Jews there could have been feeling entitled to Jesus. When Jesus pointed out his message was for everyone they became highly offended wanting to throw him off a cliff.
- The Jews were feeling oppressed by the Romans at this time and thought the message of a Savior was going to be just for them, when they realized Jesus was saying his message was to save everyone, they were unable to perceive and understand this.
- They were looking for a different kind of “Saving”
- The Jews had a certain expectation of what they thought Jesus would come to earth and do for them, God had a different plan for Jesus- he would save the whole world and the Jews were to be the example for us to follow, if they understood it.
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