Two Year Gospel Study Week 42

Awake Us Now

Luke 4:14-30: “Hometown Visit.”

This story of Jesus going to His hometown appears to be a different trip than those told in the other gospels.

This is a story of those listening to Jesus in Nazareth (His hometown) in comparison to those hearing Jesus in Galilee and who willingly received what Jesus had to offer. But those in Nazareth because of their pride and arrogance and boastfulness and being skeptical, did not get to experience what Jesus has to give us!

Jesus was born in Bethlehem but Nazareth is the town Jesus grew up in. As He returned home for a visit, He went to the synagogue as was His regular practice on the Sabbath.

Here is some information about synagogues in Jesus’ day: 1. Opened with singing (mainly Psalms 145-150) 2. Recitation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4) 3. Recitation of the Tefillah (18 benedictions and prayers) 4. Reading of the Scriptures (torah, prophets and writings) 5. Message of Interpretation of what was read 6. The Aaronic Benediction

Jesus comes home to a town that had heard all the remarkable stories of Him since He’s been gone and He’s at the synagogue and He does the Reading. He chooses a prophetic word from Isaiah 58 and Isaiah 61 and closes with “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

What He’s saying is that He’s the one the prophets predicted and the home town people, having heard the storied of what He had been doing in the other town, and there is initial excitement.

Jesus gives them these Words of Grace in the Reading: 1. Good News to the poor 2. Freedom for prisoners 3. Sight for the blind 4. Deliverance from oppression 5. Debts paid - Jubilee

Jesus words of grace and hope are for us still today:

1. Good News of the Gospel message of what Jesus has done for us 2. Freedom from bondage to sin 3. Sight given for our spiritual blindness 4. Deliverance from brokenness 5. Our Debt to God for our sins is paid in full for us by Jesus through faith

After Jesus delivers His Words of Grace the crowd began to question and doubt what He was saying and they became offended at His words.

So Jesus confronts those doubting who He is. The crowd wanted proof that Jesus was who He said He was - but Jesus’ response is that He sees into their hearts and that prophets aren’t accepted in their home towns. They were acting like the Israelites. Jesus proceeds to preach a message on the time of Elijah and Elisha - a time in history much like now in America - a time of national apostasy and spiritual poverty.

Jesus knows what’s in our hearts and souls still today. We live in a nation that has traditionally thought of itself as a Christian nation and yet our roots have become just a veneer of Christianity.

We have made our own rules, done what we want to do, followed our own gods of money, wealth and success, believed what we want to and redefined what God has said, establishing our own morality and it is destroying us from within.

After Jesus’ teaching about the times of Elijah and Elisha The people were furious and wanted to get rid of Jesus, to kill Him.

Jesus spoke words of Truth and to those who are humble and repentant - His Words bring joy, life, hope and purpose - and they still do today.

God knows our hearts and to those who refuse to listen the result is anger. But He doesn’t give up when people won’t listen or when they turn their backs on Him. He continues to reach out to the proud - He desires to bring restoration. He continues to reach out to those who are broken-hearted and discouraged - He desires to bring healing. And to those stuck in sin and darkness and addiction - He desires to bring freedom, restoration and renewal.

May we be humble and contrite before Him and may God bring that kind of revival and renewal and awakening in our nation. Hearts turning back to Him!

He comes to those who hear His voice! May we be listening always!!!

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St. Luke’s Account is part three of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. The Gospel of Luke takes a look at the life of Jesus, beginning with the well-known Christmas stories. Luke, a non Jew, offers a unique perspective into the story of Jesus’ life.

This study is great for large group. small group or home group Bible study.