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Luke 4:16-30

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

16. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. 17. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18. 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 captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19. To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20. And he closed the book, and he gave [it] again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23. And 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. 24. And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26. But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, [a city] of Sidon, unto a woman [that was] a widow. 27. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28. And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30. But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

Luke 4:16-30 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Luke 4:16

Theological / Devotional

To Nazareth. [First Rejection at Nazareth, Luke 4:16-30. See Early Galilean Ministry; The Duration of Christ’s Ministry, Opening of the Galilean Ministry, The Ministry of Our Lord. See Additional Note at end of chapter.] This was Christ’s first visit to Nazareth since He had left the carpenter shop in the autumn of 27 A.D. to take up His public ministry (DA 236). It was now probably the late spring of A.D. 29, and nearly half the period of His public ministry was in the past. A year later, probably in the early spring of A.D. 30, Jesus paid His next, and final (DA 241), visit to this city. The first visit is recorded only in vs. 16-30; for the second, see on Mark 6:1-6. Here in Nazareth the mother, brothers, and sisters of Jesus still lived (DA 236), and were no doubt among the worshipers in the synagogue on this particular Sabbath.

Brought up. See on Matt. 2:23; Luke 2:51, 52.

His custom. Literally, “according to what was customary to him.” Christ was in the habit of attending the regular synagogue services on the Sabbath day. Often as a youth in this very synagogue at Nazareth He had been called upon to read the lesson from the prophets, and from His intimate knowledge of the Scriptures He had drawn forth lessons that thrilled the hearts of the worshipers (DA 74; cf. 70). It seems that Jesus often made use of the opportunity afforded by the assembling of the people at the synagogues of Judea and Galilee, to teach them (see Matt. 4:23; 12:9; 13:54; Mark 1:21; 6:2; John 18:20; etc.; see on Luke 4:15), even as Paul later did in foreign lands (Acts 13:14, 15, 42).

The synagogue. For a description of the ancient synagogue and its services see pp. 56-58. For a description of the ruins of a synagogue at Capernaum see on John 6:59.

On the sabbath day. Luke’s simple statement that Jesus habitually attended the sacred synagogue services on the Sabbath day, which he specifically identifies as the seventh day of the week (chs. 23:56 to 24:1), makes clear the duty of the Christian who loves his Master and would follow in His steps (see John 14:15; 1 Peter 2:21). The fact that Christ, when here on earth, personally observed the same day of the week as did the Jews, is also evidence that time had not been lost since the giving of the law at Sinai, or for that matter since creation. Christ is “Lord also of the sabbath” (Mark 2:28); that is, He made it (Gen. 2:1-3; cf. Mark 2:27) and claims it as His day. His example in observing it is therefore a perfect pattern for the Christian to follow, both as to the time and as to the manner of its observance. Furthermore, there can be no question but that the week as we have it now has come down in unbroken sequence from the time of Christ, and that observance of the seventh day of the week today is observance of the Sabbath as Christ kept it. From that day to this there have been millions of Jews scattered throughout the civilized world, and it would have been impossible for all of them simultaneously to make identically the same mistake in figuring the seventh day of the week.

Stood up. Reverence for the written Word required that the one reading it publicly remain standing. The Law and the Prophets were read thus, but not the Writings, which did not then enjoy equal status (see Vol. I, p. 37; Vol. V, pp. 57, 58).

To read. Gr. anaginosko, a common term in the NT for the public reading of the Scriptures (see Acts 13:27; 15:21; Col. 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27), but which may also refer to private reading (see Matt. 24:15; Luke 10:26; Acts 8:28). It was to be expected that Jesus would be asked to read the Scriptures and to preach a sermon when He returned to Nazareth, a task any qualified Israelite, even those under age, might be called on to perform. He had often been asked to do so as a child (DA 74), and His reputation as a preacher in Judea (see John 3:26; DA 181) now made His fellow townsmen eager to hear what He had to say. The one who read the selection from the Prophets was also expected to give the sermon.

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