Luke 4:21

Began to say. Jesus was popularly considered a rabbi, or teacher (see John 1:38, 49; 3:2). It was to be expected that as a visiting rabbi He would be asked to deliver the sermon, particularly in view of the fact that Nazareth was His home town and that in this very synagogue He had read from the Scriptures as a child (see on Luke 4:16). It is evident that Luke gives the barest outline of the remarks Christ made upon this occasion, probably selecting particularly those comments that produced the effect recorded in v. 22 and the violent reaction of vs. vs. 28, 29.

This day. This announcement no doubt made the people aware that Jesus considered them poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind, and bruised (DA 237). Again and again throughout His ministry Jesus quoted from the OT prophets and declared, “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears” (DA 242).

This scripture. Critics who blithely assert that Jesus never thought of Himself as the Messiah of OT prophecy would do well to ponder this statement. In the days of Christ the Jews understood Isa. 61:1, 2 as a clear Messianic prophecy.