Luke 4:14-21

Here is a section of a sermon i gave on Sunday the 3rd of September on Luke 4:14-21.

So let’s keep thinking, what do we need? And let’s turn back to our passage where we see it very clearly.

In verses 14-15 we read two things about what Jesus does. Firstly; “he returned In the power of the Spirit to Galilee”, and secondly “he taught in their synagogues”. So Jesus was a man anointed by the Holy Spirit and in that power he taught people – he gave his word. And we see the very same pattern in verses 18-19 where firstly he says “the Spirit of the Lord is on me” and then, anointed by the Spirit he gives his word. He says:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me, to …Preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to….Proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to…Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”

Jesus is a man anointed with the Holy Spirit, who in that Spirit gives us his word.

And the next thing the passage does is to show us just how powerful his words are. You see Jesus is preaching to people in the synagogue, in verse 16 we read – “And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read”. Now the Synagogue on the Sabbath day was filled with the most religious men.

But Jesus read the scripture we have heard over and over today – “the Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.” And when Jesus finished reading and sat down, he said something which was as shocking then as it is now, he said – “today, this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”.

Can you imagine that!?! Jesus Christ taught all those religious looking guys that they were the poor, the imprisoned, the blind, and the oppressed. But more than that he says the only way they can have freedom from their sin which has done this to them is through his words. Notice that Jesus says the Scripture “is fulfilled in your hearing”.



If you want to read the rest just leave a comment asking for it.