Luke 4:16-30
Jesus gave two examples of how God works outside of people’s expectations. He was showing that His purpose on earth likely wouldn’t meet their expectations. What type of modern misconceptions do people have of Jesus?
Rejected
• Spiritual highs often precede spiritual tests. Last week, we
talked about Jesus’ baptism. He was filled with the Holy
Spirit. Immediately after this, he leaves and goes into the
wilderness. Luke 4 says that he went without food or water
for 40 days. At His weakest point, he was tested by Satan.
Jesus had mastered control of His physical desires, so he
resisted the Devil. Having passes these tests, Jesus was
ready to begin His ministry. He begins in Capernaum, on the
northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Word of His preaching
and miracles spread all around. So, after this, He heads to His
hometown of Nazareth. One might think He would receive a
warm welcome, but as we will see, this wasn’t the case.
• True Identity
• Luke 4:16-21
◦“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought
up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the
synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.
And there was delivered unto him the book of the
prophet Isaiah. And he opened the book, and found the
place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is
upon me, Because he anointed me to preach good
tidings to the poor: He hath sent me to proclaim
release to the captives, And recovering of sight to the
blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. And he
closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and
sat down: and the eyes of all in the synagogue were
fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, To-
day hath this scripture been fulfilled in your ears.”
• When arriving in Nazareth, Jesus goes to the synagogue.
• A typical synagogue service opens with an invocation for
God’s blessing and a recitation of the traditional Hebrew
confession of faith (Deut. 6:4-9, 11:13-21)
• Deuteronomy 6:4-9
◦““Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You
shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and
with all your soul and with all your might. And these
words that I command you today shall be on your
heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children,
and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and
when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and
when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your
hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.
You shall write them on the doorposts of your house
and on your gates.”
• Deuteronomy 11:13-21
◦““And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I
command you today, to love the Lord your God, and to
serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, he
will give the rain for your land in its season, the early
rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your
grain and your wine and your oil. And he will give grass
in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and
be full. Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you
turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
then the anger of the Lord will be kindled against you,
and he will shut up the heavens, so that there will be no
rain, and the land will yield no fruit, and you will perish
quickly off the good land that the Lord is giving you.
“You shall therefore lay up these words of mine in your
heart and in your soul, and you shall bind them as a
sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets
between your eyes. You shall teach them to your
children, talking of them when you are sitting in your
house, and when you are walking by the way, and when
you lie down, and when you rise. You shall write them
on the doorposts of your house and on your gates, that
your days and the days of your children may be
multiplied in the land that the Lord swore to your
fathers to give them, as long as the heavens are above
the earth.”
• This was followed by prayer and the prescribed readings, then
a brief sermon
• Jesus was apparently selected to do that days reading
• He begins to read from the book of Isaiah
• Isaiah 61:1-2
◦“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the
Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the
prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of
the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;”
• Jewish rabbis interpreted this passage as referring to the
Messiah. Jesus was boldly claiming that he was the fulfillment
of this passage, and the people in the synagogue would have
recognized that.
• The words Messiah and Christ mean the same thing. They
both mean “anointed one”. Messiah is the Hebrew word,
Christ is the Greek.
• Anointing means to authorize, or set apart, a
• How would you respond if someone you grew up with showed
up one day and announced that they were the anointed of
God?
• False Understanding
• Luke 4:22-27
◦“And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious
words that were coming from his mouth. And they said,
“Is not this Joseph’s son?” And he said to them,
“Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb,
‘“Physician, heal yourself.” What we have heard you did
at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’”
And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is
acceptable in his hometown. But in truth, I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah,
when the heavens were shut up three years and six
months, and a great famine came over all the land, and
Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath,
in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And
there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the
prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but
only Naaman the Syrian.””
• “Physician, heal yourself” doesn’t come from the book of
Proverbs, but was likely a known saying in the Jewish
community. It meant take care of yourself first.
• The people of Nazareth were wanting Jesus to perform
miracles in His hometown, like they had heard of Him doing in
Capernaum.
• Jesus gave two examples of how God works outside of
people’s expectations
• He was showing that His purpose on earth likely wouldn’t
meet their expectations
• What type of modern misconceptions do people have of
Jesus?
• Misguided Response
• Luke 4:28-30
◦“When they heard these things, all in the synagogue
were filled with wrath. And they rose up and drove him
out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill
on which their town was built, so that they could throw
him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he
went away.”
• Jesus’ words were an affront to the Jewish people’s national
pride.
• Jesus was exposing their prejudices against gentiles
• Having their beliefs questioned brought the people to anger
• A mob got together to drive Jesus out of town.
• The mob wanted to throw Jesus over a cliff
• Jesus’ time had not come, so He miraculously passed through
the crowd and went on His way.
• Do people today sometimes react to Jesus in the same way?
• What kind of preconceived notions do people have about
Jesus’ nature today?
◦He died for all, so all are saved
◦Only those that believe what I believe will be saved
Reigns: Luke 6:1-11
Jesus prioritizes meeting people’s needs over keeping rituals
If you’ve ever lived in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association, you might have experienced some of the restrictions the association can place on you. My neighbor purchased a basketball goal for his driveway. The backboard was a plastic material. The association confronted him, informing him the goal had to have a glass backboard. He was understandably angry. He told them, “You can’t tell me what kind of basketball goal I can put in my own yard.” He quickly learned that they, in fact, did have that right. Sometimes, we too can get upset when we don’t get our way in life, failing to recognize that it’s God’s desires that reign over all.
How do you typically respond when God’s will comes into conflict with your own desires?
Work on the Sabbath?
Luke 6:1-2
On a Sabbath, he passed through the grainfields. His disciples were picking heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands, and eating them. But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?
Sabbath laws address ways people should honor the Lord by refraining from certain behavior.
Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
The scribes and Pharisees were more interested in the letter of the law than the spiritual intention behind it. Jesus would use these interactions to correct their misunderstanding, and also assert His reign over all things, including the Sabbath.
The Pharisees confront Jesus’ disciples for picking grain from a field. The issue was with the labor of picking the grain, not that the disciples were stealing. Mosaic law permitted eating from a vineyard or grain field (Deut. 23:24-25). Interestingly, Jesus wasn’t picking the heads of grain, so He couldn’t be directly accused. The Pharisees sought to accuse Jesus’ followers to reflect poorly on Jesus Himself.
Jewish traditions dictated that this was unlawful, rather than the law itself doing so.
What kinds of religious traditions do we tend to get trapped in today? Which ones draw people closer to Christ, and which ones push people away from Him?
Lord of the Sabbath
Luke 6:3-5
Jesus answered them, “Haven’t you read what David and those who were with him did when he was hungry- how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat? He even gave some to those who were with him.” Then he told them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
The Pharisees had directed their question to Jesus’ disciples, but Jesus confronted them Himself. Jesus claps back at the Pharisees by bringing up a story about David, a revered figure in Jewish history.
David was fleeing from King Saul, who wanted to kill him. He asked the priest Ahimelech for bread for he and his men. The only bread available was the “bread of the presence.” This bread was 12 loaves used to represent the 12 tribes of Israel. The bread was placed based on the guidelines from Leviticus 24:5-9. Ahimelech recognized David’s need and gave him the bread.
Jesus was pointing out the parallels between the two actions. Jesus also pointed out that the Sabbath was holy to the Lord. He gave Himself the title Son of Man, which the Pharisees would have understood to mean the Messiah, to point out that he was on the same level as God. This made Him ruler of the Sabbath.
How can we demonstrate our acceptance of Jesus’ lordship in our daily lives?
Do Good on the Sabbath?
Luke 6:6-11
On another Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. A man was there whose right hand was shriveled. The scribes and Pharisees were watching him closely, to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they could find a charge against him. But he knew their thoughts and told the man with the shriveled hand, “Get up and stand here.” So he got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you: Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” After looking around at them all, he told him, “Stretch out your hand.” He did, and his hand was restored. They, however, were filled with rage and started discussing with one another what they might do to Jesus.
Here we have another confrontation with the Pharisees on the Sabbath. It always amazes me how brazen the Pharisees were. The scripture says here that they were looking for Jesus to heal someone. Clearly they believed He had divine power, and yet they were still trying to call Him out. Then, when He had shown that power by healing the man with the shriveled hand, they were filled with rage and started plotting against Jesus.
The way Jesus responded to the Pharisees is brilliant. He puts the men on record. He asks them if it is lawful to do good or to do evil. Rabbinical teachings would allow actions to be taken on the Sabbath to preserve life. The Pharisees showed their cowardice and remained silent.
Jesus then heals the man. The man had to show some faith though. When Jesus told the man to stand in front of Him, the man did so without question. Then Jesus required him to take action. He said, “Stretch out your hand.” The man did, and his hand was restored.
The Pharisee’s response showed their true nature. Rather than rejoice at the healing of the man, they began plotting to do Jesus harm. They were more concerned with their status and religious traditions than having compassion on a fellow man, which was the point Jesus was trying to make.
What are some ways you could help someone this week?
Conclusion
We shouldn’t place religious ritual above all else.
Jesus is Lord over all of His creation.
Believers must place human needs above ritual practices.
Luke 3:7-18
Here we will see John the Baptist sound the warning call.
Some would heed it, while others ignored it.
Why do we sometimes ignore clear warning signs?
Prepared
• Ben Ebeling and four other colleagues sounded a warning not
on January 27, 1986. As one of the engineers on the space
shuttle Challenger, Ebeling and his colleagues came to the
conviction that the temperature would lead to an explosion.
Those above him ignored the warnings and proceeded with
the ill-fated launch. Most of us have ignored warning signs
too.
• Here we will see John the Baptist sound the warning call.
Some would heed it, while others ignored it.
• Why do we sometimes ignore clear warning signs?
◦Immaturity
◦Ambition
• Warning
• Luke 3:7-9
◦“He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be
baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you
to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping
with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves,
‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is
able from these stones to raise up children for
Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the
trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit
is cut down and thrown into the fire.””
• Most preachers in search of a crowd would go to a populated
area, but John the Baptist went into the remote wilderness of
the Jordan River valley.
• This fulfilled the prophecy from Isaiah.
• Isaiah 40:3-5
◦“A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of
the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our
God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain
and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become
level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the
Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it
together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.””
• There were different types of people who came to be baptized
by John. There were some who were sincere, and others who
weren’t.
• John was quick to call out the insincere. He called them a
brood of vipers.
• John asks them “Who warned you to flee from the wrath to
come?”
• He knew that they were seeking the benefits of baptism
without the price of repentance
• John wanted to see true repentance in the people.
• Repentance literally translates into “a change of mind”. You
should turn away from sin, but also no longer desire to sin.
• John says that true repentance should produce fruit. In other
words, there would be evidence of the changes in their lives.
• Next John addresses some of the Jews’ belief that they had
special privilege with God due to his covenant with Abraham.
• One does not become a member of God’s body simply by
being a descendant of Abraham, but by responding personally
to God and his call.
• John then says that the ax is at the root of the tree, meaning
judgment was near. Any without true faith and repentance
would be cut down and cast into the fire.
• What does it mean to be truly repentant?
◦Repentance literally translates into “a change of mind”.
You should turn away from sin, but also no longer desire to
sin.
◦You should follow God’s teachings
• Response
• Luke 3:10-14
◦“And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”
And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to
share with him who has none, and whoever has food is
to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized
and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he
said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized
to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we
do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from
anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be
content with your wages.””
• The people responded to John’s message. In what ways does
the gospel message always demand a response from people?
◦People are forced to accept it, and change their lives, or
deny it and continue in sin.
• John the Baptist just called them out, so the people ask him
what they’re supposed to do.
• John instructs them to share what they have with those in
need. He uses a few simple examples, that anyone would be
able to apply.
• Every person is able to find some tangible way to express a
changed life by helping other people instead of living selfishly.
• John talks about a lot of works Christians should do, but
works are merely the evidence of Christ’s converting work in
believers’ lives.
• James 2:17-18
◦“So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is
dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have
works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and
I will show you my faith by my works.”
• Next, John addresses the tax collectors who had come to
him.
• Tax collectors were usually Jews in Roman employ. They
were typically considered traitors to the Jewish people. They
often would enrich themselves at the expense of their fellow
Jews.
• John told them to collect no more than what had been
authorized.
• Of course, this wouldn’t be the only sin in these men’s lives,
but this would be the one that would show the most evidence
for true repentance.
• In verse 14 John speaks with soldiers that were there. We
aren’t told what they were doing there. It’s possible they were
their investigating the large crowds.
• The soldiers were touched by John’s message and ask him
what they should do.
• Like the tax collectors, John gives them an applicable way to
change.
• He knew soldiers were likely to use their power to take things
by force, or testify falsely against someone to gain their
possessions.
• If we were in the crowd that day, what changes might John
direct us to make to show our true repentance? Think about
different occupations and what John might have said.
◦Car salesman shouldn’t cheat a customer
◦Lawyer lying for a client
• Division
• Luke 3:15-18
◦“As the people were in expectation, and all were
questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether
he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying,
“I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I
is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy
to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and
fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his
threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn,
but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” So
with many other exhortations he preached good news
to the people.”
• The people were amazed at what John had said. They began
to wonder if he was the Christ that had been foretold.
• Jews had been awaiting the coming messiah for centuries
• There had not been a prophet in Israel for 400 years.
• The people recognized that John taught with the authority of
God. This was something they hadn’t seen before. The
scribes and rabbis didn’t possess this authority. This was
made clear in Mark when talking of Jesus.
• Mark 1:22
◦“And they were astonished at his teaching, for he
taught them as one who had authority, and not as the
scribes.”
• John quickly shuts these thoughts down claiming that Jesus
would be much greater than he.
• John baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Holy
Spirit and fire.
• Clearly the Holy Spirit is a good thing, but baptism by fire
doesn’t sound as great
• Verse 17 would go on to talk about Jesus judgment, so it’s
most likely that the fire discussed is speaking of how Jesus
will bring either salvation or judgment to all.
• A winnowing shovel was used to separate grain from chaff.
The grain would be tossed into the air. The lighter chaff would
blow away, and the good grain would fall to the floor to be
collected.
• Jesus’ judgment is double edged. If you reject the gospel,
you will be blown away like the chaff. If you accept the
gospel, you will be gathered into Jesus’ barn.
• Why should the good news of the gospel also include
warnings?
• A scary picture is painted at the end of verse 17 when it says
“the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”
• I’m sorry, but that’s terrifying.
• Conclusion
• Judgment awaits those who live in disobedience to God and
His standards
• Repentance Is demonstrated through godly living.
• One’s eternal destiny is determined by his or her response to
Jesus.
• Think about people you know who need to be warned about
God’s coming judgment on sin.
• Think about how you can demonstrate true repentance and
love for God by loving others.
Luke 6:27-38
Luke 6 calls Christians to be compassionate. This lesson comes from the Sermon on the Plain, sharing common themes from the Sermon on the Mount.
Compassionate
• Americans have been having a real problem with
dehumanizing people. We generalize, and label other people
to create a “lesser-than” mentality. We call people racist, or
ignorant, or some other title, so that we can absolve ourselves
of guilt when we judge them.
• Jesus was different. He loved all people, and saw them as
worthy of His time. He would confront His critics, showing
them how to be compassionate in the process.
• Can you disagree with someone and still love them? Explain
• Context
• Today’s study comes from what has been called the Sermon
on the Plain. Luke 6:17 since it says it “took place on a level
place”
• It has some common themes from the Sermon on the Mount
• There is a variation of the beatitudes
• The central idea is to love other people through mercy and
forgiveness
• Love All
• Luke 6:27-28
◦““But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do
good to those who hate you, bless those who curse
you, pray for those who abuse you.”
• Jesus emphasizes the difference between non-believers and
His followers.
• One of the primary differences between believers and non-
believers is how we view our enemies. We aren’t to return evil
for evil. We are to do good to those who hate us.
• This is hard to do, but we should really pity those that hate us.
They don’t have our peace, our love, or our salvation.
Returning good to them may be what they need to see what it
means to be a Christian.
• When it says bless those who curse you, this is more than just
us doing good to them. It’s a desire for God’s blessings for
these people.
• What makes it so difficult to pray for someone who mistreats
you?
• Luke 6:29-31
◦“To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other
also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not
withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs
from you, and from one who takes away your goods do
not demand them back. And as you wish that others
would do to you, do so to them.”
• We need to be willing to suffer for Jesus’ sake.
• We need to be willing to give more than is our natural
tendency to do so.
• When someone asks for a handout, we shouldn’t judge their
motives, but give generously to them.
• The sayings in these verses aren’t necessarily a set of rules to
be followed, but rather a reflection of the type of attitude
Christians should have.
• We should react to circumstances differently than the rest of
the world.
• With a Pure Heart
• Luke 6:32-36
◦““If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to
you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if
you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit
is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you
lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what
credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to
get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and
do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the
Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”
• These verses are a call to question our motives in how we
respond to people.
• We should do good to people, wether we are going to gain
something in return or not.
• Christianity isn’t quid pro quo. We recognize that nothing we
have is truly ours. It all comes from God. So we should give
freely.
• The verses go on to show that this is the same way God
reacts to us and others.
• He is gracious to those who are ungrateful.
• He is merciful to us, even though we don’t always deserve it.
So, we should grant mercy to others, just as we have received
mercy.
• Which of these commands is most difficult to follow?
• And With Mercy
• Luke 6:37-38
◦““Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not,
and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be
forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. Good
measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over,
will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use
it will be measured back to you.””
• Only God is in a position to judge others. We can’t sit as
judge and jury.
• The part that says you will not be judged is qualified in the
Sermon on the Mount
• Matthew 7:2
◦“For with the judgment you pronounce you will be
judged, and with the measure you use it will be
measured to you.”
• So it would benefit us to extend a lot of forgiveness and mercy
• I find it surprising, though, that Christians often times are the
most judgmental.
• It turns a lot of people off from church.
• Conclusion
• Believers are to treat all people with dignity and respect
• Believers are to love all people with pure intentions
• Believers are to exhibit God’s character in this world