Jesus is revealed as the one Scripture is pointing to- Luke 4
Nehemiah 8: 1-3, 5-6, 8-10;
Luke 4: 14-21
There is an interesting thematic thread running through most of our readings today.
In Nehemiah, the people have been returning from Exile, under the leading of Nehemiah as their governor and the priest Ezra. They gather the people and read from the Torah, the Law of Moses. And as they read they give interpretation, which is to say they were preaching on what they were reading, so people could understand what the Torah was saying. The people seemed to have been largely uneducated regarding the Law, and they begin weeping, presumably because of the ways their people had failed to keep the Law and have now endured the consequences by being taken into exile in Babylon. … And perhaps they weep because of the faithfulness of God in light of their own people’s rebellion. … But, instead of weeping, they are told to celebrate with rich food and wine. Their leaders, Nehemiah and Ezra, urged them to transform their tears into joy, to celebrate with feast and fellowship. They recognized that rediscovering God's Word was not a moment for despair but a catalyst for renewal. It is a beautiful thing to hear Scripture, and their leaders want the rediscovery of the Law and their recommitment to the covenant to be a time of joy.
Our Psalm speaks about how creation declares the glory of God and proclaims his handiwork. And then it speaks about the Law, the Torah, which is not a burden, but rather revives the soul. It says of the words of the Law-
There is an interesting thematic thread running through most of our readings today.
In Nehemiah, the people have been returning from Exile, under the leading of Nehemiah as their governor and the priest Ezra. They gather the people and read from the Torah, the Law of Moses. And as they read they give interpretation, which is to say they were preaching on what they were reading, so people could understand what the Torah was saying. The people seemed to have been largely uneducated regarding the Law, and they begin weeping, presumably because of the ways their people had failed to keep the Law and have now endured the consequences by being taken into exile in Babylon. … And perhaps they weep because of the faithfulness of God in light of their own people’s rebellion. … But, instead of weeping, they are told to celebrate with rich food and wine. Their leaders, Nehemiah and Ezra, urged them to transform their tears into joy, to celebrate with feast and fellowship. They recognized that rediscovering God's Word was not a moment for despair but a catalyst for renewal. It is a beautiful thing to hear Scripture, and their leaders want the rediscovery of the Law and their recommitment to the covenant to be a time of joy.
Our Psalm speaks about how creation declares the glory of God and proclaims his handiwork. And then it speaks about the Law, the Torah, which is not a burden, but rather revives the soul. It says of the words of the Law-
“More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.”
By these words God’s servant is warned, and in keeping them there is reward. God’s instruction in the words of Scripture are not strict mandates, but treasures that enrich our lives. … With our reading from Nehemiah, there is a recognition of the Scriptures as being an incredible gift.
And in our Gospel reading, Jesus is preaching. And he reveals himself as the one who fulfills the words of the prophets in the Scriptures. The long-awaited messiah is revealed, and it is him. … This continues the theme that we have been encountering in Epiphany, where the identity of Jesus is being revealed.
On the feast of Epiphany, the Magi knelt before him as the king of the Jews and offered him gifts. Then we saw Jesus baptized by John the Baptist, and we heard the voice of the Father reveal him as His son, and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. Then last Sunday we saw the first miracle Jesus performs in the Gospel of John, turning water into wine, which hints towards the arrival of the messianic wedding banquet. And here we see Jesus being revealed as the one expected by the prophets.
We see a similar moment in Luke 24, at the end of the Gospel, when the resurrected Jesus encounters two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are expressing their sorrow and disappointment, thinking that Jesus wasn’t actually the Messiah because of his death on the cross. Not knowing it was actually Jesus walking with them, he responds,
And in our Gospel reading, Jesus is preaching. And he reveals himself as the one who fulfills the words of the prophets in the Scriptures. The long-awaited messiah is revealed, and it is him. … This continues the theme that we have been encountering in Epiphany, where the identity of Jesus is being revealed.
On the feast of Epiphany, the Magi knelt before him as the king of the Jews and offered him gifts. Then we saw Jesus baptized by John the Baptist, and we heard the voice of the Father reveal him as His son, and the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove. Then last Sunday we saw the first miracle Jesus performs in the Gospel of John, turning water into wine, which hints towards the arrival of the messianic wedding banquet. And here we see Jesus being revealed as the one expected by the prophets.
We see a similar moment in Luke 24, at the end of the Gospel, when the resurrected Jesus encounters two disciples on the road to Emmaus. They are expressing their sorrow and disappointment, thinking that Jesus wasn’t actually the Messiah because of his death on the cross. Not knowing it was actually Jesus walking with them, he responds,
“’How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?’ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:25-27).
The threads of the past, present, and future are being woven together revealing a divine drama that focuses on Jesus. Jesus teaches them how the Scriptures point to him, which is what he is saying while he is preaching on this passage in Isaiah.
Stepping back a little to look at the context in Luke, we read that, after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism, he was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After succeeding against the devil in the wilderness, Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. And this is where our Gospel reading starts. Luke is emphasizing that Jesus is powerfully inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with him in a powerful way.
Word has spreading about him, and he was teaching in the synagogues in Galilee. For 30 years Jesus was preparing. NT Wright says it is like a musician who spends hours and hours of preparation out of the public eye before the moment comes to perform. Now, after preparing and being tested, Jesus is ready. And one Sabbath he is in his home town of Nazareth. He went to the synagogue that he grew up in. He knows these people and they know him. He stood up to read, like he has done many times before, no doubt. He is handed the scroll of Isaiah, and reads,
Bishop NT Wright says it this way,
So what do we do with all this? We're invited to examine our own expectations and our own openness to what God is doing in the world. … just as the people in Nehemiah's time rediscovered the words of the Law so we are called to continuously rediscover the joy and guidance in encountering the Scriptures As a force for transformation.
And we are challenged by the person of Jesus. He may not always be who we want him to be, or who we expect him to be. He brings with him a Kingdom marked by healing, liberation, and grace, that extends beyond the expected boundaries of his time. So we should be prepared to be surprised by him. … May we, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, have our eyes opened to see Jesus in all of Scripture, as well as in every aspect of our lives. And may we celebrate this revelation with joy, committing ourselves anew to God's purposes, and the divine drama of His redemptive work. Amen.
Stepping back a little to look at the context in Luke, we read that, after the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at his baptism, he was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After succeeding against the devil in the wilderness, Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the Spirit. And this is where our Gospel reading starts. Luke is emphasizing that Jesus is powerfully inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is with him in a powerful way.
Word has spreading about him, and he was teaching in the synagogues in Galilee. For 30 years Jesus was preparing. NT Wright says it is like a musician who spends hours and hours of preparation out of the public eye before the moment comes to perform. Now, after preparing and being tested, Jesus is ready. And one Sabbath he is in his home town of Nazareth. He went to the synagogue that he grew up in. He knows these people and they know him. He stood up to read, like he has done many times before, no doubt. He is handed the scroll of Isaiah, and reads,
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Isaiah 61:1,2).Jesus then sits down, which is the posture of a teacher in his culture. And his teaching about this passage of Scripture is that it is fulfilled in their hearing. Much like his comments on Scripture on the road to Emmaus, he is saying that Scripture is pointing to him. … But he is also suggesting that he is not entirely what they are expecting. He is not going to fit into their “Messiah box”. The people of God have gotten God wrong before. So while they think they know what to expect from the Messiah, they need to be prepared to have their expectations corrected.
Bishop NT Wright says it this way,
“The passage [Jesus] quotes is about the Messiah. Throughout Isaiah there are pictures of a strange ‘anointed’ figure who will perform the Lord's will. But, though this text goes on to speak of vengeance on evil doers, Jesus doesn't quote that bit. Instead, he seems to have drawn on the larger picture in Isaiah and elsewhere which speaks of Israel being called to be the light of the nations, a theme which Luke has already highlighted in chapter two. The Servant-Messiah has not come to inflict punishment on the nations, but to bring God's love and mercy to them. And that will be the fulfillment of a central theme in Israel’s own scriptures.”
“This message was, and remains, shocking. Jesus’ claim to be reaching out with healing to all people, though itself a vital Jewish idea, was not what most 1st century Jews wanted or expected. As we shall see, Jesus coupled it with severe warnings to his own countrymen. Unless they could see that this was the time for their God to be gracious, unless they abandoned their futile dreams of military victory over their national enemies, they would suffer defeat themselves at every level - military, political and theological.” NT Wright (Luke for Everyone. p.48)
So what do we do with all this? We're invited to examine our own expectations and our own openness to what God is doing in the world. … just as the people in Nehemiah's time rediscovered the words of the Law so we are called to continuously rediscover the joy and guidance in encountering the Scriptures As a force for transformation.
And we are challenged by the person of Jesus. He may not always be who we want him to be, or who we expect him to be. He brings with him a Kingdom marked by healing, liberation, and grace, that extends beyond the expected boundaries of his time. So we should be prepared to be surprised by him. … May we, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, have our eyes opened to see Jesus in all of Scripture, as well as in every aspect of our lives. And may we celebrate this revelation with joy, committing ourselves anew to God's purposes, and the divine drama of His redemptive work. Amen.
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