Wednesday Evening Bible Study

August 9, 2000

Introduction

:14-15

:14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

power – dunamis – strength, power, ability; inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth

fame – pheme – fame, report

(NAS) news about Him spread

Jesus led a life that was immersed in the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit came upon Him (Luke 3:22)

Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit and was led by the Spirit (Luke 4:1)

Now we see Jesus walking in the power of the Spirit.

God desires to do those same things for us as well.

(Eph 5:18 KJV)  And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

(Rom 8:14 KJV)  For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

(Acts 1:8 KJV)  But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Josephus records that there were 204 cities in the Galilee at this time that had 10,000 people or more living in them.  That would make the population (if Josephus is correct) somewhere around 3 million living in the Galilee area.

:15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

he taught – didasko – to teach; to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses; to be a teacher; to impart instruction

being glorified – doxazo – to think, suppose, be of opinion; to praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; to honour, do honour to, hold in honour; to make glorious, adorn with lustre, clothe with splendour; to cause the dignity and worth of some person or thing to become manifest and acknowledged

It’s possible that Jesus has been ministering for about a year now (Chuck).

At least one of the places Jesus has been to is the city of Capernaum (4:23).

:16-30  Jesus at Nazareth

: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.

Nazareth – Nazareth was a polis (city) in Greek which means that it had a population of over 20,000. It had three major highways running through it.

been brought up – trepho – to nourish, support; feed; to give suck, to fatten; to bring up, nurture

custom – etho – to be accustomed, used, wont; that which is wont; usage, custom

He had been travelling around the Galilee region, and this was what He usually did, going into a synagogue to teach.

stood up – anistemi – to cause to rise up, raise up; stand up

to read – anaginosko – to distinguish between, to recognise, to know accurately, to acknowledge; 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,

delivered unto him – epididomi – to hand, give by hand; to give over; give up to the power or will of one

opened – anaptusso – to unroll; the books of the Hebrews were rolls fastened to [one or] two smooth rods and furnished with handles, so that they could be rolled up and unrolled

he found – heurisko – to come upon, hit upon, to meet with; after searching, to find a thing sought

First there was reading out of the Law, then out of the prophets, then out of the writings. 

From where He read in Isaiah you can know the time of year, for to the present day they follow a annual pattern in the reading of the scriptures. This particular passage is read the fourth Sabbath before the New Year, sometime around the first of September.

There are seven readers, and it is the common practice to allow the guest of honor to read the final portion. It was called the masarah.

:18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;

anointed – chrio – to anoint; consecrating Jesus to the Messianic office, and furnishing him with the necessary powers for its administration; enduing Christians with the gifts of the Holy Spirit

Jesus is reading from:

(Isa 61:1-2 KJV)  The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; {2} To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

As we’ve seen in Isaiah 61, Jesus didn’t quote the entire passage.  There is a prophetic break in the passage, a “skip” of two thousand years between the first and second comings of Jesus.

The “day of vengeance” will occur at the Second Coming of Jesus:

(Isa 63:4 KJV)  For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

As we’ve seen, it’s pretty significant that Jesus is reading this portion of Scripture.

The Holy Spirit came “upon” Jesus when He was baptized (Luke 3:22), and He has been walking under the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1).

The “anointing” is a reference to oil, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.

preach the gospel – euaggelizo – to bring good news, to announce glad tidings; in the NT used especially of the glad tidings of the coming kingdom of God, and of the salvation to be obtained in it through Christ, and of what relates to this salvation

poor – ptochos – reduced to beggary, begging, asking alms; destitute of wealth, influence, position, honour; lacking in anything; as respects their spirit

Jesus came to minister to needy people, people who were aware that they had a need for Him.

(Mat 19:24 KJV)  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

:18  he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,

heal – iaomai – to cure, heal; to make whole; to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation

broken – suntribo – break, to break in pieces, shiver; to tread down; to break down, crush

hearted – kardia – the heart

:18  to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,

to preach – kerusso – to be a herald, to officiate as a herald; to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done; used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers

deliverance – aphesis – release from bondage or imprisonment; forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty

captives – aichmalotos – a captive; (lit., “captive from a spear”)

Jesus has come to set the captives free.  Free from the bondage of Satan.  We too have a part in this.

(2 Tim 2:24-26 KJV)  And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, {25} In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; {26} And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.

recovering of sight – anablepsis – recovery of sight

blind – tuphlos – blind; mentally blind

This isn’t just talking about those who are physically blind, but those who are spiritually blind as well.  People who don’t have a clue to their real spiritual condition.

:18  to set at liberty them that are bruised,

to set – apostello – to order (one) to go to a place appointed; to send away, dismiss; to allow one to depart, that he may be in a state of liberty

liberty – aphesis – release from bondage or imprisonment; forgiveness or pardon, of sins (letting them go as if they had never been committed), remission of the penalty

bruised – thrauo – to break, break in pieces, shatter, smite through; is suggestive of many fragments and minute dispersion

I think this is talking about forgiveness.

Unforgiveness is a kind of bondage, a type of prison.

Jesus has come to give us forgiveness from God, to set us free from the prison of condemnation from God.

But He has also come to teach us to forgive each other as well.

:19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

to preach – kerusso – to be a herald, to officiate as a herald; to publish, proclaim openly: something which has been done; used of the public proclamation of the gospel and matters pertaining to it, made by John the Baptist, by Jesus, by the apostles and other Christian teachers

acceptable – dektos – accepted, acceptable

year – eniautos – a year, in a wider sense, for some fixed definite period of time

To tell people that God can accept them.

: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.

closed – ptusso – to fold together, roll up

the minister – huperetes – servant; an underrower, subordinate rower; any one who serves with hands: a servant; in the NT of the officers and attendants of magistrates as—of the officer who executes penalties; of the attendants of a king, servants, retinue, the soldiers of a king, of the attendant of a synagogue

were fastened – atenizo – to fix the eyes on, gaze upon; to look into anything; metaph. to fix one’s mind on one as an example

Jesus sitting down does not mean that He was finished.  The rabbis would sit down as they taught.  The people are expecting Him to teach.

:21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

he began – archomai – to be the first to do (anything), to begin; to begin, make a beginning

to say – lego – to say, to speak; affirm over, maintain; to teach; to exhort, advise, to command, direct; to point out with words, intend, mean, mean to say

fulfilled – pleroo – to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full; to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally; to render full, i.e. to complete; to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim; of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish; to fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

:22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth.

bare him witness – martureo – to be a witness, to bear witness, i.e. to affirm that one has seen or heard or experienced something, or that he knows it because taught by divine revelation or inspiration

wondered – thaumazo – to wonder, wonder at, marvel

gracious – charis – grace; that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech; good will, loving-kindness, favour

which proceeded out – ekporeuomai – to go forth, go out, depart; to come forth, to issue, to proceed; of feelings, affections, deeds, sayings

:22 And they said, Is not this Joseph's son?

They still knew of Joseph.

They’re going to have a hard time because they see Jesus as only “Joseph’s son”.  They don’t recognize Him as “God’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.

Physician – iatros – a physician

heal – therapeuo – to serve, do service; to heal, cure, restore to health

Capernaum – Kapernaoum – “village of comfort"; a flourishing city of Galilee situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee or Lake of Gennesaret, near the place where the Jordan flows into the lake

country – patris – one’s native country; one’s fatherland, one’s own country, a fixed abode or home; one’s own native place i.e. a city

I don’t think they mean that Jesus needed healing.  They are wondering why Jesus isn’t doing any healing in Nazareth as He was known to have done in Capernaum.

:24 And he said, Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.

Verily – amen – firm; verily, amen; at the beginning of a discourse-surely, truly, of a truth

accepted – dektos – accepted, acceptable

I think that sometimes we have a hard time thinking that God is going to be using somebody that we know pretty well.

Perhaps it’s because we have this idea that the people that God uses are somehow “supernatural” or “not like us”.

But when we actually know the other person, it’s not always easy to listen to something they’re saying and realize that God may be giving them the words they’re speaking.

God uses ordinary people.  He always has.  Every person you think that God has used in your life is really an ordinary person.

Husbands, could God actually speak to your wife?  Wives, could God actually use that lunk you’re married to?

It’s not impossible for God to work through people we’re “familiar” with.  It’s just harder because we have a problem with it.

: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;

a truth – aletheia – what is true in any matter under consideration; truly, in truth, according to truth; of a truth, in reality, in fact, certainly

Elias – Elijah

Jesus is going to take them to the Scriptures.

:26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

Sarepta – Zarephath

Sidon – the implication is that the woman was not a Jew, but a Phoenician, from a city that belonged to Sidon.

(1 Ki 17:8-16 KJV)  And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, {9} Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee. {10} So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. {11} And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. {12} And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. {13} And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son. {14} For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth. {15} And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. {16} And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

This widow took Elijah in and God did a miracle with the woman’s flower and oil, so that she never ran out of food for the rest of the famine.

There were lots of needy, Jewish widows in the land during Elijah’s day.  They weren’t all sustained.  There was only one that was taken care of, a Gentile widow.  What happened to the rest?

For one thing, there was a reason why there was a drought and a famine.  God was trying to get the northern kingdom of Israel to wake up and get out of its idolatry (1Ki. 17-18).

Lesson

Be careful about expecting God to make everyone happy.

There are lots of reasons why He doesn’t fix everyone’s problems, but God isn’t in the business of just making people happy.

:27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.

Eliseus – Elisha

cleansed – katharizo – to make clean, cleanse; a leper, to cleanse by curing

(2 Ki 5:1-16 KJV)  Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honourable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valour, but he was a leper. {2} And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife. {3} And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. {4} And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. {5} And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. {6} And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. {7} And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. {8} And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. {9} So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. {10} And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. {11} But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. {12} Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. {13} And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? {14} Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. {15} And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. {16} But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.

The implication is the same as with the widow of Zarephath.  There were a lot of needy Jewish people in Israel at that time, a lot of lepers.  But only one person was healed, and he wasn’t Jewish.  He was a Syrian, a Gentile.

Lesson

God doesn’t heal everybody.

He heals whom He wants to.

:28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

filled – pletho – to fill; to be fulfilled, to be filled

wrath – thumos – passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again

They didn’t like what Jesus was saying.  He was telling them that there have been times when God has picked and chosen whom He would be gracious to, and that it hasn’t always been Jewish people.

Matthew tells us more about the folks in Nazareth.

(Mat 13:54-58 KJV)  And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? {55} Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? {56} And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? {57} And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. {58} And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

These folks had a hard time recognizing Jesus for who He was.  They had a hard time believing in Him.

Lesson

Unbelief can keep you from receiving.

Sometimes God just isn’t going to say “yes” to our requests.  We need to learn to accept Him saying, “My grace is enough”.

But sometimes we don’t receive what we ought to because we’re just having a hard time believing that God could or would do it.

Perhaps God has been giving you a leading to do a certain thing for Him.  Do you believe Him?

: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.

rose up – anistemi – to cause to rise up, raise up

thrust him out – ekballo – to cast out, drive out, to send out; to expel a person from a society: to banish from a family

brow – ophrus – the eyebrow; any prominence or projection

cast him down – katakremnizo – to cast down a precipice; to through down headlong

Lesson

Not everyone will like what you say.

Jesus was actually quite confrontational with these people.  These were even the people “closest” to Him.  His home town.

But He was honest with them.  And they wanted Him dead.

:30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,

passing through – dierchomai – to go through, pass through

went his way – poreuomai – to lead over, carry over, transfer; to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one’s journey

Not exactly miraculous sounding language, but something happened for Jesus to be able to walk right through the crowd that was just about to push Him off the cliff.