Luke 4:21–32

Fourth Sunday After Epiphany

²¹And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." ²²And 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?" ²³And 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." ²⁴And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. ²⁵But 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, ²⁶and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." ²⁸When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. ²⁹And 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. ³⁰But passing through their midst, he went away. ³¹And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, ³²and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word possessed authority.

Jesus read the Scripture, handed it back to the attendant, sat down and said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” He had just read that he had been anointed by the Holy Spirit to proclaim good news to the poor. He had just announced publicly that he had been sent to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind and to release the oppressed. In other words he had come into the world to announce the end of Satan’s reign over the world and over mankind.

This was good news. This was the news that Israel had been waiting for, for the past 2000 years. These were Words of peace and joy. This was a message that people everywhere would receive with jubilee. Freedom from captivity! Sight for the blind! Release for the prisoner! The curse of sin was to end. The power of death was swallowed up in victory.

Who was this man? Was he the Messiah? Was he the one who would cast off the rule of Rome and restore Israel to the great nation it had been under King David?

Obviously, this man was a prophet; a great prophet and his message was moving. His speech was eloquent, his words gracious. If nothing else, he was a great public speaker. The people were moved by the way he spoke. They were filled with passion and emotion. He had inspired them with his words. They praised him. They told him what a wonderful job he had done; what a great sermon he had preached! Had they been a congregation without a pastor, they would have extended him a call right there on the spot.

“Who is this man?” they asked one another. “Where did he come from?” Then someone recognized him, “why, this is Joseph’s son! This is that little boy who grew up down the street. That kid we used to watch play in the fields. How did he get to be such a great speaker? What could he possibly know?”

That is still the question today: Who is this man Jesus? The world still asks that question and debates the answer. What every Christian child knows has stumped the greatest minds and the most educated scholars. The wisdom of a child is so great that it often confounds the learned and puzzles the erudite.

They asked the question, but they didn’t recognize Jesus. They did not recognize the Son of God. They doubted; they disbelieved. Jesus knew that. He knew their doubts. He saw their unbelief. For all his eloquence and fine speech did not make believers. It is not good rhetoric and great communication that creates faith. They heard all that. They even praised him for it. But only those to whom the Holy Spirit reveals the Son can recognize the Son.

That day the people rejected his message. And he called them on it. He was not one to pussy-foot around. He said things the way they were. He didn’t just try to fit in and be a nice guy. He wasn’t just satisfied that they liked his sermon and merely enjoyed their praise. He didn’t run from controversy and try to just get along with everyone. He stood for up for his beliefs and values. He spoke the truth even when it hurt.

He pointed out their unbelief: “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’” And he pointed out that there were many widows in Israel but Elijah was sent to the land of Sidon. And there were many lepers in Israel but Elisha was sent to Naaman the Syrian. He was telling them that if they did not hear and believe God’s Word, it would be taken from them and given to others. And so it was.

They were filled with rage. They got up and drove him out of town and took him to a cliff in order to throw him off. When Satan plants doubt in our minds, it then leads to unbelief and unbelief leads to rejection.

They rejected the Word of God and wanted to kill him. From the very beginning of human history mankind has tried to kill God. Satan tempted Adam and Eve with the temptation to be like God: to take God off the throne and put themselves on it. Satan has wanted to dethrone God since the beginning and he recruited mankind to help him. When God promised a Seed who would crush Satan’s head, Satan was furious and he has sought to kill that Seed ever since. So that day, in the town of Nazareth, Jesus hometown where he grew up as a child, Satan entered into the hearts of the people and made an attempt on his life.

That was just the beginning of the sufferings of Jesus. He came to his own and his own did not receive him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.

In his office of prophet, Jesus was sent to proclaim the good news. In his office of priest, he suffered and died in order to become the good news. As priest he offered the sacrifice; the lamb whose blood washes away sin. As priest he became the sacrifice; the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

That day he was rejected by men and his suffering began. From that day on, his ministry would be marked by controversy and opposition. For mankind has rejected God. Mankind has become the instrument and slave of Satan to take God off the throne and kill the promised Seed. By nature we are haters of God, unbelievers and sinners. By nature we are enemies of God and deserve his severest wrath and condemnation. We by nature are responsible for the sufferings and death of Christ. It is on account of our sin that he suffered. It is on account of our iniquity that he died. Inspired by Satan, we crucified Jesus with our sin.

But just as the people of Nazareth could not hold him to throw him down the cliff and he slipped out of the crowd and went on his way, so neither could death hold him or Satan keep him down. He rose again and proclaimed his victory over sin and death. His resurrection proclaims to the world that forgiveness of sin. His resurrection is the absolution of the sin of the world. When he rose on the Third Day, he proclaimed to the world; “Your sins are forgiven.”

Although we are God’s enemies by nature and don’t deserve his love, he loved us and sent his Son to die for us so that all who believe should have eternal life. He became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He became our brother so that by his death he might destroy the one who holds the power of death. He was the promised Seed who would crush the head of the serpent. And so in a fatal twist of history, Satan in his rage and attempt to kill the Son, by doing so, ultimately brought about his own demise. For the very death of Christ was his victory over Satan.

By his suffering and death Jesus not only announced the good news of release for the captive; he was the good news. He made it happen. He is the very one who opened the gates of hell and released its prisoners. He wrested Satan’s kingdom from him and brought us out of it into the kingdom of God. Jesus himself is freedom for the prisoner and release for the captive.

By his death we are set free from death. By his resurrection we are raised to eternal life. This is our comfort and joy. This is our confidence and hope. We are forgiven; we are freed; we have life eternal. We are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Jesus told the people that day that on account of their unbelief the promise would be given to others, and it was. He left Nazareth for other places. He proclaimed the good news to other people and they believed. They believed his word for his word possessed authority. His message was the message of forgiveness and life. His word has the power to accomplish what it says.

And this is Epiphany: the Word being announced to all the world. All who hear and believe find salvation. The light of God has shined on the nations. By our missions and evangelism the light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is spread to the furthermost parts of the world. Disciples are being made by baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and by teaching them all things that the Word of God declares.

This is Epiphany; as we tell our neighbors the good news of salvation and invite them to hear God’s word and study the Bible. For that Word of God which we proclaim and tell is the same word of Jesus; the word that possessed authority. It has the authority to forgive sins. It has the authority to create faith and make believers. It has the authority to release the captive and free the oppressed. It has the authority to give eternal life. For it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And this is Epiphany; as we live according to that word. That word that says love your enemies; forgive those who sin against you; and give your life for your friend. As we live our lives in Christian obedience and kindness the world will see the Word of God in our lives, our deeds and our words. The light of God’s love will shine in the darkness of the world. The love of God will shine in the gloom of sin and disbelief.

For this is Jesus and his word possesses authority. His word has washed us from our sin; his word has released us from death; his word has given us life.

Amen.