Who Is Jesus Luke 4:14-30 2-26-2012

Sermon series – who is this Jesus Luke 4:14-30 2-26-12

Title – Jesus introduces himself

14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 17 The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[e]
20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”
24 “I tell you the truth,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with leprosy[f] in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”
28 All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Lent = 40 days before Easter, not counting Sundays
A time to consider the suffering of Jesus
People give things up for Lent

What we normally do during Lent
Some things that we have done in the past
What we are doing this year and why -
Jesus announces his ministry
Who is this Jesus guy
What is he trying to accomplish

I have come that they might have life
John 10:10 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

An astronaut on the moon in enraptured by the beauty of the earth……..
Then he calls himself to his senses. That is not why I am here. Lets collect some rocks.

2 kinds of education in this life
The first one teaches you how to make a living.
The second one teaches you how to live.

It is a great success to help someone learn to make a living. – to pay their bills
But is that all there is……….
Don’t we have the obligation to teach our children how to live. L-I-V-E live
How do we do this? we teach
Faith, Work, Love, Apologizing, Grace, Forgiveness, Bearing pain, Letting your parents go, Seeing the good, Living below your means, Saving for the future, Delaying gratification, Planning, Service, Setting an example, Being real, Knowledge, Wisdom, Leadership, Accountability, Humility, Vision.

I have come that they might have life……….

Some think of religion and find oppression
Guilt, manipulation, dominance, fear

Paul Harvey tells the story of…..
Carl Coleman was driving to work one morning when he bumped fenders with another motorist.
Both cars stopped, and the woman driving the other car got out to survey the damage.
She was distraught. It was her fault, she admitted, and hers was a new car, less than two days from the showroom. She dreaded facing her husband.
Coleman was sympathetic, but he had to pursue the exchange of license and registration data.
She reached into her glove compartment to retrieve the documents which were in an envelope.
On the first paper to tumble out, written in her husband’s distinctive hand, were these words:
In case of accident, remember, Honey, it’s you I love, not the car.--
Religion in Jesus day was about
Oppression Guilt, manipulation, dominance, fear
Jesus speaks of something else

18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

To proclaim the year of the lords favor.
What does it mean that your favor rests on someone
Worried about whether or not someone likes you
Shouldn’t feel that way about God
Speak into someone’s life. Make it personal

There is something here that I don’t want you to miss.

There are a lot of people that don’t like jesus……
he has come to change things
Change is resisted by lots of people
He challenges their humanity, their lack of faith. Their humanness
Their entire life view……their paradigm

You see, he leaves off the end of the verse…. From Is 61:2

18 “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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

and the day of vengeance of our God,

Here is why they are upset with him
Quote from Isaiah 61:2B
Abrupt ending.
He sets this passage into a new context
A day of vengeance for our God
Its not about getting even anymore
Its not about who is in or who is out
And this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing

Vengeance or love. judgment or mercy. Who will you be?

This is not what they are used to.
An eye for an eye
He is inviting them to change their world view
Examples naaman the Syrian, widow of zarephath

Jesus brings
grace to those who most desperately needed it regardless of their affiliation, heritage or status.
the old paradigm was,
we are the jews. We have it right. we are in. we are the good one. You are out. An eye for an eye.

The paradigm of Jesus kingdom is far different.
All children are gods children and he has come to declare a new day.
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,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”


conclusion
it is so easy for us humans to take sides.
If jesus challenged our positions, would we want to throw him off the cliff
Or are we ready to understand and accept that in his kingdom everyone is welcome. Everyone is loved.

This life of grace is graciously given to each of us. We are invited to join the procession and give that grace to others. To proclaim the lords favor.