SERMON: COME -- FOLLOW ME -- JESUS CALLS HIS FIRST DISCIPLES

 

Naylor Community Christian Church

 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Matthew 4:18-22

 

Matthew 4:18-22

New International Version

 

Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

 

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

 

-- thanks to James Cameron’s blockbuster film, “Titanic,” everyone is familiar with the story of the great ship hitting an iceberg and sinking in the Atlantic, with 1500 of the 2200 passengers and crew dying as a result of the catastrophe -- many stories have been told about the people who survived and about the selfless acts of heroism that were displayed by so many on the ship that day -- but one story has remained seldom told in the annals of Titanic lore -- I want to share that story with you today

-- John Harper was a Scottish pastor and a passenger on the Titanic when it sank in 1912 -- He had been a follower of Jesus for a long time -- when he was about thirteen years old, he heard the voice of Jesus calling, “Come, follow Me” -- and Harper dropped everything to become a disciple of Christ -- even though he never attended seminary, Harper spent all his free time preaching in his home village -- eventually, he went to London to work with the Baptist Pioneer Mission and founded Paisley Road Baptist Church in London -- which started with twenty-five people but grew to over five hundred under his dedicated leadership and evangelistic outreach

-- news of the gifted evangelist spread to America, and Harper was invited to speak at the famous Moody Church in Chicago, where he led a series of impressive meetings -- a few years later, he was invited back to Chicago to speak at Moody Church again, which is how Harper wound up on the Titanic on that fateful day, along with his six-year old daughter and his female cousin, who helped look after his daughter following the passing of his wife

-- the last day of the Titanic found the Harper family going about their normal routines -- there were morning prayers and then a Sunday morning church service on board -- they went about their day, enjoying their time on the ship, and headed to bed shortly after sunset

-- at 11:40 pm that night -- 14 April 1912 -- the Titanic struck the giant iceberg and began to take on water -- the command was given to abandon ship -- and lifeboats were released from the ship into the icy Atlantic ocean -- learning of the danger, Harper hurried to put his daughter and cousin onto a lifeboat, but he stayed on board

-- as the water began filling the Titanic, John directed people towards safety -- he shouted for “women, children, and the unsaved” to be put into the remaining lifeboats -- eighteen lifeboats were filled and lowered onto the ocean, but they could only hold about half the passengers on board -- Harper was among the remaining 1,528 passengers left on the ship who were either thrown into the icy waters or forced to jump to save themselves

            -- even in the icy waters of the Atlantic -- even knowing that his own death was likely near -- Harper still heard the words of his Lord echoing in his ears, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”

-- For over an hour Harper swam urgently from one person to another who were floating in the ocean or clinging to pieces of wreckage, urging them to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior -- in response to one man saying he was not a believer, Harper took off his own life jacket and threw it to him and said, “Take this, then.  You need it more than I.”

-- “One young man was clinging to some debris from the ship, and John asked him if he was saved. The man replied, ‘No.’ As the man drifted away, [Harper] shouted to him, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.’ A few minutes later the current brought the two men together and once again [Harper] urged him to trust in Christ for salvation. Then and there the man believed; but [Harper], aged 39, who had given his lifejacket to another man, slipped under the water never to be seen again. At 2:20 AM on 15 April, the Titanic broke apart and sank deep into the ocean.”

            -- only a handful of the people who were cast into the icy waters of the Atlantic survived that night -- among them was a young Scotsman, who testified four years later at an evangelistic meeting in Canada that he was the last person to have spoken to Harper that fateful night -- with tears in his eyes, he exclaimed, “I was Harper’s last convert”^1,2

 

            -- what makes a man like John Harper? -- what makes a man give up all -- including his very life -- to share with someone the good news of salvation and eternal life? -- that is what we are going to talk about this morning as we continue our survey of the life of Jesus

            -- last week, we looked at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry -- at how, after his baptism and temptation in the wilderness, Jesus returned to preach and teach throughout Galilee -- sharing the good news of eternal life and the coming of the kingdom of God throughout that region -- preaching, as Matthew notes in Matthew 4:17, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near”

            -- this morning, we are going to look at the next significant event that followed Jesus’ preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth and the start of His Galilean Ministry -- the calling of His first disciples

            -- so, if you would, join me here in Matthew 4 and let’s look at this passage together

 

II.  The Call to Discipleship (Matthew 4:18-22)

            -- verse 18

 

Matthew 4:18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

 

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

 

            -- this is one of those stories in the Bible that is so familiar to us that it has lost its luster and its wonder -- it’s a passage that we read and just gloss over, because we all know it by heart -- we’ve seen it countless times in movies and TV -- we’ve read it ourselves or heard it taught until it is just such a familiar scene to us

            -- as Matthew gives us his account here, one day, Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee and he saw two fishermen there, casting their nets into the water -- they were, of course, the brothers Simon and Andrew -- Jesus walked by and said, “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” -- and at once, they left their nets and followed Him

            -- going on a little further along the shore, he sees two other men -- the brothers James and John -- in the boat with their father Zebedee -- they are sitting there, mending and preparing their nets for their next night of fishing -- Jesus calls out to them the same way he had Simon and Andrew -- “Come, follow Me” -- and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him

            -- this is the story that we all know -- that we all have heard -- that we’re all familiar with -- but let me ask you this -- Why? -- why would Simon and Andrew drop their nets on the shore and immediately begin following this man that they did not know? -- why would James and John do the same -- dropping everything and leaving their father in the boat and getting up to follow this man who happens by and calls out, “Come, follow Me?” -- what would cause these sane men to do such an insane act?

 

            -- think about it from your perspective -- one day, you’re at work -- you’re sitting there, doing your job -- when someone enters your business and walks up to you and says, “Come, follow Me” -- and turns around and leaves, expecting you to follow them

            -- and let’s say you know them, at least peripherally -- you know they’re a hotshot preacher in town -- you’ve heard about their sermons in church -- you’ve heard rumor that when they pray for people, people get healed -- you’re vaguely aware of them

            -- and here they are, standing in front of you -- at the counter -- or at your desk -- and they simply say, “Come, follow Me” -- and walk back out the door

            -- what do they expect you to do? -- just get up and leave your job? -- just get up from your desk without a word to your boss and walk out the door, leaving all your work just sitting there undone? -- or, if you’re Kim, leaving a dripping wet dog standing on the grooming table while you just go off and follow this guy with no explanation to anyone?

            -- what do you think your boss would do if you did that? -- what do you think your coworkers would do if you just got up and left? -- what do you think your customers would do if you walked off and left them standing there?

            -- you’d be featured on Lowndes Word of Mouth faster than you could imagine -- people would talk about how rude you were -- how you just left them standing there -- how you just walked off and followed this guy without another word

-- I know that if I got up without any explanation and just walked out of my office and drove out of Moody following some preacher I just heard about but didn’t really know, I probably would have a reprimand waiting for me when I got back -- and if I didn’t come back, I’d have a pink slip in the mail

            -- I imagine it would be the same for you, too

 

            -- but that’s exactly what these fishermen did here in this passage -- and I want you to see that -- I want you to feel the impact of that -- and, consider this, we know that Simon was married and that his mother-in-law lived with them -- and here he is, just getting up and leaving the only job he had -- the only source of income his family had -- with no plan but to follow this itinerant preacher down the beach

            -- this sounds like insanity, doesn’t it? -- so, what is going on here? -- why would Simon and Andrew and James and John do something so extraordinary? -- and why does Jesus expect us to do the same?

 

            -- it all starts with that first command -- Come

            -- when Simon and Andrew were standing there at the shore casting their nets and they heard Jesus call, “Come,” -- they felt it in their hearts -- it was the word they had been waiting for their whole lives, without even knowing it

            -- the same with James and John -- sitting there, mending their nets with their father -- it was the word spoken from The Word -- “Come” -- that stirred their hearts and set their feet in motion

            -- it is the same with us

            -- you see, we are all primed for that command -- we are all born ready to respond to the word when it comes -- it resonates in our hearts -- it touches our spirits -- and we are expected to move when we hear it because that’s what we were made to do

 

            -- let me give you an example of what this anxious longing to hear the word of God in our lives looks like

-- every year our kennel club has an agility trial out at Reed Bingham, and at some point, I usually go out there and watch the dogs as they run through the course and compete for the ribbons and trophies that go to the fastest and best among them as they jump hurdles, go over A-frames and see-saws, and wave through sets of standing poles

            -- but what I really enjoy is watching how the dogs react the moment before they start -- and I see this most evident with breeds like the border collies, who are just more intent and more focused than some of the other breeds

-- their owner places them at the start of the course, in front of the first obstacle, which is usually a jump -- the owner tells them to stay and wait and then they walk farther out along the course to be ready to direct the dog after it begins

            -- while the owner is walking out, their dogs are literally shaking in anticipation -- they are trembling in anticipation of going and starting their run through the course -- they are anxious and ready to begin -- their whole being is nothing more than pent-up energy just waiting for that one word from their owner -- just waiting to hear that one command from the lips of their owner to start the run -- whether that’s “Come” or “Go” or “Jump” -- and when that dog hears the word that it’s been longing for and anticipating, it leaps with excitement and rushes on, leaving everything behind to follow its owner’s directions as they lead it through the course

            -- that’s what happened in this passage to Andrew and Simon -- to James and John -- whether they realized it or not -- their souls were quivering in anticipation of the word they were created to respond to -- and when they heard it, they couldn’t help but move

 

-- some have said that we are all born with a God-shaped hole in our hearts that yearns to be filled with the very presence of God -- and when Jesus calls, “Come,” that is the moment that the hole becomes filled -- and we become complete -- and we leap into action to follow the One who spoke

-- we are born with ears attuned to the call of Christ -- we are born with hearts ready to respond -- with feet ready to leap into action at the command -- and when we hear our Savior call, “Come,” -- we go -- we can’t help ourselves -- it is who we are -- it is part of our nature -- it is who God has called us to be

-- Andrew and Simon and James and John heard the call and responded, leaving everything behind in obedience to the word of Jesus -- they had to -- it was who they were -- it was who God called them to be

 

-- Jesus expects the same from us, as well -- the problem is that we sometimes dull our ears and block out the call from God through sin or by allowing Satan and this world to deafen us to His voice -- Jesus calls, but we don’t hear and so we don’t respond

-- or we choose not to respond -- there’s a reason younger people are able to respond to Jesus in a way that older people cannot -- their ears are sharper -- their hearts are purer -- their souls more innocent and responsive -- they have not been hardened by life and the siren call of materialism and responsibility and earthly pleasure

-- these can cause us to hear the call, but choose not to follow, like the rich young ruler who walked away from Jesus because he chose riches over obedience to the call to “Come” and follow Him -- just like Zebedee, who staying in the boat watching his sons walk off following Jesus

-- our response hinges on one of three options:

-- first, we can choose to respond in obedience -- to drop everything and respond in total and complete obedience to the call of God when we hear the command, “Come”

 -- or, second, we can choose to just superficially obey to the call by pretending to follow without true obedience and selfless abandon -- this happens when we just go through the motions and give lip-service to God without truly giving our hearts and all that we are to Him

-- finally, we can just choose to ignore the call and do nothing -- this can happen for any number of reasons, such as a lack of faith or trust in Jesus or the siren call of this world or fear of what might happen if we did follow Him

 

-- Jesus wants us to follow Him and respond like Andrew and Simon -- like James and John -- when He calls -- and He does call us all -- the call to “Come” is given to everyone

-- and when He calls, He calls us just as He called His disciples here -- He calls us without explanation -- without expounding on why He is calling or what He wants us to do or where He wants us to go -- His call is one that requires complete and total obedience and trust and faith -- it demands an immediate response -- anything else detracts from the call and leads us into cheap grace, religious bondage, or immoral lives lived apart from Him

-- in verse 20, we read that Andrew and Simon left their nets “at once” when they heard the call -- and in verse 22, we see James and John responding “immediately” and leaving their nets and their father in the boat when Jesus called them

-- the response to the call of Christ must be immediate and decisive -- the response to the call of Christ to be His disciple demands immediate obedience

 

-- it is only after we get up and drop our nets -- after we get up and surrender our lives -- after we repent and turn from our old way of life to embrace the new life in Him -- that He tells us what to do next

-- “Come,” He says, “Follow Me -- and I will make you fishers of men”

-- the call is to follow Him -- to follow His ways -- to follow His life -- to be like Him -- to live like Him -- to live for Him

-- a disciple is no more than someone who follows Christ -- someone who obeys Christ -- someone who does what Christ commands -- who takes up their cross and follows Him where He leads

-- it is related to the name by which we call ourselves -- Christians -- “Christian” literally means “little Christ” -- it means that we are so closely identified with Him that we look like Him -- we talk like Him -- we do what He does -- we say what He says -- we minister as He ministers

 

-- so, the call to discipleship is first obedience -- “Come” -- then imitation -- “Follow Me” -- and finally, assimilation -- “I will make you fishers of men”

-- the final step in this call to discipleship is mission and purpose -- assimilation into the ministry of Christ on earth -- the call to become His partners in sharing the good news of salvation and the forgiveness of sins with the whole world

-- notice that Christ tells us He will “make” us fishers of men -- we are not fishers of men when we first respond to His call -- but as we follow Him -- as we imitate Him -- as we obey Him and live like Him and learn to love like Him and become like Him -- we begin to do what He does -- we begin to fulfill the Great Commission with our lives and with our lips

-- Matthew 28:19-20 -- “Go and make disciples of all nations -- baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit -- and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you to do”

-- that is what a “fisher of men” does -- that is what a disciple does -- that is what a Christian does -- that is the result of the call that Andrew and Simon and James and John heard that day on the shore of Galilee

-- that is the reason John Harper could give up his own life vest and sacrifice his very life for another -- that is the reason Harper followed the call of Christ to witness to the world above all from the moment he heard it to his last moments before he slipped beneath the waters of the Atlantic Ocean

 

-- this call that Jesus’ first disciples responded to in faith and trust is the same call given to us today -- “Come, follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men”

-- it is an invitation to follow Christ -- to be with Him -- to abide with Him -- to serve Him -- as His disciples and His church on earth today

 

III.  CLOSING

            -- let’s bring this to a close -- I once heard a fictional story about what happened when Jesus went back to Heaven following His death and resurrection -- He was surrounded by all the angels and they wanted to hear from Him about His experiences on earth

-- He told them about His ministry on earth -- about the sermons He had preached -- the miracles He had done -- the lives that were saved and the people that were healed -- He told them about the cross and the resurrection and how He had won the victory over sin and death for all humanity

            -- the angels asked Him, "Now what happens?" -- and Jesus said, "I have called others to come and follow Me and carry on My work on earth -- I left my disciples to tell others about Me and to show them the way to eternal life through Me"

-- the angels responded, "But, what if they don't? -- What is the plan then?" -- Jesus said, "There is no other plan."

 

            -- there is no other plan -- Jesus' plan for spreading the good news of salvation is dependent on us -- not religion -- not political leaders -- not social influencers -- us

-- the Christians -- His disciples -- those who heard His call to “Come” -- who responded in obedience to His call to “Come and follow Him” -- who dropped everything to be with Him -- their lives -- their vocation -- their families -- their plans -- everything -- His disciples who left all to follow Him and who He made into fishers of men

-- we are the ones whom He has called to go and make disciples of all nations -- to baptize them and to teach them to obey His word and everything He has told us to do

-- Jesus is counting on us to be His church on earth -- His disciples -- the people who follow Him -- not in word -- but in action and in deed

-- He calls us this morning to “Come and follow Him” by leaving all behind -- by living for Him -- and by telling others about Him -- by sharing our testimony and telling others what Jesus has done for us and what He can do for them

-- the call to discipleship -- the call to “Come and follow Him” -- is not a request -- it is a command -- it is something that Jesus expects of us, because this is who He made us to be -- this is what we are supposed to do -- this is His will for us

-- so, as we close together in prayer, let us ask for ears to hear His call -- for eyes to focus on Him -- for hearts to respond in love -- and for the ability to go and do as He commands

-- this is His will for us -- this is His call for us -- this is the Way

            -- let us pray

1 https://www.christianstudylibrary.org/article/john-harper-unknown-hero-titanic

2 https://www.moodymedia.org/articles/sharing-gift-christmas-one-minute-you-die/

 

SERMON: CALLING HIS SHOT

 

Naylor Community Christian Church 

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Luke 4:14-30

 

Luke 4:14-30

New International Version

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

 

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching 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. He stood up to read, 17 and 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 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,

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

 

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 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!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

 

24 “Truly I tell you,” 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 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 off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

 

            -- in 1932, the World Series showcased two baseball teams that absolutely hated each other with a passion -- the Chicago Cubs and the New York Yankees, led by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

            -- the World Series that year was marked with vitriol -- there were attacks in the press -- the crowds were hostile towards the other fans -- and the players were brutal towards one another -- screaming obscenities and hatred towards them

            -- things did not get better when the New York Yankees opened up the series by winning the first two games at home, defeating the Cubs soundly -- as the gates opened at Wrigley Field for the third game, the Chicago fans were primed -- they were ready to give everything that they had against their hated rivals, the Yankees -- some Cubs fans even positioned themselves so they could curse and spit on Babe Ruth and his wife as they made their way into the stadium

            -- the game progressed as anticipated -- the teams were evenly matched -- Babe Ruth had already hit one home run, but diving and failing to catch the Cubs’ ball, Ruth had allowed the Cubs to come back and tie the game at 4-4 going into the fifth inning

            -- coming to bat in the fifth inning, Babe Ruth squared up against the Cubs’ star pitcher, Charlie Root -- the first ball went right across the plate before Ruth could react -- Strike one -- the crowd swelled in anticipation -- they could sense the tide of the game turning

            -- but then Ruth did something that has gone down in baseball history -- with one strike against him, he looked up at Root and looked up at the scoreboard and pointed to centerfield -- he was calling his shot -- he was proclaiming to the Cubs and to the crowd what he was going to do

            -- he settled back into position -- Root took the sign and let loose the next pitch -- another strike -- the count was now 0-2 -- Ruth stepped back -- looked at the crowd -- looked at Root -- and again, pointed to centerfield -- he settled back into the batter’s box and took his position

            -- Root took the sign and let loose the pitch -- and Ruth connected with a resounding crack as the ball sailed directly over the pitcher’s head -- over the Cubs in the outfield -- and into the temporary stands beyond centerfield

            -- it was a home run, placed exactly where he had been pointing

            -- as he rounded the base, you could see defeat ripple through the Cubs bench -- that hit -- that home run -- and the audacity of Ruth calling the shot to centerfield beforehand, took all the wind out of their sails

            -- the Yankees rallied -- Gehrig went on to hit a home run of his own -- and the Yankees defeated the Cubs 7-5 -- with the Yankees eventually winning the Series in a four-game sweep

 

            -- this morning, we are going to look at the time in Jesus’ life when He called His shot -- as you know, we’ve been going over a series on the life of Jesus -- looking at His life and ministry from a larger perspective than normal -- trying to see how the events of His life all pointed towards the overall purpose for which He had come to earth -- to represent mankind and to show us the way back to the Father

            -- this passage this morning follows on the heels of two major events in Jesus’ life -- the first was His baptism by John in the Jordan River, as He symbolically stood in our place as our propitiation before the Father -- emerging filled with the Holy Spirit and the acclamation of the Father

            -- this was followed by the event of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the desert -- having defeated Satan by standing against him as a man in perfect relationship with the Father and empowered by the Holy Spirit, Jesus now begins His public ministry by throwing down the gauntlet -- by calling His shot -- by challenging Satan’s authority and power over earth and pointing to Himself as the Son of Man -- as the One who will defeat Satan, sin, and death once and for all

            -- so, let’s look now at this passage from Luke 4 and see what we can learn about this moment in Jesus’ life as He begins His public ministry

 

II.  Scripture Lesson (Luke 4:14-30)

            -- look back at verse 14-15

 

Luke 4:14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

 

            -- this moment begins what is known as Jesus’ Galilean Ministry -- for eighteen months, Jesus concentrated His efforts and His ministry in Gallilee -- the region north of Jerusalem where Jesus grew up -- it was here that He began to share the good news, preaching and teaching in the synagogues and towns throughout the region and continuing to confirm His authority and anointing as the Messiah to the Jewish people

            -- as Barclay notes in his commentary, the Galilean people would have been the most open to the initial preaching of Jesus -- they were the highlanders of Israel -- a tough and determined people -- always ready to receive new teachings and innovations --  it was the most forward looking and least conservative part of Palestine -- the residents of this region were described by the historian Josephus as people never “destitute of courage”

            -- this is Jesus’ home -- this is where He grew up -- this is where He lived for the first 30 years of His life -- and these are the people that He knew

            -- it’s important to note one other thing about Gallilee -- its name loosely means “circle” and was given to this region because it was entirely encircled by non-Jewish nations -- they were encircled by Gentiles -- and that led to an increased hostility and prejudice against those who were not Jewish -- in other words, the people of Gallilee -- more so than any other region in Palestine -- were not friendly with their surrounding Gentile neighbors -- and this underlying hostility and hatred will help explain what occurs later on in this passage

 

            -- Luke begins his narrative of this moment in Jesus’ life by emphasizing once again the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in Jesus -- and we need to take notice of this -- remember that we have discussed in this series that Jesus is here on earth as our representative -- He is present on earth as the Son of Man -- fully Man -- as He has chosen to set aside the attributes and glory of His deity to live as one of us so that He might show us how we could live in relationship to God as He did

            -- and that is the reason God inspired Luke to describe Jesus here as being filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit -- for if we are to be who He has called us to be -- if we are to live out this Christian life successfully -- we can only do so like Jesus -- we have to be full of the Holy Spirit and His power -- as we said last week, “This is the Way”

 

 

            -- verse 16a

 

Luke 4:16a He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.

 

            -- so, Jesus begins His ministry by teaching in the synagogues -- and, just as a reminder, you can think of the synagogue as the daily place of worship for the Jewish communities -- the sacrifices were only offered in the temple in Jerusalem, but the people were taught the word of God and were instructed in God’s ways in the synagogues -- attending every Sabbath to hear the Scriptures read and taught

            -- on the Sabbath, the service in the synagogue consisted of three parts -- first, there was worship -- a time of prayer and singing -- second, there was the reading of the Scriptures -- seven men were chosen from the congregation to proclaim God’s word to the people without interpretation -- just simply reading God’s word out loud to the people -- and, finally, there was the teaching part -- synagogues did not have a preacher or regular teacher -- instead, the synagogue leader would invite someone from the congregation or a distinguished visitor to come before them and expound on a particular passage of Scripture -- this was the opportunity that Jesus took to begin to share the good news with the people of Gallilee as He traveled from town to town

 

            -- I think we have to note what Luke says here about Jesus going to the synagogue, “as was His custom” -- there are two things that the Bible tells us that Jesus did on a regular basis -- two things that were His custom, no matter where He found Himself

            -- first, He prayed -- we see this pattern throughout His life -- Jesus was always praying -- in public, in small groups, and in private

            -- and, secondly, He always went to synagogue -- and you know that there were a lot of things going on in the synagogues -- a lot of practices and rules and even teaching of Scriptures that Jesus objected to -- none of the synagogues were perfect -- none of them had it all together -- but that didn’t stop Jesus from going

            -- there’s a lot of people in our day that have quit going to church for one reason or another -- a lot of them are looking for the perfect church -- but they’re not going to find it -- there are no Goldilocks churches out there that are just the right size and right shape and with just the right teachings -- all churches are flawed in some way or the other because all churches consist of flawed human beings -- but if Jesus, knowing better than us the failures and flaws of the synagogues of His day continued to attend faithfully -- “as was His custom” -- then we should do the same and encourage those around us to do so, also

 

            -- so, here in verse 16, Luke tells us the worship in the synagogue that day had reached the third phase -- it was time for the daily teaching and edification from God’s word -- and Jesus stood up to receive the scroll as the teacher for that Sabbath

 

            -- look back at the second part of verse 16

Luke 4:16b He stood up to read, 17 and 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 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,

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

 

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 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

 

            -- Jesus was handed the scroll of Isaiah the prophet -- we do not know if He requested that scroll or if that was the Spirit moving the keeper of the scrolls -- but, regardless, that particular scroll was handed to Him

            -- now, Isaiah is a very long book -- it has 66 chapters -- more than any of the other major prophets -- and although in Jesus’ day, the scroll was not divided into chapters and verses like in our Bibles today, it was still known as a very long book and would have been difficult to manage -- to locate a specific passage without any references such as chapters and verses

            -- but Jesus obviously knew the word of God very well -- He was familiar with the book of Isaiah -- and, without hesitation, received the scroll and found the passage that we know as Isaiah 61:1-2

            -- standing up in honor of God’s word, Jesus read these words:

 

18 “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,

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

 

            -- He then sat down -- not because He was done, but because teaching and the exposition of Scripture was done from a sitting position -- and began by telling the congregation, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”

            -- and, with those words, Jesus called His shot -- He put the rulers, the authorities, the powers of this dark world and the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms on notice -- He was throwing down the gauntlet -- He was taking His stand as the Second Adam -- as the Son of Man -- against Satan and sin and death

            -- this was the reason He came -- this was the purpose He was to fulfill -- this Scripture was what would eventually lead Him to suffering and death on the cross of Calvary as the atonement for our sins

 

            -- the Spirit of the Lord had come on Jesus at His baptism to anoint Him as the Son of Man and the Son of God -- to preach the good news to the poor -- not the financial poor -- but the poor in spirit -- to those lost and trapped by the man-made rules of religion and personal sin -- to those who were poor and destitute in their sins with no hope of salvation -- to these He brought the good news of a new covenant through His body and blood that would atone for their sins and would offer them a way back to the Father

            -- He was anointed to preach the good news to the prisoners -- to proclaim freedom for those who were held in bondage and in chains by sin and death -- to proclaim everlasting life through Him to those who were bound up in Satan’s cruel grasp

            -- He was called to bring sight to the blind -- to open the eyes of the people to the truth of God’s word -- to lead them from the darkness of man-made religion into the light of God’s truth

            -- He came to bring justice and release to the oppressed -- to make things right again, as God intended from the very beginning -- to destroy injustice and to restore God’s will on earth by serving as our propitiation -- taking upon Himself God’s wrath so that we might stand in righteousness before the Father

            -- and, finally, He came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor -- meaning, to proclaim the kingdom of God in reality -- to proclaim restoration and forgiveness and an inheritance into the kingdom of Heaven for all eternity

            -- these are all the signs of the Messiah -- the attributes -- the purposes for which God was sending the Messiah to Israel and this world

            -- all of this, Jesus said, is fulfilled -- in other words, I have come and this is why -- and pointing a finger towards heaven, Jesus proclaimed to Satan his very doom because the Messiah -- the Savior of the world -- had come

 

            -- verse 22

 

Luke 4:22 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.

 

 

            -- we don’t have the rest of Jesus’ sermon recorded for us here -- none of the gospel writers have shared it in its entirety because the main emphasis was there at the end of verse 21 as Jesus claimed these scriptures from Isaiah as His purpose and mission on earth and threw down the gauntlet against the forces of evil in the heavenly realms

            -- when Jesus finished His exposition of the Scriptures, everyone was amazed and offered up their praise of His message -- here was the home-town boy made good -- here was their very own resident, sharing God’s word in such a powerful way -- they were proud of Him -- up to a point

 

            -- verse 23-30

 

Luke 4:23 Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”

 

24 “Truly I tell you,” 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 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 off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

 

            -- when the message was about Jesus saving the Jews, everyone liked it -- when the message was about us versus them -- about good versus evil -- everyone praised Him -- when Jesus stood up and said, “This is what I have come to do and I’m going to take on evil and the evildoers and you’re going to see this passage fulfilled in your presence” -- everyone stood up and applauded

            -- but then something happened -- Jesus went from preaching to meddling -- He went from pointing the finger at those around them and throwing down the gauntlet against the evil forces arrayed against the people there in Nazareth and He started pointing at them

            -- when He told them the promise from Isaiah was for all people of faith, and that some in Israel would be excluded because of their lack of faith and belief in Him while faithful Gentiles would be included, the mood in the synagogue changed

            -- they praised Him when He offered blessings to all of Israel, but when He turned around and said that these blessings and salvation is for the Gentiles, too, they took offense

 

            -- as Jesus shared His purpose and mission with the people that day, they heard with their ears and they saw in their mind someone who had come to stand against the evil Gentiles -- someone who would run the Romans out of Palestine and who would restore the glory to Israel -- they heard His message as a call to arms against all those non-Jewish nations that surrounded them and against the hated Romans who ruled their holy city

            -- but Jesus began pointing out that this promise from Isaiah -- this mission and calling from God -- was not just for the Jewish people, but for all who would respond -- Jews and Gentiles alike

            -- He called to mind the miracles Elijah had done for the Gentile widow in Zarephath, while Jewish widows continued to suffer during the famine -- and how Elisha had healed the Gentile Naaman of leprosy, while Jewish lepers continued to live with their disease

            -- His point was that God’s word was for all creation -- for Jews and Gentiles alike -- that their enemies were not the people surrounding them, as they thought, but the spiritual forces of evil that led them to harbor pride and idolatry and other sins in their lives in the name of God -- and that what the Jewish people were going to reject, the Gentiles were going to accept

 

            -- and all of a sudden, the atmosphere in the synagogue changed -- where before the people had been gracious and favorable to Jesus, now Luke tells us that “all” of them -- “all of them” rose up in anger against Him

            -- they drove Him out of the synagogue and out of town and took Him to the brow of the hill that the city was built on, intent on throwing Him down and killing Him

-- How quickly they turned! -- Jesus really pushed their buttons, didn’t He? -- this was first century cancel culture at its finest -- because Jesus started pointing a finger at them and calling out their sins and their prejudices -- because He offered grace to those they considered their enemy -- they became so furious they wanted Him to die

-- makes you understand the crowd before Pilate screaming, “Crucify Him,” a little more, doesn’t it?

-- as one commentator put it, “we see the clear teaching that what fills a person controls that person, in Jesus' case it was the Holy Spirit and in the case of the Jews it was their unholy, fleshly, sinful spirit!”

-- the people were not angry at Jesus’ clear message that He was the Anointed One -- the Messiah -- prophesied in Isaiah’s scriptures -- no, they were furious because He dared to insinuate that God’s blessings could come to the Gentiles instead of the Jews -- they were mad because He dared to say that God’s mercy and grace would come to those who responded in faith, regardless of whether they were Jewish or not

            -- the whole point that Jesus was making here was that salvation and forgiveness had been sent for all of Creation -- not just for the Jews, but for all who believed and put their faith in Him, regardless of their heritage or race

-- but the people in His own hometown -- the people that He knew and grew up with -- refused to accept it -- their pride and arrogance and hatred of the Gentiles caused them to drive the very Son of God from their midst and not receive the blessings and salvation that He offered

 

III.  Closing

            -- we need to make sure that we aren’t going through life with a similar bent as the Galileans -- that we’re not turning every issue into an “Us versus Them” issue -- that we’re not assuming that God is on our side because we are the right ones and that everyone who disagrees with us is an enemy of God

            -- all too often, you can be on the right side in the wrong way -- and that was the case with the people of Nazareth on that Sabbath day -- they were Jews -- they were God’s chosen people -- more than any others, they should have known the expansive love and mercy and grace of the Father -- they should have realized that His love knows no bounds and was not just contained in the circle of Galilee

            -- but despite that, they assumed that they were the only ones chosen of God -- the only ones chosen for salvation -- and that everyone else was their enemy and the enemy of God

            -- but they were wrong -- they forgot that God loves all of us -- including those we call our enemies -- and that He wants all of us to come to a saving knowledge of His Son Christ Jesus

 

            -- the lesson here is to be careful of declaring someone your enemy without first examining yourself -- as the cartoon character Pogo so famously said, “We have met the enemy -- and he is us”

            -- it’s like the stormtroopers in Star Wars -- if you call your ship, “The Death Star,” you’re probably not the good guys, even if that’s what you’ve been taught your whole life

            -- the Jews assumed that they were the good guys -- the ones on the right side of history -- that the faith of their fathers assured them of salvation, even though they were personally filled with sin, unbelief, and hatred towards those they called their enemies

            -- Jesus pointed out their error -- He told them that the promise was only for those who believed -- that only the faithful could come because only the faithful would accept Him -- and it didn’t matter whether they were Jew or Gentile -- the promise was for them

 

            -- with those words, Jesus began to outline His mission and purpose and calling as the Son of Man -- and He began to teach us what the Great Commandment truly means when it says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself” -- in the synagogue that day in Nazareth, Jesus began to teach the great truth that everyone is our neighbor -- even those people surrounding us that we call our enemies -- and that personal faith and belief in Him was paramount to salvation and a right relationship with God

            -- when Jesus threw down the gauntlet and called His shot in this passage, it wasn’t only for the Jews -- it was for all of Creation -- Jews and Gentiles alike

            -- the good news of salvation and forgiveness of sins through Jesus is for us and for those we call our enemies -- it’s for all of us -- for all who are poor in spirit -- imprisoned by sin and death -- blind to God’s word and light and love -- and oppressed by the powers of evil in this world and the heavenly realms

            -- Jesus is making the point here that He is the Savior of the world and that His grace and mercy are for all who will receive Him -- regardless of who they are or where they are at -- regardless of whether they’re on what we think is the wrong side of the political spectrum or the wrong side of culture or society -- His promise of salvation and the forgiveness of sins is for all who will believe -- even those we consider our enemies

 

            -- so, as we close this morning, let me encourage you to take a hard look at yourself

            -- first, are you where you need to be personally with Christ? -- are you in a true relationship with Him? -- have you asked Him to be your Lord and your Savior -- to forgive you of your sins -- to fill your heart with His Holy Spirit? -- as Kenny Chesney sings, “Were you washed in blood or only in the water?”

            -- secondly, are you loving God and your neighbor as God commands? -- or are you erecting walls against enemies in your lives? -- are you living with an “Us versus them” mindset, and excluding others from the grace of God because of who they vote for or how they live? -- does your gospel only extend to those you consider on the right side -- the ones you think are the good guys?

-- if so, you need to take a hard look at the Great Commandment and the story of the Good Samaritan and see what Jesus was sharing here in this passage -- don’t let hatred of those different from you -- politically, socially, economically, culturally -- exclude you from the promises of the Kingdom

-- Jesus’ point here in this passage is that He had come to call His shot -- to throw down the gauntlet -- to take down the powers and authority of Satan and his dark minions -- to reclaim the world and all creation for the Father

-- and this promise of salvation and forgiveness of sins -- the good news that He began to preach that Sabbath in Nazareth -- knows no bounds -- it is offered freely to everyone who will respond in faith and belief and who put their trust in Him for their salvation -- regardless of their nation, their current religion, their culture, their social standing, or their political preferences

-- God’s grace knows no bounds -- and our love and our mission to the world should know no bounds, either

            -- so, let us continue to share the good news with all and let us be a beacon of life and hope to the world around us

            -- let us pray