January 24/25, 2010 sermon on Luke 4:13-21

January 24/25, 2010, Epiphany 3
Pastor Paul G. Eckert
Sermon text - Luke 4:13-21
13 When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
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."
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."
When I chose the theme for today’s sermon text, namely the theme "AS JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY," I couldn’t help ut think of and compare a bit with when I began my public ministry. When Jesus began His public ministry He was about 30 years old. When I began I was 26 years old. Jesus began His preaching ministry in the northern part of Israel, Galilee, and then was also in the south, in Judah. My first call took me north too, to Canada, from where I also served two congregations in northern Michigan, and then another call brought me south to Wisconsin and St. Jacobi. Jesus’ ministry lasted about 3 years. Mine has lasted 3 years plus another 50 years.
You could make some comparisons for yourselves. How old were you when you became a Christian - at your Baptism, or more recently; and how long have you been a Christian? Where have you lived your Christian life - in Wisconsin, elsewhere, north, south? What is the work God has given you to do? Is it that of being a faithful Christian husband or wife, a Christian father or mother or son or daughter, a Christian student or teacher or employee or employer? Is it being a Council or Board member installed this Sunday, or being a volunteer? All of these positions, yours or mine, are important. But none is on the same level with Jesus and what He did. Jesus was indeed unique, special. And so let’s get back now to our theme for this service.
AS JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY
I THE DEVIL HAD HIS INPUT (13-14a)
1. There had been 40 days of intense temptation (13a)
When the devil had finished all this tempting, ---.
a) the verses just before our text tell us how the devil tempted
Jesus with three major temptations, all of them urging Jesus to
want and to do things which God had not told Him to do
b) in every case Jesus defeated the devil’s temptations by turning
to what God wanted and by clearly saying, "It is written!"
2. The devil would use many more opportune times (13)
When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.
a) think of the many cases of devil possession that confronted
Jesus, every one an attempt to interfere with Jesus’ ministry
b) think of the Garden of Gethsemane when the devil was so busy
that Jesus’ sweat fell to the ground like drops of blood; think of
the cross, the taunts saying if Jesus was the Son of God He
should prove it by coming down from the cross, not bring the
sacrificial death of the Lamb of God to atone for the world
3. Jesus went on with another power (14)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
a) the devil Jesus defeated; "It is finished!" He loudly shouted
b) not with the devil, but with the Spirit’s power He, the Son of
God, would proceed with His ministry, with the triune God’s
saving mission for the world
4. Beware the devil’s input into our lives (13b)
--- he left him until an opportune time.
a) the devil may at times seem to leave us alone for a while
b) but he finds many opportune times: he’ll use television, society
with its loose morals, friends who will say, "Did God really
say that is wrong? Why are you so narrow-minded as to think there is only one way to heaven? Get with it! It’s 2010!"
c) while Jesus did not give in to the devil’s tempting input, we
do, and do so again and again; thank God that Jesus began His
public ministry on the way to saving people like you and me!
II THE PEOPLE HAD THEIR REACTIONS (14-16a)
1. Much of Jesus’ early ministry was in Galilee (14)
Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.
a) Jesus’ Baptism by John the Baptist took place in the south,
and there He also began to choose some of His disciples
b) but then He returned to the north where He had grown up;
there He performed His first recorded miracle, changing water
into wine at a wedding; there He began preaching the kingdom
of God and became known throughout the area
2. His method was what was standard (15a)
He taught in their synagogues ---.
a) for bringing sacrifices and for special occasions people had to
go to the temple in Jerusalem
b ) for worship at home they used their synagogues, their meeting
places, and there Jesus regularly taught the people
3. He was well received at this time (15)
He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
a) did some already know this was the Messiah, or were some
just impressed by His teaching and preaching style?
b) whatever, Jesus was praised here, praise that also changed
quickly; just a few verses after our text we are told that there
was an attempt to kill Jesus!
4. He gave us a custom to emulate (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.
a) Jesus went to church every week; He never missed
b) we know there are times - sickness and other legitimate
reasons - when people cannot come to church every week
c) but members of St. Jacobi, look to Jesus’ example; come to
church regularly to hear God’s Word, to receive our Lord’s
Supper; and encourage and help fellow members who don’t
III SCRIPTURE FORETOLD WHAT TO EXPECT (16-19)
1. Here we are given the text Jesus used (16b-17a)
He went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.
a) my sermon text today is from Luke chapter 4
b) Jesus’ text was recorded in Isaiah chapter 61 (OT reading)
2. It spoke of someone especially chosen (18a)
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me ---."
a) this would not be someone who took it on himself to say that
he was the Christ, the Anointed One, the Promised One
b) it would be someone anointed by the Spirit - aha! could this be
Jesus on whom the Spirit descended at Jesus’ Baptism?
3. It spoke of what His mission would be (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, ---."
a) this prophecy went beyond physical situations and spoke of
people who were poor before God and had nothing that could
pay off their debt from sin; who were prisoners of their sin and
could not break out; who were blind and could not see the truth
by themselves; who were oppressed by their own sins and by
what sin around them did to them and to others
b) the Anointed One’s mission would be to such people
4. It spoke of proclaiming the time for this (19)
" --- to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
a) over 4000 years had passed since God promised the Savior
b) people had waited for the fullness of time for this to come
c) prophecy said the Anointed One Himself would announce it
IV JESUS CLAIMED HE WAS THE FULFILLMENT (18-21)
1. Here the custom was to sit to preach (20a)
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
a) today we read the text and stay standing for the sermon
b) sitting or standing, the message is what is important
2. Jesus now made a tremendous claim (20b-21)
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and
he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
a) many, also in recent times, have claimed to be the Christ
b) now Jesus claimed that He was - but could He prove it?
3. Consider how He fulfilled this and all prophecy (18-19)
"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, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor."
a) He fulfilled these specific words: He preached the good news
that He paid the price for sin we poor sinners could not pay off;
His perfect life and innocent death as our Substitute have set us
free from the prison of sin; His holy and precious Word has
opened our blind eyes to see the truth and released us from the
lies of the devil; and He continues to proclaim His Gospel of
salvation which makes every year and day of our lives a time of
His favor resting on us
b) do you want more proof that Jesus’ claim to be the Promised
One is valid? - think of how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of a
virgin birth, of Bethlehem as the birth place, of countless
physical healings of the sick and crippled and mute and blind, of
raising people from death to life, of His suffering and dying on
the cross, of His rising from the dead to be our Redeemer who
lives to be our resurrection and life; Jesus’ claim is valid, true!
4. Keep eyes and ears of faith fastened on Him (20b)
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ---.
a) some of these people later on may have turned away
b) may that never be the case with any of us
c) keep your eyes on Jesus who is God’s promised fulfillment;
keep your ears open to what He proclaims to us in His Word;
and use your lives to praise and serve Him
Today’s sermon theme has been: "AS JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY." That ministry was special. It was unique. And Jesus not only began it. He finished it! He is our Savior!