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Re: Gleanings from the "Gospels" [message #11686 is a reply to message #11685]

Wed, 29 July 2015 10:03

Gary
Messages: 1025
Registered: August 2008
Location: Indiana

Senior Member

Jesus started out His ministry with everyone getting in an uproar on what He had to say. One of His first recorded sermons when He did not speak in parables became very offensive to those setting there.

Starting out we see Jesus reading scripture in the synagogue and it tells us that this was His custom. So we can assume that He regularly read from the books of the OT scrolls:

Quote:

16 So 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 to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

18
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
19
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”

After sharing that this scripture was being fulfilled this day, we see those in the synagogue bore witness to Him and it says they "marveled" at the gracious words that proceeded from His mouth and they were thinking "Is this not Joseph's son?" While their trying to figure it all out Jesus goes on to tell them:

Quote:

23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”

28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. 30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.

What a sight this is. Jesus shares a few details concerning the beginning of His ministry and everyone is filled with "wrath". They were so mad they were going to throw Him from the brow of the hill and possibly bring Him to an early death.

If you read the text of what He is saying it makes you wonder what would drive these men to come to this point.

Wrath:
noun
1.
strong, stern, or fierce anger; deeply resentful indignation; ire.
2.
vengeance or punishment as the consequence of anger.

They resented what the Lord shared with a passion.

Jesus silently passes through the crowd and continues with His ministry.

Quote:

31 Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. 32 And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority.

Jesus spoke with power and authority and it brought out a lot of emotions in men and where even the devils took note and would speak out.

Quote:

33 Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, 34 saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!”

35 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. 36 Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” 37 And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region.

The demon cries out let us alone! Did you come to destroy us?

Obviously the powers of darkness did not fully understand why Jesus had come to the earth. Why is God showing up in a human body?

Gary

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