Key Theme: Kingdom
[Core Gospel Concepts: Kingdom]
Context: Jews of Jesus’ day typically went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day for worship and teaching. After a time of thanksgiving and prayer, someone would stand and read from the Law and from the Prophets. Then he would sit down to preach and explain the passage.
After his time of testing in the wilderness, Jesus went into Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.
And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, “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
And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and were amazed how well he spoke. But they were wondering how this could be true since he was just the son of their neighbor Joseph the carpenter.
When Jesus understood what was behind their questioning. He said, “I suppose you'll next say, ‘Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in other places.’ But I tell you that no prophet is welcomed in his own country.” He then reminded them how back in the time of Elijah it was a believing Gentile woman who cared for the prophet during the drought and not an Israelite and how God healed the Gentile Naaman when there were many Jewish lepers who were not healed. This offended his neighbor Jews so much that they almost killed him. But he was able to walk away from them. He left and never came back. From there he went out preaching with authority, casting out demons, and healing the sick.
Optional Memory Verse: John 8:34-36: “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”