The earthly ministry of Jesus began shortly after His baptism. Even though He had only been preaching, teaching, healing all sorts of ailments a short time, His reputation had spread all through the area we know as Galilee. His ministerial headquarters would be in Capernaum. But if you remember, Jesus wasn’t raised in Capernaum, He was raised in the small city of Nazareth. The gospel of Luke tells us about this early period in the ministry of our Lord. “And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up: …” (Luke 4:16). The people in His childhood hometown were curious about Him. The stories they had heard were amazing. The boy from Joseph’s carpenter shop was doing miracles, healing the sick and teaching like no one else ever had taught. One certain day, Jesus comes walking back into the town and the whispers begin with people saying things such as, “Joseph’s son is back.” “Have you heard what he’s been doing?” The Sabbath rolls around and “as was his custom” Jesus went to church, the assembly. He stands to read, and the scroll of Isaiah is handed to Him. He looks through the scroll, finds the portion He wishes to share with those at the synagogue. He reads from Isaiah 61:1-2. I want you to read the following passage and then I want you to read Luke’s account. I’ll point out that Jesus left a phrase out. It’s important. Let’s look at both the scriptures.
• “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;” Isaiah 61:1-2
• “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18-19
Do you see what Jesus didn’t quote? When He was reading in Nazareth’s synagogue, He skipped the last phrase in Isaiah concerning “the day of vengeance of our God…” Why would He do that? I think it is simply that He was offering salvation to them. He was offering Himself as their Messiah. Luke 4:21 “And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” It seems as if He said that truth to them more than once. The next few verses in this chapter tell us of a great sadness. The pride of Nazareth would not be put aside so these people could be saved. Remember the title of the blog today? “The Acceptable Year.” The opportunity was right in front of them and they could not see it. Judgment would ultimately arrive. Some of the older ones would die of old age in their sins and some of the younger ones would be killed a few years later by the Romans during the Jewish Rebellion, dying in their sins. The vengeance of God would indeed fall, but at that very moment the door to salvation could have been had if only they had accepted what they’d heard from all the other parts of Galilee.
What is the message for us? Paul gave us the answer in II Corinthians 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (come to our aid in time of need) thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)” Most of you reading this are already believers, but you have family and friends that aren’t. Right now, is the accepted time to trust Christ. There will come a day when that won’t be possible. Are you telling them about the gospel and its power to save them from their sins? Nazareth had a shot. As far as I know, this is the only time Jesus preached in Nazareth. He never offered himself to them again after this rejection. Let’s you and me do our best to share Christ with the lost, family, friends, and strangers. This is the acceptable time for them to meet the Lord Jesus.