“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.”[f] 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.” Luke 4.16-21
Jesus went to Nazareth, where nothing “good” comes from, and on the Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and stood up to read. They handed him the scroll of Isaiah, which he unrolled, found the passage he wanted to read, and made a self-proclamation: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me….”
This was no accident that he was handed the Isaiah scroll, which, by the way, was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, perfectly intact, two thousand years old, and word-for-word identical to what we have today! It was no coincidence that Jesus turned to Isaiah 58:6 and 61:1-2 and read the words above about who he is, what he will do, and what he is doing.
The prophetic word of the Messiah is this: he will be filled with the Spirit of God, who “anointed him to preach to the poor (in body and spirit), to proclaim freedom for those in prison, recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor….” Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone’s eyes were “fastened on him,” and he said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” You could have heard a pin drop!
Jesus made a bold self-proclamation about himself. He essentially said, “These things are all true; this is what I will do; I am the Messiah—I am God’s anointed.” And the people were amazed.
Imagine how Charlie Kirk captivated crowds. I am deeply saddened by the loss of his life, but God promises that those who follow him will face persecution. God is the judge and will have the final say. Now imagine how much greater Jesus’ ability to speak would have been—knowing the heart, reading the mind, and understanding the soul of a person. God used Charlie, but he was only an image-bearer of Jesus, who bears the light of God because he is God.
Jesus was ultimately killed for his rhetoric and for readings like this in Isaiah. But unlike anyone else in human history, Jesus overcame death. He was unjustly killed but rose again because death could not hold him; the righteousness of the Son prevailed over the finality of death.
Today, as we struggle to make sense of this life—the many injustices, struggles, and disappointments—we put all our faith in the one who is still alive: Jesus the Christ. His blood has atoned and will atone for all our sins. Although this body of flesh may perish, those who hope in Christ will never die.
The Bible tells us that if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. When we invite Jesus into our lives, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within our mortal bodies. And we can all find hope, love, grace, and forgiveness in God’s Son, Jesus.
This is a day of hope, not mourning. No matter what the world throws our way, we can find our hope in Christ, the author and perfecter of our faith.
“O Lord God, come now upon us. Save us and redeem us. Draw us to your throne. Help us find strength in your Word. I love you, Lord, and praise your name. By your blood, we claim healing, hope, and deliverance. For you are good, and your love endures forever.” Amen.