Jump Start # 961

Luke 4:16-17 “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written”

Our passage today is taken from a typical day in the life of Jesus. There are several great things we find in this text. Consider them with me:

• Jesus returned home. It says, “He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up.” Back home again. Home, where family and friends were. Home, where so many knew Him. Jesus returned to His people with the message of salvation. As the text unfolds, it shows that Jesus wasn’t received warmly at Nazareth. The expression, “a prophet is not welcome in his hometown,” comes from this very setting. It’s often hard to present the gospel to family. They know us the best. They have seen who we really are. There are no masks at home. With Jesus, His people could not get past the fact that He was the carpenter’s son. That’s all they saw in Jesus. For us, it’s the mistakes of our past that often cripples our efforts with family. It is important to do what you can. Invite. Show why and how you changed. Take the family to the gospel message. Jesus saw the importance of going home with the message of salvation. Have you talked to your family about the message of Jesus?

• Jesus found His way to God’s people. The text shows Jesus entering the synagogue. This is where God’s people would be. This is where prayers were poured out to God and this is where God’s word was read and discussed. You find Jesus around God’s people. There is a lesson for us. We need to be around God’s people. That’s where you will find Jesus. These people are not perfect. They do not have everything figured out. Yet, they see the value of gathering together, praying together and reading God’s word together. Worship is important. Too many only attend if there isn’t anything better to do. Too many allow simple things such as ballgames, school activities and company keep them from worshipping. It’s not the ballgames, it’s the heart that is the issue. Divided hearts don’t put worship at a high priority. Divided hearts struggle with commitment. If you were looking for Jesus, you’d find him with God’s people worshipping.
• Jesus found the place where it was written. In the synagogue, Jesus was allowed to read Scripture. The reader usually made comments about what was read. This afforded Jesus the opportunity to show that He was the prophesied Messiah. He made connections between God’s word and His mission. What is fascinating about all of this, is that Jesus found the place. He quotes from Isaiah 61. In Jesus’ days, Isaiah would have been three massive scrolls. This was before chapters and verse numbers were added. Jesus knew what He was looking for. Jesus knew the word. How many times have I heard a person say in Bible class, “I don’t know where it is, but somewhere in the Bible it says…” Often, what they say isn’t in the Bible. Worse, they don’t know that and they can’t find the place. Jesus found the place. There is something about being able to find the place. Today, it’s easy. With concordances, fast electronic searches, we ought to be able to nail down any verse in the Bible. Jesus knew the book. Jesus was a person of the book. That’s our clue. We need to be like that. We need to know the book. We need to know where things are found. Telling others, “somewhere in the Bible, it says…” just doesn’t cut it. Don’t settle for that. Be better. It takes time to know the Bible. Become familiar with what each book is about.
• Jesus closed the book. After quoting from Isaiah, Luke tells us that Jesus closed the book and handed the book back to the attendant. He then proclaimed what He read was fulfilled in Him. Jesus closed the book. There is symbolism in that statement. Only God can close the book. No one else can. Not the church, not a preacher, only God. Closing the book, ends the discussion. No more is to be said about that. God has closed the book on salvation. What the Bible says about salvation is it. God closed the book on worship. God closed the book on marriage. These things are not evolving and changing and being restructured in modern times. God has closed the book. Same-sex marriage, worship that strives for audience pleasure and not God’s praise, new ways to raise church money, new ways to spend that money, new ways to structure the church…new, new, new. Those who think and spend their time in the world of “new” fail to realize that God closed the book. They are wasting their time. They are doing things without God’s approval and permission. Some want a man to marry a man. Some day, it will be a man marrying a child. Then, it will be a man marrying his dog. Then, it will be a man marrying his wallet. No end. No closing the book. Whatever the masses want. This is where many churchmen spend their days thinking and writing. They ought to open the book that God closed and read it. A closed book means that’s it. Accept it. Deal with it. Teach it. Believe it. But don’t think for a moment that you can open what God closed. It didn’t work on Noah’s ark. God closed the door and only God opened it. It didn’t work for the five foolish virgins in the parable Jesus told. The door was shut and they pleaded for someone to open it. Too late.

Jesus and the Bible. They go together. It ought to be the same for us.

Roger