Bible Pathways - October 22, 2005

October 22

Read Luke 4

In Today's Reading:

Temptation of Jesus; His teachings; healings; the miraculous catch of fish; other miracles; the call of Matthew

Some think they can worship God while on the lake fishing or at home resting just as well as they can in church. In contrast, Jesus emphasized the need to honor God by regularly attending worship services. We read that He taught in their synagogues while in Galilee (Luke 4:15). And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath Day (4:16). Jesus was invited to speak, and there was delivered unto Him the Book of the prophet Esaias. And . . . He found the place where it was written, 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. . . . And He closed the Book, and He gave it again to the minister, and sat down (4:17-20; Isaiah 61:1-2).

The Scripture Jesus read contained clear mention of all three Persons of the Trinity — the Holy Spirit, the Father, and the Anointed One.

The people were amazed, and the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears (Luke 4:20-21). They marveled at His gracious words (4:22) but realized He clearly referred to Himself as the Messiah who had been foretold by Isaiah (Esaias) and other prophets You can imagine how startled they were when Jesus said that He, whom they assumed to be the son of Joseph (3:23), was really their long-awaited Messiah.

The congregation listening to Jesus was so infuriated at His equating Himself with God that they disrupted the worship service, seized Jesus, and attempted to push Him over a rocky precipice to His death for blasphemy. But He passing through the midst of them went His way (4:28-30).

How easy it is to be mistaken when we follow human emotions rather than the truth revealed in God's Word! In contrast to the disbelieving Jews of Nazareth, the Jews in Berea later received the Word with all readiness of mind, (for they) searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so (Acts 17:11).

Word Studies:

4:29 brow = cliff; 5:9 draught = catch; 5:27 publican = a tax collector for Rome; 5:36 rent = tear.

Cross References:

For Luke 4:4: See Deuteronomy 8:3. Luke 4:8: See Deuteronomy 6:13. Luke 4:10-11: See Psalm 91:11-12. Luke 4:12: See Deuteronomy 6:16. Luke 4:18-19: See Isaiah 61:1-2. Luke 5:14: See Leviticus 13:49.

Prayer Needs:

Pray for Government Officials: Gov. Haley Barbour (MS), Rep. Patrick McHenry (NC), Gov. Bill Owens (CO) and Rep. John Shadegg (AZ) · Country: Sudan (34 million) at the eastern end of the Sahara Desert · Major languages: Arabic and Nubian · Limited religious freedom · 74% Muslim; 15% king worship, spirit-possession cults, and ancestral spirit worship; 5% Roman Catholic; 3% Protestant · Prayer Suggestion: Confess and forsake any known sin (Nehemiah 1:6).