An Exegetical Approach to Luke 4:14-30 Part VI (Final Post)

The Words of Jesus Invoke a Murderous Response 28-30.

In verses 28-30 the crowd respond with anger and rage to Jesus’ words. The idea that Jesus would reach out to Gentiles produced the angry reaction. In essence Jesus was saying that the Nazarenes were worse than Syrian lepers and Phoenician widows. The crowd rose up to take Jesus to the brow of the cliff in which their city was built upon, the exact location of this cliff is unknown. To the Nazarenes, Jesus would have been accused of the lynch laws these laws said that a person who blatantly violates the law is to be executed on sight. If Jesus is understood as a false prophet by the crowd he would have been subject to such a slaying as found in Deuteronomy 13:5.[1] Many scholars have argued as to whether Jesus’ escape from the crowd should been seen as miraculous. Luke may or may not have been implying a miraculous escape, what is certain is that he is wanting to show that Jesus’ time of suffering had not yet come.[2] After this Jesus moves on to Capernaum where he heals a man with demons, the rest of Luke’s gospel is the manifestation of Luke 4:14-30. Luke will demonstrate through the rest of his gospel how this Messiah has come to proclaim good news to the poor, liberty to the captives, sight to the blind, liberty to the oppressed, and that he is here to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Applying Luke 4:14-30 to Both the Lost and the Saved

What purpose, if any does this passage have for the twenty first century, are there any practical implications that the text yields both to the unbeliever and the believer? Yes, in regards to the unbeliever the application is quite clear, they are exhorted to put their faith and trust in Christ. From this passage the unbeliever can see that Jesus is the one who fulfills all of the promises of God, he alone is the one who grants salvation to all who will come to him. Unbelievers live in constant bondage to their sin they are spiritually oppressed and chained to unrighteous living, only Christ has the power to set them free. To the young teenager or college student who is searching for absolute truth they must deal with the claims of Jesus in Luke 4. As C.S. Lewis said they must conclude if Jesus is a liar, a lunatic, or Lord. To the man in the back row who lives in constant fear of death he must trust in Christ as Lord knowing fully that the good news that Christ proclaims is freedom from sin and death. This passage at the same time serves as a warning to unbelievers that if they reject Jesus as the Nazarenes did they will miss out on God’s salvation and will face his judgment.
This passage is also vital to the life of all believers, this passage should serve as a reminder to believers about the great blessing of salvation they have freely received in Jesus Christ. The believer should constantly be reminded of the liberty they received at the cross. This passage should give saints encouragement that they too will face reject when they proclaim the gospel of Christ. Luke 4 also teaches believers that they should continue believing and trusting in Christ because outside of him there is no hope for mankind. To the saint who is consumed by cancer this passage provides hope that God has the power to heal their body, but even more that through Christ he has healed their soul. This passage applies to the teenager who struggles in being accepted by her lost friends this passage helps her understand that her friends do not hate her but the Christ she follows. Lastly, this passage should move believers to examine themselves on a regular basis to determine if they have become like the unbelieving Nazarenes.
Conclusion
Like the Jews in Nazareth Jesus calls people of every generation and from all ethnicities to believe upon him and be saved. Man is warned that if he does not place his trust in Christ then God’s blessing will pass him by. What is this blessing? Life eternal. The crowds recognized that Jesus was a popular teacher. Yet they did not understand that he seen himself as the promised anointed one. As Jesus compares himself to the Old Testament prophets the crowds respond with murderous intentions. People everywhere must come to a decision on Christ, either he is the one whom the prophets promised would come, or else he is a blasphemer who deserved to die. May the church of the Lord Jesus Christ always find its hope in the fulfilled promise of the Old Testament.




[1] Ibid, 419.
[2] Robert H. Stein, The New American Commentary Volume 24: Luke (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1992), 160.