Jesus Goes Home | Jesus Begins 9

In which John and David discuss Jesus' sermon in Nazareth. In Luke 4 we see Jesus return home and preach a concise but remarkable sermon in his local community. This moment is a significant one for understanding this series, but also (more importantly) understanding how Luke presents Jesus to us.

Episode 50 of the Two Texts Podcast | Jesus Begins 9

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Transcript

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[00:00:00] David: Well, John Jesus has survived his temptations in the desert, and Luke wants to keep journeying us on this sort of process of, of what's happening at the beginning of Jesus he's ministry. So he immediately. He immediately goes from his temptations in the desert back to Galilee, to an exciting and really significant part of Luke's gospel that we are going to jump in and chat about that for the next two episodes. 

[00:00:28] John: And date indeed. It's a exciting on quite exclusive. It has to be said we are, we are talking, I don't think I've ever had a reaction to a sermon like this one. So, but it's a, it's a staggering. And an incredible reaction in our next two operas. We're going to cover that. So very, very exciting stuff. I think Fasten your seatbelt. 

[00:00:47] Here we go.  

[00:00:48] David: Yes. And we're going to, we're going to do this in two parts. Aren't we? So we'll talk about the sermon today and then and then, in most churches you have the sermon and then you have the tea and the coffee afterwards in, in, in this situation, Jesus went to the synagogue, did his sermon and It seems like everybody was up for a scrap after, after this sermon. 

[00:01:10] So we'll do sermon and then scrap is that same good. 

[00:01:15] John: absolutely. Okay then. Well, shall I jump into the reading? It's a, it's Luke chapter four and I'm reading from verse 14 and it says this Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit and use a boat, him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues and everyone. He went to Nazareth where he'd been brought up and on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue as was his custom. 

[00:01:44] He stood up to read and the scroll of the prophet, Isaiah was handed to him, unrolling it. He phoned the police where it is written. The spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. 

[00:02:11] Then he rolled up the scroll, give it. 

[00:02:12] back to the attendant and set down the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began by saying to them today, this. Is fulfilled in your hearing. Marvelous.  

[00:02:31] David: It's it's quite the opening to a sermon as well. Isn't it? 

[00:02:36] John: Yeah. Yeah. There's no, there's no nice jokey gentle introduction.  

[00:02:42] David: Let me tell you something funny. That happened to my family this week. 

[00:02:48] John: No, it's it's straight in. Okay. What, you've just what you've just heard. This has been fulfilled right in front of your eyes. So an amazing, an amazing beginning and quite a, I suppose it's fitting for the dry. That is about not just to unfold in this synagogue, but in many ways, the sort of the worldview and the, and the kingdom view that Jesus is night and knowing, seeing and launching in the most controversial and glorious of wares.  

[00:03:14] David: It is quite significant. The, the reading of Isaiah, of course, as we're going to see throughout Luke's gospel, if you, if anyone continues to read. Luke is choosing a T to tell us this story, because there's so much significant stuff happened. That relates to the ministry of Jesus. I think how, how Luke presents the story to us, how he unpacks even what goes on around about it. 

[00:03:40] But particularly for me, and we'll get to this shortly, is this, this nature of how, of how Jesus quotes, Isaiah and how he goes to this familiar space. But there's a little bit of a connection point, John. Maybe first with just how we've run through Jesus, his baptism, his genealogy, his tent at temptations in the desert. 

[00:04:02] And then we have this kind of intro line Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the spirit and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues. And everybody everybody praised him or glory give glory to him or honored him, which I, if, if you're thinking about the conversations we've had so far, but what's going on in this particular passage, this little intro piece is kind of interesting. 

[00:04:29] Isn't it?  

[00:04:30] John: it? 
 

[00:04:30] is it's beautiful. And, and you have in many ways the, the, the way. Sort of honor conversation we've had in terms of the words of the father, the questioning of Jesus' identity, and then this sort of sense of an affirmation from, from those who are hearing Jesus, there's a broad affirmation and speaking of him, but, but I love that little link. 

[00:04:51] In that verse, verse 14, he, he returned in the power of the spirit and of course he's a boat to a note from Isaiah that the spirit of the. It's all in him and it does, it does remain dos. And I think it's a lovely little remainder to our listeners that, that Luke really, he does seem to be the gospel writer. 

[00:05:11] That's absolutely, committed to the person of the holy.  

[00:05:15] David: Yes. 
 

[00:05:15] John: And even when you compare them to the other gospels, there are certainly the other Synoptics, he sort of way out there. I think, I think I've, I've coded six references in Mark's gospel to the holy spirit 12 in Matthew. And if you put Luke and acts together, I think it Luke's gospel alone. 

[00:05:34] There's 17 references to the holy spirit. But if you put Luke and acts together there's something like seven. For references and 52 chapters. So it really is. There's, there's something that Dr. Luke is trying to say is those first four chapters, as we've alluded to, and other conversations explode with charismatic, active. And then you get this dynamic introduction to this amazing relationship between Jesus and the holy spirit. And Luke seems to be leaning into the idea that what you're about to see what you're about to experience what you're about to. Here from Jesus is, is there's this partnership with Jesus and the holy spirit, this, this incredible moment that Jesus experiences in his baptism, but that night, everything you're about to unroll in this God. 

[00:06:25] You have to almost connect the work of Jesus and the work of the holy spirit together. So it's this beautiful thread that's running through the whole of the first four chapters, but specifically from the baptism of Jesus and the holy Spirit's really beautiful.  

[00:06:40] David: It's interesting for me, the different aspects of the holy spirit that you see in these few verses as well. So you have the holy spirit comes down upon Jesus in, in an affirming. So, so the, the spirit affirms the identity of Jesus, which of course is profoundly important for a person. But in terms of the narrative that we're looking at, it's notable how much that affirmation of the holy spirit is then challenged in the temptations. 

[00:07:09] And we, we talked about that in the previous episodes, but then. By verse 14 at you have the holy spirit is now providing a power to Jesus at some level. And that I think needs a bit of thinking about, but it's worth, if you were doing a study of Luke acts, you'd want to notice how much the power of the holy spirit is a feature in acts. 

[00:07:30] The, the, the disciples are able to the disciples, the apostles, the early church is able to work off of that. But then it's interesting how, you read. Th the, the quote from Isaiah, just a few moments ago, the spirit of the Lord is upon me now which we know, but, but, and Jesus is citing scripture here, but look at the work of the spirit. 

[00:07:50] It's proclaiming good news setting, prisoners, free recovering sight, w setting the oppressed free announcing the year of Jubilee. I wonder again, this is just me being a little bit more imaginative, John, but I think about how the holy spirit is introduced to us in scripture. And so no one that's listened to this series, three of two texts will be surprised for me to now see, think about Genesis, but what, what do we get in Genesis is. 

[00:08:25] Chaos and the spirit is hovering above that. And then we see order and wholeness and Shalom peace, wholeness ever. We translate that Hebrew word. We see that coming off the back of something that the spirit was present to. And so I just, again, I'm not making a textual link here. I'm making more. An observation of consistency, that from the very intro of the holy spirit in Genesis, there is, this th this, this void formless earth, the spirit hovers over and by the end of the story, Order and we have wholeness and, and, and, and rest know all this. 

[00:09:06] And so this idea that the spirit of the Lord maybe is consistently doing that work. So he had, he identifies who Jesus is. He gives Jesus power, but this is all about bringing back together. All of the brokenness of the world. I mean, I just, maybe that's a little too sermon but, but there's, there's a, there's a new and you, and you had Jack too for us, but but I mean, w do you, do you feel some of that, John. 

[00:09:28] John: Oh, it's certainly I mean, again, I think hopefully what, what our listeners are getting used to is us trained to connect. Sometimes what seemed to be very, very obvious references across the scriptures, but also nuanced references. You, you, you hear an echo of something, you feel something in the, in the tax. 

[00:09:51] Then I think the creation story, and I love, I love what it says and the spirit of God moved upon the theists of the waters and in the next lane is on God's. So you get this gorgeous spirit moving word proclaimed. And of course, as we're thinking about what Jesus is about to do you get, you get Jesus. Anointed empowered by the holy spirit led by the holy spirit. 

[00:10:18] This holy spirit who's descended on him. Lad. A night is causing him to return in power. And of course at an official level, what we're getting is Jesus' first action. Coming out of the wilderness on the red card is the proclamation of. So the word is spoken. So you get this game, this beautiful connection led by the power of the spirit. 

[00:10:40] And then Jesus opens the scroll of Isaiah or unrolls, the scroll of Isaiah and proclaims word on a, on a it's a gorgeous golden thread to follow throughout the scriptures. This link between the moving of the spirit and the proclamation of the word. And both of them are dynamically created. Actions both when, when those two elements, if you like forgive that language, when, when the spirit and the word, we understand them as persons, when the spirit and the word come together, something transform missional is being announced. 

[00:11:16] Something transformational happens and an end to the chaos of humanity. Now the spirit has come and UN enter the darkness. The light of the word is. And I don't think that's a stretch. I don't think that's preachy at all. I think that's absolutely there. And I think the, the, the illusion to that is a worthwhile one in our thinking. 

[00:11:38] David: And it's lovely that that sort of harmony between verse 14 and the Isaiah references and say, the power of the spirit and a report about him spread and he was teaching. And then, then Jesus, well, the spirit of. To proclaim. Good news. So, so the, it, there's almost a sort of, well, this is that  

[00:12:00] John: Yeah.  

[00:12:01] David: this, what you're seeing here is that, which I mean a better way of saying this is, that is, today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing, but, but, but that's, it's lovely. 

[00:12:12] How Lucas stitching together the events of Jesus with his introductions to make sure that you, the reader don't miss the consistency with, I always feel like you're, you're almost. Like behold, God is doing a new thing, which happens to be very similar to all of the old things that God used to do. 

[00:12:32] And I mean that respectfully, I'm not trying to, but, but it's like, well, why would God do something really new in Jesus? Except that if we'd been paying better attention, he was always seeing that he was going to be doing this sort of thing. And that's what I feel is happening in this particular story. 

[00:12:47] John: Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's helpful for us as followers of Jesus. I think they're all. Patterns of activity and practice within the scriptures that the we're not reaching for formula. We are seeing patterns and we are seeing combinations and we are seeing certain things working together and producing something. 

[00:13:09] And I think that's worthwhile for us as followers of Jesus to think, okay, we are dealing with unique person here. God and flight. And therefore there's a whole level of this narrative that we have to be very, very careful in how we handle because we're dealing with a sacred person in the midst of a sacred text. 

[00:13:27] But at the same time, then there are also principles and patterns and practices within the behavior of Jesus and the experience of Jesus that make travel. And of course, I, I think Dr. Luke picks out up brilliantly in his cul, in the book of acts where you have a gathered community that is, is, is then moved upon by the holy spirit. 

[00:13:53] And the first thing that gathered community does once empowered by the spirit is proclaimed work. Literally to knock. I 

[00:14:01] mean, they, Peter quotes to knock on a number of vacations in his sermon. She get, you get almost identical pattern. You have Jesus led by the spirit empowered by the spirit. 

[00:14:11] What does he do? He speaks word. Of course we knew he is the word too. And then you've gotten the book of acts, acts chapter two. The spirit comes on the gathered committee.  

[00:14:19] We call the church on their first action, Joe slate. Jesus is a proclamation action. It's not even at the stage of demonstration action. 

[00:14:28] It's a word action. It's a proclamation of word. And I think there's something powerful that we, that we should lean into that as followers of Jesus, we want to be led by the spirit, but also be governed. B B instructed by a big gated by the word of God, so that it's not simply an experience that we are advocating, but an exposition of truth as well. 

[00:14:53] There's there's experience and exposition there's demonstration and proclamation. There is spirit and word. These are, I think these are dynamic ideas that traveled to the 21st century for us as followers of.  

[00:15:05] David: And it's worth thinking about, and, we have these conversations, John, and then think, you know what? We should do another series and we should that we should focus on this entirely. But think about the day of Pentecost in acts chapter two, where you have again, That model with, with all these additional nuances that I think again, we miss really, really easily that the holy spirit falls and the people proclaim the glory of God, right. 

[00:15:30] That people are proclaiming, but in their own, not their own languages. Sorry in languages. They've not learned, but, but it's curious to lie. Both of those texts, both Luke four and acts two next to each other, and, look at their Isaiah and reference the spirit of Lord John maze in 19 and me to proclaim good news to the poor proclaim freedom recovery of sight. 

[00:15:53] If pressed free, you, you're seeing this holistic vision of what of God is restoring wholeness to, to all things through the holy spirit. So this idea then that when the holy spirit falls. Acts you get, again, this holistic vision of glory to God, the net result of all of this. And my reading of act is often at what you're seeing is a, is a brief glimpse of the future. 

[00:16:19] When all nations tribes and tongues are, are, are worshiping. Jaqui which is again, that's an Asiatic vision, isn't it? But of course the beauty of what happens in acts is that it's not normalized. We don't bring everybody in and make them worship God-like us, but actually in their own tongues and languages, they, they unpack this. 

[00:16:39] But there is there's harmony there between. The Luke four announcement and the act two happening isn't there, where you seeing this is really, really Luke trying to help us get into what we need to understand about how God works through the holy spirit in Jesus and us. 

[00:16:57] John: Absolutely No. 

[00:16:58] spectacular connection. And also there's maybe something that's tucked away. Not, not so easy to see initially. But this, this whole idea that Jesus in his sermon is not coming to proclaim vengeance, but fever. 

[00:17:11] And the inference is that the fever is not just for one. Group or one nation in relationship with, with God, but this fevers going to reach out to the whole world. And of course, when we then see the book of acts 

[00:17:28] we, we know that what begins in Jerusalem ends up in Rome in terms of the narrative of the whole book. 

[00:17:34] But of course, the day of Pentecost itself, something like 17 people, groups or languages are potentially identified. In that list. So you get this global field. Now I know many of those would have. Either Jewish people are converts to Judaism, but what's beautiful about acts two is you get a globalization of this message immediately. 

[00:17:56] You get a sense that this message is not just going to hang around in Jerusalem. This message is going to go to Judea Sumeria and the ends of the earth, which of course Jesus has already alluded to. And, and the opening verses of the book of. You'll receive power and you'll be my witnesses in all of those places. 

[00:18:15] But, but I love that the book of acts I'm whether, whether Luke does this deliberately or come, we say God, incidentally or accidentally, you get this sense of enlargement and expansion and inclusion in the book of acts. And that's exactly what Jesus is leaning into in his sermon. There is an inclusive dynamic to this. That he is, he is actually seeking to reinterpret some of the ideas around Isaiah 61 in order to position a much more inclusive and embracing and global view of Isaiah's prophecy and declaration. And I, I think those two things are there and I may become more apparent as we unpack and go for.  

[00:19:02] David: Um, I think it's so significant in the conversation that I want to encourage anyone to just take a few minutes and line up the verses. But Luke four 14, Jesus returns to Galilee in the power of the spirit and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 

[00:19:19] Right? Luke four 18. The spirit of Lord is on me because he's anointed me to proclaim good news to all of these broken. But as you said, and we've mentioned this before in two texts, I think we need to double down into this in the next episode, but Jesus stops quoting halfway through a sentence and Isaiah 61, and he leaves out the stuff about God coming in and bringing in vengeance and all the people we don't like right now, then throw over to acts one. 

[00:19:46] Ain't right. And this, a notice that you alluded to it, John, but just, just to not miss it. If, if, if you're listening while driving in your car, acts one, verse eight, you will receive power when the holy spirit comes upon you. So this is Jesus. Now talking to his disciples. And what will the result of that be? 

[00:20:02] You will be witnesses, but where will you be witnesses? Kind of a place he's where all your enemies live,  

[00:20:08] John: Yeah.  

[00:20:08] David: Jerusalem, that's fine. All Judea Sumeria, the ends of the earth. Ooh. Well, it's actually aligning perfectly with this vision of Isaiah that the whole earth will eventually understand who God is, but it's worth noticing. 

[00:20:22] Doubling up of his language, Jesus power of the holy spirit news about him. You'll receive power of the holy spirit. You will be witnesses about him. It's doing exactly the same thing. The holy Spirit's working very, very consistently in Luke's understanding as, as he presents it to us. And I think that's really, I, I more beautiful than just the symmetry. 

[00:20:45] It's beautiful as a Jesus follower to see how Luke's teaching us in this. 

[00:20:49] John: Completely completely. And I think, I think those, that what I think that sense of dynamic intentional symmetry from Luke then lean into. Okay. The work of the spirit we're seeing in Jesus is not just an idea about Jesus there's there's, there's something being connected to the followers of Jesus. The mission of Jesus. That he quotes from Isaiah 61. It's not just the mission of Jesus. There's, he's announcing something for him, for his followers, the ecclesiology, the understanding of the gathered community that will come out of this proclamation is not just Jesus. It's laying something up. So, so you get these beautiful seed ideas dynamically presented in Jesus, which then if we only had the gospel of Luke, the danger would be, we'd sort of leave that with Jesus. 

[00:21:40] But then the book of acts shows us the embodiment and continuation of those ideas. Pneumatological ideas, Michele logical ideas, ecclesiological ideas. They're all rooted in our seated in Jesus. And then it's like the book of acts is the blossoming of the. Those ideas in this raw, unchartered territory of this new community that will eventually be called church. 

[00:22:09] Even, even though it's not a grit, a grit, a label for it. And I think Luke is doing that magnificently. I think that is a, a phenomenal and, and I think sometimes. Followers of Jesus, Luke at the gospels. And we just think, oh, that's a sort of, it's just a biography. Right? And then you look at the book of acts. 

[00:22:29] Oh, well the book of acts is just like a story. Right. And we do a tremendous disservice to the theological wit of these Raiders. And certainly I think in the last 50 years, Dr. Luke has been rescued from being in the eyes of some merely a historic. And he has been elevated properly in my opinion, to a theologian who happens to rate some history. 

[00:22:51] And I think, I think that's, that's the idea there that he's pulling magnificent threads together, seated in Jesus and in blossoming and flourishing in the church. 

[00:23:01] David: And I think that our history is the church has been much the poorer for when we've not taken the gospel. Seriously. There's there's A tendency, particularly within sort of Protestant churches. And I understand why this is to focus intensely on Paul as the source of all theology. And the gospel is just as some, some four perspectives on Jesus. 

[00:23:29] So you can understand who Paul's talking about. And, and this, I think this is a really bad way to build a healthy Christianity. Like I, I, I'm a Paul line scholar, so it, I love reading Paul, but, but we're not helping ourselves by. By doing anything other than thinking that these gospel writers are theologians, primarily theologians they're there, they're telling theology via story. 

[00:23:55] And, and I think, and hopefully, if, if somebody's stuck with two tax for nearly a year now, the parables of Jesus, the miracles of Jesus, you're looking at the Christmas stories as we've done now in this series on the beginning of Jesus's ministry. You can start to feel in the gospels, this, this depth of the story that's being painted. 

[00:24:16] And, and I think that we would do much better if we could, even just in our own personal devotion, not think in terms of story in the gospels and theology and Paul, but the new Testament presents to us profoundly deep theology that is worthy of reckoning with. 

[00:24:34] John: Oh completely totally 100%. And, and that's why you've you, our listeners have heard us say constantly read Jesus. You need to read Jesus. Jesus is ultimately the fulfillment of Tanakh and he's also it. Th not only the lens through which we read backwards, but he is the lens through which we read forward. 

[00:24:53] Paul doesn't make sense unless you get Jesus. Isaiah doesn't make sense, ultimately, unless you get Jesus. So Jesus is in more ways than one, the author and perfecter of our faith as the writer of the Hebrew says, he literally is the connector. He's the fulfillment on the springboard. And, and so the gospels I would urge. 

[00:25:13] Urge our listeners take the gospels as seriously as possible. They are magnificent, not only stories, but absolutely saturated with theological direction, truth, guidance, and, and late to help us grow as followers of Jesus.  

[00:25:30] David: And so maybe, maybe the strangest transition ever having what we've just said. I wanted to ask a couple of historical questions of you, John having that said what we just said about it being theology, but it is also painting us a picture of life in those times. And Jesus. There's a couple of little nuances that, that I know, you have thoughts on just in terms of what's physically happening in this story. 

[00:25:56] So like, if I was reading this with, with fresh eyes, Luke's telling us a little bit about how synagogue works. So it's the Sabbath he's in the synagogue. It was his custom, like, I think that's a beautifully, fascinating little insight into Jesus's. Pre ministry life. What was Jesus doing? What was Jesus doing before he appears on the scene, full of the holy spirit and gets baptized? 

[00:26:19] Well, well, we knew he was going to synagogue on Sabbath. I'm just going to point the things out and then I'd love to hear you. Going back, he stands up to read like, the, the prophet is handed to him. He seems to be able to find the place where the bit he's looking for. So is there, is there familiarity with this particular scroll? 

[00:26:38] And then he gives the scroll back and sits down and then begin. Sermon. So yeah, I mean, so there's a little bit of this. There's a whole little pick, if you're not a Jewish person which many of the original readers of Luke's gospel probably were not. He's given us a little insight into kind of synagogue life in Nazareth. 

[00:26:55] John: I've I've actually had the joy of visiting Nazareth on a number of occasions and visited something called the Nazareth experience. And if any of our viewers, our listeners ever get the chance to go to Israel, that is worth a look. And it's essentially part, part archeology. Part cultural studies ideas that are actually helping us to think about what the world of Jesus may have looked like. 

[00:27:19] And they've, they've done a reconstruction of the synagogue that they think would have reflected the first century synagogue of Nazareth. And it's true. I mean, it's absolutely tiny. Ed is shockingly small. So I remember the second time I went to this experience, I had my oldest daughter with me on my son-in-law, her both involved in Christian ministry. 

[00:27:41] And she was shocked at how small the synagogue was because we automatically think, oh, this must've been a magnificent grand announcement moment. But of course, if Nazareth at the time of Jesus was a row, a round about three. Population then, then, a relatively small synagogue. Would've been that practice and I think Jesus was used to going to the synagogue. 

[00:28:07] What's beautiful here. He submits to the process of Sabbath. He clearly is also following the synagogue service. So there's about six elements in the silica synagogue service on the teaching of the word, or the teacher was like number five in the, in the. So we're well into the synagogue service, Jesus has followed the whole of the literature up to this point. 

[00:28:31] And then of course he finds the place where it is written on. Again, I, I, the incredible little moment for us to pause is that the scroll of Isaiah, even in our Bible, it's the 1 66 chapters. Isaiah is , it's massive. Absolutely massive. Imagine Isaiah in a scroll.  

[00:28:51] David: Yes.  
 

[00:28:51] John: And of  

[00:28:52] David: Made of made of some sort of skin. So the sheer weight of  

[00:28:56] John: Oh, thanks. 

[00:28:57] Massive. It's absolutely massive. And it's, it's continuous text. If you've ever had the privilege of seeing some of the ex. And recovered text of that world at that time, it is just mesmerizing DeLuca it's continuous text from right to left. And no chapter divisions, no verse divisions, nothing, no markers to help you understand.  

[00:29:23] David: It's, it's worth it. If you're, if you're near a computer you just Google dead sea scrolls, Isaiah, and you will see pictures. Not of the one that Jesus held for sure. But you'll see what, what exactly it would have looked like. And so you're absolutely right. 

[00:29:41] No verse reference. There's no chapter references, but you know, we can push even further than that. No spaces between the words and no vowels. In the words, Jesus has handed basically a block scroll of consonance to look at. 

[00:29:57] John: It's totally amazing. I mean, I I've studied Hebrew and, and had the privilege and I, I still, I would struggle to read Hebrew without vials. So I, I need an accrued, Hebrew to, to read so that I think without I struggle, I have to really, really think about what that could be. And Jesus of course, raised with that. 

[00:30:16] And the Hebrew was the language of the scholars. Not everybody could have read that text setting in that synagogue and Jesus could and quotes that preaches often an Aramaic, but studies and, converses at a scholarly level in Hebrew. So, so you've got a phenomenal and of course, what Luke says, he phoned the place where it is. So, this is not an accident. This is not this is not just, Hey, this is the next bit of the service read this bit. There is an implication that a low, the next bit involves Isaiah because that's hard to, to him. And whether Jesus was involved in picking eyes. Oh, that is simply at a liturgic level where they are in their, in their sort of or engagement with the word of God. 

[00:31:03] He fames, the police word is written. He fades what we call Isaiah 61. And from that, which to me absolutely points to the familiarization of this text. And of course, we've, we've talked before about, about the memorization of that tax that the Lord Jesus reads from it, the likelihood. Large chunks of that he has memorized or is extremely familiar. 

[00:31:26] And recognizing that Isaiah is Jesus' favorite prophet. I would be shocked if Jesus doesn't know these grit statements and songs. And references to the spurt anointed servant of God, if he does not know these off by heart. And even though he's probably reading from the text using the yard, he he's probably got that well into his mind and quotes from it. 

[00:31:52] So it's a beautiful, it is a, it's a gorgeous, I think Luke four represents the beautiful mix of inspirational spontaneous dynamic engaged. In the midst of absolute rigid liturgy. So you've got a Sabbath as was his custom, you've got a synagogue service. You've got all the rituals that he would normally follow. 

[00:32:16] This is a standard normal Sabbath service, and he is totally towing the lane on what happens in Sabbath and get into that. The breath of God comes something dynamic animals. And of course he stands to read. But then he sits to teach and, and setting was the, the, the, the position of authority when it came to teach. 

[00:32:38] And, and 

[00:32:39] and so he's about to say something from the reading of the.  

[00:32:43] David: Hmm. It's, it's just is a beautiful notion with everything we've said, ever actually, but anything we've said in this, in this, in this episode that you have this, the son of God ordained by the holy spirit facing up to temptation of the devil. But then also you see, and I'm thinking, I'm even thinking about like your book, John, 2 52, where you talk about, about Jesus he's training and learning. 

[00:33:13] There's huge illusion here to, and I imagine, imagine you, John being given. Isaiah in English, right? In a scroll form with, with no chapter verses, I'll give you vowels and spaces between the words cause I'm a kind person. Right. So, and I, and I hand it to you and you. I'm going to, I'm going to read from, from, well, I mean, you actually think verse 61, but of course you don't know chapter 61 because I'm going to read that bit that says the spirit of the Lord. 

[00:33:44] And imagine, I mean, as you may, both preachers, we've all had that sort of terrifying moment in our life where your book bark falls out your Bible, mid sermon, and, got that. What seems like an age as you leaf through your Bible to find the page that you were at. Right? So, so there's a sense. A little couple of little nuances for people to be just aware of as well, scrolls are phenomenally expensive. 

[00:34:08] And so I would put it to, to anyone that in the village of Nazareth, the. The precious thing that was in that village would likely have been the biblical scrolls, not just because of their religious significance, but the sheer cost of having to have a scroll that would you agree with  

[00:34:29] John: Oh, for sure. And in some cases, in some cases there's evidence of scroll. So if a, if a small village, if it was beyond their financial power to, to have these scrolls of their own, they made sure certain scroll to the Tanakh and Isaiah would be be, potentially one of those, because it's, it's just, remember, I mean, for our listeners and forgive me if, if you knew this listener, but if, if the scribe makes one mistake copying the text, The whole scroll is about.  

[00:35:05] David: Yeah. 
 

[00:35:06] John: So it's put know in a special room of scrolls with mistakes on sort of thing. So it, it, we are talking pin sticking commitment to accuracy here and, and that's, I mean, it's, to me, that's a really important idea as a Christian with an understanding of a Jewish worldview that has had then a very strong commitment to oral tradition and a very, very high commitment to scripture. 

[00:35:29] So there is for me a fifth and believing. That these people took the copying of this taxed on believably. Seriously, one mistake in the text. They don't scribble it out and move on. It is, it is abandoned. So, so we are w w these are incredible. And, and again, a little book of action you want for us, the fact that the Ethiopian union. 

[00:35:54] On the way home from Jerusalem has a copy of the prophet of Isaiah and reads from what we call Isaiah 53. I mean, that shows number one, his personal commitment to the cause of Judaism. And then of course, ultimately following Jesus the way but also. My goodness, he's paid a small fortune for that. 

[00:36:17] This is a mountain of means amount of wealth, and he's put some serious cash on the table to, to purchase the scroll  

[00:36:24] David: Yes. 
 

[00:36:25] John: and and he needs Phillip's help to interpret it. So these are all beautiful little nuances in the background.  

[00:36:31] David: And, and I'd encourage anyone like, go and do some reading on the dead sea scrolls, because this is a whole area where we really have learned so much in the last sort of 18 years about how these things work. You, you mentioned about, the scroll being abandoned, but you know, how do you abandon a biblical scroll? 

[00:36:47] You don't just throw it in the bin. Right. And there are discussions about even the dead sea scrolls, aren't there. We're all these scrolls that were in these jars, in this cave, where are they being stored there? Some, some scholars think that because there was an attack imminent, they stored all the scrolls in his cave and, and then, and then ran off hoping to come back later, but probably never survived to do so. 

[00:37:10] But then other scholars have wondered what. What we actually have in the dead sea scrolls is because what we do know that one tradition was you would, some people would bury the text. Other people would put it in a jar to let it decompose. Naturally. That was how you dealt with it with an old scroll. And some people have wondered whether the dead sea scrolls are just a really bad attempt to do this. 

[00:37:29] It didn't decompose. They actually preserved them almost perfectly for 2000 years. But the point that I think it's just worth holding on to. Is that Jesus doesn't likely. And by likely, I mean, I would I, 99% certain Jesus doesn't have a scroll of Isaiah and his house. He is, he is not, all of the evidence we have of Jesus, these families they do not have means had. 

[00:37:52] So, so for him to be able to find the place where it's. Assumes that, that really, when Luke says this was his custom to go into the synagogue and read this text, this is perhaps a 20, 30 year custom for him to be able to be that familiar with this particular scroll requires exposure and presence in, and I just think it's beautiful. 

[00:38:14] What was Jesus doing before his ministry, John? Just doing what a good Jewish. Law observant person would do. He was learning the word of God. He was memorizing it. He was familiarizing with himself with it. It's just gorgeous to think about isn't it. 

[00:38:33] John: It's stunning. I do love the idea. I do love the idea of Jesus finishing a day, either working with, or working for someone and then a little bit of food and unmaking his way to synagogue and the bat moderation, whatever form of learning school there was available and, and submitting himself to the local team. 

[00:39:00] To the local. And I find myself deeply moved by that. I find myself here is the word in flesh who wrote these words, who inspired Isaiah originally to write these words. As God. And yet here he is, as God in flesh, submitting himself to a learning process and memorizing this text and throwing himself into this text. 

[00:39:27] Then of course I do love the idea. I know no, all of scripture is inspired. So I hope our, our listed. Harmer me for this, but I do love the idea that Jesus loved Isiah,  

[00:39:40] David: Yes. 
 

[00:39:42] John: judo, every steal, one of those instant quiz things, chips or potatoes or something like that. When you have to pick one and what's your favorite book of the Bible, Isaiah it, it's that, it's that? 

[00:39:52] I just want to think that Jesus loves Isaiah. Because I think Isaiah above all profits is the profit of the Messiah. And, and I think he speaks powerfully to the world of Jesus directly and to the wider world of which we're not benefiting.  

[00:40:13] David: John, you're making me laugh as well. Cause I'm thinking about, both you and me have had this experience. Having had the joy of, of an extended period of time teaching in a Bible college seminary context. In fact, just this happened to me just the other week there that I. I was just had to some, some moments free and I'd say, yeah, I went on YouTube and watched a bit of a church service from, from a relatively well-known church around the world. 

[00:40:40] Really. And. I don't hear what I'm not saying. When I say this, well-known DeJesus is more important than well-known around the world, but, but I, I flicked on this, this video of their service, their live stream of their service and the service starts and the wish the media, and then it cuts to worship. 

[00:41:00] And this, this video is. Tens of thousands of views by the time I got to watch it. And and there was one of our former students leading worship. Right. And I was like, wow, look at that. Isn't that, isn't that awesome to see that sort of joy of watching a student, go on to do these things and just, it just came to me as you were talking just then I was thinking. 

[00:41:22] Goodness. There's a rabbi from Nazareth somewhere that his job, his job was teaching Jesus Torah. And, and I'm not comparing us to, you know, but you hear that, that knowing that slate, joy as a teacher of watching somebody do that, there's this anonymous. Someone there, who, who reaches the, the, the, the time of history and the, the, the, just the, that can I use the word luck of it ended up being Jesus he's teacher. 

[00:41:50] I mean, what a thought, I don't know where to go with that, but just one of the thoughts. 

[00:41:54] John: It's a gorgeous thought. Yeah. it is a, a nameless teacher taught the word in flesh, introduced the word in flesh to, to Viagra, to Leviticus, to, to dove ream, to Deuteronomy onto Isaiah and, and, for the first time on rules. Taxed for that way. And of course, Jesus, Jesus would have had to have been able to read and recite the scriptures for his bar mitzvah as well. 

[00:42:19] So all of this, it's a scripture saturated world and of course it's where a boat to lean into this Isaiah 61. Passage for our sets of 61 for him, it was a dynamic passage. This was one of the most emotive and controversial passages in the days of Jesus, because it was often used to elude to a vengeance and deliverance. On a, And if you want it to rah, rah, a synagogue, then Isaiah 61 was your text in terms of both pronouncing God's salvation, but doing it through vengeance against your enemies. Jesus is about to step into the middle of that And unknown something entirely different using one of the most beloved passages of his generation. 

[00:43:07] So it's a moment that's been set up very powerfully for us in this, in this moment of literature. 

[00:43:14] David: And that might be a good place for us to round out with perhaps a reflection for for you as you listen, just on chapter four, verse 20, he rolls up the score or gave it back to the attendant and sat down and the. Everyone in this synagogue were fastened on him. And, and there's just that reflection of what had Jesus just done that made everyone respond like that. 

[00:43:42] And I think that's a great, just almost a devotional question to ask ourselves, just in case I'm about to miss what's going on in this text. Why? Because in one sense you get, well, just, he's just read a bit of the Bible. But why is everybody's eyes fastened on him? And I feel like that's what we talk about in the next episode.  

[00:44:00] John: Yep. sounds good to me