It is Written… Part 5

Jesus was a controversial person 2000 years ago, and he remains so today. Jesus was not bombastic. He did not steal the spotlight whenever he had a chance. Jesus was not looking for fame, but he became famous in his earthly ministry and his fame continues to spread to this day. Today we’ll look at why he was both famous and controversial. The range of responses to his ministry went from love and worship to hate and murder.

Anchor Texts:

Luke 4:14-29 ESVUK - Jesus Rejected in Nazareth

Isaiah 61 ESVUK - The Year of the LORD's Favour (Specifically Vv. 1-2)

Isaiah 58:6 NIV - “Is not this the kind of fasting…

Questions to Ponder:

The Synagogue is the place where people gathered to hear the Bible _____ and _______________.
Which word ends the first three phrases on Isaiah 61:1 (in Greek not necessarily English). _______. Why might this be important? To whom does it refer?
What was the public’s reception of Jesus like in Galilee in Luke 4:15? He was being _____________ by all! Why were they responding this way?
Read Luke 4:22 - What are some of the things we know about what’s happening in this passage that the original people with Jesus did not know? Why is it important to remember our differences?
The words of Isaiah that Jesus quoted whipped up all the feelings of _____and ______, and all the desires for ________and ________. [In the context of Isaiah 61] What similarities did the peopel of Jesus day see between themselves and Isaiah’s day. What similarities do we see between our day and Jesus’?
How do we end up making Jesus in our image? What damage can be done if we try to claim him like the Nazarenes did?

Answers: 1. Read and explained, 2. ME, 3. Glorified, 5. pain and exile, freedom and hope.

The Theme in Song:

Here is a song I love about making the great confession - that Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Light than shines on us in the darkness.

The Theme in Art:

I was very surprised to find how many portrayals there are of Jesus teaching in the Synagogue at Nazareth. You can search for yourself, and many are the terrible clip-art sunday school kind of art (sorry if you like that). But there are some very interested ancient and modern portrayls. Some try to contextualize Jesus to a familiar setting (like the oldest greek and some of the medeival art) while others try to imagine exactly what it would have looked like in 30A.D. (especially modern and A.I. artwork).

It is Written… Part 4