Jesus' Messianic Claims Rejected at Nazareth

Luke 4:16-21; 16-21. Isaiah's words were known by the Jews to be a Messianic utterance, and Jesus' application of them to himself, if untrue, would have been blasphemous. As here quoted by Jesus the words are not a literal but an interpreting translation of the original found in Isaiah 61:1-2.

Luke 4:18; 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me] Jesus had the spirit of his calling, the spirit of his anointed Messiahship; he had the spirit of his own exalted ministry, the spirit prepared for the Holy One who should come in all the glory of his Father's kingdom—and this was so because the Holy Ghost, who is the Spirit of the Lord, was his constant companion, giving him revelation and direction in all that he did.

Luke 4:18; He hath anointed me] Given me the endowment, the holy unction, the appointment, the mission, the power from on high, "to preach good tidings unto the meek." (Isaiah 61:1.)

Luke 4:18; To preach deliverance to the captives] Isaiah says, "to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." (Isaiah 61:1.) Reference is here made, not to the freeing of mortal men from any imprisonment, but to the ministry of freedom and pardon which was prepared for the departed dead. Jesus' mission was not alone to those then living; he was also to carry the gospel, the glad tidings of salvation, to the spirits in prison. Those who had been "gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit," those who had been "shut up in the prison," were, "after many days," to be visited by him who held the key for their release. (Isaiah 24:22.)

Luke 4:18; While his crucified body lay in the tomb, Jesus "went and preached unto the spirits in prison" (1 Peter 3:18-20; 4:6), announcing in their hearing that through baptism for the dead and other vicarious ordinances he had provided the means "which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free." (D&C 128:19-25.)

Luke 4:18; Recovering of sight to the blind] Spiritual blindness. It is through acceptance of the gospel that "the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness." (Isaiah 29:18.)

Luke 4:19; 19. The acceptable year of the Lord] The proper, designated, approved, appointed, or accepted time, in the divine order of things, for a particular work to be done. Thus Isaiah, speaking of Messiah's coming, says that "in an acceptable time" he shall "say to the prisoners, Go forth." (Isaiah 49:8-9.) Thus also Paul taught that his day was "a time accepted," a time when salvation had been made available to men. "Now is the accepted time," he wrote, "now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:2.) Accordingly, in using this expression, Jesus is saying, 'This is the time and the day of Messiah's coming; this is the acceptable year; this is the time designated by the Father for his Only Begotten to minister among men, and I am he.'

Luke 4:21; 21. That is, 'This day you see and hear him who has come to fulfil this scripture, him who is the promised Messiah of whom Isaiah spoke.'

Luke 4:23; 23. Physician, heal thyself] A common rabbinnical proverb, which as used here seems to mean: 'You have performed miracles in Cana and Capernaum, but none here, and yet you are a native of Nazareth. Why can't we see a sign, some great exhibition of your purported power? Don't you know that charity begins at home, that unless the physician heals himself of his own diseases we cannot believe he has power to heal others?'

Luke 4:24; 24. What prophet or great man ever found full acceptance in the eyes of petty neighbors, in the eyes of people whose penchant is always to magnify the supposed failings and foibles of their fellow mortals?

Luke 4:25; 25. Elias] Elijah. 27. Eliseus] Elisha. How aptly Jesus chose his illustrations! Both of these ancient prophets, dishonored by their own, conferred great blessings upon foreigners. So it was with the Nazarenes; others, not they, had seen his great works.

Luke 4:30; 30. Evidently our Lord's enemies were restrained in some unusual way from carrying out their murderous intentions.