He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
LUKE 4:20–21
Josias took his place in the synagogue and waited for the service to begin. He looked forward to worshipping and hearing the Word of God on the Sabbath. He still held out hope that someday, things would be different. The heavy yoke on their backs would be lifted and they would finally be free from their Roman oppressors. He prayed that “someday” would be in his lifetime. He longed for the day God would bring justice to Israel and they would no longer live as a poor and conquered people.
During opening prayers, his eyes searched the room for the visitor who would be teaching today. Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary, had been brought up right here in the village of Nazareth. Many in the village knew Him, and He had worked as a carpenter for many. People said He had been traveling around Galilee teaching in all the villages and was praised by everyone. Some said He had even performed miracles in Capernaum. Now He had returned to the city where He had been brought up to teach in His own synagogue.
When it was time to read from the Prophets, the attendant handed the scroll of Isaiah to Jesus. He stood, unrolled the scroll, and began to read: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the LORD’S favor has come.”
When He finished, He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down, preparing to teach. All eyes in the synagogue looked at Him intently. Josias wondered how He would explain what He had just read. To the crowd’s amazement, Jesus simply said: “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
His heart jumped. Can this be? As Jesus continued to speak, he felt the goodness and grace of God in His announcement. His hope began to rise. Can this man really be our Messiah? “How can this be? Is this not Joseph’s son, the carpenter?” the crowd murmured. Josias watched their mood shift from amazement to anger when Jesus made it clear He was not about to prove His claim by doing miracles like He had done in Capernaum. Worse yet, He expressed God’s heart for the unclean Gentiles! The furious crowd charged at Jesus. Josias watched… and wondered (Luke 4:16–28).
Is Jesus the promise of God? When Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1–2, He announced His mission to the world—He was the One who would bring Isaiah’s prophecy to pass, and the time was now. Their long-awaited Messiah had come to break the power of sin and death and begin God’s personal reign on the earth. Jesus was anointed by God to minister and preach and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God would bring freedom, healing, and restoration and would reverse the effects of Satan’s presence in the world. It was the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s promise, and Jesus was the Source of the fulfillment. Eventually, His ministry would bring total restoration and release to all creation (Romans 8:18–39; Revelation 21–22). But His announcement in the synagogue made all these promises possible now.
Josias, a fictitious worshipper, could have been anyone in the synagogue that day. Jesus’ outrageous claims brought a moment of decision to all who heard, and the crowd’s reaction is a snapshot of His entire ministry. God’s message, then and now, is often met with rejection. They couldn’t imagine that a carpenter’s son from their hometown could be the one God chose to save them. Josias was left wondering. He was left to make a choice, and so are we. No fence-straddling is possible. Either Jesus is the promise of God, the Messiah who brings healing and restoration and destroys the works of the enemy, or He’s not.
Lord, sometimes I feel that same yoke of oppression as the Israelites in Jesus’ day. I long for a time when things will be different, when You will deliver me from all my problems and heal my body, soul, and spirit. Forgive me when I forget that You, Jesus, are God’s Chosen One, the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of all God’s promises. I’m sorry when I focus on the works of the enemy instead of You, the Anointed One who came to break the power of sin and death.
Lord, I believe Your Kingdom has come on earth. In Your Kingdom, the captives are released, the blind will see, and the oppressed are set free. The coming of Your Kingdom changed everything and makes all these things possible in my life today: freedom, healing, and restoration. You are indeed the Promise of God, the Messiah.