April 22 Home Bible Study
Jesus’s 72 Steps from Glory to Glory
Step 18: From Sychar in Samaria to Cana
At Sycar, Jesus met a Samaritan woman and convinced her to follow Him. She then goes into the village and brings many to Jesus. Jesus stays for two days in Sychar, and many more become followers. Now remember, the Jews despise the Samaritans, and yet they are the first major group that Jesus reaches out to. And they respond with the words found in John 4:42.
- John 4:43-44 – After two days in Sychar, Jesus continues on to Galilee. But He bypasses his hometown of Nazareth and goes to Cana. Because, He says: “ A prophet has no honor in his own country.
He repeats that thought later in Matthew 13:57 “So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.”
- John 4:46-54 He is approached by a nobleman from Capernaum. The man wants Him to heal his dying Son.
- In verse 50, Jesus performs His second recorded miracle, the dying son is healed.
- Remote healing. Jesus sends the man with the promise that he will find the boy cured.
- When he finds his son healed, he and his entire household are saved.
Step 19: From Cana to Nazareth
Luke 4:16-30
Now, Jesus decides to go to His hometown, and we are going to see exactly what Jesus meant earlier.
- Luke 4:17 Jesus is asked to read scripture in His hometown synagogue. He chooses Isaiah 61:1-2 in this scripture, Isaiah has predicted that the Holy Spirit would anoint the future Messiah to do great things.
- He would preach the Gospel to the poor.
- He would heal the broken-hearted.
- He would preach deliverance to the captives.
- He would restore sight to the blind.
- He would set the bruised at liberty.
- He would proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
- Luke 4:18:20 “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the Lord has anointed Me To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn,” Isaiah 61:1-2 NKJV
- For His first sermon, when Jesus reads the scripture, He stops reading with the words, “ The acceptable year of the Lord,” and does not read the last half of the sentence, which says, “and the day of vengeance of our Lord.
- Why? Because “the acceptable year” belongs to the first coming of Christ, and “the day of vengeance” relates to the second coming.
- Luke 4:21 Jesus identifies Himself as the Messiah of Isaiah 61
- Another Old Test. Prophecy is fulfilled that He will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
- “The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. “Isaiah 11:2 NKJV
- Luke 4:25-27 He refers to Elijah and Naaman in an attempt to convict His hometown people of their unbelief.
- There were many Hungry Jewish widows in Elijah’s time, but God fed only one, the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. (1 Kings 17:9-16)
- There were many Jewish lepers in Elisha’s time, but God healed only one, Naaman the Syrian. (2 Kings 5:14)
- Luke 4:28-30 Not only is Jesus not honored by His hometown, but now they actually try to kill Him.
- This is the first of many times that the Jews attempt to kill Him.
John.5:16; 7:30; 8:40,59; Luke 11:53-54
- The reason for their hatred and anger was the illustrations of the faith of the two Gentiles. The Jews considered the Gentiles to be no better than dogs and hogs.
- This was the first of two recorded visits that Jesus made to Nazareth.
Matt.13:54-58 and Mark 6:1-6
From The Bible
“So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.
And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’
” Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.”
Luke 4:16-30 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/luk.4.16-30.NKJV
