16 And 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 for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country. 24 And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way, (Luke 4:16-30 KJV)
Jesus Rejected at Nazareth
Jesus went to Nazareth, the town where he had been brought up, and preached there. He came after gaining a reputation elsewhere, hoping this would ease the prejudice of his countrymen. As usual, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 4:16) and preached.
He was called to read Scripture, which was common in synagogue services. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him (Luke 4:17). This shows he was not intruding but invited. The reading for that day happened to be Isaiah 61:1-2, and he read it aloud (Luke 4:18-19). This passage, clearly about the Messiah, providentially came up that day, leaving the people with no excuse if they failed to recognize him (Acts 13:27).
This Scripture described his mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.” He had the Spirit without measure (John 3:34; Luke 4:14). He was anointed and sent by God, showing both divine calling and equipping. His work was to preach to the poor—the economically poor and the poor in spirit—those humble and in need of grace (Matthew 11:5). He came to proclaim the gospel and make it effective—to bring it to hearts, not just ears.
Three key parts of his message included:
- Deliverance to the captives—freedom from guilt through his merit and from sin’s bondage by his Spirit.
- Recovery of sight to the blind—bringing spiritual light to those in darkness.
- The acceptable year of the Lord—a spiritual jubilee, a season of grace and reconciliation with God (Luke 4:19; Psalm 89:15).
He also came to heal the brokenhearted—those burdened by sin and guilt—and to set the oppressed free. Unlike prophets who only announced freedom, Jesus had authority to grant it. Scholars believe he included part of Isaiah 58:6 to highlight this truth, as was permitted in synagogue readings.
After reading, he returned the scroll, sat down, and began to preach, saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Isaiah’s prophecy was now being fulfilled in him. His ministry and miracles confirmed it. Though we don’t have the full sermon, it likely included more about how this prophecy matched his mission.
All Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah were fulfilled in Jesus. God’s providence not only carries out secret decrees but also fulfills what was revealed in Scripture.
Everyone in the synagogue watched him closely (Luke 4:20). They were amazed at his gracious words (Luke 4:22), yet they did not believe. They admired the power and kindness in his words but struggled to accept that such grace could come from someone they knew as “Joseph’s son.” Some wondered how he had such wisdom without formal training. Others dismissed him for being too familiar.
Jesus anticipated their doubt: “Physician, heal yourself” (Luke 4:23)—meaning they expected him to perform miracles in Nazareth just as in other places like Capernaum. They weren’t interested in his message unless it came with signs and wonders.
He explained why he wouldn’t perform miracles there (Luke 4:24): a prophet is rarely honored in his hometown. People who grew up with someone often find it hard to accept their rise, and neighbors may envy one another’s success. This prejudice led him to avoid doing many miracles there.
He backed his point with two Old Testament examples. Elijah was sent to a Gentile widow in Zarephath during a famine (Luke 4:25-26; 1 Kings 17:9), and Elisha healed Naaman the Syrian of leprosy (Luke 4:27), though there were many lepers in Israel. These examples showed that God’s mercy extended to Gentiles when Israel lacked faith. Christ didn’t perform miracles based on personal ties but according to God’s plan.
This angered the crowd (Luke 4:28). Moments earlier, they admired his words; now, they were furious. His comparison of himself to the great prophets and their generation to the disobedient people of old offended them. Even more, they were outraged at the idea that Gentiles might receive God’s favor.
Their fury escalated—they drove him out of the city and tried to kill him by throwing him off a cliff. This sudden violence, after years of living peacefully among them, shows the depth of their rejection. Though he had amazed them with his words and lived blamelessly, they responded with hostility because he didn’t meet their expectations.
Yet Jesus escaped unharmed because his time had not yet come (Luke 4:30). God restrained them—perhaps by confusing them or holding them back. His mission had just begun. When the time came, he would surrender willingly, but for now, he left. Nazareth, which had once raised him, now rejected him. Their rejection added to the shame of his title, “Jesus of Nazareth.” But in this, God’s wisdom was at work—his rejection by those closest to him confirmed his authenticity and opened the door for others to receive him.