The Big Freeze

 The Big Freeze – Bill Perkins - https://compass.org/the-big-freeze/ …no prophet is welcomed in his hometown. Luke 4:24b Before beginning His earthly ministry around the age of 30, Jesus would have worked with His dad, Joseph, learning a trade. It’s not likely he was a full-time carpenter as trees were scarceand rotted quickly in the dense humidity of Galilee. It’s more likely he developed a muscular body working as a stone mason. In that day, in addition to building stone benches and mangers, stone masons would both design and build houses. So along with His noticeable spiritual insight, by the time He began His ministry of miracles He would have built a great reputation in and around Nazareth. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. Luke 2:52 So, in top physical shape, Jesus began His ministry. After His baptism in the Jordan River and temptation encounter with Satan in the wilderness, Jesus took a long 6-day walk from Jerusalem north up the Jordan River to Capernaum on the northshore of the Sea of Galilee. In Galilee He encountered wildly appreciative audiences. And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. Luke 4:14 Notice the word "district" is singular, not plural. So this being early in His ministry, Jesus’ miracles were only known in a small area of Galilee. But it bore shades of things to come. The reason people were spreading the “news” about Him was because of the undeniable miracles He was performing. Without newspapers, Internet, radio, TV or phones, Jesus’ name, and the reports of the miracles He was performing, began to spread like wildfire. First-hand accounts of visible miracles getpeople's attention! News in those days was passed along by word of mouth by people traveling between cities…on foot. The local well was undoubtedly “News Central” as every lady had to draw water for her householdeach day and hear the latest goings-on. From Capernaum, in the middle of the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, Jesus walked by Himself due west using a cut through Mt. Arbel, a natural pass next to Magdala, past what we today callthe Horns of Hattin and up to Nazareth. Nazareth was 20 miles away and over 1850’ higher in elevation. It would be a grueling, full-day, uphill grind in the summer heat. The heat and humidity around the Sea of Galilee would be similar to Houston, TX or Montgomery, AL in August, but much, much worse. He would have arrived before sunset on Friday, the beginning of Shabbat. Jews were forbidden to travel more than a few hundred feet on Shabbat. Yet the news of Jesus’ miracles had already reached Nazareth. Word would have spread through town that Nazareth’s own Jesus, who had done great miracles in Capernaum, was back in town. So when He arrived at the synagogue, they could hardly wait for Him to teach. He would have already had a sky-high reputation as a scripture teacher. Imagine having Jesus, who spoke the universe into existence, to personally teach and or explain the Old Testament scriptures. Pinch me! Now they heard the news that He was doing amazing miracles in Capernaum! Each week at the local synagogues there was a predetermined specific portion of scripture read from a single scroll containing the Books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Each week they began reading the scroll where they had stopped the week before. This part of the morning worship allowed for the entire scroll to be completely read once a year. After the main scroll reading from those five books was completed, parts of other Biblical texts could be read and discussed. It was at this time Jesus stood up and turned to the book of Isaiah. It was the custom to stand when reading scripture and then sit to discuss what had been read. Many churches today have the congregation stand as they read scripture. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, Luke 4:17 There were no pages to turn, so Jesus had to roll through the scroll to find Isaiah 61:1-2. There were also no chapters or verses to guide Him. Finding the passage He wanted, He began to read: THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREETHOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED, TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD... Luke 14:18,19 He was reading a Messianic passage but stopped in the middle of the verse, not continuing to read about God’s wrath. Jesus' purpose for His First Coming was not about bringing wrath. And then He sat down, remarking, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing [Lit. “ears”]. Luke 4:21b The room went dead silent. …the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. Luke 4:20b The implication was clear. Jesus was claiming to be their long-awaited Messiah. But they weren’t buying that He could be the Messiah. They had seen Him grow up. Is this not Joseph’s son? Luke 4:22b Not to mention most of Israel was expecting a Moses-like, take-no-prisoners type of Messiah. A strong man who could throw off the yoke of the despised Roman Empire. So it was at that moment that the mood of the room changed from Jesus being a great scripture teacher to being a full-blown heretic. Sensing the growing hostility, Jesus expressed a reply knowing what they were thinking. Having just heard His Messianic claim they were thinking, "Ok, if you're the Messiah then show us amiracle!" But we know Jesus knew their thoughts. There are several examples of Jesus being able to read people's minds in scripture (i.e., Luke 5:21; Luke 6:8). So He answered: And He said to them,“No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.’” And He said, “TrulyI say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; andyet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:23-27 In both the examples Jesus used, the prophets Elijah and Elisha chose a Gentile to receive the miracle. This in-your-face fact would not have been missed by those in the synagogue, and theywent ballistic. And all the people in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; Luke 4:28 For the Jews of that time, claiming to be the Jewish Messiah was the worst of the worst of sins. So they immediately dragged Jesus to the top of a steep hill, intending to throw him off. They got up and drove Him out of the city and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. Luke 4:29 Since He had not yet chosen His disciples, it was Jesus by Himself, outnumbered by those wishing to murder Him. So He had no choice but to do a miracle and He froze the crowd in place. But passing through their midst, He went His way. Luke 4:30 Too funny! Here are probably 20 or 30 men dragging Jesus about 300 yards up the hill on which the city was built, but when they got to the top they were frozen in place. No matter how hardthey tried, no one could move. Hey, they wanted a miracle to prove He was the Messiah, so He gave them one! “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." Matt. 28:18b CQLJ! BP