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FROM THE PASTOR'S STUDY

Topic: Luke's Perspective of Jesus: Ch. 4 Message Outlines (Include Audio)

Luke 4:14-30 (2)

by Darrel Cline
(darrelcline biblical-thinking.org)

Chapter # 4 Paragraph # 2 Study # 2
August 6, 2006
Lincolnton, N.C.
(Download Audio)

(268)

Thesis:  The "opening salvo" of "Life by Redemption" is the "Nazareth" issue.

Introduction:  In our first study of Luke's presentation of the works and teachings of Jesus, we noted that Luke was "introducing" the Jesus of that ministry. This is an absolutely crucial issue in our day when everyone in our so-called "Christian" setting claims that they represent "Jesus". It is one thing to use the word "Jesus"; it is altogether a different thing to present the "character" of Jesus. There is only one real Jesus. So Luke set about to unveil the true Jesus. Luke's "Jesus" was "empowered" by the Holy Spirit of God, but He did not scream and rant and say "Praise the Lord" three times in every sentence. Luke's "Jesus" did what He did and said what He said so that people had to "take notice": His actions and teachings were "inescapable". And Luke's "Jesus" made it inescapably clear that it was His teaching which absolutely defines the issues of "Life". Luke's "Jesus" was completely immersed in a "return" ministry: a ministry that was God's "return" to the "Adam" issue and His solution to the "Adam" failure...and no one will benefit from that "return" who is in rebellion against God's "Jesus".

Now, as we "return" to our text this morning, we immediately note that Luke began the "specifics" of His presentation of the true "Jesus" by telling us of His "return" to Nazareth and the murderous response that He received in that place. This is a very "telling" fact -- that Luke decided to begin his presentation of the works and words of Jesus with the attempted murder of Jesus by the folks who lived in the town where He spent the first thirty years of His time on this earth.

What is going on? What is going on is this: Luke decided that he would begin by taking the bull by the horns. There is no real point in "molly-coddling" those who are rebels against the Kingdom of God. It is purely a latter day American point of stupidity to attempt to be "seeker friendly". On the one hand the Word of God says there is no such thing as a "seeker" [Romans 3:11], and on the other hand, there is nothing "friendly" about calling people "the offspring of vipers" -- the description of people outside of the Kingdom of God which the Holy Spirit Himself used in the preaching of John to the people who were outside of that Kingdom [Luke 3:7]. So, Luke, following John's lead, determined to set the issue before Theophilus at the very beginning. The issue is this: God absolutely refuses to have anything positive to do with rebellious, self-centered people [1 Samuel 15:23]. After this record, Luke never mentions "Nazareth" again. Jesus was "finished" with that place and the people who lived there.

For what cause? I am going to call it "the Nazareth issue."


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This is article #269.
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