The Gospel of Luke: When Jesus Comes Back Home | Salvation - Audio

City Light Church Sermons

Sermon Date: 12/01/24 Speaker: Brian Crawford Luke 4:14-30 . Check us out at: https://citylightvicksburg.org/ Or check us out here: https://www.facebook.com/citylightvicksburg . In this text, Jesus is making a return home after 40 days in the wilderness tempted by Satan. But His return home, He’s treated as a hometown boy. He returns home with power - fortified - after He faced a physical and spiritual test. When the flesh, world and the devil test us, it can either break us, or strengthen us. When Jesus returned home, He was being recognized (celebrated and popular). But recognition is not reverence. Many people fall in love with the power of Christ, but still cling to our own will and authority. This is what Jesus returns home to. He was popular, but not praised. The word that Jesus preaches is Isaiah 61. This would not have been a usual text in Judaism. We read texts like this, and we immediately think this is about Salvation. But the Jewish community wouldn’t think anything special or particular. But Jesus is making them aware that His ministry is beginning. He is bringing salvation, freedom from oppression, and liberation from suffering. But because He was in His hometown, He receives disbelief and doubt at His proclamation - that He is bringing that peace and salvation through Himself. And He quotes the Old Testament, he shares that the Good news is going out to the Gentiles as well! Not just the Jews. And this infuriated His hometown. Jesus is literally saying - I’ve come to bring all the things you’ve been waiting for, BUT if you don’t receive me, you’ll be on the outside of those good things. And His hometown reacted in fury. And they tried to kill Him. The Jesus we don’t have to submit to, or embrace is the one we feel is easy to Glorify. But the Jesus who tells us that we must give up our way to receive Him, we often push away. But this is the ONLY Jesus that’s available! He is King - and He comes on His terms. If you refuse that, you will be on the outside, even if you grew up in the same home town.