You Can’t Touch This!

Luke 4:20-30

20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down.
The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, 21 and he
began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." 22
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from
his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. 23 Jesus said to them, "Surely
you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your
hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'" 24 "I tell you
the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 I
assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the
sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine
throughout the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow
in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. 27 And there were many in Israel with
leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed
— only Naaman the Syrian." 28 All the people in the synagogue were furious
when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and took
him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him
down the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
(NIV)

I. INTRODUCTION

II. EXPOSITION OF THE TEXT

A. The Revelation (vs. 20-21).

1. What Jesus Read? (v. 20). 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave
it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the
synagogue were fastened on him,

The Mission of the Messiah

Luke 4:18-19
Poverty To preach the gospel to the poor.
Sorrow To heal the brokenhearted.
Bondage To proclaim liberty to the captives
Suffering And recovery of sigh to the blind.
Oppression To set at liberty those who are
oppressed.
 In short, He came to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. He
presented Himself as the answer to all of the ills that torment us. And it is
true, whether you think of these ills in a physical sense or in a spiritual
sense, Christ is the answer.
(Chart based on information from Believer’s Bible Commentary, Page
1381)

2. What Jesus Said? (v. 21). 21 and he began by saying to them,

"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

B. The Explanation (vs. 22-24).

1. The Celebration (v. 22a). 22 All spoke well of him and were
amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips.

2. The Hateration (vs. 22b-24). "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they

asked. 23 Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me:
'Physician, heal yourself! Do here in your hometown what we have heard
that you did in Capernaum.'" 24 "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no
prophet is accepted in his hometown.

C. The Illustrations (vs. 25-27).

1. Elijah and the Widow of Zarephath (vs. 25-26). 25 I assure you

that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut
for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.
26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the
region of Sidon.

2. Elisha and Naaman the Leper (v. 27). 27 And there were many
in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them
was cleansed — only Naaman the Syrian."

D. The Indignation (vs.28-30).

1. Their Anger (vs. 28-29). 28 All the people in the synagogue were
furious when they heard this. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and
took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw
him down the cliff.
 2. His Authority (v. 30). 30 But he walked right through the crowd
and went on his way. (NIV)

III. CLOSE