When Jesus Went To Church
Luke 4:16-30; Isaiah 61:1-2
Jesus was raised in Nazareth (v. 16). This is His first visit to His hometown since His baptism. But Jesus wasn’t well received.
Jesus’ return to His hometown reminds me of a baseball player named Del Ennis. During his career, he hit 288 home runs. He hit 25 or more home runs in a season seven different times.
Del Ennis played for his hometown team—the Philadelphia Phillies. You would think that being a hometown boy would make him popular with the Philadelphia fans. But during the eleven years he played for the Phillies, the fans usually booed him. Nothing he did was good enough.
Later he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals and the fans loved him. Jesus remarked, “A prophet is not without honour but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house” (Mk. 6:4).
I. The CUSTOM of Jesus (vs. 16-17).
A synagogue was like a church. The word synagogue means “gathering / assembly / congregation.” The word church also means “a called out assembly.” Synagogues came into being after the Temple at Jerusalem was destroyed. Jewish communities would erect a local synagogue and gather on Sabbath days to worship and study the Scriptures.
Many of the components of the New Testament church were patterned after the service of the synagogue: Reading of Scripture; Prayers; Sermon (exposition of Scripture); Benediction. The sermon was given either by the chief of the synagogue, or someone he selected. A layman could ask permission to preach a sermon.
Jesus was faithful in attending the local synagogues. Growing up in Nazareth, He never missed a service.
A. Jesus attended when He was away from home as well as when at home (cf. vs. 15, 16).
B. Jesus attended even though He already knew everything any man could ever teach Him.
Some only attend church if they think they will hear “some new thing.” “Oh, I already knew that.” Do you think Jesus ever learned something that He didn’t already know?
C. Jesus attended even knowing hypocrites would be there also. So, why did He attend? He attended because it was the right thing to do. He attended to give and be a blessing.
D. Since it was Jesus’ custom to attend the synagogue, how much more so should we, His followers, be faithful to attend church. He set the example for us!
J. C. Penny said, “If a man’s business requires so much of his time that he cannot attend the services of his church, then that man has more business than God intended him to have.”
II. The COMMISSION of Christ (vs.16-21).
Jesus had one supreme mission when He came the first time—To become the Savior (Mt. 1:21; Luke 19:10)!
Partial Sermon: Click here for Full sermon on PDF
One Reply to “When Jesus Went To Church”
“He just walked through the midst of them without one hand
being laid on Him! They wanted a miracle… They got one!”
Wow is our JESUS something else! WHAT A VIVID message about Jesus the Messiah. Oh such fools were those Jews who rejected HIM. God don’t let me be blinded to your working in my life as a believer. I wished I would have been at Life Group to discuss this message!