Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

“Jesus of Nazareth” that’s what they call him because that was where he grew up.
When Jesus returned to Nazareth, according to Luke 4:16, he did what he usually did on the Sabbath day, he went into the synagogue that was there.

They delivered to him the scroll of Isaiah the prophet. He opened it to the text he wanted to read to those who were there. The spirit of the Lord was upon him, anointing him to:

Preach the gospel to the poor.

Heal the brokenhearted.

Deliver the captives.

Recover the sight of the blind.

Set at Liberty the bruised.

Then he closed the scroll and sat down. With everyone looking intently at him he began to teach them from the word of God.

All of those in the synagogue, when they heard what he was teaching, were filled with anger. They threw him out of the synagogue and out of the town. Then they led him to the brow of a hill and tried to throw him down to kill him.

But Jesus was able to pass through the midst of them and escape. There were several other times when the people tried to kill Jesus.

Jesus called himself the good shepherd who gave his life for the sheep. (John 10:11) He said that no man could take it from him, but that he would lay it down for us. And he did, praise God!