"A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown." Jesus makes this point at the beginning of His ministry. When the people in His hometown realized that He claimed to be much more than their homeboy, they rejected Him. Will we reject Him, too? Luke 4:22-30 Bible Study / Sunday School lesson by Danny Scotton Jr for Alpha Baptist Church

1. JESUS: MORE THAN
YOUR HOMEBOY
LUKE 4:22-30 SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON 2.23.19
DANNY SCOTTON JR
ALPHA BAPTIST CHURCH
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2. NEW CHARACTER, NEW SEASON
• Jack McCoy is one of Law &
Order’s most recognizable
characters
• First appearance: Season 5,
Episode 1
• Sam Waterson appeared in
Seasons 5-20 (368 Episodes)
as the Executive District
Attorney (Ranker.com)

3. NEW CHARACTER, NEW SEASON
• Janet Hubert was “Aunt Viv”
on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
for the first three seasons
(1990-92)
• Daphne Maxwell Reid was
“Aunt Viv” for the final three
seasons, beginning in 1993 (E
Online)
• Apparently, there was some
drama between Hubert and
Smith… (E Online)

4. NEW CHARACTER, NEW SEASON
• Steve Urkel first appeared on Family Matters
in Season 2
• He was originally only supposed to be in
one episode, but when he was so well-
received, he became the star of the show –
and a 90’s cultural icon (Ranker.com)
• When Urkel became so popular, this caused
tension with some of the older cast
members (Ranker.com)
• “It’s a rare condition, this day and age, to
reading the good news on the newspaper
page”

5. GOOD NEWS:
TIME FOR THE NEW SEASON!
• Ever have to wait a long time for something you were really looking forward to? (Bock, IVP)
• The Jews had been waiting for
a Messiah for over 1000
years! (Bock, IVP)
• God made His promise to
Abraham almost 2000 years
ago (Bock, IVP cf. Gen 12:2-3)
• God has had a long history
with His people Israel – with
lots of drama!
• Jesus announces that, in Him,
the long-awaited, new season
of messianic salvation has
begun!
• How will they react to this
New Character?

6. GOOD NEWS: NEW CHARACTER, NEW SEASON
• 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the
Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up
to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him.
Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
• 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, / because he has anointed me / to
proclaim good news to the poor. / He has sent me to proclaim freedom
for the prisoners / and recovery of sight for the blind, / to set the
oppressed free, / 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Lk 4:16-19,
NIV)
• 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. (Lk
4:20, NIV)

7. CHRIST’S CHIASTIC (X-SHAPED)
PROCLAMATION
A into the synagogue (v. 16)
B he stood up to read (v. 16)
C the scroll was handed to him (v. 17)
D [he unrolled] the scroll (v. 17)
E “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” (v. 18).
D’ he rolled up the scroll (v. 20)
C’ he gave [the scroll] back (v. 20)
B’ he sat down (v. 20)
A’ in the synagogue (v. 20). (Edwards, 134)

8. GOOD NEWS TO THE “POOR”
• Proclaim good news (εὐαγγελίζω | euangelizō)  evangelize
• 61 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,/ because the LORD has anointed me / to
proclaim good news to the poor. / He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, / to
proclaim freedom for the captives / and release from darkness for the prisoners, / (Is 61:1,
NIV)
• Poor = ,‫ָו‬‫נ‬ָ‫ע‬(ʿ ānāw)  “humble, meek” (TWOT, 682-83).
• 3 (Now Moses was a very humble [ānāw] man, more humble [ānāw] than anyone else on
the face of the earth.) (Num 12:3, NIV)
• Refers, more broadly, to “absolute dependence on God” (TWOT, 682-83) – to those who
are spiritually open to God, who fear Him (cf. Lk 1:50f.), and are willing to suffer for Him (Lk
6:20-23 cf. Bock (NIVAC), 136)
• The poor, the prisoners, the blind, the oppressed: “In Luke these terms refer primarily to
spiritual need” (Schreiner, 1069)

9. YEAR OF THE LORD’S FAVOR
• 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor / and the day of vengeance of our
God, / to comfort all who mourn, (Is 61:2, NIV)
• A line from Is 58:6 is inserted (cf Lk 4:18): “Is not this the kind of fasting I have
chosen: / to loose the chains of injustice / and untie the cords of the yoke, / to set
the oppressed free / and break every yoke? (NIV cf. Strauss, 362)
• Jesus stops before reading about the day of vengeance of our God (Strauss, 362;
Evans, 70; Schreiner, 1069)
• Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25): Every 50 years (seven Sabbath years), debts were to be
cancelled, property was to be returned to its original owners/inheritors, slaves (more
like indentured servants) were set free (Strauss, 362 cf. Trites, 82)
• Year of Jubilee  Year of the Ram’s Horn (a blast announced it’s arrival( (Webb,
234)

10. SOUND THE ALARM!
• Can you think of a sound that indicates that something good is coming?
• Jesus is blasting the metaphorical ram’s horn of the Year of Jubilee: more than
commercial debt forgiveness, but spiritual debt forgiveness (cf. Evans, 75 cf. Mt
6:12)
• He announces that the Spirit of the LORD is on Him (cf. baptism in Lk 3:21-22), that
He is the long-awaited Messiah, and that salvation has come at last (Bock IVP cf.
Wilcock, 61).
• “Isaiah’s prediction primarily regarded the liberation of Israel from Babylonian
captivity, but Jesus proclaimed liberation from sin and its enslaving consequences.”
(Trites, 82)
• He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk
4:21, NIV)

11. THE RESPONSE: LUKE 4:22-27 (NIV)
• 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!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard
that you did in Capernaum.’ ”
• 24 “Truly I tell you,” 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.”

12. THE RESPONSE (CONT): LUKE 4:28-30 (NIV)
• 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 off the cliff. 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went
on his way.
• Why were they so mad?

13. GRACIOUS WORDS
• 22 All spoke well of [lit: testified or witnessed to] him and were amazed at the
gracious words that came from his lips (Lk 4:22a, NIV)
• Lit: words of grace; can be taken at least two ways:
1. words about the grace of God (Stein, 158 cf. Ac 14:3; 20:32 cf. Garland, 202)
2. or gracious (i.e., appealing) words (Morris, 126; Bock BECNT, 414) 
• Came from his lips  lit: came (proceed) from his mouth – same wording as Dt 8:3
(Bock, BECNT, 414 cf. Garland, 202), which Jesus quoted in his first temptation/text (Lk
4:3-4)
• 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which
neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on
bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD (Dt 8:3,
NIV)
• In any case, Jesus’ words astonished them and likely received a positive response –
initially

14. AIN’T THAT JOE’S BOY?
• Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked. (Lk 4:22b, NIV) can be:
1. negative (Stein, 157 cf. Edwards, 138) / doubtful (Bock BECNT, 415) – who
does he think he is?
2. pleasant surprise: that someone from their hometown could speak like this
(Morris, 126 cf. Evans, 71) 
3. positively expectant: may think that they’ll be the immediate beneficiaries
(Green, 215 cf. Garland, 202) – that they hit the messianic jackpot 
• In any case, Jesus is more than the son of Joseph; He is the Son of
God (Lk 1:32,35; 3:22 cf. Edwards, 138; Green, 215)
• Jesus has more in mind than just exalting the lowly people in his
hometown (Garland, 202)

15. PROVERB I:
HEAL YOUR OWN, DOC!
• Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’
(Lk 4:23a, NIV)
• Likely shows Jesus’ knowledge of their inner thoughts (cf. Lk 2:35; 5:21–22; 6:7–8; 7:36–
50; 9:47; Green, 215 cf. Stein, 158; Bock BECNT, 416; Garland, 202-3)
• Doctor, cure yourself (Green, 215) or Physician, heal thine own limp! (Stein, 158) was a
well-known saying (Edwards, 140; Keener; Strauss, 363) that could mean:
1. Someone who heals others should heal themselves (Marshall, 187)
2. Show your stuff! Jesus is often asked to perform a miracles (Luke 4:3; 11:16; 22:64; 23:8, 35–
37; Bock BECNT, 416; Marshall, 187; miracles are not necessarily convincing (Lk 16:31; Bock
IVP) 
3. one should not benefit others and not benefit those one is related to (Green, 215) – one
should take care of one’s own (Evans, 71; Marshall, 187; Strauss, 363 (opts for both 2 and 3))

• “Jesus splashes cold water on their eager anticipation that his local family connections
will mean special advantages for them.” (Garland, 203)

16. JESUS, YOU’RE OUR HOMEBOY!
• And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that
you did in Capernaum.’ ” (Lk 4:23b, NIV)
• This explains the proverb (Garland, 203; Green, 217 contra Bock BECNT, 416)
• When Jesus more fully explains His mission, which is bigger than their more
local presumptions, they no longer find Him favorable (Green, 215)
• Salvation is not about who you are related to (cf. Lk 8:19-21; Evans, 73) or
where you are from
• 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to
yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these
stones God can raise up children for Abraham. (Lk 3:8, NIV; Garland, 203;
Edwards, 140)

17. PROVERB II:
NO FAVOR FOR PROPHETS AT HOME
• 24 “Truly [Amen] I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted [δεκτός | dektos] in
his hometown. (Lk 4:24, NIV)
• Accepted (dektos) = favored  Year of the Lord’s favor (dektos) (cf. Lk 4:24; Green, 217;
Stein, 158; Evans, 71; Bock BECNT, 417; the one who announces favor is not favored
(Strauss, 363)
• Historically, Jewish prophets were often rejected and killed by their own (cf. Neh 9:26;
Green, 217; Evans, 71; Bock BECNT, 417; Bock IVP; (2 Ch 36:15-16; Pss. 78, 105, 106; Lam
4:13; Evans, 75)
• 22 Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and
reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for
joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the
prophets. (Lk 6:22-23, NIV cf. 11:47, 49–50; 13:33–34; 20:9–19; Stein, 158; Garland, 204)
• [Stephen]: 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even
killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One (Ac 7:52, NIV; Stein, 158;
Garland, 204)

18. PROVERB II:
NO FAVOR FOR PROPHETS AT HOME
• For example, Jeremiah was persecuted in his hometown (Jer 1:1 cf. 11:18-23;
Keener)
• Prophets said what God wanted said – not what people wanted to hear (Evans,
71)
• God accepts all people who come to Him through Christ, but all people do not
accept Christ (Bock BECNT, 417)
• 10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its
inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family
property and to your own clan. (Lev 25:10, NIV; Garland, 204).
• Jesus announces the inauguration of the new messianic age of Jubilee in His
hometown (Garland, 204)
• He came to that which was His own but His own did not receive Him (Jn 1:10-
11; Wilcock, 62; Evans, 71; Tries, 83)

19. EXAMPLE I:
ELIJAH AND THE GENTILE WIDOW
• Jesus gives two examples of prophets who were sent by God to heal non-Israelites –
while Israelites suffered (Green, 218 cf. Stein, 159, etc.)
• 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.
(Lk 4:25-26, NIV)
• Was not sent = “divine passive”  was not sent by God (Stein, 159; Edwards, 140; Bock
BECNT, 417; Marshall, 189)
• 16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down
to them. 17 Then the LORD’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the
heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce (Dt. 11:16-17, NIV cf.
1 Ki 8:35-36; also a divine passive in Lk 4:25; Garland, 204)

20. EXAMPLE I:
ELIJAH AND THE GENTILE WIDOW
• King Ahab and his wife Jezebel had built an altar to Baal (Garland, 204; 1 Ki 16:32)
and Israel had become idolatrous. So, the land suffered (Marshall, 188; Bock IVP;
Strauss, 363)
• Sidon was the hometown of the notorious queen Jezebel (1 Ki 16:31; Garland, 204)
who killed prophets (1 Ki 18:4). It was a hated area (Keener) – the town of the
oppressor!
• Jesus alludes to the time of Elijah (1 Ki 17:8f; Morris, 127), when God used him to
provide an overabundance of food to a Gentile widow and her son (1 Ki 17:8-16;
Evans, 72) while there was a famine due to Israel’s covenantal unfaithfulness (Bock
BECNT, 417)
• 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for
Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and

21. EXAMPLE II:
ELISHA AND THE GENTILE COMMANDER
• 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.” (Lk 4:27, NIV)
• There were likely many Israelites with various skin diseases (cf. 2 Ki 7:3; Marshall,
189)
• “Lepers” were considered ceremonially unclean and had to be kept separated
from other Israelites until/unless they were cleansed (Leviticus 14; Green, 218;
Bock BECNT, 418)
• Naaman was a commander of the army of the king of Aram (i.e., Syria) (2 Ki 5:1).
Syria had previously oppressed Israel (Evans, 72); 1st century: Syrians and Galileans
were mortal enemies (Trites, 83; Josephus Antiquities 14.9.2)
• Elisha ordered him to wash in the Jordan River seven times. Though he was
reluctant, he did so, and was healed (2 Kings 5; Strauss, 364)

22. ELIJAH & ELISHA
• Luke often alludes to Elijah/Elisha (Lk 7:11-17; 9:52-55, 61-62; Stein, 159 cf. Bock
BECNT, 418); Elijah was thought of as the prophet who would come in the last days and
prepare the way for the Messiah (Mal 3:1; 4:5-6; Evans, 71)
• Elijah raises the son of the widow in Zarephath from the dead (1 Ki 17:17-24)  Jesus
raises the son of the widow in Nain from the dead (Lk 7:11-17; Garland, 205)
• Elisha healed a Syrian commander  Jesus healed a Roman centurion (Lk 7:1-10; cf.
Peter and the Roman commander Cornelius in Acts 10 whom God had declared “clean”;
Garland, 205)
• Jesus demonstrates how God has favored Gentiles over Jews before – especially when
Israel rejected God (Strauss, 364) – the same will happen with Nazareth (Keener; Stein,
159)
• Those thought to be far from God could be blessed; those thought to be close to God
could suffer the same fate as Israel (Bock BECNT, 418)

23. DIFFERENT GOOD NEWS?
• In the 1st century, Jews believed (Evans, 72):
• The Messiah was coming soon
• The Messiah would vanquish the Gentiles (and maybe those who were corrupt in
Israel)
• The Messiah would restore and bless Israel
• In that time, the blessings of Isaiah 61 were thought to only apply to
Israel, while the “day of vengeance” was thought to refer to judgment on
Israel’s enemies (Evans, 72)
• Jesus contradicts much of what they believed, (Evans, 72) using examples
of God’s favor to Gentiles from hated areas (Keener) as cautionary tales
(Wilcock, 62)
• Jesus is the Savior of the world; not just the Savior of the Jews (Wilcock,
62)

24. PROPHECY ABOUT HIMSELF:
FULFILLED
• 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 off the cliff. (Lk 4:28-29, NIV)
• Jesus, the Prophet, was definitely not favored in his hometown! (cf. Lk 4:24) They want
to kill Him on the Sabbath (Marshall, 190; Keener)
• In Dt 13:1-11, Israel is told to stone false prophets (even relatives!) who try to entice
them into worshipping other gods; perhaps this is why they try to kill Jesus (Green,
218 cf. Jn 8:59; 10:31; Ac 7:54-58; 21:31-32; Bock BECNT, 419; Marshall, 190; Bock
NIVAC, 138)
• Usually, they would throw someone off a cliff before stoning them (Stein, 159 cf.
Evans, 76; “One aimed for the chest first” Keener; Strauss, 364)
• Blasphemers were supposed to be killed outside of the town (Lev 24:14; Evans, 76)
• Stephen, driven out of town and stoned (Ac 7:58; Edwards, 141 cf. Lk 20:15; Garland,
205)

25. MIRACULOUS ESCAPE?
• 30 But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way. (Lk 4:30, NIV)
• 3rd temptation/test: Satan tried to test Jesus by telling him to throw himself off the
“wing” of the temple (Lk 4:9-12). Crowd tries to throw him off of a cliff (Morris, 128)
• 10 For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you / to guard you
carefully; /11 they will lift you up in their hands, / so that you will not strike your
foot against a stone.’” (Lk 4:10-11, NIV cf. Ps 91:11-12)
• Maybe there has been a divine rescue (Green, 219); we don’t know for sure (Stein,
160; Trites, 83; Evans, 72; Keener; Luke lets us “wonder” (Garland, 206(; Marshall,
190)
• Jesus’ hour had not yet come (cf. Lk 22:53; Jn 7:30; 8:59; Stein, 160 cf. Bock BECNT,
419; Keener)

26. CONCLUSION
JESUS: MORE THAN YOUR HOMEBOY
• Jesus announces Himself as the New Main Character in the New Season of God’s story of redemption
• The inauguration of the new messianic age of the Lord’s Jubilee and spiritual debt forgiveness is Good
News
• Jesus was the long-awaited Prophet (cf. Dt. 18:18) who was Anointed by the Spirit of God (cf. Lk 3:21-22)
to proclaim the Good News to the “poor” – those spiritually humble and dependent on God
• Like the OT prophets, He was rejected by His own. He proclaimed the Lord’s favor, but wasn’t received
favorably.
• Like Elijah and Elisha, His ministry is not limited to the Jews; He also brings deliverance to the Gentiles
• More than a son of Joseph, He is the Son of God (Lk 1:32,35; 3:22). Savior not only of Israel, but the
World
• Salvation is not based on family, ethnicity, or geography – it’s about one’s response to Christ’s words of
grace: reception or rejection (cf. Jn 1:10-13)

27. BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Arndt, William, Frederick W. Danker, Walter Bauer, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
• Balz, Horst Robert, and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1990–.
• Bock, Darrell L. Luke. The IVP New Testament Commentary Series. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
• Bock, Darrell L. Luke: 1:1–9:50. Vol. 1. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1994.
• Bock, Darrell L. Luke. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1996.
• Garland, David E. Luke. Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament: . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.
• Edwards, James R. The Gospel according to Luke. Edited by D. A. Carson. The Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company; Apollos, 2015.
• Evans, Craig A. Luke. Understanding the Bible Commentary Series. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990.
• Green, Joel B. The Gospel of Luke. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997.
• Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1999.
• Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
• Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.
• Marshall, I. Howard. The Gospel of Luke: A Commentary on the Greek Text. New International Greek Testament Commentary. Exeter: Paternoster Press, 1978.
• Morris, Leon. Luke: An Introduction and Commentary. Vol. 3. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.
• Schreiner, Thomas in Burge, Gary M., and Andrew E. Hill, eds. The Baker Illustrated Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2012.
• Silva, Moisés, ed. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2014.
• Stein, Robert H. Luke. Vol. 24. The New American Commentary. Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.
• Strauss, Mark in Arnold, Clinton E. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke. Vol. 1. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2002.
• Trites, Allison A., William J. Larkin. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, Vol 12: The Gospel of Luke and Acts. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006.
• Webb, Barry. The Message of Isaiah: On Eagles’ Wings. Edited by J. A. Motyer and Derek Tidball. The Bible Speaks Today. England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1996.
• Wilcock, Michael. The Savior of the World: The Message of Luke’s Gospel. The Bible Speaks Today. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1979.