What is the meaning of Luke 4:21? He began - The setting is the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-20), where Jesus has just read Isaiah 61:1-2 aloud. - Sitting down, the customary posture of an authoritative teacher, He starts His exposition. - Scripture notes, “Then He began by saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ ” (Luke 4:21). - Similar moments where Jesus opens His mouth to teach include Matthew 5:2 and John 8:12, reminding us that divine revelation often starts with Jesus simply beginning to speak. by saying - The Son of God uses spoken words to communicate eternal truth, echoing John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word.” - Romans 10:17 explains, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” underlining why Jesus’ verbal proclamation matters. - His voice carries the authority that once spoke creation into existence (Psalm 33:6), so every syllable is weighty. Today - “Today” signals immediacy: the prophetic future has arrived in their present moment. - 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation,” showing God’s habit of turning promises into present realities. - Hebrews 3:7-8 warns not to harden hearts “today,” highlighting that divine opportunities come with urgency. this Scripture - The passage read was Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor… to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” - Jesus identifies Himself as the Anointed One, the long-awaited Messiah foreshadowed throughout the prophets (Luke 24:27). - Luke 7:22 shows Him living out each clause—healing the blind, lifting the oppressed—demonstrating literal fulfillment. is fulfilled - “Fulfilled” affirms that prophecy moves from promise to completion in Christ, exactly as written. - Matthew 5:17 records Jesus saying He came “not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them,” and here He does so in real time. - Acts 13:32-33 echoes the theme: “God has fulfilled for us, their children, what He promised.” - The perfect tense—completed action with ongoing results—assures believers that God’s word never fails (Isaiah 55:11). in your hearing - The townspeople are eyewitnesses and “ear-witnesses,” accountable for what they have just heard. - Romans 10:14-15 notes the necessity of proclaimers so that people can hear and believe; Jesus Himself is the first preacher of His own gospel. - Revelation 1:3 blesses “the one who reads aloud” and “those who hear,” showing that hearing Scripture creates a covenant moment between God and listener. - By extension, anyone reading Luke’s gospel today joins that original audience, confronted with the same fulfilled promise. summary Luke 4:21 records the Messiah’s stunning declaration that Isaiah’s ancient prophecy was literally and completely realized that very day in Nazareth. Jesus begins to teach, speaks authoritative words, announces the present moment of salvation, identifies the specific messianic passage, proclaims its fulfillment, and places responsibility on every listener who hears. The verse showcases Scripture’s reliability, Christ’s identity, and the urgent call to respond to God’s now-fulfilled promise. |
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