What does Luke 4:15 mean?
In typical ancient fashion, Luke lays out his information according to topic, rather than according to a strict timeline. Following Jesus' wilderness temptation, He spent most of His early preaching time in Judea (Luke 3:18–20; Mark 1:14). After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus returned to the Galilee area (Matthew 4:12). This is the setting for this section of Luke's gospel.Jesus' wisdom creates quite a stir in the area. His lessons at synagogues are widespread news (Luke 4:14). This pattern applies to most instances where Jesus teaches: varied combinations of amazement and outrage (Matthew 5:1; Mark 12:38–40; John 7:46). A noteworthy example is in His own hometown of Nazareth. There, the people will appreciate His wisdom but refuse to see Him as more than the child of Mary and Joseph (Luke 4:22). When Jesus tries to clarify His ministry, the hometown crowd responds with anger (Luke 4:28–30).
Luke 4:14–30 records the earliest days of Jesus' public ministry. He begins teaching in synagogues before returning to His hometown of Nazareth. There, He reads a prophecy from Isaiah and claims that He has fulfilled it. When those familiar with Him imply that Jesus has no place making such claims, Jesus implies that God will send signs to Gentiles if Israel refuses to believe. This results in an uproar, though Jesus makes what seems to be a miraculous escape.
Jesus is taken into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. While fasting there, He is tempted by Satan. These temptations share an element of ignoring God in favor of what seems easier or quicker. Jesus resists all of these, citing Scripture as He does. When Jesus returns, He preaches and heals to great publicity in Judea and Galilee. While His hometown responds with stubborn skepticism, others are eager to hear His teaching and experience His miraculous power.
