Luke 4:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.

NIV: Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.

NASB: And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding region.

CSB: Then Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread throughout the entire vicinity.

NLT: Then Jesus returned to Galilee, filled with the Holy Spirit’s power. Reports about him spread quickly through the whole region.

KJV: And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.

NKJV: Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.

Jesus has recently endured forty days of fasting in the wilderness, including severe temptations from Satan himself (Luke 4:1–13). Shortly before then, He had been baptized by John the Baptist (Luke 3:21–22). Upon His return, Jesus sets to preaching and teaching (Luke 4:15). This results in a great deal of publicity and word-of-mouth news. Luke will detail how Jesus' preaching is rejected in His hometown (Luke 4:16, 28–29).

Luke does not explicitly untangle the timeline involved. Ancient writers often grouped events by theme, rather than by time, unless the order of events was crucial to the message. Jesus' public preaching begins shortly before John the Baptist is arrested by Herod (Luke 3:18–20; Mark 1:14). This is primarily in Judea, with Jesus returning to Galilee after John's arrest (Matthew 4:12).

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.

Chapter 3 explained how John the Baptist preached to prepare others to receive Jesus Christ. Luke then provided Jesus' earthly ancestry. Chapter 4 begins with Jesus in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. He returns to preach and perform healing miracles in Judea and Galilee. Chapter 5 shows Him calling disciples and demonstrating further proofs of His authority.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.

Accessed 5/1/2024 8:43:51 PM