Luke 4:15 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

NIV: He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

NASB: And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all.

CSB: He was teaching in their synagogues, being praised by everyone.

NLT: He taught regularly in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.

KJV: And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

NKJV: And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

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.

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 5/6/2024 12:18:58 AM