The Suffering ServantSample

Nazareth was once known as the armpit of Israel. They didn’t call it that, perhaps, but one of Jesus’ disciples summed up the sentiment of the day: “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:19). We aren’t certain of the exact population, but it was likely smaller than most American high schools—a couple hundred to two thousand residents at most. It was a backwater place no one cared to go, filled with people no one cared to know. And it was where Jesus grew up.

Depending upon the Bible translation you’re reading, it may seem like the crowd is at first happily impressed with Jesus: “All spoke well of him” (Luke 4:22, ESV, NIV, etc.). The language is more ambiguous. They were speaking well, not of Jesus, but the words he spoke. And they were whispering, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” (Luke 4:22).

It was exactly as if the kid who grew up down the block had stood up to declare he was the main character in all of human history. Matthew’s gospel makes it clearer, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers? Isn’t this the carpenter’s son… [T]hey took offense at him” (Matt. 13:54, 57). They were amazed at his words, but they had their doubts about him. As Jesus acknowledges, “[N]o prophet is acceptable in his hometown” (Luke 4:24).

What a tragedy their response was to him. He announced that the kingdom of God had arrived, that the promised King and Savior had come, which would mean freedom for all of them—even the other nations of the world. But doubt soon turned to anger when Jesus said that God’s blessings would go to the Gentiles because they had faith: [A]ll in the synagogue were filled with wrath” (Luke 4:28). Their hearts were like Jonah—outraged that God was gracious enough to offer salvation to Ninevah. They didn’t run away like Jonah but tried to run Jesus off a cliff (Luke 4:28-29).

They should have expected exactly this and been overjoyed that the promise to Abraham was being fulfilled exactly as God had declared: “In your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 26:4). But their hearts were hardened to the good news.

When we place our faith in Jesus, that requires all our loyalty. If our relatives and friends do not share our faith, Jesus warned that this kind of response could be expected. Even if your relationships remain strong, they might repeatedly reject the gospel you have offered to them. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for relationships to break altogether.

We can take comfort that Jesus, God’s suffering servant, has experienced this pain of loss. Jesus had seen all these faces before, many looking upon him with fondness and familiarity. Now those same faces were twisted, snarling like a beast, and contorted with hate. As Isaiah says, “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isa. 53:3).

But Jesus was willing to undergo all this so that we could be adopted into God’s own family. He was rejected, in order that we might be accepted. He has not only experienced our grief, but he has also borne our guilt and shame so that our sin might be no more. For all who trust in Jesus, the year of God’s salvation has come!