Nazareth Rejection
Overview
- Testament: New
- Book: Luke, Matthew, Mark
- Chapters: Luke 4:16-30; Matthew 13:54-58; Mark 6:1-6
- Summary: Jesus returned to his hometown of Nazareth, read from Isaiah in the synagogue, declared its fulfillment in himself, and was nearly thrown off a cliff when the crowd turned on him.
Details
Jesus returned to Nazareth where he had grown up and, as was his custom, went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. He was given the scroll of Isaiah and read from chapter 61: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” He rolled up the scroll, sat down, and made the astonishing declaration: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
Initially the people “wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth” but then began to question: “Is not this Joseph’s son?” Jesus anticipated their skepticism and quoted the proverb “Physician, heal thyself,” noting they would demand signs like those done in Capernaum. He pointed out that Elijah was sent not to Israelite widows but to a Gentile widow in Zarephath, and Elisha cleansed not Israelite lepers but Naaman the Syrian — implying God’s grace extends beyond ethnic Israel. This enraged the synagogue crowd who drove him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, intending to throw him off. But he passed through their midst and went his way.
Key People Involved
- Jesus Christ — The one rejected in his hometown
- Isaiah — Prophet whose scroll Jesus read
Key Places
- Nazareth — Jesus’ hometown; site of the rejection
- Synagogue — Where the confrontation occurred
Important Verses
“And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.” — Luke 4:21
“And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, And rose up, and thrust him out of the city.” — Luke 4:28-29
Cross-References
- Related: Annunciation — Gabriel appeared to Mary in this same Nazareth
- Related: Sending the Twelve — Jesus later commissioned others for the mission he described here
- Related books: Luke, Matthew, Mark, Isaiah
Notes
The Nazareth rejection is programmatic in Luke’s Gospel — it sets out Jesus’ mission statement and immediately shows the conflict that will follow him. The Isaiah text Jesus chose combines themes of Jubilee liberation and anointed proclamation. His two OT examples (Elijah/Zarephath, Elisha/Naaman) foreshadow the Gentile mission and establish that unbelief in Israel does not frustrate God’s purposes — he will find faith elsewhere. Matthew and Mark record a parallel visit with less detail, noting Jesus “marvelled because of their unbelief.”