The atmosphere in that Nazareth synagogue on that morning must have been charged with anticipation as Jesus stood to read. I bet you could have heard a pin drop as all eyes fixed on Joseph’s son. I’m guessing the news from the Jordan had found it’s way back to Jesus’ hometown while He was doing battle in the desert with the devil. I’m thinking they had heard about John the Baptizer’s outlandish claims concerning the “kid” they knew as the carpenter’s son . . . that the report of Jesus baptism and heavenly visitation was the talk of the town. And now He was home . . . with them in the synagogue . . . getting ready to read . . . handed the book of the prophet Isaiah . . .

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.” (Luke 4:18-19; Isa. 61:1-2)

What must it be like to hear Jesus speak? I imagine that the way in which He read that passage conveyed so clearly that He was reading about Himself. Undoubtedly they had heard this passage concerning Messiah, and many like it, read before . . . but His reading was different . . . He wasn’t reading about Messiah . . . it was clear that He was declaring that He was Messiah. Luke says that after He closed the book and sat down, “the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him” (4:20). The had just heard something read which they had heard countless times before . . . yet, they had just heard something that they had never heard before. And then, as if to verbalize what that everyone was trying to grasp, Jesus said, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

And it says that, initially at least, all nodded their heads . . . they “bore witness to Him” (NKJV) . . . they “spoke well of Him” (NIV) . . . maybe you even heard a whispered, “Amen!” here and there. They marveled, Luke writes, at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth (4:22). Though the mood would change very quickly and they’d soon want to throw Him off a cliff (literally), at this moment, there was hushed amazement. It isn’t everyday You hear someone claim to be Messiah . . . and do it in a way that’s believable . . . and say it in a way that rings true . . . and proclaim it in a manner that is exudes grace.

“The Spirit is upon ME . . . He has anointed ME . . . I will preach good news to the poor . . . I will heal the bruised and beat up in heart . . . I will show the prisoner how to be free . . . the blind how to see . . . the oppressed how to experience liberty.” What must it have been like to hear Messiah speak concerning Himself that morning? Wonder . . . awe . . . the experiencing of grace personified.

I don’t know . . . I’m thinking if it were me, I might have done the first stop on “Messiah’s Coming Out” tour in a bigger way. Maybe downtown Jerusalem . . . maybe a band . . . balloons . . . a big sign . . . fireworks. But a small synagogue . . . in a small, out of the way village in Galilee? Seems pretty low key . . . after all nothing of any good really ever came out of Nazareth (John 1:46). But that’s not how my Savior worked. No fanfare . . . no big production . . . just the word of God, in all it’s power, spoken by the Word of God, come in the flesh.

And when you hear the Word speak the word, you can’t help but marvel . . . you can’t help but go silent and fix your eyes upon Him . . . you can’t help but sit back quietly and seek to absorb the words of grace spoken by the Giver of Grace . . . you can’t help but wonder . . . and worship . . .

Word of God speak . . .