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 were fixed on Joseph’s son. It had been about a year since they first started hearing reports of Jesus stirring up things down south. 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 had been the talk of the town. I’m guessing that news had continued to trickle back to His home town during the time He was away, His ministry in Judea getting more and more attention. And now He was home . . . He was with them in the synagogue . . . He had been handed the scroll containing Isaiah’s prophecy . . . He was getting ready to read . . .

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because he has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”    (Luke 4:18-19 ESV)

What must it have been like to hear Jesus speak? I imagine that the manner 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 just 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 in the synagogue were fixed on Him” (4:20). They 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 has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

And, initially at least, they all nodded their heads . . . they “bore witness to Him” (NKJV) . . . they “spoke well of Him” (ESV) . . . maybe you even heard a whispered “Amen!” here and there. They marveled, Luke writes, at the gracious words which were coming 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 Messiah speak . . .

What must it have been like to hear Jesus’ declaration that morning? How do you process the Scriptures fulfilled before your very eyes? How do you take in the word of God when it is spoken up close and personal by the Son of God? Grace personified before you . . . proclaiming good news and liberty and healing and freedom. How do you respond to the concept of the year of the Lord’s favor when the Lord is there in your midst? They were in wonder . . . they were captivated by awe . . .

When you hear Him who is the Word of God speak forth the word of God, 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 and quietly seek to absorb the words of grace spoken by the Giver of Grace . . . you can’t help but worship . . .

Word of God speak . . .