August 12 Jesus Praised

Luke 4:14-15 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.
 
JESUS is moving. The Holy Spirit baptized him in the Jordan River near Jerusalem. It is thought his battle with Satan was about 20 miles north of there in the Judean desert. And now he has traveled about another 60 miles as he “returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit.” Luke doesn’t tell us where he first ministered in Galilee, his home territory. But we know he chose most of his disciples in Capernaum and Bethsaida, two fishing villages on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. He is about to return to Nazareth, his hometown.
    Let’s rest in this passage for a few minutes. These two verses may be one of the most peaceful, unifying passages two verses in the Bible since Genesis 2:2-3 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. What I mean by the peace of Luke 4:14-15 is that it describes a communion of God the Father, Son and Spirit with God’s people on earth. The Holy Trinity rested in his creation, counting it all very good as God was joined with Adam and Eve. Surely God rested for a moment in the beginning of his new creation, the Kingdom of God on earth. The Triune God had acted, and his people were praising him. Perhaps this was the most reverent obedience God’s creation granted to their Lord in all the history of the world.
    The new rabbi was in town. He came with a reputation of John’s testimony: John 1:29, “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Perhaps the Jews knew the Spirit had anointed him and the Father had approved of Jesus as “his son”. Luke 3:22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."  
    For a short time, the Jews rejoiced in the hope that God would fulfill the prophecies of old. Jesus’ words were heard and praised. People were eager for a change. Or were they?
 
Prayer: Help me, Father, to praise your teachings each day, even as they say to me, “You must change.” In Jesus’ name, amen.