At First All Praised Him

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 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 shore of the Sea of Galilee. He is about to return to Nazareth, his hometown.
    Luke 4:15-16 may be one of the most spiritually peaceful, unifying two verses in the Bible since God completed his creation: 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. The Holy Trinity rested in his creation, declaring it all very good as God was joined with Adam and Eve.  
    In a like manner Luke 4:14-15 describes a communion of God the Father, Son and Spirit with God’s chosen people. God seemed to pause the temptation and rejection of the Son for a moment as the Kingdom of God began on earth. Pause and observe mankind’s reverent obedience of their Lord. The Son of God came with a reputation from John the Baptist’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!” John knew. When he baptized Jesus, John had witnessed the Spirit anointing Jesus and heard the Father blessing Jesus, the Son: Luke 3:22b “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 was fulfilling the Messianic prophecies. Jesus’ words were heard and praised. People were eager for a change. Or were they?
 
Prayer: Help me, Father, to praise your teachings in the power of the Spirit each day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.