When Jesus went to His hometown synagogue, the people were amazed at the words He spoke. They knew the Jesus that had grown up with them, but when He told them He was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy, they could hardly believe it! They relied on their own understanding instead of really hearing what Jesus said, and many of them missed the Messiah. We have to be careful not to rely on our own understanding too, but to listen to what Jesus says about Himself.
All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.
Would you have been close friends? Why or why not?
Look up Isaiah 61 and read through it. This message from Isaiah contains a lot of metaphorical language—which means the words symbolize something instead of being meant literally. For example, Isaiah 61:1 says, “He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” That doesn’t mean that the speaker in this passage is going to literally bandage up people who have torn hearts. Instead, it means that the person has been sent to bring emotional and spiritual healing to people who have had hurt feelings or who may be grieving the loss of important relationships. Using metaphors doesn’t mean the words aren’t true, it just means there is a deeper meaning behind the words. Highlight or write down all the metaphors you can find in Isaiah 61. Ask an adult you trust to help you figure out what these verses mean or to guide you to a Bible dictionary or commentary.
God, thank You for helping us to see Jesus’ wisdom instead of trusting our own. Amen.