Albert Barnes Commentary Luke 4:16

"And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read." — Luke 4:16 (ASV)

And, as his custom was, he went (John 18:20; Acts 13:14; Acts 17:2), etc. From this it appears that the Saviour regularly attended the service of the synagogue. In that service the Scriptures of the Old Testament were read, prayers were offered, and the Word of God was explained. (See Barnes on Matthew 4:23).

There was great corruption in doctrine and practice at that time, but Christ did not on that account keep away from the place of public worship. From this we may learn:

1. That it is our duty regularly to attend public worship.
2. That it is better to attend a place of worship which is not entirely pure, or where doctrines are not delivered precisely as we would wish, than not to attend at all. It is of vast importance that the public worship of God should be maintained; and it is our duty to assist in maintaining it, to show by our example that we love it, and to win others also to love it . At the same time, this remark should not be construed as requiring it as our duty to attend where the true God is not worshipped, or where He is worshipped with pagan rites and pagan prayers. If, therefore, the Unitarian does not worship the true God, and if the Roman Catholic worships God in a manner forbidden, and offers homage to the creatures of God, thus being guilty of idolatry, it cannot be a duty to attend such a place of worship.

The synagogue. .

Stood up for to read. The books of Moses were so divided that they could be read through in the synagogues once in a year. To these were added portions from the prophets, so that a considerable part of them was also read once a year.

It is not known whether our Saviour read the lesson that was the regular one for that day, though it might seem probable that he would not depart from the usual custom. Yet, as the eyes of all were fixed on him, as he deliberately sought out a passage, and as the people were evidently surprised at what he did, it seems to be implied that he selected a lesson that was not the regular one for that day.

The same ceremonies regarding conducting public worship which are described here are observed in Jerusalem by the Jews at the present time. Professor Hackett (Illustrations of Scripture, p. 232) says:

"I attended the Jewish worship in Jerusalem and was struck with the accordance of the ceremonies with those mentioned in the New Testament. The sacred roll was brought from the chest or closet where it was kept; it was handed by an attendant to the reader; a portion of it was recited; the congregation rose and stood while it was read, whereas the speaker, as well as the others present, sat during the delivery of the address which formed a part of the service."