Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 4:15

"And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all." — Luke 4:15 (ASV)

Once again, as Jesus enters a new phase of his experience, Luke mentions the special activity of the Holy Spirit. So far we have seen the Spirit’s activity at Jesus’ conception (1:35), baptism (3:22), and temptation (4:1). The “news” that spread about Jesus and the fact that “everyone praised him” are the first of several observations Luke makes about public response to Jesus’ ministry (cf. vv.22, 28, 32, 36–7).

This passage (vv.16–30) has an important place in the Lukan presentation, for it marks the beginning of Luke’s record of Jesus’ ministry. The setting is Nazareth, the place of Jesus’ childhood. A lengthy quotation from Isaiah (vv.18– 19) issues in a proclamation of immediate fulfillment. Jesus also implies the selection of Gentiles for divine favor (vv.24–27). Since Luke places this event so early in Jesus’ ministry (cf. Mark 6:1–6), he obviously considers it of prime importance (whether there were two “rejections at Nazareth” is impossible to say with certainty). Also, a pattern appears here that is unveiled more clearly later on in Luke-Acts: (1) the presentation of the Gospel to Jews in their synagogues, (2) rejection, and (3) turning to the wider Gentile world (cf. Acts 13:46).