When Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, filled with the power of the Spirit, the people were eager to hear from their local hero. But what began with admiration quickly turned to outrage. Why? Because Jesus didn’t come to meet their expectations—He came to announce God’s surprising, expansive mission of mercy.
In this sermon, we explore how Jesus opens the scroll of Isaiah and boldly claims, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me… He has sent Me to proclaim good news to the poor.” This is not just a statement of identity—it’s a declaration of purpose. Jesus reveals that He has come to bring release, healing, and freedom. But when He reminds His audience that God’s grace has always extended beyond Israel—to outsiders like the widow in Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian—the crowd turns violent.
This message invites us to examine our own assumptions: Do we want a Savior who only blesses “our kind”? Or are we ready to follow the Spirit-anointed Son who calls us to a mission of grace, even when it offends?
