One shadow intruded on the bright days of Christ’s ministry in Galilee—the people of Nazareth rejected Him. “Is this not the carpenter’s son?” they said. Matthew 13:55. During His youth, Jesus had worshiped among His friends and family in the synagogue at Nazareth. Since the beginning of His ministry, He had been away from them, but when He appeared again, their expectations rose to the highest pitch. Here were the familiar faces He had known from infancy. Here were His mother, His brothers and sisters, and all eyes turned toward Him as He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath and took His place among the worshipers.3TC 145.2

In the regular service, the elder urged the people still to hope for the Coming One who would reign gloriously and banish all oppression. He tried to encourage his hearers by going over the evidence that the Messiah’s coming was near. He emphasized the thought that He would lead armies to deliver Israel.3TC 146.1

When a rabbi was present, he was expected to deliver the sermon, and any Israelite could give the reading from the prophets. On this Sabbath, Jesus was asked to take part in the service. He “stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.” The scripture He read was understood as referring to the Messiah:3TC 146.2

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the broken-hearted,
To preach deliverance to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed,
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
3TC 146.3

“Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ... So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.”3TC 146.4

Explaining the words He had read, Jesus spoke of the Messiah as One who would relieve the oppressed, heal the afflicted, restore sight to the blind, and reveal the light of truth. The wonderful meaning of His words thrilled the hearers with a power they had never felt before. The tide of divine influence broke every barrier down. As the Holy Spirit moved their hearts, they responded with fervent amens and praises to the Lord.3TC 146.5

But when Jesus announced, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing,” they suddenly were called upon to think of the claims of Him who had been addressing them. He had represented them, children of Abraham, as being in bondage, prisoners to be delivered from the power of evil, in darkness, and needing the light of truth. This offended their pride. Jesus’ work for them was to be entirely different from what they wanted. He might investigate their deeds too closely. They shrank from inspection by those clear, searching eyes.3TC 146.6

“Who is this Jesus?” they questioned. He who had claimed the glory of the Messiah was the Son of a carpenter. They had seen Him toiling up and down the hills. They were acquainted with His brothers and sisters, and they knew His life and labors. They had seen Him develop from childhood to manhood. Although His life had been spotless, they would not believe that He was the Promised One. They opened the door to doubt, and their hearts became harder for having been briefly softened. With intense energy, Satan worked to fasten them in unbelief.3TC 147.1

They had been stirred by the conviction that it was their Redeemer who addressed them. But Jesus now gave them evidence of His divinity by revealing their secret thoughts. “No prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.”3TC 147.2

The prophets whom God had chosen were not allowed to labor for a hardhearted, unbelieving people. In the days of Elijah, Israel had rejected the Lord’s messengers, so God found a refuge for His servant in a heathen land, with a woman who did not belong to the chosen people. But this woman’s heart was open to the greater light that God sent through His prophet.3TC 147.3

In Elisha’s time, the lepers of Israel were passed by for the same reason. But Naaman, a heathen nobleman, was ready to receive the gifts of God’s grace. He was not only cleansed from leprosy but blessed with a knowledge of the true God. The heathen who choose the right as far as they can distinguish it are in a better condition than those who profess to serve God but disregard light and whose daily lives contradict their profession.3TC 147.4

Jesus Set Their Real Condition Before Them

The words of Jesus to His hearers struck at the root of their self-righteousness. Every word cut like a knife as He set their real condition before them. They now scorned the faith that Jesus had inspired in them at first. They would not admit that He who had come from poverty and lowliness was anything other than a common man. Their unbelief bred hatred. In anger, they shouted out against the Savior. Fierce national pride stirred within them, and a tumult of voices drowned out His words. He had offended their prejudices, and they were ready to commit murder.3TC 147.5

The assembly broke up. Laying hands on Jesus, they rushed Him from the synagogue and out of the city. Eager for His destruction, they hurried Him to the top of a cliff, intending to throw Him down headfirst. Shouts filled the air. Some were throwing stones at Him, when suddenly He disappeared. Heavenly messengers were with Him in the midst of that maddened crowd, and they conducted Him to safety.3TC 148.1

So, in all ages, the forces of evil array themselves against Christ’s faithful followers. But armies of heaven surround all who love God, to deliver them. In eternity, we will know that messengers from God were with our every step from day to day.3TC 148.2

Jesus could not give up on His hearers in the synagogue without one more call to repentance. Toward the close of His ministry in Galilee, He again visited the home of His childhood. The fame of His preaching and miracles had filled the land. None in Nazareth could now deny that He possessed more than human power. There were whole villages around them in which He had healed all the sick.3TC 148.3

Again as they listened to His words, the Divine Spirit moved on the Nazarenes. But even now they would not admit that this Man, brought up among them, was greater than themselves. They still resented the fact that while He had claimed to be the Promised One, He had really denied them a place with Israel, for He had shown them to be less worthy of God’s favor than a heathen man and woman. Though they questioned, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” (Matthew 13:54), they would not receive Him as the Christ of God. Because of their unbelief, the Savior could not work many miracles among them, and reluctantly He left, never to return.3TC 148.4

Unbelief, having once been cherished, continued to control the people of Nazareth, the Sanhedrin, and the nation. They rejected the Holy Spirit, and this resulted in the cross of Calvary, the destruction of their city, and the scattering of the nation.3TC 148.5

Christ longed to open the precious treasures of truth to Israel! But they clung to their creed and useless ceremonies. They spent their money for chaff and husks when the bread of life was within their reach. Again and again, Christ quoted from the prophets and declared, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” If they had honestly searched the Scriptures, bringing their theories to the test of God’s Word, Jesus would not have needed to declare, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” Luke 13:35. They might have avoided the disaster that laid their proud city in ruins.3TC 149.1

But the lessons of Christ demanded repentance. If they accepted His teachings, they must change their practices and surrender their cherished hopes. They must go contrary to the opinions of the great thinkers and teachers of the time.3TC 149.2

Spiritual pride filled the Jewish leaders. They loved the highest seats in the synagogue. The sound of their titles on the lips of others gratified them. As real devotion declined, they became more jealous for their traditions and ceremonies. Selfish prejudice darkened their minds, and they could not harmonize the power of Christ’s convicting words with the humility of His life. His poverty seemed completely inconsistent with His claim to be the Messiah. Why was He so unassuming? If He was what He claimed to be, why was He satisfied to be without the force of arms? Without such force, how could the power and glory they had waited for so long bring the nations under the authority of the city of the Jews?3TC 149.3

But it was not simply the absence of outward glory in His life that led the Jews to reject Jesus. He was the embodiment of purity, and they were impure. His sincerity revealed their insincerity and made them see iniquity in its hateful character. Such a light was unwelcome. They could have accepted the disappointment of their ambitious hopes better than Christ’s reproof of their sins and the condemnation they felt even from the presence of His purity.3TC 149.4

How Daniel Identified Jesus as the Christ

The Call by the Sea