Third Sunday of Epiphany

Jesus Reads from Isaiah

Luke 4: 14 - 21

Matthew 4: 12 - 17

Matthew 13: 53 - 58

Mark 1: 14 - 15

Mark 6: 1 - 6

Isaiah 61: 1 - 2

Isaiah 58: 6

After Jesus' time in the desert, he returned to the region of Galilee in northern Palestine to begin teaching in the synagogues (the places in villages and small cities where Jews met to study the word of God). Sacrifices took place only in the Temple in Jerusalem.

As was the custom in the synagogues, the man in charge of the service gave the scroll containing the lesson to an important person: a visitor or someone prominent in the community. Jesus was returning to his childhood home after a long absence, so asking him to read the lesson was an honor as well as a welcome home.

The Book of Isaiah was a large scroll, containing only the one book. (Shorter books of the Bible were grouped together on other scrolls.)

After he stood to read the lesson (just as pastors nowadays stand to read the gospel), Jesus sat down to preach, instead of continuing to stand as pastors do today.

1. Where did Jesus teach?

[Jesus taught in the synagogues (Jewish meeting places) throughout Galilee.]

2. Where had Jesus grown up?

[Jesus had grown up in Nazareth, a village in Galilee.]

3. Which scroll did Jesus read from?

[Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah.]

4. What did Jesus say about the lesson?

[Jesus said, "What you have just heard me read has come true today."]

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