And the book of Isaias the prophet was delivered unto him. And as he unfolded the book, he found the place where it was written:
και επεδοθη αυτω βιβλιον ησαιου του προφητου και αναπτυξας το βιβλιον ευρεν τον τοπον ου ην γεγραμμενον
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 10 commentaries
Upon receiving the book, He opened it and discovered not an occurrence of coincidence, but rather what He truly longed for. Do not believe that He merely happened upon the passage concerning Him; it unfolded in accordance with His wishes.
Upon entering the synagogue, He takes the scroll to read and, upon opening it, selects a passage from the prophets where the mystery concerning Him is revealed. In these verses, He clearly communicates through the prophet's voice that He will take on human form and come to rescue the world. We affirm that the Son was consecrated only by assuming our human nature, becoming like us. As both God and man, He imparts the Spirit to creation through His divine essence and receives it from God the Father in His humanity. It is He who sanctifies all creation, both through the Spirit emanating from the Holy Father and the Spirit He Himself generously bestows, encompassing the highest powers, all that is His, and those who acknowledge His revelation.
It was essential for Christ to reveal Himself to the Israelites through His sacrificial blood, allowing the mystery of the Incarnation to illuminate the truth for those unaware of it. He demonstrated that He was chosen by God the Father for the redemption of humanity, delivering this joyous message first to the people of Nazareth, where He had grown up in the flesh. Upon entering the synagogue, Jesus selected a scroll to read, opening it to proclaim a passage from the prophets that spoke of the mystery concerning Himself. Through these prophetic words, He clearly indicated His forthcoming incarnation to save the world. We assert that the Son is anointed for the sole purpose of taking on human flesh and becoming one of us.
As both God and man, He gives the Spirit to creation as its divine source while also receiving it from God the Father in His humanity, thus sanctifying all of creation. He emanates from the Holy Father, from whom the Spirit flows and is dispatched to the higher realms as His own, as well as to those who recognize His coming.
He adeptly reflects on the meekness and humility inherent in Christ’s suffering, highlighting His identity and purpose. The Spirit, He states, who naturally dwells within Me due to Our shared essence and divinity, also descended upon Me externally, as seen at the Jordan where He appeared in the form of a dove—not because He was absent, but to consecrate Me. Why was this anointing necessary? Because mankind became bereft of the Spirit as a consequence of the original judgment. It is recorded, “My Spirit shall not remain upon these men, because they are flesh.”
Then Jesus took the scroll in His hand, as noted in Luke 4:17, demonstrating the fulfillment of the words spoken by the prophets and dispelling the falsehoods of those who assert that there are two different Gods—one in the Old Testament and another in the New—and that Christ's existence began with the Virgin Mary. How could He, who proclaimed before the Virgin, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me" (Luke 4:18; Isaiah 61:1)? Here we witness the perfect and eternal Trinity.
The Scriptures affirm Jesus as both fully divine and fully human, mentioning both the Father and the Holy Spirit. It illustrates the Holy Spirit's presence when He descended visibly as a dove upon Christ during His baptism in the river, while the voice of the Father was heard from heaven (see Luke 3:21). Is there a stronger testimony than His own declarations through the prophets, validated by His own voice? He was anointed with spiritual oil and divine authority to enrich the impoverished human condition with the eternal bounty of His resurrection, liberating souls from captivity and enlightening the spiritually blind. He proclaimed the favorable year of the Lord (cf. Lk. 4:19; Is. 61:1), which will no longer usher in anguish and suffering but will instead provide humanity with a continuous harvest of blessings and the gift of rest. The Lord has humbly minimized Himself in the execution of His responsibilities, not even overlooking the task of a reader. In our sinfulness, we have turned away from faith in His divinity, which is evident through miracles, by fixating on His humanity.
He was presented with the scroll of Isaiah, and as He opened it, He found the passage that stated, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me.’ It was by divine guidance that He located this profound declaration regarding His divine nature, as He had already announced it through the prophet. Speaking as a man, He affirms that the presence of the Lord, or of the Son, rests upon Him, signifying the unity of God with Him—particularly through the Spirit, representing the divine nature of the Son. The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me for the purpose of saving humanity. Although not explicit here, this intention is implied in the subsequent words. It states that He has been anointed, emphasizing the reason for His anointing—not with oil as kings are, but with the divine essence.
He has been sent to proclaim good news to the impoverished. The term "sent" indicates that He was dispatched by the Father. The term "poor" refers to the Gentiles, lacking the riches of spirituality and devoid of all good things. It can also apply to the Jews, who were deficient in virtue, implying that both groups were offered divine teachings and righteous living through the gospel. He heals the brokenhearted, addressing those whose spirits are crushed under the burden of sin. He proclaims freedom to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind. This applies to captives, whose souls are ensnared by the adversary, and to the blind, whose understanding is darkened by desires. To the former, He declares liberation, and to the latter, enlightenment, through the impartation of the gospel's commandments. These commandments represent the message of salvation. He brings release to the weary, granting freedom to those oppressed by malevolent forces.
Jesus initiated His first dialogue by referencing a scripture from the prophet. Through divine purpose, a segment from Isaiah was disclosed to Him: 61:1-2.
Jesus visited Nazareth along with His disciples, entering the synagogue on the Sabbath. He went directly to the section where the law and the prophets were read. There, He unrolled the scroll of the prophet Isaiah and began to read the passage where the prophet foretold the purpose of the Messiah’s arrival. Through Isaiah, the Messiah declares that God has sent Him to proclaim good news to the impoverished, the downtrodden, and the humble workers, announcing the impending arrival of God’s kingdom. He is sent to offer healing through repentance and to share love and mercy with those broken by their transgressions. Even those who are entrenched in sin can find liberation through sincere repentance and righteous actions.
He aims to restore sight to those who have been led astray by erroneous teachings, enlightening them to the true essence of Scripture. His mission is to set free the afflicted, the poor, the broken-hearted, and those shackled by sin, while proclaiming the arrival of God’s love and mercy.
The Jewish audience understood that Isaiah was not speaking of himself but was a voice for the anticipated Messiah. Those gathered in the synagogue were well aware that Jesus had fulfilled all that the prophet described regarding the works of the Messiah, leaving them with little choice but to recognize Him as the awaited Savior. After preparing His listeners, Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and took His seat. A hush fell over the room, with all eyes on Jesus, filled with anticipation for His words. He began His message by declaring, "Now this scripture which you have heard has been fulfilled." With this affirmation, He demonstrated that the prophecy had been realized, inviting His audience to repentance, introducing them to a new commandment of love, and clarifying the nature of the kingdom of the Messiah and the kingdom of heaven, as well as the means to attain both. In doing so, Jesus left no doubt in the hearts of His listeners that He was indeed the long-awaited Redeemer spoken of by all the prophets.
The reading from the Pentateuch had concluded, leaving only the customary passage from the prophets. The Saviour opened the scroll presented to Him and located a section from Isaiah 61. The entire assembly rose to listen to the reading. Ordinarily, this reading spanned anywhere from three to twenty verses; however, Jesus chose to read just the first two verses, which proclaim: ‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me: for the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor, and hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are troubled, to preach the favourable summer of the Lord’.
After reading, He closed the scroll and, following Jewish tradition, took His seat to deliver a sermon and speak to the congregation with fervent encouragement. While the passage itself was already significant, it gained even greater depth and gravity when spoken by the one to whom it referred.
"They handed Him the scroll of Isaiah": it seems that the recitation from the law had concluded when the Lord indicated His desire to read and teach. A servant in the synagogue provided the scroll to Him, typically retrieving it afterward to fold and place it back. During that period, texts were crafted as rolls: long, narrow strips or sheets of parchment were inscribed on one side and then wrapped into a roll with the written side concealed within. This suggests that each book existed on its individual scroll, which was more practical, as longer scrolls would have been unwieldy. These sacred scrolls were stored in a designated ark or box, either at the lectern used for reading or nearby. - "Having unrolled the scroll": this means He opened the scroll.
- "Found the place": the Gospel does not clarify if this was a standard reading for the day or if the Lord intentionally selected this passage for His teaching. It could be reasoned that the Lord adhered to the good customs of His people, suggesting that this reading was indeed the assigned passage for that day. Although the customary readings were often longer than what the Lord proclaimed, it appears there were instances where these could be abbreviated.
During His travels through Galilee, the Lord Jesus also came to Nazareth, the town where He was raised and spent His childhood. The people of this region, acquainted with Him only as the son of a humble carpenter, failed to recognize His remarkable nature. This bias from those close to Him was a key reason He delayed His return to Nazareth, choosing instead to visit various towns and villages throughout Galilee first. Upon His arrival, aimed at enlightening those seeking the truth, it became evident just how challenging it was for those entrenched in their preconceived notions to overcome years of bias.
Nazareth possessed a synagogue that likely mirrored those found in other Galilean cities, characterized by an elongated rectangular shape with modest decorations. Inside, at the entrance, there were seats for men on one side and, separated by a lattice, seats for women on the opposite side. In the wall facing Jerusalem stood an ornate wooden cabinet housing a scroll of Sacred Scripture, while adjacent to it, a raised platform accommodated the reader or preacher. Notable officials held specific positions within the synagogue, including the synagogue leader, responsible for maintaining order during services (Mark 5:35; Luke 8:41, 49; 13:14), the elders, who constituted the synagogue council (Luke 7:3; Mark 5:22), the messenger or reader, who led prayers, and a servant tasked with the upkeep of the synagogue, managing the doors, lighting lamps, and caring for the texts.
Jewish congregations gathered in the synagogues on Sabbaths and feast days for worship, which included hymns, prayers, blessings, and two readings from the Pentateuch and the prophetic writings. Those authorized by the synagogue leader, or those capable of providing additional interpretations, were typically permitted to partake in the readings. As the law reading concluded, Jesus attended the synagogue on the Sabbath, adhering to the custom. He ascended to the place designated for the reader, where a servant handed Him a scroll containing the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus unfurled the scroll and read aloud to the assembly: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor" (Isaiah 61:1-2).
In this passage, as quoted by the Evangelist according to the Septuagint, the mission of His coming as the Messiah is vividly expressed—bringing spiritual blessings to humanity, offering comfort to the humble, healing to those sorrowful over their sins, liberation to those enslaved by vice, clarity to the spiritually blind, and renewal to those suffering. It signifies the Lord's year of grace—echoing the joyous imagery of the fiftieth jubilee year in Jewish tradition, when captives and slaves were granted release (Leviticus 25:8ff.). After concluding His reading, Jesus returned the scroll to the servant and sat down, while all eyes in the synagogue turned toward Him, eager to hear His interpretation of the message He had just proclaimed.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 17 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS