Our main interest in this message will be verses 14 and 15 of the fourth chapter of Luke’s Gospel. As we all know, the Bible is prophetic and mystical. It holds a mystery, and that mystery is Christ in us the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). However, in order to uncover the mystery in our selected passage, we will have to bring in a few verses from elsewhere to shine some light on it. It is much easier to see the hidden when you have a divine flashlight.
Luke 4:14-15 And Jesus returned in the power of the
Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of Him through all the region
round about.
15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of
all.
If you only see the history here, you will not receive very much. Jesus, in the power of the Spirit, went into Galilee. He taught in the synagogues there and was glorified by the people. History is on a timeline, and in this case it was at least 2, 000 years ago when Jesus did this teaching. Knowing what He did then doesn’t help us too much now unless we can bring it into the present. By the way, everything Jesus did was done eternally. That is the reason His death on the cross is still valid for all people of every age. That means what Jesus did in Luke 4:14-15 He is still doing now. That is borne out in the fact that the verb “taught” is in the imperfect tense. He is still doing the teaching of these two verses. However, you have to see the mystical in order to understand how this is happening. This does not mean He is still in Galilee teaching in the synagogues, but He is in the synagogues of our hearts teaching us of Himself and His Kingdom.
The phrases in these two verses are very suggestive. Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit: The return of Jesus Christ is very much on the minds of Christians today. We believe that these are the days of His return, and of course, He is returning in the power of the Spirit. Next, it says that His return is into Galilee. Galilee speaks of Gentiles. In Matthew 4:15 Galilee is referred to as “Galilee of the Gentiles.” We also understand that Jesus Christ is returning to a Gentile Church for a Gentile bride.
He taught in the synagogues, being glorified of all. This statement definitely refers to these days of His coming. His days as Jesus the Nazarene were the days of His humiliation. He will not be humiliated again. He is now coming to be glorified. When He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe… (II Thessalonians 1:10). Notice where this coming of the Lord to be glorified takes place. It takes place in His saints. This is not a bodily coming in the sky hovering over the earth to rapture His saints. It is not a coming to split open the Mount of Olives. It is not a coming to a temple in Jerusalem. Those things were designed to sell books. His coming is a spiritual coming of His life and presence in His saints. This is when you are really going to be born again, if you happen to be one who experiences this. All Christians will not! All Christian do not even believe in this kind of coming. Paul says that this coming is to take place in all them that believe. Anyway, this is what the passage in Luke alludes to.
He taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. This is prophetic. It is speaking of what He does when He comes forth in His saints. We are the temple of the Lord (I Corinthians 6:19). You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house. I Peter 2:5. We are also His synagogue! And when He comes forth in us He is going to teach us of Himself and His Kingdom.
Now, I want to look at only one thing more. Verse 15 says, “He taught.” The Greek, though, says more than that. The translators of our Bibles strive to make a translation that is more readable to the Western mind. For example, in referring to the disciples the Greek usually reads “the disciples of Him.” The translators, though, will invariably translate that as “His disciples.” Now, there can be a vast difference between “His disciples” and “the disciples of Him.” “His disciples” means no more than they are being taught by Him, whereas “the disciples of Him” indicates they were of the same essence or at least they were becoming as He is in nature. For example, Judas Iscariot was His disciple but he was not a disciple of Him.
Now back to our thoughts on “He taught.” The Greek is autov edidasken and is accurately translated “He Himself taught.” It is not necessary to say “He Himself taught,” unless you understand that it really means “He taught Himself.” He taught Himself in the sense that as He comes forth in His saints He replaces the selfishness and self-centeredness of their self life with His self. This is how He is glorified in His saints. This is the true coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the true being born from above.
Copyright © 2006 by Henry DuBose