The good news is announced—Jesus arrived at the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood and read from the prophet Isaiah. When he finished, all eyes were fixed on the carpenter’s son. Having captured their attention with a stunning reading of the text, Jesus announces that Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled. By this, Jesus was saying that Isaiah’s prophecy pointed forward to him.

From marvel to murder—Upon hearing Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah and comment with authority, the people who knew him as the carpenter’s son marveled. But their amazement did not last. They were unprepared to hear the truth: Israel’s history was one of failure when it came to the prophets God had sent to them. When Israel rejected their prophets, God sent the prophets to the Gentiles. The Israelites had come to believe they had God’s exclusive favor simply by virtue of their heritage as descendants of Abraham. When Jesus reminded them that God sent Elijah to a Sidonian widow and a Syrian leper, rather than the widows and lepers of Israel, they were filled with wrath. They drove Jesus out of town to kill him, intending to throw him down a cliff. But Jesus simply passed through them and escaped easily.

The kingdom advances—Jesus went on from the cliff and his proclamation at the synagogue to fulfill the words he declared moments earlier. He traveled to Simon’s house and healed Simon’s mother-in-law. Later in the day people came with their sick and those possessed by demons, and Jesus, fulfilling the words of Isaiah, healed them all! The people at the synagogue may not have understood who Jesus was, but the demons did. They cried out, “You are the Holy One of God,” but Jesus rebuked them and would not let them continue speaking. The next day Jesus was followed by the crowd, who wanted to keep him there. However, Jesus objected, saying he must preach the “good news” to other towns also.