67. WE CAN BE IN HEAVEN, WITHOUT A DOUBTDid the Messiah come only for the Jews?
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Hope is one of the most powerful forces on earth. Again and again, history has shown that people with an unrelenting hope are able to surmount amazing obstacles and overcome life-crushing dif culties. We have all heard stories that could be called nothing but miracles. Whether it was a soldier in a POW camp or a citizen trapped under the rubble of an earthquake, they were able to endure privation and near death existence for an amazing length of time only because they held on to the hope of being saved. Stories of such hope amaze and encourage us because in some small way we are all in a desperate situation reaching out for help.
This lesson is intended to stir the hope that is within you. You began these lessons because you are unique. You have been hanging on to the hope that your life could be better by knowing God and His Word. Let’s nd out how that hope can be realized.
It was an incredible discovery. In 2006, a misplaced and forgotten letter dated September 1933 had been found. The letter was addressed to “Your Excellency,” so it was most likely intended for Ataturk. But it was President Inönü who received the letter. Imagine the moment when President Inönü’s secretary placed a stack of mail on his desk and said,
“Sir, there is a very unique request for your immediate attention from Paris.”
Taking the letter in his hands the President surely would have been surprised at the signature he saw there, “Prof. Albert Einstein.”
Prof. Einstein’s letter began,
“I beg to apply to Your Excellency to allow forty professors and doctors from Germany to continue their scienti c and medical work in Turkey. The above mentioned cannot practice further in Germany on account of the laws governing there now. The majority of these men possess vast experience, knowledge, and scienti c merits and could prove very useful when settling in a new country.”
As the Nazi party of the 1930’s was shaping up, it became an increasingly hostile environment for thought leaders, particularly those with Jewish backgrounds. Einstein worked feverishly to rescue relatives, friends, friends’ relatives, and even strangers from Hitler's henchmen. Einstein became a savior for hundreds. He was personally invested in the cause, not only writing letters like this one to the Turkish government, but also by establishing bank accounts in their names and depositing the $2,000 required by immigration authorities. With only a premonition about the future, it was his hope to rescue intelligent men from prison or death.
The letter was translated from English into Turkish on Sept. 30, 1933. The question was what do with such a request? It was a big opportunity for a young nation attempting to establish a modern educational system, but it was also an expensive one. It was for this reason that the letter was passed from one person to another within the president’s cabinet. The notes of several men in the letter’s margins bear testament to the fact that making a decision was difficult. The top right notation shows that İnönü transferred the letter on October 9th to Maarif Vekaleti, Ministry for National Education. The other annotations are attributed to Reşit Galip, the sitting Minister. One said,
“This proposal is incompatible with clauses [in the existing laws].” Another declared,
“It is impossible to accept it due to prevailing conditions.” Surely Inönü must have pondered deeply,
“What should I do with such a letter and from such a predominant member of the world’s scientific community?”
On one hand, importing teachers who could train Turks in subjects the Ottoman Empire had long neglected could hurdle Turkey light years ahead in industry and science. On the other hand, it could place them at odds with long time ally Germany. Moreover, where would they place these men? Not to mention that it didn’t seem to be legal according to their canon. We must also remember that Turkey wasn’t a robust country with financial capital and a network of universities like it is today. We can be sure that Einstein’s letter was the center of lots of conversation in Ankara.
Prof. Einstein closed the letter with a personal appeal,
“In supporting this application, I take the liberty to express my hope, that in granting this request your Government will not only perform an act of high humanity, but will also bring pro t to your own country."
Then his farewell,
“I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's obedient servant, Prof. Albert Einstein.”
How would Turkey respond to such a candid appeal to serve as the hope and savior to a handful of very desperate souls?
Let’s pause this interesting story to consider the scripture portion of our lesson. We have been studiously looking at the life of Jesus. In our last lesson, Jesus had just nished a 40 day fast and overcome the temptations of Satan. He is now 30 years old and about to start 3 years of public ministry. Let's look at what happened next as we turn our attention to Luke chapter 4 verses 14-16:
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glori ed by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.....
Galilee was a small area just 80 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide with a fresh water lake in the middle. The area was extremely fertile and every type of fruit, olive, and nut tree was grown. Because of it’s ideal agricultural conditions there were nearly 200 small villages around the lake. This part of Jesus’ ministry has been compared to springtime, because it was the beginning of his work and he was welcomed everywhere like the welcome joy of spring owers.
We notice from the text that Jesus was faithful in going to the synagogue. Similar to the local mosque, the synagogue was a place for prayer and the reading of the Holy Scriptures. However, the teaching portion was slightly different from the mosque’s. Typically a local person or guest was given the opportunity to speak because there was no professional ministry or theological credentials required. Thus Jesus was invited to speak.
Of course you remember, the Sabbath is the seventh day, which God had blessed and made holy. God gave the Sabbath to Adam and Eve and their generations as a day of worship, rest, and fellowship. Jesus was honoring God by going to the synagogue on Saturday, the seventh day, as God had established in Eden. It was the custom to read from some portion of the ancient prophets and comment on it. Let’s see what Jesus did in Luke chapter 4 the second part of verse 16:
16 ......And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
There were no books in those days, only scrolls. These were the same type of scrolls as those found near the Dead Sea in 1948.
Amazingly, a shepherd who had thrown a rock into a cave to scare out his goats found the over 2000-year-old scrolls. When he heard the rock strike something that broke, he entered the cave and found clay jars lled with old parchments. These scrolls were the entire Old Testament including the Books of Moses, Psalms, the scrolls of Daniel, Isaiah, and the other prophets. It was an incredible nd because the scrolls dated to 200 years before Christ. Thus in some way putting to shame those in modern times who had said that the scriptures had changed in their present form. Yes! The scrolls found at the Dead Sea were nearly identical to the one's today! The Dead Sea scrolls give solid evidence contradicting accusations that God's word had been tampered with. Those scrolls help to verify that God has protected his word from 2200 years ago to the present!
It was one of these types of scrolls that Jesus would have been given. The scroll would have been laid out on a big stone or wooden table. One of these old tables can still be seen in the remains of the Jewish synagogue attached to the coliseum in Sart near Salihli. When the scroll of Isaiah was laid on the lectern, Jesus opened it and began looking for a very particular passage. Finally Jesus found his place in Isaiah chapter sixty-one. As Jesus read he also combined some themes from Isaiah chapter 43 verse 7. Imagine Jesus standing and reading these words as recorded in Luke chapter 4 verses 18-20:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Now it became clear why Jesus had been looking for that particular portion of scripture. He wanted to read a hope lled passage written almost 700 years earlier about himself, the Messiah! While every eye was still fixed on him, Jesus put an exclamation point on the passage. Let’s read what he said in Luke chapter 4 verse 21.
21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
What was Jesus claiming here? First, that ancient scripture was pointing ahead to someone great. In other words, scripture isn’t just a compilation of stories or wise thoughts. On the contrary, Jesus made clear that all scripture has a destination, a north star, and a ful llment. Second, Jesus claimed he was that ful llment, the Messiah, the Lord’s anointed. In essence, he said,
“I am that north star! I am what the scriptures points to. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus was extremely bold in his assertion. This was the beginning of his ministry, and yet, he didn’t shrink from having the people place all of their life’s hopes on himself.
In modern language, this was his inaugural speech. It outlines his agenda and assignment from God. Jesus said he would fulfill five
specific assignments as the Messiah. Let’s look at his words closer.
First, he said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me:”
Jesus acknowledged that he was the Messiah.44 As the Anointed One, he would:
1) Proclaim good news to the poor.
2) Proclaim liberty to the captives.
3) Give recovery of sight to the blind.
4) Set at liberty those who are oppressed.
5) Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
The good news Jesus would preach to the poor was an open invitation to the kingdom of heaven. His gospel message is concisely conveyed in Matthew chapter 25 verse 34:
34 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
What is Jesus’ invitation? It is to receive a gift, an inheritance, prepared for you. Can you see why Jesus’ message was called a “gospel?”
Jesus’ message was to tell people,
“You are written into the will (testament) of God!”
This promise is for you as well, words you can rest your eternal hope on! Jesus opened the doors of the Kingdom of God to all who would believe.
Jesus also set captives free. Everywhere he went he cast out demons. In fact today, people have found relief from the oppression of demons through the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus freed people who were bound under the spell of Satan or the curse of demonic powers. Jesus had authority to break the devil’s grip and help people to lead normal happy lives. Jesus still has that power!
Jesus literally gave sight to blind men. He healed them so that they could see again. How marvelous it must have been to follow Jesus and see blind men, leaping and jumping with joy because they could see owers and elds for the rst time. There must have been a continual excitement and happiness in the crowds when they were around Jesus. He laid his hands on some and others he simply spoke to. The Bible contains four speci c instances of Jesus healing different blind men and gives reference to several others. Here is the story of one of them from Mark chapter 10 verses 46-52:
46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 50 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" 51 And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." 52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus also opened the spiritual eyes of people whose life vision had grown dark through depression, self-hate, and worry. He continually gave hope to those who had been oppressed by the religion of Judaism and it’s heavy burden of ceremonies. He opened men and women’s eyes to the truth that religion was something other than ritual. In Luke chapter 11 verses 34-36, Jesus told men that they must be careful stewards with the spiritual eyesight that God had given them:
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.
Yes, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. John the Baptist asked Jesus very directly if he were the “ful llment” of all that the prophets had spoken. Listen to John’s question and Jesus’ answer in Matthew chapter 11 verse 2-6:
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" 4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Oh to be one who is blessed! Jesus said,
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Unfortunately, some were offended by him, and still are. Let’s get back to the story and see what happened after Jesus read the scroll.
We can continue with Luke chapter 4 verses 23-32:
23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." 24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were lled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word-possessed authority.
How could this crowd suddenly go from elation and awe at Jesus’ words, to such anger that would compel them to throw him off a cliff? The answer to that question is hidden in the stories Jesus used regarding Naaman and the widow who helped Elijah. You see, Naaman and the widow were not Jews; they were Gentiles! Who was Jesus’ audience in the synagogue? They were Jews. In essence, Jesus said that the Gentiles were smarter than the Jews because they had listened to the prophets! The congregation at Nazareth thought of themselves as the blessed of God and that the Gentiles were the ones who needed to be set free and have their eyes opened. But when Jesus said, "Today this scripture is ful lled in your ears," he was saying that Jews were the ones in darkness and needed to hear the good news! They refused to accept this and drove Jesus out.
Let’s go back to our story of Einstein and Inönü’s conundrum. Just as Jesus had done, President Inönü was about to disappointment a Jew, namely Einstein. Here is Ismet Inönü's letter of response to Einstein dated November 14, 1933:
Distinguished Professor,
I have received your letter dated 14 November 1933 requesting acceptance by Turkey of 40 professors and physicians who cannot conduct their scientific and medical work in Germany anymore under the laws governing Germany now.
I have also taken note that these gentlemen will accept working without remuneration for a year in our establishments under our government.
Although I accept that your proposal is very attractive, I have to tell you that I see no possibility of rendering it compatible with the laws and regulations of our country.
Distinguished Professor, as you know, we have now more than 40 professors and physicians under contract in our employ. Most of them find themselves under the same political conditions while having similar qualifications and capacities. These professors and doctors have accepted to work here under the current laws and regulations in power.
At present, we are trying to found a very delicate organism with members of very different origins, culture and languages. Therefore I regret to say that it would be impossible to employ more personnel from among these gentlemen under the current conditions we find ourselves in.
Distinguished Professor, I express my distress for being unable to fulfill your request and request that you believe in my best sentiments."
At face value, President Inönü's letter appears to have closed the doors to Einstein's plea just as Jesus may have seemed to close the doors for the Jews of his hometown of Nazareth. But, in truth a larger plan was already at work in our Turkish government.
You see several months earlier, as a result of Ataturk’s University reforms, a professor named Phillip Schwarz, who was the first to be fired from his job in Germany because of his Semitic roots, requested permission for 30 Jewish professors to fill various positions throughout Turkey. Unknown to Prof. Einstein, by the time his letter arrived Inönü and his staff had agreed to rescue the men of Schwarz’s request by placing them in the newly established Istanbul University. But Turkey’s role as savior was to be much broader than that. Before the end of hostilities in Europe, Turkey had saved not just 30 as originally agreed to by Schwarz (nor forty as indicated in the Inönü letter) but over 190 men plus their families. Intellectuals, scientists, doctors, legal scholars, architects, librarians, and musicians were all rescued!
Just as Jesus, a Jew, would become the unlikely hero for Gentiles, Turkey, a Muslim nation, became the unlikely savior for the Jews! Unusual, but that is exactly what happened. Moreover Turkey saved Jews from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, and Spain. Turkey actually fulfilled Professor Albert Einstein’s greatest wish.
Turkey altered the fate of nearly two hundred men and their families. What about Jesus? According to himself, he has the power to change the fate of the blind, the oppressed, the poor, and the hopeless. And he did!
A wealthy businessman returned to the elementary school he had attended almost 50 years earlier. He had come to address a class of sixth graders. The man agreed to make a motivational speech out of sentiment to his childhood memories of the school. But the truth was that neither the school nor the neighborhood resembled what he had remembered from years ago. It had turned into a ghetto and was now poor, run down, and dangerous.
The man intended to tell the students, "Work hard and you'll succeed."
But during the preliminary events of the program, the school principal leaned over and whispered to the businessman that three-quarters of the school's students would probably never nish high school. They would end up working in nearby factories. This prompted the man to spontaneously change his speech. He promised free university tuition to every sixth grader who nished high school and graduated. He urged the students to dream their own dreams and promised to do all that he could to help them achieve their goals.
It was a turning point for those youth. The man had given them something they had never had before, hope. More than an empty promise, the man set up a foundation to give active coaching and renewed vision throughout their high school experience. Six years later, 90% of the original 61 who heard that promise had finished high school. In the end, 37 completed university, previously unheard of in that poor neighborhood. Hope! Those youth had believed the man, and it made all the difference in their lives. Of course the man was a millionaire, and that helped make their hope all the more solid. They knew he would fulfill his promise!
What about you? Jesus has made a promise, worthy to hang your hope on. He asked the blind man,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
It was the faith of the blind man that made him well. What do you believe Jesus can do for you?
Discussion Questions
1. What made Turkey a good candidate for Albert Einstein to write and ask for help? How would you have felt if you had been one of
the family members of the 190 who received a letter of invitation to come to Turkey?
2. Why did Jesus go to the synagogue?
3. What was Jesus claiming from the passage he read in Isaiah?
4. Review from the lesson the “good news” that Jesus was preaching. Do you believe this message was just for the people of his day?
5. Does his message apply to us today? If it does apply to us today, do you think most people would be humble enough to believe that they were in need? How about you?
44 Look back to Psalm chapter 2 for more on this “anointing”.
This lesson is intended to stir the hope that is within you. You began these lessons because you are unique. You have been hanging on to the hope that your life could be better by knowing God and His Word. Let’s nd out how that hope can be realized.
It was an incredible discovery. In 2006, a misplaced and forgotten letter dated September 1933 had been found. The letter was addressed to “Your Excellency,” so it was most likely intended for Ataturk. But it was President Inönü who received the letter. Imagine the moment when President Inönü’s secretary placed a stack of mail on his desk and said,
“Sir, there is a very unique request for your immediate attention from Paris.”
Taking the letter in his hands the President surely would have been surprised at the signature he saw there, “Prof. Albert Einstein.”
Prof. Einstein’s letter began,
“I beg to apply to Your Excellency to allow forty professors and doctors from Germany to continue their scienti c and medical work in Turkey. The above mentioned cannot practice further in Germany on account of the laws governing there now. The majority of these men possess vast experience, knowledge, and scienti c merits and could prove very useful when settling in a new country.”
As the Nazi party of the 1930’s was shaping up, it became an increasingly hostile environment for thought leaders, particularly those with Jewish backgrounds. Einstein worked feverishly to rescue relatives, friends, friends’ relatives, and even strangers from Hitler's henchmen. Einstein became a savior for hundreds. He was personally invested in the cause, not only writing letters like this one to the Turkish government, but also by establishing bank accounts in their names and depositing the $2,000 required by immigration authorities. With only a premonition about the future, it was his hope to rescue intelligent men from prison or death.
The letter was translated from English into Turkish on Sept. 30, 1933. The question was what do with such a request? It was a big opportunity for a young nation attempting to establish a modern educational system, but it was also an expensive one. It was for this reason that the letter was passed from one person to another within the president’s cabinet. The notes of several men in the letter’s margins bear testament to the fact that making a decision was difficult. The top right notation shows that İnönü transferred the letter on October 9th to Maarif Vekaleti, Ministry for National Education. The other annotations are attributed to Reşit Galip, the sitting Minister. One said,
“This proposal is incompatible with clauses [in the existing laws].” Another declared,
“It is impossible to accept it due to prevailing conditions.” Surely Inönü must have pondered deeply,
“What should I do with such a letter and from such a predominant member of the world’s scientific community?”
On one hand, importing teachers who could train Turks in subjects the Ottoman Empire had long neglected could hurdle Turkey light years ahead in industry and science. On the other hand, it could place them at odds with long time ally Germany. Moreover, where would they place these men? Not to mention that it didn’t seem to be legal according to their canon. We must also remember that Turkey wasn’t a robust country with financial capital and a network of universities like it is today. We can be sure that Einstein’s letter was the center of lots of conversation in Ankara.
Prof. Einstein closed the letter with a personal appeal,
“In supporting this application, I take the liberty to express my hope, that in granting this request your Government will not only perform an act of high humanity, but will also bring pro t to your own country."
Then his farewell,
“I have the honor to be, Your Excellency's obedient servant, Prof. Albert Einstein.”
How would Turkey respond to such a candid appeal to serve as the hope and savior to a handful of very desperate souls?
Let’s pause this interesting story to consider the scripture portion of our lesson. We have been studiously looking at the life of Jesus. In our last lesson, Jesus had just nished a 40 day fast and overcome the temptations of Satan. He is now 30 years old and about to start 3 years of public ministry. Let's look at what happened next as we turn our attention to Luke chapter 4 verses 14-16:
14 And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glori ed by all. 16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read.....
Galilee was a small area just 80 kilometers long and 40 kilometers wide with a fresh water lake in the middle. The area was extremely fertile and every type of fruit, olive, and nut tree was grown. Because of it’s ideal agricultural conditions there were nearly 200 small villages around the lake. This part of Jesus’ ministry has been compared to springtime, because it was the beginning of his work and he was welcomed everywhere like the welcome joy of spring owers.
We notice from the text that Jesus was faithful in going to the synagogue. Similar to the local mosque, the synagogue was a place for prayer and the reading of the Holy Scriptures. However, the teaching portion was slightly different from the mosque’s. Typically a local person or guest was given the opportunity to speak because there was no professional ministry or theological credentials required. Thus Jesus was invited to speak.
Of course you remember, the Sabbath is the seventh day, which God had blessed and made holy. God gave the Sabbath to Adam and Eve and their generations as a day of worship, rest, and fellowship. Jesus was honoring God by going to the synagogue on Saturday, the seventh day, as God had established in Eden. It was the custom to read from some portion of the ancient prophets and comment on it. Let’s see what Jesus did in Luke chapter 4 the second part of verse 16:
16 ......And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,
There were no books in those days, only scrolls. These were the same type of scrolls as those found near the Dead Sea in 1948.
Amazingly, a shepherd who had thrown a rock into a cave to scare out his goats found the over 2000-year-old scrolls. When he heard the rock strike something that broke, he entered the cave and found clay jars lled with old parchments. These scrolls were the entire Old Testament including the Books of Moses, Psalms, the scrolls of Daniel, Isaiah, and the other prophets. It was an incredible nd because the scrolls dated to 200 years before Christ. Thus in some way putting to shame those in modern times who had said that the scriptures had changed in their present form. Yes! The scrolls found at the Dead Sea were nearly identical to the one's today! The Dead Sea scrolls give solid evidence contradicting accusations that God's word had been tampered with. Those scrolls help to verify that God has protected his word from 2200 years ago to the present!
It was one of these types of scrolls that Jesus would have been given. The scroll would have been laid out on a big stone or wooden table. One of these old tables can still be seen in the remains of the Jewish synagogue attached to the coliseum in Sart near Salihli. When the scroll of Isaiah was laid on the lectern, Jesus opened it and began looking for a very particular passage. Finally Jesus found his place in Isaiah chapter sixty-one. As Jesus read he also combined some themes from Isaiah chapter 43 verse 7. Imagine Jesus standing and reading these words as recorded in Luke chapter 4 verses 18-20:
18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." 20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Now it became clear why Jesus had been looking for that particular portion of scripture. He wanted to read a hope lled passage written almost 700 years earlier about himself, the Messiah! While every eye was still fixed on him, Jesus put an exclamation point on the passage. Let’s read what he said in Luke chapter 4 verse 21.
21 And he began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
What was Jesus claiming here? First, that ancient scripture was pointing ahead to someone great. In other words, scripture isn’t just a compilation of stories or wise thoughts. On the contrary, Jesus made clear that all scripture has a destination, a north star, and a ful llment. Second, Jesus claimed he was that ful llment, the Messiah, the Lord’s anointed. In essence, he said,
“I am that north star! I am what the scriptures points to. Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus was extremely bold in his assertion. This was the beginning of his ministry, and yet, he didn’t shrink from having the people place all of their life’s hopes on himself.
In modern language, this was his inaugural speech. It outlines his agenda and assignment from God. Jesus said he would fulfill five
specific assignments as the Messiah. Let’s look at his words closer.
First, he said,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me:”
Jesus acknowledged that he was the Messiah.44 As the Anointed One, he would:
1) Proclaim good news to the poor.
2) Proclaim liberty to the captives.
3) Give recovery of sight to the blind.
4) Set at liberty those who are oppressed.
5) Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
The good news Jesus would preach to the poor was an open invitation to the kingdom of heaven. His gospel message is concisely conveyed in Matthew chapter 25 verse 34:
34 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’
What is Jesus’ invitation? It is to receive a gift, an inheritance, prepared for you. Can you see why Jesus’ message was called a “gospel?”
Jesus’ message was to tell people,
“You are written into the will (testament) of God!”
This promise is for you as well, words you can rest your eternal hope on! Jesus opened the doors of the Kingdom of God to all who would believe.
Jesus also set captives free. Everywhere he went he cast out demons. In fact today, people have found relief from the oppression of demons through the power of Jesus Christ. Jesus freed people who were bound under the spell of Satan or the curse of demonic powers. Jesus had authority to break the devil’s grip and help people to lead normal happy lives. Jesus still has that power!
Jesus literally gave sight to blind men. He healed them so that they could see again. How marvelous it must have been to follow Jesus and see blind men, leaping and jumping with joy because they could see owers and elds for the rst time. There must have been a continual excitement and happiness in the crowds when they were around Jesus. He laid his hands on some and others he simply spoke to. The Bible contains four speci c instances of Jesus healing different blind men and gives reference to several others. Here is the story of one of them from Mark chapter 10 verses 46-52:
46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 50 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" 51 And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." 52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
Jesus also opened the spiritual eyes of people whose life vision had grown dark through depression, self-hate, and worry. He continually gave hope to those who had been oppressed by the religion of Judaism and it’s heavy burden of ceremonies. He opened men and women’s eyes to the truth that religion was something other than ritual. In Luke chapter 11 verses 34-36, Jesus told men that they must be careful stewards with the spiritual eyesight that God had given them:
34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is bad, your body is full of darkness. 35 Therefore be careful lest the light in you be darkness. 36 If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be wholly bright, as when a lamp with its rays gives you light.
Yes, Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy. John the Baptist asked Jesus very directly if he were the “ful llment” of all that the prophets had spoken. Listen to John’s question and Jesus’ answer in Matthew chapter 11 verse 2-6:
2 Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?" 4 And Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. 6 And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Oh to be one who is blessed! Jesus said,
“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me."
Unfortunately, some were offended by him, and still are. Let’s get back to the story and see what happened after Jesus read the scroll.
We can continue with Luke chapter 4 verses 23-32:
23 And he said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself.' What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well." 24 And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown. 25 But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, 26 and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." 28 When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were lled with wrath. 29 And they rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. 30 But passing through their midst, he went away. 31 And he went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. And he was teaching them on the Sabbath, 32 and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word-possessed authority.
How could this crowd suddenly go from elation and awe at Jesus’ words, to such anger that would compel them to throw him off a cliff? The answer to that question is hidden in the stories Jesus used regarding Naaman and the widow who helped Elijah. You see, Naaman and the widow were not Jews; they were Gentiles! Who was Jesus’ audience in the synagogue? They were Jews. In essence, Jesus said that the Gentiles were smarter than the Jews because they had listened to the prophets! The congregation at Nazareth thought of themselves as the blessed of God and that the Gentiles were the ones who needed to be set free and have their eyes opened. But when Jesus said, "Today this scripture is ful lled in your ears," he was saying that Jews were the ones in darkness and needed to hear the good news! They refused to accept this and drove Jesus out.
Let’s go back to our story of Einstein and Inönü’s conundrum. Just as Jesus had done, President Inönü was about to disappointment a Jew, namely Einstein. Here is Ismet Inönü's letter of response to Einstein dated November 14, 1933:
Distinguished Professor,
I have received your letter dated 14 November 1933 requesting acceptance by Turkey of 40 professors and physicians who cannot conduct their scientific and medical work in Germany anymore under the laws governing Germany now.
I have also taken note that these gentlemen will accept working without remuneration for a year in our establishments under our government.
Although I accept that your proposal is very attractive, I have to tell you that I see no possibility of rendering it compatible with the laws and regulations of our country.
Distinguished Professor, as you know, we have now more than 40 professors and physicians under contract in our employ. Most of them find themselves under the same political conditions while having similar qualifications and capacities. These professors and doctors have accepted to work here under the current laws and regulations in power.
At present, we are trying to found a very delicate organism with members of very different origins, culture and languages. Therefore I regret to say that it would be impossible to employ more personnel from among these gentlemen under the current conditions we find ourselves in.
Distinguished Professor, I express my distress for being unable to fulfill your request and request that you believe in my best sentiments."
At face value, President Inönü's letter appears to have closed the doors to Einstein's plea just as Jesus may have seemed to close the doors for the Jews of his hometown of Nazareth. But, in truth a larger plan was already at work in our Turkish government.
You see several months earlier, as a result of Ataturk’s University reforms, a professor named Phillip Schwarz, who was the first to be fired from his job in Germany because of his Semitic roots, requested permission for 30 Jewish professors to fill various positions throughout Turkey. Unknown to Prof. Einstein, by the time his letter arrived Inönü and his staff had agreed to rescue the men of Schwarz’s request by placing them in the newly established Istanbul University. But Turkey’s role as savior was to be much broader than that. Before the end of hostilities in Europe, Turkey had saved not just 30 as originally agreed to by Schwarz (nor forty as indicated in the Inönü letter) but over 190 men plus their families. Intellectuals, scientists, doctors, legal scholars, architects, librarians, and musicians were all rescued!
Just as Jesus, a Jew, would become the unlikely hero for Gentiles, Turkey, a Muslim nation, became the unlikely savior for the Jews! Unusual, but that is exactly what happened. Moreover Turkey saved Jews from Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, and Spain. Turkey actually fulfilled Professor Albert Einstein’s greatest wish.
Turkey altered the fate of nearly two hundred men and their families. What about Jesus? According to himself, he has the power to change the fate of the blind, the oppressed, the poor, and the hopeless. And he did!
A wealthy businessman returned to the elementary school he had attended almost 50 years earlier. He had come to address a class of sixth graders. The man agreed to make a motivational speech out of sentiment to his childhood memories of the school. But the truth was that neither the school nor the neighborhood resembled what he had remembered from years ago. It had turned into a ghetto and was now poor, run down, and dangerous.
The man intended to tell the students, "Work hard and you'll succeed."
But during the preliminary events of the program, the school principal leaned over and whispered to the businessman that three-quarters of the school's students would probably never nish high school. They would end up working in nearby factories. This prompted the man to spontaneously change his speech. He promised free university tuition to every sixth grader who nished high school and graduated. He urged the students to dream their own dreams and promised to do all that he could to help them achieve their goals.
It was a turning point for those youth. The man had given them something they had never had before, hope. More than an empty promise, the man set up a foundation to give active coaching and renewed vision throughout their high school experience. Six years later, 90% of the original 61 who heard that promise had finished high school. In the end, 37 completed university, previously unheard of in that poor neighborhood. Hope! Those youth had believed the man, and it made all the difference in their lives. Of course the man was a millionaire, and that helped make their hope all the more solid. They knew he would fulfill his promise!
What about you? Jesus has made a promise, worthy to hang your hope on. He asked the blind man,
“What do you want me to do for you?”
It was the faith of the blind man that made him well. What do you believe Jesus can do for you?
Discussion Questions
1. What made Turkey a good candidate for Albert Einstein to write and ask for help? How would you have felt if you had been one of
the family members of the 190 who received a letter of invitation to come to Turkey?
2. Why did Jesus go to the synagogue?
3. What was Jesus claiming from the passage he read in Isaiah?
4. Review from the lesson the “good news” that Jesus was preaching. Do you believe this message was just for the people of his day?
5. Does his message apply to us today? If it does apply to us today, do you think most people would be humble enough to believe that they were in need? How about you?
44 Look back to Psalm chapter 2 for more on this “anointing”.