In the last couple of posts, we have been talking about Luke chapter 4. Jesus States His Mission and Jesus – “No prophet is acceptable in his own country” are valuable teachings that we have already seen in this chapter. But there is another teaching, this one by example, that is illustrated here. Look at the following verses. Just previously Jesus had finished quoting Isaiah 61:1-2 and proclaiming its fulfillment in him and teaching how prophets were not accepted within their own country, within their own families:
They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things. They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff. But he, passing through the middle of them, went his way. (Luk 4:28-30 WEB)
Jesus passed right through a synagogue full of people who had mobbed around him and were planning to throw him headlong down the hill! And this is not the first time nor the last that we see this phenomenon. Look at this record from Matthew about the baby Jesus:
Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country another way. Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and stay there until I tell you, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” He arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Mat 2:12-15 WEB)
Jesus was the target of murderous intent from early childhood. And we see from the incident above that God communicated a way to escape; first, there was a dream that Lord Joseph and Mary not to see Herod, and then an Angel appeared in another dream telling Joseph to take the family to Egypt.
Here is another time when Jesus was under attack:
But the Pharisees went out, and conspired against him, how they might destroy him. Jesus, perceiving that, withdrew from there. Great multitudes followed him; and he healed them all, and commanded them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying, “Behold, my servant whom I have chosen; my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my Spirit on him. He will proclaim justice to the nations. He will not strive, nor shout; neither will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He won’t break a bruised reed. He won’t quench a smoking flax, until he leads justice to victory. In his name, the nations will hope.” (Mat 12:14-21 WEB)
Verse 14 says that the Pharisees were planning on how to destroy Jesus. Verse 15 says that Jesus perceived this. Verses 17 through 19 talk about how Jesus’ actions were a fulfillment of prophecy in Isaiah and specifically that Jesus walked under the guidance of the spirit in his mission. Part of that guidance was evading attack as illustrated in these examples! Not only that, but he did it without causing a riot, crying aloud, shouting his voice in the streets. He didn’t strive. He didn’t cause a commotion.
Under the leadership of the spirit, Jesus repeatedly evaded those that sought to harm him. He did it in masterful ways. It wasn’t until it was his appointed time that he suffered the terrible crucifixion and death. Until that time part of the guidance of the Spirit was quietly leading him through deadly situations without harm.
Now it must be said that escape is not always guaranteed as evidenced by other records regarding believers, Stephen in Acts chapter seven being an example. But for this study, Jesus alone is our example. His example here was to safely and quietly walk in the power of the Spirit through deadly situations. And he did promise that the things that he did we would be able to do also. Look for deliverance in times of trouble!
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