4:16 as his custom was. It is noted, significantly, that Jesus regularly attended the weekly services in the synagogue. As a boy, His knowledge of the Scriptures had impressed the Jerusalem rabbis, and it seems probable that He was regularly called on to read and speak in the Nazareth synagogue, up until He began His public ministry. When He returned for a visit, it was natural that He would be called on again. This time, however, His message was different, and it produced a strong reaction.

4:18 upon me. The Holy Spirit had come upon the Lord Jesus in the visible form of a dove at His baptism, and both the Father speaking from heaven and John the Baptist had identified Him as the Son of God (Luke 3:22; John 1:18, 34). This began His public ministry, so He now made statements and claims before His acquaintances at Nazareth which went far beyond anything they had heard from Him before, even identifying Himself as the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy, quoting Isaiah 61:1. They were first impressed, then shocked, and finally angered.

4:19 preach the acceptable year. Jesus stopped His quoting from Isaiah 61:2 just before “the day of vengeance of our God,” obviously realizing that this portion would not be fulfilled “this day” (Luke 4:21), but at His second coming.