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Luke 4

Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.

Between scenesVerses 1 to 13

Scene by Scene

This part isn't retold as its own scene.

Modern

1Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, 2where for forty days He was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when they had ended, He was hungry. 3The devil said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.” 4But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’” 5Then the devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6“I will give You authority over all these kingdoms and all their glory,” he said. “For it has been relinquished to me, and I can give it to anyone I wish. 7So if You worship me, it will all be Yours.” 8But Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’” 9Then the devil led Him to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple. “If You are the Son of God,” he said, “throw Yourself down from here. 10For it is written: ‘He will command His angels concerning You to guard You carefully; 11and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’” 12But Jesus answered, “It also says, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 13When the devil had finished every temptation, he left Him until an opportune time.

Scene 1: Home AgainVerses 14 to 16

Scene by Scene

Jesus went back to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. News about him spread everywhere.

He taught in the synagogues, and everyone praised him. A synagogue is a place where people met to pray and hear God's word.

Then he came to Nazareth, the town where he grew up.

On the Sabbath, he went to the synagogue, as he always did. He stood up to read.

Modern

14Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and the news about Him spread throughout the surrounding region. 15He taught in their synagogues and was glorified by everyone. 16Then Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath. And when He stood up to read,

Scene 2: The Scroll of IsaiahVerses 17 to 20

Scene by Scene

Someone handed him the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. A scroll is a long roll of paper or leather with writing on it.

Jesus unrolled it and found the place he wanted. He read:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor" (4:18). To anoint means to set someone apart for a special job.

"He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed" (4:18). Captives are prisoners. The oppressed are people who are crushed and treated unfairly.

"To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (4:19).

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Teachers sat down to teach.

Everyone in the synagogue was staring at him.

Modern

17the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. Unrolling it, He found the place where it was written: 18“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him,

Scene 3: "Today"Verses 21 to 22

Scene by Scene

Jesus began. "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing" (4:21).

Fulfilled means coming true. Jesus was saying that he is the one Isaiah wrote about.

Everyone spoke well of him. They were amazed at his gracious words.

But they asked, "Isn't this the son of Joseph?" (4:22). They knew him as the boy who grew up down the street.

Modern

21and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22All spoke well of Him and marveled at the gracious words that came from His lips. “Isn’t this the son of Joseph?” they asked.

Scene 4: Elijah and ElishaVerses 23 to 27

Scene by Scene

Jesus knew what they were thinking. They wanted him to do miracles in his hometown, like the ones they had heard he did in Capernaum.

"Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown" (4:24).

Then he reminded them of two stories from the Scriptures.

In Elijah's time, there was a famine, and many widows in Israel were hungry. But God sent Elijah to a widow in Sidon, outside Israel.

In Elisha's time, there were many people with leprosy in Israel. But the only one healed was Naaman, a man from Syria.

God's kindness had gone to outsiders.

Modern

23Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to Me: ‘Physician, heal yourself! Do here in Your hometown what we have heard that You did in Capernaum.’” 24Then He added, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. 26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to the widow of Zarephath in Sidon. 27And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet. Yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”

Scene 5: The Edge of the HillVerses 28 to 30

Scene by Scene

When the people heard this, they were furious.

They got up and forced Jesus out of town. They took him to the edge of the hill the town was built on. They wanted to throw him off the cliff.

"But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way" (4:30).

Modern

28On hearing this, all the people in the synagogue were enraged. 29They got up, drove Him out of the town, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him over the cliff. 30But Jesus passed through the crowd and went on His way.

Between scenesVerses 31 to 44

Scene by Scene

This part isn't retold as its own scene.

Modern

31Then He went down to Capernaum, a town in Galilee, and on the Sabbath He began to teach the people. 32They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority. 33In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon. He cried out in a loud voice, 34“Ha! What do You want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 35But Jesus rebuked the demon. “Be silent!” He said. “Come out of him!” At this, the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without harming him. 36All the people were overcome with amazement and asked one another, “What is this message? With authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37And the news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding region. 38After Jesus had left the synagogue, He went to the home of Simon, whose mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever. So they appealed to Jesus on her behalf, 39and He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And she got up at once and began to serve them. 40At sunset, all who were ill with various diseases were brought to Jesus, and laying His hands on each one, He healed them. 41Demons also came out of many people, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But He rebuked the demons and would not allow them to speak, because they knew He was the Christ. 42At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place, and the crowds were looking for Him. They came to Him and tried to keep Him from leaving. 43But Jesus told them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well, because that is why I was sent.” 44And He continued to preach in the synagogues of Judea.

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