Smoodock's Blog

In my previous study of N.T. Wright’s book, Simply Jesus,[1] I left off with Jesus in Nazareth announcing that he is the Messiah (Luke 4:16-30). It appears that Jesus was, at that time, living in Capernaum and was preaching and healing folks there, and perhaps in other areas of Galilee, so we have no certain record in any of the Gospel narratives, telling us where Jesus actually began his public ministry. However, Jesus’ announcement of his mission in Luke 4 seems to be his formal announcement of his claim to being Israel’s Messiah.

A close study of Jesus movements and the Sabbaths mentioned in the early chapters of the Gospel narratives seems to reveal, that, if Luke 4:16-30 occurred on the annual Feast Day Sabbath, Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, vis-à-vis the first day of the seventh month, that the other mentions of Sabbaths in the beginning of the Gospel narratives fall in line with the Sabbaths of the seventh month, ending with the Last Great Day, the annual Sabbath that falls on the 8^th day of the Feast of Tabernacles, vis-à-vis the 15^th is an annual Sabbath and the 22^nd is the final annual Sabbath in the Jewish calendar, as that pertains to those mentioned in Leviticus 23. There were other annual feasts, but they considered minor feast days: Hanukah in the ninth month (commemorating the Maccabean restoration) and Purim in the 12^th month (commemorating the Jews’ salvation under Esther and Mordecai), but these latter feast days were days kept at the command of men, not the Lord.

So, if we allow Luke 4:16-30 to occur on the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), this event would herald Jesus official announcement that he is the promised Messiah, and God has returned to the Jewish nation. Jesus’ words seem to point to the forgiving of debts, like those done every 7^th year, and more than this, his words seem to point to a complete restoration, the kind done in the year of jubilee, after seven seven-year cycles or 49 years. In fact, if we also allow Jesus to be referring to Daniel’s prophecy of 70 sevens or 490 years (10 jubilees), Jesus is referring to the fulfillment of Daniel’s prayer, requesting the Lord to fulfill his promise through Jeremiah to forgive Israel’s rebellion and return to them. Jesus is preaching that this is, indeed, what was occurring according to his Gospel. The Messiah has come, and God has returned to his people. Repent and believe the Gospel.

The new Exodus, however, won’t look like what the Jews expected and desired, vis-à-vis the Exodus under Moses in triumph over Egypt. Instead, the new Exodus will look more like the three that occurred with Zerubbabel, Nehemiah and Ezra, respectively, with the gentile rulers still reigning over the Jews. With God it is more important to get the hearts of his people right, before national systems would be put in place. The Lord’s invitation to be forgiven points back not to the Babylonian captivity, nor does it point to their Egyptian bondage. It goes all the way back to Eden.

There, mankind was cast out of God’s presence (Genesis 3:22-24) due to their rebellion, not wanting God’s input or guidance in their choices in life (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-7; cp. Romans 1:28). At that time, mankind was composed of Spirit and soul, vis-à-vis without a physical body (Genesis 2:7, 25; cp. 2Corinthians 5:1-3). The Lord slew a species of animals and gave mankind a physical body after the rebellion (Genesis 3:21). Now, upon their return into his Presence, it would be required that mankind shed its body of death (Romans 7:24) and be reclothed in a spiritual body, vis-à-vis Christ had to be slain to provide mankind with himself. By returning to God, we become clothed in Christ (Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10-12), to be testified in due time (Titus 2:6).

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[1] In this study, I depart significantly from the conclusions made by Dr. Wright in Simply Jesus. I kept his theme that Jesus’ Gospel was completely unexpected by the Jews, but I go further than what Dr. Wright concludes, and many may not agree with my understanding of the new Exodus going back to Eden.