Jesus himself is unknown apart from the testimony of the apostles, but Jesus’ own ministry of preaching will be observed first, and then that of the apostles separately. Jesus is the Word in the flesh (Jn. 1:14). He “is the visible expression of the invisible God” (Col. 1:15 Phillips). He is not the reduction or the summary of the Word. He is the fulfillment (the fully filling reality) of the Word. He is the Prophet, the Priest, the New Adam, the Lawgiver, the King, the Messiah, the Judge, the Redeemer, the New Exodus, and the New Exile. He is the Elect, the Son of Man, and the Son of God. The focus of all revelation comes in him. Jesus Christ is like a prism through which all the centrally radiating light of God’s revelation is refracted and seen.
It is recorded that “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people” (Matt. 4:23 NIV). The pattern for synagogue “teaching” at this time would be for a text of the Scriptures to be read aloud in the assembly on the Sabbath. Then, following the reading, someone (sometimes the reader) would stand up before the congregation and give their interpretation (exposition) of what was read. This would be the sermon for the formative teaching and training of the people.
There is no reason to think that Jesus did not follow this practice in his synagogue proclamation. In fact, it was his custom to go to synagogue on the Sabbath (Lk. 4:16). In this Lukan passage, Jesus is clearly seen following the regular custom of reading, exposition, and application of Scripture. First he read it:
He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me..." (Lk. 4:15-18a).
Then he expounded it: Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began by saying to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."…Jesus 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.'" "I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed – only Naaman the Syrian" (Lk. 4:20-27 NIV).
Jesus takes God’s Word, recorded in Isaiah 42, and reads it aloud. Though he is the proto-author of the text, he gives precedence to the text itself and defers to it for the authority and context of his message. He preaches the written Word. He does not begin with himself. He reads the text, demonstrates his exegesis of it, understanding and proclaiming it to his gathered audience in their language, history, and culture. He quotes several supporting passages and applies it to their existential reality. Here Jesus is clearly demonstrating his adherence to the vital work of Spiritual formation through expositional preaching.
The congregational leaders hated him for his application of the text to himself. This shows how the Scriptures were held in such high esteem. But the people saw how his message had authority (Lk. 4:32). This authority was derived from his miracles and his person, as well as his faithfulness to the prior revelation of God’s written Word. Jesus exposed the meaning and significance of the Scriptural Word of God throughout his ministry, quoting it, reading it, exegeting it, expositionally preaching it, teaching it, applying it, and proclaiming it.
Earl Palmer makes a case for the fact that what Jesus is doing in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) is what every rabbi was expected to do, in giving his expository commentary on the Law. Another time that Jesus is seen appealing to the authority of the written Word of God is during his temptation by Satan in the wilderness. Satan is presented as twisting texts of Scripture to tempt Jesus to disobey his Father. Jesus refutes each text with a superior exegesis of these texts and an application of more texts. Jesus demonstrates that the only message for truth is found in the recorded, written Word of God. Jesus said, “By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (Jn. 5:30 NIV). Even Jesus first listened to and then proclaimed the Word of God.
Lastly, Jesus is observed walking with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. Disguised as a stranger, Jesus teaches them about the presence of “the Christ” throughout the Old Testament, through an exegetical study of the whole Scriptures: He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Lk. 24:25-27 NIV).
That expository sermon has not been recorded for the Church. One is left, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to exegete the Scriptures in every contemporary language, history, and culture, seeing that the meaning and message of God’s Word is “explained” to a new generation, afresh, and that what is “said in all the Scriptures concerning (Jesus)” is proclaimed.
