The Man-Savior’s human virtues and divine attributes are also revealed in the parable of the good Samaritan (10:25-37). The good Samaritan signifies the Man-Savior. It is easy to see the human virtues of the Samaritan, but where in this parable do we see the divine attributes? The Lord’s divine attributes are seen in the Samaritan’s bringing the wounded one to an inn. “And on the next morning, taking out two denarii, he gave them to the innkeeper and said to him, Take care of him; and whatever you spend in addition, when I return, I will repay you” (10:35). Here we see something of the Lord’s divine attributes. Who besides God can do things in such an unexpected, unanticipated way? If this One were not God, how could He have spoken these words to the innkeeper? The Lord’s doing the unexpected may be considered an expression of His divine attributes.
The Lord also acted in His human virtues with His divine attributes when He was on the cross. The thief said to Him, “Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (23:42). The Lord replied, “Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise” (v. 43). Here we see the human virtues expressing the divine attributes. In the Lord’s word to the thief we see not merely the human virtues, but also the divine attributes manifested in the Lord’s human virtues. Although He was a man, He was filled with all the divine attributes. Therefore, He could act in His human virtues with His divine attributes. These illustrations should help us understand how the Lord ministered in His human virtues with His divine attributes.
Luke 4:14 and 15 say, “And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee; and news concerning Him went out through all the surrounding country. And He was teaching in their synagogues, being glorified by all.” The Spirit in verse 14 is the Holy Spirit who descended upon the Lord Jesus at the time of His baptism for the accomplishment of His ministry. Therefore, He had the Holy Spirit both essentially for His being and economically for His ministry.
According to verse 15, the Lord was teaching in the synagogues. A synagogue is a meeting place where the Jews read and learn the Holy Scriptures (Acts 13:14-15).
Man’s fall into sin broke his fellowship with God, making all men ignorant of the knowledge of God. Such ignorance issued first in darkness and then in death. The Man-Savior, as the light of the world (John 8:12; 9:5), came to Galilee, the land of darkness, where people were sitting in the shadow of death, as a great light to shine upon them (Matt. 4:12-16). His teaching released the word of light to enlighten those in the darkness of death so that they might receive the light of life (John 1:4). The teaching of the Man-Savior was to bring people out of satanic darkness into the divine light (Acts 26:18).
The Man-Savior came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. According to His custom, He entered on the Sabbath day into the synagogue and stood up to read. The book, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, was handed to Him. Then He opened the scroll and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send away in release those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord” (4:18-19). After the Lord closed the book and gave it back to the attendant, He sat down. Then He said to the people, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your ears” (v. 21).
Here we see that the Spirit of the Lord was upon the Man-Savior because God had anointed Him to bring good news to the poor. The Greek word rendered “bring good news” is euaggelizo, which means to evangelize, to announce good news. To preach the gospel was the first commission of the Savior as God’s anointed One, the Messiah. The good news was to be preached to the poor, that is, to the poor in heavenly, spiritual, and divine things (12:21; Rev. 3:17; see Matt. 5:3).
Luke 4:18 speaks of captives, the blind, and those who are oppressed. The captives are prisoners of war, as exiles and prisoners under Satan’s bondage (Isa. 42:7). The blind include those who are physically and spiritually blind (Zeph. 1:17; John 9:39-41; 1 John 2:11; Rev. 3:17). Recovery of sight is related to release from the power of Satan (Acts 26:18). The Greek word translated “oppressed” comes from a verb meaning to break in pieces (Matt. 12:20). Those who are oppressed are those oppressed under Satan in sickness or in sin (Luke 13:11-13; John 8:34).