Luke 4:16 - “On the Sabbath day he (Jesus) went into the synagogue (Church), as was his custom.”
Jesus Went to Church as Was His Custom
My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ set an example for me.
He is my hero and the role model for my Christian life.
Before he went to church, certain things happened in Jesus’ life as preparation. When he was young, Jesus attended the church many times. But this was His first time going to church officially as Messiah.
Jesus came to Jordan
Luke 4:1 – “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”
We see that now Jesus is leaving Jordan, so why did Jesus come to Jordan in the first place?
To be baptized in water by John the Baptist.
Matthew 3:13-15 -“When Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented."
Righteousness means a right life with God by obeying the Lord’s command.
We should check before we come to church to worship our Lord.
Jesus was led by the Spirit
Luke 4:1 – “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness.”
See, before He came to the church, He obeyed the Father by taking baptism and now he was led by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is now in the power of the Spirit
Luke 4:14 -“Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.”
Jesus came to the church as an overcomer
In between these two verses – there were forty days. During these forty days, he was facing temptation. But Jesus overcame the challenges, he overcame the flesh, the world, and the devil.
Because Jesus was led by the Spirit, he could easily overcome the temptations that came from the flesh, the temptation from the world and the devil.
Galatians 5:16-17 – “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh.”
From one Sunday to the next, we live in the midst of temptations. We live in the world, we live in the flesh, and we are tempted by the devil.
But you either resist and rebuke him, or you compromise with him.
Either we can come to church as overcomers, with the power of the Spirit, or we come oppressed and slaves of the devil.
Check that when you come to the church, you come to glorify and praise the name of the Lord our God.
Jesus went to his home church
Luke 4:16 – “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.”
God wants to see you in a home church – some are sightseers.
They are not planted, they are decoration plants, they never bear fruit.
There is no perfect church in the world, there is no perfect people in the church, and there is no perfect pastor in the world.
Be loyal to your home church and support it, stay in unity, and be involved in building God’s kingdom.
Jesus never broke the holy custom
Luke 4:16 –“He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.”
Custom means a habitual practice, the usual way of acting in given circumstances.
No circumstances can break it.
Let’s look back at the six points we’ve discussed – Before Jesus came to church:
He obeyed His father’s will.
He was led by the Spirit.
He overcame the life temptations.
He came to church in the power of the Spirit.
He came to His HOME church.
He did not break His custom.