Jesus had been preaching and healing only to face the blasphemous accusations of angry religious leaders and attempts of His own family to remove Him because they thought Him insane. He left them, going on to teach the crowd in a series of parables (4:1-33), though His heart was full of loneliness and sorrow at the falling away of weak friends. Jesus is just the Savior needed by tired bodies and weary minds; we have a high priest who can be touched with the feelings of our infirmities (cf. Heb. 4:15). Every day He is with us, so that we may secure the comfort and refreshment we need from Him.
We must ask ourselves what caused men in Jesus’ day to say that He was working by the devil’s power? What caused men to think Him mad? What caused His mother and brothers to seek to restrain Him? Those who thought Jesus evil or mad never submitted their minds and hearts to God to see Jesus as the Father saw Him, and as the Father ordained Him to be.
First Timothy 2:14 makes it clear that though the woman was deceived by Satan, Adam was not. He sinned with his eyes wide open. It is the exercise of the will in opposition to God’s will.
When we read that Jesus could do no mighty works in his hometown because of their unbelief, it does not mean that the people’s unbelief is greater than God’s power. God is omnipotent but He always works according to the laws of His own being and the laws of His attributes. Christ had all power, but He would not force His blessings on those who did not wish to receive them. Whenever the Lord did any work on this earth, it was accomplished through His love and His power - where the heart moved towards Him, He answered that movement with heart going forth to heart.
Jesus is here claiming plainly to be the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Here He is boldly declaring Himself to be David’s Lord, to be in fact none other than the Lord Jehovah. Jesus also uses passages to teach about His ascension when He quotes, “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand.” Jesus knows He is about to die. He knows He will be raised from the dead and will return to heaven. Where will he be? At the right hand of the Father.
