And he began to say to them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
This day.
Luke 10:23,24 And he turned him unto his disciples, and said privately, Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see: …
Matthew 13:14 And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
John 4:25,26 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things…
“Today this Scripture is fulfilled
The word "Today" emphasizes the immediacy and present reality of the fulfillment of prophecy. Jesus is referring to the passage He just read from Isaiah 61:1-2, which speaks of the anointed one bringing good news to the poor, freedom for the captives, and sight for the blind. By declaring its fulfillment, Jesus is identifying Himself as the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God. This claim is profound, as it asserts that the long-awaited promises of God are being realized in Him. The concept of fulfillment is central to the Gospel message, as it ties the Old Testament prophecies to the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ.
in your hearing.”
The phrase "in your hearing" indicates that the fulfillment of the prophecy is not just a distant or abstract concept but is happening in the presence of those listening. It underscores the personal and immediate nature of Jesus' ministry. The audience in the synagogue, familiar with the messianic expectations, would have understood the gravity of His claim. This statement challenges the listeners to recognize and respond to the revelation of God's plan unfolding before them. It also highlights the importance of faith and perception, as the fulfillment of God's promises requires acknowledgment and acceptance by those who hear.
- The setting is the synagogue in Nazareth (Luke 4:16-20), where Jesus has just read Isaiah 61:1-2 aloud.
- Sitting down, the customary posture of an authoritative teacher, He starts His exposition.
- Scripture notes, “Then He began by saying to them, ‘Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.’ ” (Luke 4:21).
- Similar moments where Jesus opens His mouth to teach include Matthew 5:2 and John 8:12, reminding us that divine revelation often starts with Jesus simply beginning to speak.
- The Son of God uses spoken words to communicate eternal truth, echoing John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word.”
- Romans 10:17 explains, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ,” underlining why Jesus’ verbal proclamation matters.
- His voice carries the authority that once spoke creation into existence (Psalm 33:6), so every syllable is weighty.
- “Today” signals immediacy: the prophetic future has arrived in their present moment.
- 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “Now is the favorable time; now is the day of salvation,” showing God’s habit of turning promises into present realities.
- Hebrews 3:7-8 warns not to harden hearts “today,” highlighting that divine opportunities come with urgency.
- The passage read was Isaiah 61:1-2: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor… to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.”
- Jesus identifies Himself as the Anointed One, the long-awaited Messiah foreshadowed throughout the prophets (Luke 24:27).
- Luke 7:22 shows Him living out each clause—healing the blind, lifting the oppressed—demonstrating literal fulfillment.
- “Fulfilled” affirms that prophecy moves from promise to completion in Christ, exactly as written.
- Matthew 5:17 records Jesus saying He came “not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them,” and here He does so in real time.
- Acts 13:32-33 echoes the theme: “God has fulfilled for us, their children, what He promised.”
- The perfect tense—completed action with ongoing results—assures believers that God’s word never fails (Isaiah 55:11).
- The townspeople are eyewitnesses and “ear-witnesses,” accountable for what they have just heard.
- Romans 10:14-15 notes the necessity of proclaimers so that people can hear and believe; Jesus Himself is the first preacher of His own gospel.
- Revelation 1:3 blesses “the one who reads aloud” and “those who hear,” showing that hearing Scripture creates a covenant moment between God and listener.
- By extension, anyone reading Luke’s gospel today joins that original audience, confronted with the same fulfilled promise.
Luke 4:21 records the Messiah’s stunning declaration that Isaiah’s ancient prophecy was literally and completely realized that very day in Nazareth. Jesus begins to teach, speaks authoritative words, announces the present moment of salvation, identifies the specific messianic passage, proclaims its fulfillment, and places responsibility on every listener who hears. The verse showcases Scripture’s reliability, Christ’s identity, and the urgent call to respond to God’s now-fulfilled promise.
(21) This day is this scripture fulfilled.--It is obvious that we have here only the opening, words of the sermon preached on the text from Isaiah. There must have been more than this, remembered too vaguely for record, to explain the admiration of which the next clause speaks. But this was what startled them: He had left them as the son of the carpenter--mother, brethren, sisters were still among them--and now He came back claiming to be the Christ, and to make words that had seemed to speak of a far-off glorious dream, as a living and present reality.