But Jesus passed through the crowdThis phrase highlights the miraculous nature of Jesus' escape from a hostile situation. In the context of
Luke 4, Jesus had just declared His messianic mission in the synagogue at Nazareth, which led to the crowd's anger. The ability to pass through the crowd unharmed suggests divine protection and authority. This moment can be seen as a fulfillment of the prophecy in
Isaiah 61:1-2, which Jesus read earlier in the chapter, emphasizing His anointed mission. The crowd's inability to harm Him underscores His divine nature and the fact that His time had not yet come, as seen in other instances like
John 7:30 and
John 8:59, where Jesus eludes capture because His hour had not yet arrived.
and went on His way
This phrase indicates Jesus' determination and purpose in His ministry. Despite the rejection in Nazareth, He continues His mission, undeterred by opposition. This reflects the broader theme of Jesus' ministry, where He consistently moves forward with His divine purpose, as seen throughout the Gospels. The phrase also connects to the idea of Jesus as the Good Shepherd, who leads and guides with authority and purpose, as seen inJohn 10:11-18. His journey is not just a physical movement but a spiritual mission to bring salvation, as prophesied in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament.
Persons / Places / Events
1.
JesusThe central figure in this passage, Jesus is demonstrating His divine authority and control over the situation.
2.
The CrowdThe people in the synagogue at Nazareth who were filled with wrath and attempted to throw Jesus off a cliff.
3.
NazarethThe town where Jesus grew up and where this event takes place. It is significant as the place where Jesus was initially rejected by His own people.
4.
The SynagogueThe setting for the preceding events where Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah and declared its fulfillment.
5.
The CliffThe location to which the crowd intended to take Jesus to throw Him off, demonstrating their rejection and hostility.
Teaching Points
Divine Authority and SovereigntyJesus' ability to pass through the crowd unharmed demonstrates His divine authority and control over all situations. Believers can trust in God's sovereignty in their own lives.
Rejection and PerseveranceJesus faced rejection in His hometown, yet He continued His mission. Christians are encouraged to persevere in their faith and calling, even when facing rejection or hostility.
God's ProtectionJust as Jesus was protected from harm, believers can find comfort in God's promise of protection and care in their own lives.
Fulfillment of ProphecyJesus' actions and words in Nazareth were a fulfillment of prophecy, reminding believers of the reliability and truth of God's Word.
Responding to HostilityJesus' calm and authoritative response to hostility serves as a model for Christians in how to handle opposition with grace and confidence.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1.What is the meaning of Luke 4:30?
2.How does Luke 4:30 demonstrate Jesus' divine authority and control over situations?
3.What can we learn from Jesus' response to opposition in Luke 4:30?
4.How does Luke 4:30 connect with other instances of Jesus avoiding harm?
5.How can we apply Jesus' example in Luke 4:30 to our daily challenges?
6.What does Luke 4:30 teach about trusting God's protection in difficult times?
7.How did Jesus pass through the crowd in Luke 4:30 without being harmed?
8.What does Luke 4:30 reveal about Jesus' divine nature and authority?
9.Why did the crowd fail to stop Jesus in Luke 4:30?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Luke 4?
11.What did Jesus mean by 'first will be last'?
12.What is the plot of Jesus Christ Superstar?
13.Who is Jesus Christ?
14.John 7:10 – How could Jesus go to the Feast secretly when such a gathering would have been highly public?What Does Luke 4:30 Mean
ButThe single word swings the narrative from hostility to divine initiative.
• Just moments earlier, “all the people in the synagogue were enraged” (Luke 4:28) and had dragged Jesus to the brow of the hill to throw Him down (Luke 4:29).
• “But” marks God’s intervention, showing that human opposition never overrules Heaven’s plan (Psalm 33:10-11;Acts 5:39).
• Similar pivots appear elsewhere: “But God raised Him from the dead” (Acts 13:30) and “But the Lord stood with me” (2 Timothy 4:17). Each time, the conjunction spotlights the Lord’s protecting presence when circumstances look impossible.
JesusThe focus shifts to the Person whose name means “The LORD saves” (Matthew 1:21).
• He is the promised Messiah who had just declared, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21).
• His authority transcends every earthly threat—“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me” (Matthew 28:18).
• Rejection in His hometown does not diminish His identity; it fulfills prophecy that “He was despised and rejected by men” (Isaiah 53:3).
• Like the Lord passing by Moses inExodus 33:22, Jesus embodies God-in-their-midst, unassailable until His appointed hour (John 7:30; 10:18).
passed through the crowdA supernatural calm settles over a murderous mob.
• No struggle, no scuffle—He simply moves “through the midst of them” (Luke 4:30).
• This echoes later scenes: “They tried to seize Him, but no one laid a hand on Him because His hour had not yet come” (John 7:30) and “Jesus hid Himself and left the temple” (John 8:59).
• Divine protection fulfillsPsalm 91:11—“He will command His angels concerning You to guard You in all Your ways.”
• The event demonstrates His sovereignty: even hostile forces unwittingly submit to His timing (Job 42:2;Proverbs 21:30).
• For believers, it reassures that nothing touches us outside the Father’s will (Romans 8:28;1 Peter 3:13).
and went on His WayThe sentence ends not with escape but with purposeful progress.
• Jesus moves on to Capernaum (Luke 4:31), continuing the preaching tour foretold inIsaiah 61:1-2.
• His steadfast advance anticipates the resolve recorded later: “When the days were nearing for His ascension, He set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).
• Mission drives every step: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34).
• The pattern encourages us to keep following, undeterred by rejection (2 Corinthians 4:8-9;Hebrews 12:1-2).
• Ultimately, His “way” leads to the cross, the empty tomb, and the throne (Philippians 2:8-11).
summaryLuke 4:30 shows the invincible Savior calmly overriding violent opposition, moving forward in God’s timetable, and modeling unwavering commitment to His calling. When hostility confronts us, we remember the “But Jesus” moments: He is present, sovereign, and still advancing His redemptive plan—often in ways as quietly powerful as walking through a crowd and continuing on His way.
(30)
He passing through the midst of them.--The words do not necessarily involve a directly supernatural deliverance, as though the multitude had been smitten with blindness, or our Lord had become invisible. We have no right to insert miracles in the Gospel records. Calmness, silence, the moral power of self-possessed righteousness have in themselves a power, often proved, to baffle the fury of an angry mob.
Verse 30. -
But he passing through the midst of them went his way. Not necessarily a miracle. There is nothing hinted here that our Lord rendered himself invisible, or that he smote his enemies with a temporary blindness. He probably quietly overawed these angry men with his calm self-possession, so that they forbore their cruel purpose, and thus he passed through their midst, and left Nazareth - as far as we know - forever. The foregoing is probably the same visit very briefly alluded to by St. Matthew (
Matthew 13:54-58) and by St. Mark (
Mark 6:1-6), in both Gospels related in unchronological order. Most likely they were aware of the incident, but ignorant of the exact place it held among the early events of the Master's life. St. Luke, who gives it with far greater detail, inserts it evidently in its right place. Is it not at least probable that St. Luke derived his accurate knowledge of this Nazareth incident from Mary, or from some of her intimate circle, from whom he procured the information which he embodied in the earlier chapters of his Gospel? She, and others of her friends, would be likely to have preserved some accurate memories of this painful visit of Jesus to his old home.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Greek
Butδὲ(de)Conjunction
Strong's 1161:A primary particle; but, and, etc.[Jesus]αὐτὸς(autos)Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 846:He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.passedδιελθὼν(dielthōn)Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 1330:To pass through, spread (as a report). From dia and erchomai; to traverse.throughδιὰ(dia)Preposition
Strong's 1223:A primary preposition denoting the channel of an act; through.[the crowd]μέσου(mesou)Adjective - Genitive Neuter Singular
Strong's 3319:Middle, in the middle, between, in the midst of. From meta; middle (neuter) noun).[and] went on His way.ἐπορεύετο(eporeueto)Verb - Imperfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 4198:To travel, journey, go, die.
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NT Gospels: Luke 4:30 But he passing through the midst (Luke Lu Lk) 
