Marriage at Cana
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At the close of the service, Jesus rose with calm dignity, and
requested them to bring him the book of the prophet Esaias. “And
when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-
hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the
acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it
again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were
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in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto
them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him
witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of
his mouth.”
The scripture which Jesus read was understood by all to refer to the
coming Messiah and his work. And when the Saviour explained the
words he had read, and pointed out the sacred office of the Messiah,—a
reliever of the oppressed, a liberator of the captives, a healer of the
afflicted, restoring sight to the blind, and revealing to the world the
light of truth,—the people were thrilled with the wisdom and power of
his words and responded to them with fervent amens and praises to
the Lord. Jesus had not been educated in the school of the prophets,
yet the most learned Rabbis could not speak with more confidence and
authority than did this young Galilean.
His impressive manner, the mighty import of his words, and the
divine light that emanated from his countenance, thrilled the people
with a power they had never experienced before, as Jesus stood before
them, a living expositor of the prophet’s words concerning himself.
But when he announced: “This day is this scripture fulfilled in your
ears,” the minds of his hearers were brought back to consider what
were this man’s claims to the Messiahship—the highest position that
man could occupy.
The interest of the congregation had been thoroughly awakened,
and their hearts had been stirred with joy; but Satan was at hand to
suggest doubts and unbelief, and they remembered who it was that
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addressed them as the blind, and the captives in bondage who needed
special aid. Many of those present were acquainted with the humble
life of Jesus, as the son of a carpenter, working at his trade with his