Good
Morning Friends,
Jesus
stood up and read from the scroll of Isaiah, "The Spirit of the Lord is on
me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to
release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke
4:18-19)
Then
Jesus said, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
(Luke 4:21)
Isaiah
wrote those words hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus. He was describing
the work of the coming Messiah.
The
Messiah would have a good message to proclaim to the spiritually poor. It would
be a message that would break the chains of their poverty and flood them with
spiritual riches. Those overwhelmed in the misery of their sin would be washed
in the mercy of God.
The
Messiah would free those who were prisoners of their sin. Those feeling the
full weight of their guilt and experiencing the just punishment for it. The
Messiah would bring freedom for them. Freedom from sin's guilt. Freedom from
the just punishment for sin.
The
Messiah would restore sight to the blind, those who could not see what God was
doing in the world. God's will and God's work would be evident to them. God would
show Himself real through the Messiah.
The
Messiah would release those oppressed by legalism and its ungodly demands. They
would be released to love God and know that God loves them.
The
Messiah would proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. He would speak of the day
when God would bless His people.
Then
Jesus said -- today is that day. He was declaring Himself to be the Messiah. He
was offering spiritual wealth to the spiritually poor. He was offering freedom
from sin and guilt. He was offering the vision of God to those who could not
see. He was offering release to those oppressed by a religious system that
ignored the true character of God. He was declaring that the time of God's
blessing had come.
He
proclaims those same things today to you and me.
His,
by Grace, Steve
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