Friday, March 2, 2018

Day 9, The Mission of the Messiah, Luke 4:16-21



What is amazing about the passage Jesus read in the synagogue in Nazareth is not just what He read but what He did not read.  It is amazing because …
·        This passage (Isaiah 61:1-3) specifically defines the mission of the Messiah.
·        He only read half the passage, that which speaks of the Messiah offering salvation to Israel.  He was anointed, as were kings and priests in Israel, meaning the oil was poured on them in recognition of their special calling.  
·        He did not read the half that predicted the day of vengeance and the spiritual restoration of the nation.  He read that of which He could accurately say, Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.

Jesus’ special calling (i.e. why He was anointed and sent) was to …
·        Preach the gospel to the poor.  If the beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12) are a clue, this is spiritual poverty, the poor in spirit.
·        Heal the brokenhearted. Two words in Greek: those with broken hearts.
·        Proclaim liberty to the captives.  Liberty is the word for forgiveness.  The NT uses captive both literally and spiritually.  Jesus never established a program to free slaves; He came to bring true freedom to those enslaved to sin.
·        Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind.  Yes, Jesus gave sight to the blind.  But the issue over which people stumbled was His confrontation of those who were spiritually blind and could not see it (John 9:35-41).
·        Set at liberty those who are oppressed.  Again, it is forgiveness for those who are crushed by the weight of sin (Mt. 11:28-30).
·        Proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.  The Jubilee Year (every fifty years) was the time when the above human maladies were remedied.  The Messiah came to proclaim God’s blessing on the souls of men.

We must be sure we do not misunderstand.  Jesus did not come to do what used to be called “relief” work, caring for the poor and underprivileged.  Was Jesus a blessing to the poor?  Of course He was.  Did He relieve them of their lack of shekels?  No!  He relieved them of being bound by materialism.  He offered freedom from what really enslaved and crushed them.  

His people today, the Church, need to remember this.  Should we have mercy and compassion on the poor and needy?  Yes, of course.  Jesus did that.  But that was not His mission, nor is it our commission.  We are to make disciples, to preach the gospel.  We should feed the poor because we are to love our neighbor.  But that is the command of every person on earth.  We have not satisfied our calling until we have proclaimed the good news of Jesus’ death and resurrection.  

Remember Jesus’ words in John 8:31-36.  He said the truth shall make you free.  The people denied they had ever been in bondage to anyone.  Jesus set them straight: whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.  Jesus came to announce the Year of Jubilee, salvation, to all who would receive it through Him!

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