Anointed of God to Proclaim the Good News

“And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“’The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

    because he has anointed me

    to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

    and recovering of sight to the blind,

    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.’

“And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, ‘Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.’” (Luke 4:16-21 ESV)

Jesus Christ was reading about himself. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him. He was anointed of God to proclaim the good news of salvation from sin and of eternal life with God to the people. And what is the “Good News” that he proclaimed? He proclaimed that he was sent by God to set at liberty those who are captivated by sin’s deceitfulness and to grant recovery of spiritual sight to those who are spiritually blinded by sin’s deceitfulness.

He was sent by God not only to proclaim such as this but to do what he was proclaiming, to set people free from their slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin and to open the eyes of the spiritually blinded and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they could receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ – the same calling that he gave to Paul (Acts 26:16-18).

He was also sent to heal the brokenhearted and to set at liberty those who are persecuted and harassed and afflicted of the enemy of their souls and by other humans who abuse, mistreat, betray, and do evil against the Lord’s servants and messengers and against others who do them no harm. Now he may not deliver us out of difficult circumstances physically, but he will carry our burdens for us and he will comfort us and give us his peace in suffering.

[Isaiah 42:1; Isaiah 49:8-10; Isaiah 61:1-3; Matthew 11:5; Matthew 12:18]

This was Christ’s primary ministry, the very purpose for which he gave his life up for us on that cross, to deliver us out of our slavery (addiction, bondage) to sin so that we can now serve him with our lives in walks of holiness and righteousness and in obedience to our Lord. And this is the “Good News,” NOT that we can profess Christ as Savior and Lord and now have heaven guaranteed us when we die regardless of how we live.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Luke 9:23-26; Romans 2:6-8; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Hebrews 10:23-31; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]   

But, yes, his ministry also included giving sight to the physically blinded, and healing the diseases and sicknesses and infirmities of the physically ill and the handicapped, and raising the dead, and comforting the sorrowful, and feeding the hungry, etc. He ministered to the people both on a physical and a spiritual level, giving aid and comfort and healing where needed and where desired (requested, sought after). For he cared about the people.

And he sets the example for us in what we are to be like, for we are also called of God to do the kinds of things that Jesus did and to proclaim the excellencies of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light. We are to be those who are bringing this “Good News” to the people that they can be delivered out of addiction to sin and now walk in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to God in the power of God, by faith in him.

Our Lord’s instructions to us, his followers, via his messengers:

[Matt 5:13-16; Matt 28:18-20; Jn 4:31-38; Jn 13:13-17; Jn 14:12; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:14-18; Acts 26:18; Rom 10:14-15; Rom 12:1-8; Rom 15:14; 1 Co 12:1-31; 1 Co 14:1-5; Eph 4:1-16; Eph 5:17-27; Php 2:1-8; Col 3:16; Heb 3:13; Heb 10:23-25; 1 Pet 2:9,21; 1 Jn 2:6]  

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer 

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897

Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,

This is my constant longing and prayer;

Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,

Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,

Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,

Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,

Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,

Holy and harmless, patient and brave;

Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,

Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,

Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;

Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,

Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,

Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;

Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;

Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrYhiK2nQBg 

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