Jesus Our Jubilee

The Favor of the Lord

Text: Luke 4:14-22; IS. 61:1-3

Read Luke 4:14-19

Prayer!

Intro:

IN vs. 14 of our text, we see that Jesus has just came out of the wilderness.

-As you know, this was a time of great trial for him. For the devil himself tempted Jesus(read 4:2)

-One of the greatest ways to victory is to know the strategies of the enemy

How? 1 John 2:16-17 gives us insight into how the enemy works

“15Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”

The devil tempts us in really three different ways

1. The Lust of Flesh- desires for sensual pleasure

-Jesus was hungry, and the devil said, “Command this stone to become bread”

2. The Lust of Eyes- covetism or materialism

-the devil took him up and said, “Look, all these kingdom can be your if you worship me”

3. Pride of Life- being proud about one’s position in life

-The devil took him to a cliff, and said “IF you’re the son of God, jump off and the angels will catch

you”

This was a time of great testing for Jesus

Yet EVERY TIME Jesus was victorious over the enemy. Finally, after standing the test, and resisting him, the devil had to go!

-and He Returned in the power of the Spirit in vs. 14

We read that He begins to teach in the synagogues. So He comes to Nazareth (his hometown), and goes to the synagogue.

-a synagogue was a place of worship for the Jews

-they would gather to hear the Scriptures( didn’t have own bible)

So Jesus goes into this place, grabs the scroll of Isaiah

-He reads a portion of scripture

-He rolls the scroll back up, and goes and sets down

What was so important about him reading this? This is what I want to focus on today.

-lets backtrack nearly 600 years to the prophet Isaiah

Turn to Is. 61

The Lord was writing to his people in Isaiah. They were oppressed and in bondage.

-Time and time again is Is, the Lord reminds them that they are in bondage because of their sins.

-their idolatry, and forsaking the Lord sent them into captivity

Nevertheless- the Lord looked down from Heaven and saw the affliction of His people, and had mercy!

-The Lord will never forsake His people!

-Yes, the Lord saw their bondage/affliction and was going to deliver them/set them free

And All through the last part of IS, we read how the Lord is pouring a message of Hope to his people.

Having spoken in the proceeding (CH 60), Of the blessings that the city of God will enjoy,

-He now turns to speak of the one will bring about the blessings

The Lord would deliver them by a servant of his, a messiah, an anointed one

In which we move to IS. 61. This gives us a prophetic view of the coming messiah.

I. First, we see the Messenger of the Lord. Read vs. 1 (Does this passage look familiar?)

A. Throughout the OT, the Spirit of the Lord resting upon someone connotes supernatural wisdom/ability

-it is as if the Lord himself would pour out the oil of His very Spirit upon this messenger

Q. Why did this person have to be anointed with the Spirit? Because there was a job to be done!

He had to preach the good newsàin doing so he would fulfill the role of a prophet.

“To preach good news”

-comes from Heb. “basar”àannounce good tidings

Ex.- if a king would go to war and was triumphant, they would proclaim the good news everywhere

The Messenger would be anointed to carry Good News

What is the good news though? It is this- Help is on the way!

-A Redeemer is coming

-An Annointed one is coming

-A savior is coming

-a precious Lamb of God is coming

-A Holy and Righteous one is coming

-A messiah is coming! His nameàImmanuel

-The Deliver of God’s People is coming!

What the very thought of this must have done to the original audience of Isaiah

Help was on the way!

-in fact, He was the help!!

And because the Spirit was upon him, HE WOULD HAVE ALL THE RESOUCES HE NEEDED TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE!!!

II. The Message was of Good news. To Whom?

-the brokenhearted

-the captives

-those bound

1. Not only is he a prophet who proclaims Good new, but a priest who binds up the broken hearted. (vs. 1)