1. WHY WAS JESUS SENT?
• We are told in verse 18 of Luke 4
• Jesus was sent to
*Preach to the Poor
*Heal the Broken Hearted
*Preach Deliverance to the Captives
*Give Sight to the Blind
*Give Liberty to Those Who Are Bruised
• GOD’S DIVINE INTERVENTION
• In the synagogue of the Jewish people on the Sabbath, there were traditionally seven readers of the Word
*The First was the Priest
*The Second was a Levite (The religious
tribe)
*The next five were Israelites of that
synagogue
• In other Scripture we find Christ Preaching but not Reading
• This was the appointed time of God that His Son reveal Himself to the world
• How unique the Scripture to be read that day was Isaiah 29:11
• "And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men delivere to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:" "And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned."
• God through Isaiah was prohesying as to Luke 4:18
• Isaiah 61:1-2 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the LORD hath appointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;" "To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;"
• This revelation from Christ indicates the authority with which Christ does His work and the nature of the work to be accomplished.
2. The Recognition of Authority
• "The Spirit of the Lord is Upon me."
• Jesus was first "Anointed" To do this work
• The act of anointing was significant of consecration to a holy or sacred use; hence the anointing of the high priest
• Jesus was set aside for the work of God, Anointed by him
• All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were conferred upon him, not by measure, as upon other prophets, but without measure
• John 3:34 “For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.”
• In other word’s, there is no limit to the ability of Jesus Chirst
3. THE COMMISSION
• “Because he has anointed me and sent me”
• His being anointed signifies both his being fitted for the undertaking and His call to do it
• He has the authority
• Mark 1:22 “And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.”
• John 5:27 “And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
• He was anointed to preach;
4. TO WHOM WAS HE TO PREACH?
• To the Poor
a. Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
b. Not financially poor but poor (humble) in Spirit
c. Psalm 1:1-2 “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” “But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
a) TO HEAL THE BROKEN HEARTED
a. Christ was the Great Physician
b. Able to heal all manner of sickness whether physical, emotional or spiritual
a. (Physical) The woman with the issue of blood
b. (Emotional) Vs 35 Cast the demon out of the man
c. (Spiritual) VS 31-32 Ch. 5
“…They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick,” “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
• TO PREACH DELIVERANCE TO THE CAPTIVES
b) Those who have yet to confess Christ or have but have sin in their life are bound by the chains of sin
c) Being bound we cannot fulfill the work of God’s will in our lives
d) Romans 7:23 “But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.”
e) Paul stating that the flesh is seeking sin and in sin he is captive
• RECOVERING OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND
a) This can mean physically, but most likely eludes to blindness to the truth
b) II Corinthians 3:14 “But there minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.”
c) II Peter 2:11 “But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darknes hath blinded his eyes.”
d) Ephesians 4:18 “Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”
e) So we see that it is sin that blinds us from the truth and love of God
• TO SET AT LIBERTY
a) II Corinthians 3:17 “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
b) John 8:32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;” “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
c) Freedom from sin comes from Christ
d) John 8:36 “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”
5. TO PREACH THE ACCEPTABLE YEAR OF THE LORD
• Jesus stopped at the words “acceptable year of the lord”
• It was evident that Jesus was letting the people gathered in the synagogue know that the Son of God was here
• This was the revelation to the people of the 1st Advent
• Christ began His public ministry with Vs 21
• “…This day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears.”
• The time was now to accept Jesus Christ as the chosen one of God
