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Sermon: The Spirit of the Lord is Upon Me Date: May 7, 2023, Morning Text: Luke 4:14–22 Series: Luke Preacher: Brian Garcia Audio: https://storage.googleapis.com/pbc-ca-sermons/2023/230507-TheSpiritOfTheLordIsUponMe.aac
Good morning church.
If you have a Bible, please turn to Luke chapter 4 Starting in verse 14.
We're
gonna be reading this morning Luke chapter 4 14 to 22.
When you have that please do stand for the reading of God's Word Again Luke chapter 4 starting
verse 14 here ye this morning the Word of the Lord and.
And Jesus returned in the spirit and the power of the Spirit of Galilee and a report about him went out
through all the surrounding country.
And he taught in their synagogues being glorified by all.
And he came to Nazareth where he had been brought up as he was as was his custom.
He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
He stood up to read.
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 set me to proclaim Liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind and set
at liberty those who are oppressed.
And to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
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.
He's and he and all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth
and they said Is not this?
Joseph's son.
This is the Word of the Lord.
You may be seated
Gracious father.
We do come before you asking and pleading the mercies of your son Jesus upon the hearts of your people.
Asking Lord that you would be gracious this morning to illuminate in our hearts and our minds the teaching
and the proclamation Of this good news at the Spirit of the Lord was indeed upon
The servant of the Lord even Jesus Christ our beloved Savior that the Lord Jesus was anointed
with power from on high to proclaim that only the truth and the majesty of The of
God the Father but also Lord to bring liberty to those who were held captive.
We ask the Lord now that you would illuminate our hearts and our minds with this good news of liberty of the
proclamation of the good news That Jesus Christ is King and it is indeed the year of his Jubilee
and we ask these things in his name.
Amen brothers and sisters last week we encountered the
Gospel of Luke chapter 4 it begins with this climactic
face -off Between the Lord Jesus Christ God the Son and
Satan the enemy of the faith and what we see that what resulted from that
face to face with that powerful contention between the Son of Man and the Son of Darkness.
Was that what overcame the temptations?
Was Jesus Operating in the fullness of the Spirit as it says in Luke chapter 4
verse 1 and Jesus Full the Spirit returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit
in the wilderness.
God's Spirit working in Christ Was able to overcome the obstacles set forth
by the enemy.
And now in this next leg of the of the story We see that Jesus now coming out of the wilderness out of the waters of
baptism is now going to begin to fulfill his ministry it says in verse 14.
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.
And A report about him went throughout all the surrounding country.
Several months ago there was a Movement that started at a college.
I think it was in Kentucky the Asbury Revival.
And everyone was talking about this for about three weeks.
Because it's very exciting.
It was very new.
It was very fresh.
And if it had it not been me mentioning it to you just now you would not have remembered that
event.
That revival that came and swept through this college for about three weeks.
Notice the difference between true revival and That which is often
fleeting in Modern Christendom.
When Jesus returned after coming out of the wilderness.
Having been baptized by John the Baptist He returned in the power of the Spirit.
And a report about him went through all the surrounding country.
The the mere mention of Jesus Was beginning to sweep
through all the country so that his name was being magnified and glorified.
And it says.
You see Jesus led a true revival.
He led a true movement that was based upon the power and anointing of the Spirit
and not just the fleeting emotion of religious fervor.
And it's interesting in this day and time That many many of us would like to be caught up in religious fervor
when we look at American history.
Americans.
America's history is littered with so -called revivals and so -called religious fervor.
We see in the Great Awakening in the 1700s of Jonathan Edwards the true spiritual waking that happened around that time of the
Puritans.
Then we see the counterfeit about a hundred years later in the 1800s 1820s about the 1818 60s.
You have all these false movements is what's called in American history the great second great awakening.
And it was a second great awakening to false teaching.
You have the rise of Adventism.
You have the rise of Mormonism.
You have the Rise of Christian science.
You have all the rise of these false counterfeit religious movements.
Jehovah's Witnesses also come out of that tradition in American history
all things that were not founded upon the power and anointing of the Spirit
of Holiness.
And we look at Jesus we see the footprint of true spiritual revival and
Jesus was operating in the power of the Spirit just as he was in chapter 4 verse 1 when he was led by the
Spirit into the wilderness for a time of testing.
Now here's the key brothers and sisters true revival.
Stands the test of time.
It stands the test of time.
Just as Christ stood at the test of temptation and the test of time itself.
For we were about 2 ,000 years removed from these events and here we are Proclaiming it unto you reading from
Holy Scripture declaring to you the words of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ even this morning.
You're following along in the insert in the notes that was given to you this morning by one of our attendants
after the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness he returned in the power of
the Spirit and News about him spread
you see it's only When we have true reliance on God's Spirit.
To overcome temptation do we receive a more godly power and reputation?
Jesus was operating in the Spirit therefore because he was in the Spirit it could be said that he was being
glorified by all.
Because the job of the Holy Spirit is to point to Jesus Christ to
point hearts to point men and women to faith in Christ and This is why then
it is said that he came to his hometown to Nazareth.
Where he had been brought up and as it was the custom according to verse 16 He went to the synagogue on the
Sabbath day.
He stood up to read now.
How exciting would that be?
Now you don't if you were a member of the synagogue in Nazareth you probably knew about Jesus you probably remember
Jesus as as.
As a child he was that kid who was just too perfect.
The goody two -shoe, you know, we all know those types, right.
And and he was the kid that was perfect in every way.
And so when he came back to the synagogue, how would he likely have been received?
He went to the synagogue.
He stood up to read so he was obviously one of Reputation because he was first of all allowed to read in the
synagogue, which was a place of honor.
Which was a place that was only distinguished for those who were qualified to come and do the reading.
And it says he was given a scroll in verse 17 the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was given to him.
I just wanted to have you picture this scene for a moment.
You've seen paintings.
Maybe you've seen that illustrated in movies of this grand scene where Jesus is entering the synagogue.
He comes to the front interestingly enough oftentimes synagogues didn't have a
Center or a pulpit like we do but instead their place was in the middle of the congregation.
Not at the back or front.
They were usually placed in the middle in ancient synagogues.
And so you have the Lord Jesus Christ coming into the synagogue being handed the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah.
He on rolls the scroll.
Now with great anticipation people are likely wanting to know what he's about to read.
Back in those days scripture didn't have chapter and verses.
This is a more modern invention thanks to the modern printing press.
But he was given the scroll he goes and he searches and he finds the right
scripture for the right occasion.
And what does he do?
He reads These incredible words of the Prophet Isaiah.
The spirit of the Lord is upon me.
Do you see the theme starting all the way back in verse 4.
And Jesus full of the Holy Spirit what precedes that in
chapter 3.
Prior to the genealogy is the baptism of Christ.
Where you have the manifestation of the Holy Trinity the father's voice booming from
heaven declaring This is my son the spirit of holiness the sending bodily in
the form of a dove.
Upon the Christ the Messiah who is being baptized by John the Baptist.
And upon this Christ upon this Person is coming upon the
spirit of power.
So that in verse 14 after he overcomes the machinations of the devil
He is now returning and operating in the power of the Spirit in Galilee going to
Nazareth.
Declaring the good news that the spirit of the Lord the spirit of Yahweh the spirit
of Jehovah Has come upon his servant.
That prophecy is being fulfilled brothers and sisters one of the exciting
things about the scriptures.
One of the exciting things about this point in the narrative of Luke is that Jesus is demonstrating that
Bible prophecy is not Only reliable but it is true and it was happening before the very
eyes of those to whom he was ministering to.
One thing that I don't want us to overlook is the Custom
that Jesus observed here in verse 16 when he went to Nazareth.
He as it was his custom went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
And he stood up to read you're following notice.
I want you to notice this.
Jesus was faithful in his attendance.
You know, it's often interesting when I look at religious movements and so -called revivals in America.
It's often led by people who are not very faithful in their
attendance to a local church.
Oftentimes these are individuals who are often very critical of the church whose
Favorite preachers are only those the ones that they can see on YouTube or they can hear on the radio.
And there are those who are very critical of the church and who are not faithful who don't have a custom of being regularly
part of a local church and having that accountability and it's often those who who are the
loudest critics of the church who thinks that they're the ones who are going to be leading a so -called revival.
Brothers and sisters revival isn't going to happen outside.
It's going to happen inside.
If you want to see where revival starts it starts in the heart.
It starts when God by his spirit moves and works in you.
Moves and works in your homes moves and works in your family moves and works at your job moves and works
in your church.
This is how revival starts now.
I don't like using this term over and over again.
But it is a term that is used often in Christendom today this term of revival, but I want to
contrast how Jesus operates because he is the
standard for spiritual revival and Jesus was faithful in his attendance at the synagogue as
was his custom.
This was his custom was to be faithful to going to
the synagogue or Church.
Church is just a interesting anglo word, which just means congregation.
Sometimes when we read the scriptures we tend to delineate or distinguish between The
congregation of Israel and the church that we see in the New Testament.
But really the word just means the same means assembly means congregation.
And so Christ was faithful to his congregation.
Christians must also make it our aim to not forsake the gathering
and reading of scripture.
Because that is the custom of many to forsake the gathering of ourselves.
Now it depends on your walk of the Lord right now as to whether you
have a godly custom or an ungodly custom.
A Godly custom of regularly meeting is a good thing.
It is what Christ said.
This is the standard that he set in his own life.
Yet there is a custom that is unholy that is ungodly and that is to forsake the
gathering ourselves as we see in Hebrews chapter 10 verses 23 and 25 and where we are incited
not to forsake the gathering of ourselves as many have grown accustomed to but to
Continue to draw near to love to incite to love and good works as
the day Itself is drawing near.
What day?
Well brothers and sisters there are two days that the scriptures point us to.
There's a day.
There is the day when we meet him face -to -face and All of us will have to
give an account and there is today.
Where it is instructed do not harden your hearts as in the days of rebellion but instead yield to the
instruction to the guidance of the Spirit of God as Christ was led
by the Spirit of God.
It led him to having godly customs Godly arrangements in his life.
So then should we also follow in the footsteps of our Savior?
But not forsaking the gathering of ourselves and in and also just as importantly the
reading of Holy Scripture.
Jesus went to the synagogue as was his custom and he read from the scriptures.
No wonder then we were also instructed to his brothers and sisters in Christ.
By the church by the scriptures not to forsake the gathering and also not to forsake the reading of Scripture as.
If it becomes a custom in our lives, it would lead us to spiritual emptiness.
The Lord Jesus Christ on this solemn occasion in Nazareth.
Starting in verse 18 as it is written He quotes from the prophet Isaiah and he reads these words from the
prophet.
The Spirit of the Lord is Upon me.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me.
I want you if you can turn to Isaiah chapter 61 we're gonna
look at verse 1 and 2
the prophet Isaiah receiving the word from the Lord regarding the year of Jubilee the year of favor and
It says the Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor he
has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the
opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the
year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God.
To comfort all who mourn.
I want to read verse 3 as well.
And to grant to those who mourn in Zion to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes
the oil of gladness.
Instead of mourning the garment of praise.
Instead of a faint spirit that they may be called oaks of righteousness.
The planting of the Lord that he may be glorified.
What a precious and exciting prophecy we see here from the prophet Isaiah.
Imagine then one in the first century in the synagogue.
Maybe being familiar of this text of scripture read having it read to them.
Hearing it read by Jesus Christ.
What would be their anticipation?
What would be their expectation of the fulfillment of these words?
How would they think that this was going to come to fruition?
How would they have perceived?
This prophecy.
Well the exciting thing about this prophecy is that Jesus reading from the prophets.
Following along the notes you can write this in.
Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah where the Messiah would be anointed
By the Spirit of God.
This is how Isaiah opens up this prophecy.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me.
The word anointed is much as Moshiach the Messiah Christ.
He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.
So then Jesus reads from the prophet Isaiah where the Messiah would be anointed by the Spirit of God to
preach good news to the poor.
God foretold exactly what would happen and the prophet Isaiah is writing this 700 years
before Christ.
Showing that must that the Bible prophecy would be fulfilled in the future would be fulfilled in
the person and work of Jesus Christ.
That God's Word.
God's promise that he would anoint his servant.
He would anoint him with the Spirit of holiness to preach good news to the poor.
Now some have asked me this question before.
Maybe you may have a similar question.
Why is it that God is only bringing good news to the poor?
What about the rich?
What about the middle class?
What about those who are well off does God not care about them?
Brothers and sisters we are all poor.
We are all poor.
Even the richest among us are poor in Comparison to the
weights and the glory and the power of the one who came to save us
Jesus Christ.
Because all the riches all the gold all the silver all the cowed on a thousand hills
belongs to him.
Your wealth is not your own.
It is his.
Your family is not your own it is his your life is not your own it is his it all belongs to
him.
You are poor no matter how rich you think you may be.
And What this is actually speaking to is the condition
of the human soul.
Spiritually we are all poor apart from Christ.
No wonder then Jesus says blessed are the poor in
spirit.
Blessed are they why why are they those who are poor in spirit
blessed?
Because they shall be filled.
It is those who are poor.
Another translation of this it says blessed of the Sermon of Mount in Matthew 5 3.
Which is blessed of the poor.
One translation says blessed are those who know their spiritual condition.
Blessed are those who know their spiritual condition who know that they are they have no spiritual
riches apart from Christ that spiritually we are all depraved and
Are in need of the riches of Christ?
Reminds you of the scripture that says though he was rich speaking of Christ He
became poor on our behalf so that we might in him become the riches
of God in Christ.
That is the hope that we have that God has brought good news to the poor.
And that's you and that's me because apart from him.
We were all poor.
This is why the Prophet Isaiah could say the Lord is anointed the Lord God.
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me.
What has he been anointed for?
What would be the Messiah anointed to do.
He would be anointed to bring forth good news to the poor and here comes Christ
The Son of Man at the right time in history being brought forth.
Inaugurated by John the Baptist in his baptism and he comes proclaiming that only is the kingdom
of God near but behold the kingdom of God is here.
Jesus is the inauguration of God's kingdom and this idea of the kingdom
of God in the hands of Jesus Christ is The central theme of Luke's gospel it is under every
layer Of almost every narrative that Luke brings up
that again Christ would come and proclaim good news to the poor is in
beautiful fulfillment of Bible prophecy.
For that's exactly what Jesus comes to do when Jesus comes in his earthly ministry.
He comes literally to speak to the poor to those who are downtrodden.
Not just those who are spiritually poor, but also those who were particularly poor in his day and time.
He bypasses the powerful infrastructure of the day through the
Pharisaical system and the Sadducees and the political system of Rome this political
system of Herod.
He bypasses all those things and he goes straight to the people.
He goes straight to the people.
Now if you studied history and you studied revolutions in history the revolutions
That have succeeded are the ones that appeal not to power but to people.
For better or for worse when we saw the communist revolution in Cuba or in China.
These were movements that inspired the working class that inspired the poor in the
desolate but ultimately Disenfranchises them ultimately
leads them down a road of destruction and Destitution.
But what Jesus does is the opposite?
He goes straight to the people those who are most oppressed those who are most hurt those who are most in
need of hearing Good news.
And he lifts them up with the Spirit of God and with the good
news that The kingdom of God is coming to undo the
effects of the kingdom of man.
Jesus is the true Revolutionary, but not the revolutionary in the sense of how we see it
portrayed in the 20th century or in the 21st century but rather he's a true revolutionary
a true revivalist and that he comes to revolutionize and Revitalize the
human soul.
And he does so from the inside out because the work of the Spirit isn't merely
external but rather it's internal and the same internal work
that was operating in Jesus can now operate in you and me as sons and
daughters of the Most High God.
This is the good news That Christ has come to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent He was sent to bind up the broken -hearted
Friends.
Maybe some of us today are Dealing with some heartbreak.
Maybe what some of us today are dealing with some issues in our homes in our lives.
And I want you to know That salvation doesn't come From anyone else
from your spouse from your children from your job.
Doesn't come from anything Externally that this world can offer but rather it will
come from the only one who can truly bind up broken hearts and that's the Lord Jesus Christ and
That's the one who I proclaim to you today who can break who can bind up the broken -hearted.
Jesus is the answer to broken heartedness.
And he has come for this purpose To bind up to heal the broken -hearted and to
proclaim liberty to the captives.
Who are those captives?
Well, first and foremost those who are captive to sin those who are captive to the fallen nature.
Sort of following along in the notes the good news of the Messiah is liberty to
the captives.
To proclaim liberty to the captives.
What can that mean.
Well think of it in the sense of of war when there are those who are held
captive prisoners of war and the army comes and delivers them from
captivity brings freedom to them and The opening of the prison to those who are bound.
This is the undoing of injustice.
This is the undoing of captivity and Jesus comes to proclaim liberty
freedom to the captives.
Now.
This has a obvious spiritual sense all of us are sons prior to
Christ our sons of wrath every single one of us.
Ephesians 2 says that we were all at one time
objects of wrath.
Alienated from the promises of God alienated from the promises of Christ, but God being rich in mercy.
What did he do?
He made us who were captives captive to sin captive to the fallen nature
he made us alive in Christ and Seated us in heavenly places in
Christ.
Not only does he make us alive Through the gospel through the proclamation of Liberty,
but he also seats us with Christ.
So not only does he raise you from the dead spiritually?
Does he breathe new life into you through the spirit of holiness.
But he seats you next to him you who were once an object of wrath.
You who were once a son of perdition a son of destruction.
We're now brought all made alive and brought near to Christ and seated next to Christ.
That's our inheritance as the children of God such graces is Unsearchable.
You cannot even begin to fathom that God will turn to his enemies you and me in Adam and
Seat us next to him as co -regents co -rulers with Christ.
This is indeed a message of good news of Liberty to the captives meaning
salvation.
For all those who are held captive by sin and death Paul writes this you don't
have to turn there but Paul writes this in 2nd Timothy a
powerful statement of the gospel from 2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 8 where Paul writes the
following says therefore.
Do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord nor of me his prisoner.
So here's Paul actually a literal prisoner at this point of his ministry but share in suffering for the
gospel by the power of God who saved us and Called us to a holy calling not
because of our works.
But because of his own purpose and grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus
before the ages began.
It's powerful witness and testimony of the sovereignty of God at play verse 10.
Which now being has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus who what?
Abolished death.
Abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.
This is the message of Liberty to the captives that God has brought forth
Salvation from to those who have been called according to his purposes who have received his holy
calling not due to works.
But because of his own sovereign decree and purpose.
Which he worked out and gave us in Christ before the ages began.
If you ever ask yourself, what's the what's that?
What's at the heart of Calvin of Calvinism?
What's at the heart of reformed theology?
What's at the heart of the doctrines of grace and it's this that God's purpose and
plan in?
Christ includes you and me.
That in Christ you were chosen before the foundation of the world for
the excellencies of his own name so that the glorification of God's
name.
You and I were included in this Holy Call.
Not by the works not by pedigree not by anything you can do or achieve.
But according to God's own sovereign decree and will God purpose all things.
So that Christ may ultimately receive the glory.
And God is glorified when he saves sinners that he leads Captives free
and he brings good news to the poor.
God is glorified when the things of the when the mundane Day -to -day
people of this world are turned upside down and are transformed to be
like Christ.
To be people who operate in the spirit of holiness just as Christ was operating in the spirit of holiness.
The good news of the Messiah is liberty to the captives meaning salvation for all those held captive by sin
and death.
This is the good news brothers and sisters.
That though we are fallen though.
We are Broken and mired by the fall of Adam and Eve.
We have hope of deliverance.
Deliverance.
We have hope that there is one who has come to deliver us from sin
and his name is Jesus and that by faith in him and Only by faith
in him.
Can we obtain the inheritance of being called a child of God?
It's only through faith in Jesus Christ friends.
It's not Jesus and something else as we learned this morning in our Sunday school.
One of the errors of Roman Catholicism is that they say rightly the gospel is about the resurrection of
But where they are is they say it's Jesus and the church.
It's Jesus and Mary it's Jesus and Intercession for saints
it's Jesus and all these myriads of other things where we stand on the truth of Scripture.
We stand on the historic profession of faith by the Reformers that it's Christ and Christ alone.
Amen.
It's Christ alone.
We stand on that.
This is the good news that it is Christ alone Who saves.
It is in Christ alone that you can be saved and it's Christ alone Who
actually saves?
Therefore.
As we look at this exciting time in Scripture in back in our main text in Luke chapter 4
Jesus again quoting from the prophet Isaiah in verse 19 He's quotes this
part of great interest to me to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
In other words This was referred to in ancient times in Leviticus chapter 25 verse
8 through 10 as a Jubilee and the word Jubilee means a ram's
horns of ram's horn trumpet and it is a cycle of seven year
cycles.
So in the Bible you have the you you have Sabbath's.
You have the weekly Sabbath which in ancient Israel was on Saturday.
And it was the day of creation which God rested from his works.
You have that seven year or that seven day cycle of a week, then you also have
a yearly Sabbath or a seven years.
Seven year Sabbath which was called the Shemitah in Hebrew.
This is Shemitah is a seven year cycle of sevens and then you would have
Seven cycles of seven years which would bring you to 49 years and in the Bible. This is where property
sold.
Due to debt would be returned to the original tribe or family and it was a time when all debt was to be
wiped out.
Totally this is was called a Jubilee.
It's times in which debts in Scripture were to be wiped out told now imagine if we had that system here That would be pretty
great.
We'd be a pretty pretty great system.
In fact, we actually have a little bit of resemblance of that system in our own economic system.
For instance if if you ever Had to default on a payment or debt.
You would be told that that would stay on your record for about seven years.
So it'll be on your credit reporting on your credit report for about seven years.
Where do they get that number from.
It's not arbitrary actually comes from Scripture.
It comes from an understanding of these seven year cycles.
That was ingrained in early American history and how we dealed with debts
in our.
In our history as a nation looking to the scriptures for the answers.
And so you have here a declaration of a Jubilee the Prophet Isaiah following the notes of Prophet Isaiah also prophesied
that the Messiah's Appearance would be a year of the Lord's favor or a Jubilee.
It's a year of the Lord's favor or a Jubilee.
Which is a time of liberty in the Old Testament.
Why.
Because again the Jubilee there's seven cycles of seven years.
49 years where property sold.
Dude, that would be returned to the original tribe or family.
It was a time when all debt would be systematically wiped out.
Everyone had a clean start.
No one had any debt anymore and then the cycle would begin again and continue
for these cycles.
The observance of the seven -year cycles was also one of the reasons that led to Israel's destruction.
The first time in the hands of the Babylonians because they were not observing the seven -year cycles of
Sabbaths.
They were not allowing.
One of the things that was required was that they were to allow the land to rest for a year.
And they were not following that Shemitah law.
They were not following that Jubilee.
Therefore God when he wiped them out the first time by the hands of the Babylonians He took back the land
for exactly the same amount of time in Which they had not been fulfilling
their obligation and allowing the land to rest.
Therefore when it is said in Scripture that they were taken out of the land.
It was for the purposes that the land may rest.
So the land may observe that Sabbath.
So the land may observe that Jubilee that the Israelites were not fulfilling the obligation for.
In the same way when we look at the at the Prophet Isaiah when we look at the person and work of Jesus Christ we understand this
that Jesus was to come as a Jubilee as one who was declaring the year
of the Lord's favor, but it wouldn't just be one year.
It wouldn't be just one fleeting Jubilee.
Christ was inaugurating in his salvific work in his death in his life ministry death
baron resurrection.
He was bringing forth a Jubilee that would never be brought to an end.
He was bringing forth the Jubilee of Jubilees namely salvation for all those who are held
captive.
Salvation to those who are oppressed.
Salvation to those who are blind and salvation for the year of the Lord's
favor.
This is the Jubilee of Jubilees.
When would this happen?
When would this be fulfilled brothers and sisters?
Verse 20 of Luke 4.
He wrote 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 Today
this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing
brothers and sisters.
What Christ is declaring is now is the year of Jubilee.
I have brought it.
I have inaugurated now is the year of the Lord's favor or As
it is said elsewhere in Scripture Today if
you hear his voice Do not harden your hearts.
Brother, when is the year when is the day or the year of the Lord's favor?
Today while it is still called today every day in which you
have been given the gift of life.
Every day in which you have been awakened by the mercies of God and you have life and breath and vitality
in your lungs.
That is the day in the year of the Lord's favor therefore turn
to him.
Turn to him.
Daily turn to him.
Even if you're a Christian turn to him if you're not a Christian turn to him.
Turn to him while it is still called today.
Because there is only again two days that truly matter today what you do of it
and That day when you stand before him.
For several years.
I was a counselor at an addiction Treatment Center a Christian Treatment Center in Edmonton,
Canada.
And where we were minister to about 50 different men from all ages from 18 all the way to
their 80s.
Who have been struggling with drug or alcohol dependency?
And one of the things that said in the recovery community whether it's a a and a
Celebrate recovery or the program that we were running in Canada is.
And it's something that we encourage as well.
As we would ask the question How long have you been sober and one of the common
responses is?
I've been sober for this long, but also just for today.
Just for today, which is a way of saying I Got through today.
I Don't know what tomorrow holds.
I don't know what tomorrow is gonna bring.
But for today, I've made it my aim.
I've made it my choice.
I've made it my decision.
That I'm gonna be clean and I'm just gonna take it one day at a time brothers and sisters.
Today matters.
What you do with today has implications for tomorrow.
What you do today with Jesus has eternal implications and
Every day that we awaken we have to make that conscious decision.
Today, I'm gonna choose to follow Jesus.
Scary words for a Calvinist I know.
But it's true.
We have to choose daily to walk in him walk with him be in him be
found in him.
Not having a righteousness of our own but a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ that you daily
walk with him.
For what does God require of us, but to love justice and to walk humbly with our
God?
He calls you he beckons you to walk with him.
It is still called today brothers and sisters.
God has given you life and Because of that life you must choose whom you will serve today and may
you make it your aim.
As it says in Joshua 24 that as for me in my house today We will serve the
Lord.
Walk in him know him.
Proclaim with him the year of the Lord's favor to all those who are around us that God's favor
has now come upon the nations through the proclamation of the gospel.
That's what Paul says in 2nd Timothy chapter 1 verse 8 through 10 that God has brought to light
Life and immortality through what the gospel the gospel you
want life and immortality in your life.
It's through the gospel.
You want to bring forth a message of hope?
To those who are downtrodden.
To those who are oppressed.
To those who are captive.
To those who are blind.
Bring the gospel.
It's the only thing that can make blind eyes to see.
It's the only thing that can bring captive souls to freedom and Liberty.
It's the only thing that can bring life to those who are oppressed.
It is the good news gospel that the Spirit of the Lord
has come upon his servants and The Spirit of the Lord is working now in us.
Who through faith and God's chosen servant the Lord Jesus Christ and his death barren resurrection?
We too may have life and immortality through the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This is indeed the hour of salvation.
Now as Paul says in 2nd Corinthians chapter 6.
Now is the acceptable time now is the hour of salvation.
Now is the Jubilee of the year of the Lord's favor.
Just to close up with our notes here all eyes were fixed on Jesus as he
proclaimed.
That they were witnessing the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.
Know this about Jesus dear friends.
Jesus is the embodiment of all the promises of God in the Old Testament.
Jesus is indeed the very climax of Bible prophecy the one of whom John the Baptist
said Behold the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world.
That this Jesus was indeed the last prophet of his people.
Jesus.
Brothers and sisters.
He's a big deal.
He is everything.
He is the centerpiece of civilization.
He's the centerpiece of theology.
He's the centerpiece of all that we do not even unbelievers can outrun his influence.
Because every time they write on a piece of paper the date they're writing the date 2023
year of our Lord a D. I don't domino the year of our Lord
2023 years since the supposed birth of Christ.
You can't outrun him.
Jesus is influences everywhere because everything centers around
him and.
And notice that even those in the synagogue that day all their eyes were fixed on him
and They were amazed at what he was saying.
Verse 22 it says.
And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
But get this notice how?
How they quickly begin to question and they said is not this Joseph's son?
Is this not Joseph's son or to say don't we know this guy?
Didn't we see him as a boy?
Didn't we see his life and and he is saying these marvelous things.
Which actually leads me to think that Christ was likely as a kid probably very quiet.
Probably very meek humble.
Outside of the example that we have when he goes to the temple.
We don't have much about his life as a young child or as a young adult.
But the fact that they're asking themselves this question, isn't this Joseph's son?
Likely means that they were astonished not just by what Jesus was saying.
But how he was saying it and there's a stark difference between Jesus prior
To his baptism and after his baptism so much.
So that they were they were in stark contrast in asking themselves the question is this not
Though Jesus astonishes many the last part of our notes Jesus astonishes many some found reason to doubt.
By pointing out that he did not come from a prominent family
some Some even today may echo
the uncertainty that others in this scripture have towards
I Want to encourage you brothers sisters don't be caught in these chairs just marveling at the
words of Jesus.
So that you miss the life of Jesus which produces life and liberty for you.
Don't allow the criticism of others for where you came from.
Or if you came from a different family or different region deterred you from being all that God has planned for you to be.
I'm gonna give you a quick example of this.
Several years ago.
We lived in Wisconsin in a small community in Door County.
Now Door County has about 30 ,000 people in it throughout the year in the summer.
It balloons to over a hundred thousand because it's a vacation spot in Wisconsin.
It's kind of the Cape Cod of the Midwest.
So we moved there in the winter time and as we're getting to know people people very friendly.
One question that we got reoccurring time and time again is they wanted to know my last name.
I found that to be kind of strange.
You know, we don't necessarily have to go by last name so much in today's day and culture.
But they really asked me for my last name and now to give it to them and and I finally came to realize Why they kept asking me for the my last
They wanted to see if I came from one of the ten or so prominent families That everyone knew
about in town.
I wasn't in Olson.
I wasn't a lot in Bach.
I wasn't what from one of these prominent families that everyone knew about that everyone knows and said that's kind of how
they'll Treat you in this in this small community is is they'll they'll they'll accept you.
They'll love you.
They'll welcome you in but if you're not one of these names, you'll never really be truly one of us.
I Think Jesus is encountering some of this as well when they're asking isn't this not Joseph son, like we know this guy.
Doesn't necessarily come from the most prominent of families.
He was a carpenter by the way Joseph not someone of great worth probably
didn't have a great net worth probably didn't have a huge inheritance to leave behind for his kids in his family
and Yet That doesn't deter Jesus from
proclaiming good news to the captives.
You see the naysayers couldn't stop the cross.
Nor could it stop the empty tomb and neither will it stop the children of God
who are living in The year of the Lord's favor so beloved I Give
you this charge.
Go proclaim the year of the Lord's favor regardless
of where you come from regardless of the color of your skin.
Regardless of how much money you got in the bank regardless of your outward circumstances.
Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor for today is
That year and we are in that Jubilee.
Let us pray.
We thank you Lord Jesus for ushering in this grand Jubilee.
This grand time in which our debt can be wiped away Through faith in you
that we can observe this Jubilee this favor this year of proclamation.
Not just on any given day or time or year, but even now and forever.
That through faith in you we now have this inheritance of having liberty when we were
once captive having eyes to see when we were once blind and being given a new
heart and Being having then having been removed then the heart of stone which
kept us alienated from you.
We thank you that you have ushered in this day and time.
The ministry and power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of your people since on that great day of
Pentecost the Spirit of God has come down and descended upon your people perpetually and
We ask God now that you would help us to live in the power and reality of the Spirit individually.
So that we may bring favor to your name and proclaim Liberty Even now
for it is now the hour of salvation.
Help us Lord in our endeavor to be proclaimers of your kingdom to proclaim the excellencies of your worth
and also again To proclaim Liberty as the children of God Living in the
year of the Lord's favor, and we pray these things in your most holy and precious name.