Jesus – God’s ultimate Jubilee
References: Leviticus 25; Isaiah 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19
Question 1 (My elevator speech)
Question 2 (My casket speech)
So many people cannot give a clear life purpose because they have never looked at life anticipating their preferred future, or maybe they are afraid to say anything for fear of failing to deliver.
When it comes to looking back over life accomplishments, many are so overwhelmed by disappointments, lost opportunities, or unrealized ambitions that they are thankful they would not have to face the embarrassment of revealing an uneventful or unproductive life. It has been said that “Most people lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” - Henry David Thoreau
Looking forward, we face the challenge that if we aim at nothing, we will achieve nothing - and if we live a life lacking in intentionality and discipline, we will probably have little to show for all those years of toil.
Rick Warren “The Purpose-Driven Life – What on earth am I here for?”
Life is not about us; it is about God. A life of abundance and freedom can only ultimately be enjoyed when we not only believe in Jesus Christ, but obey His Word. Obedience is the pathway to intimacy with God, holiness, and power in and satisfaction with life. John 14:15-18, 21. 1 Samuel 15:22; Deuteronomy 6:3; Psalm 37:4
Basic Proposition: As Christians, we are recipients of the year of the Lord’s favour – the Jubliee. We have declared Jesus’ lordship over our lives and have pledged to sit under His rule, receive His guidance through His Word and live lives empowered by His Holy Spirit. He therefore can reasonably expect obedient followership in living a life aligned with His purposes as we move forward, and His “Well done good and faithful servant” at the end of our earthly life. For this to become a reality, we need to allow Jesus’ life, purposes, mission and lifestyle to progressively become our own through the agency of the Holy Spirit. We need to remember that this requirement is not a restrictive imposition, but rather a pathway to the abundant and eternal life Jesus promised.
To understand the implications of our Christian commitment, turn your Bibles to Luke 4:14-21
The Mission of Jesus Christ According to Luke 4:18–19
Mission begins in the heart of God who desired restoration of humankind (Escobar). God sent his only beloved Son to this world, and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to humankind on a rescue mission. Jesus then sent his disciples including us. Where? To this world. The Holy Spirit is the principal actor in fulfilling the rescue mission to redeem humankind.
Jesus’ mission was to save that which was lost. This salvation and good news was, and is, directed toward every area of need, poverty, and problem of humanity. By nature, man lives separated from God. He lives with a great number of problems and misfortunes, urgently needing the good news of the love and the grace and the favour of Christ. Jesus was convinced that he was able to fulfill his mission because God had anointed him with the Holy Spirit. We have the same responsibility to live out Jesus’ mission in and through our lives. Jesus’ mission is to realize the Jubilee. It is singly focused but multi-dimensional in tackling the problems caused by universal sin.
PROBLEM 1: POVERTY
Luke 4:18 (a): “to proclaim good news to the poor”
There is much spiritual and moral poverty. Economic poverty is also a very real problem in Australia and especially across the world.
What did Jesus do for the poor?
The poor are not always poor. On the contrary, they are often rich in faith (James 2:5).
PROBLEM 2: CAPTIVITY
Luke 4:18(b): “He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners”
So, what prisoners did he free?
Prisoners of the devil.
Prisoners of sin and vice (John 8:34).
Prisoners of wealth
Prisoners of tradition and legalism
(John 8:36).
PROBLEM 3: PHYSICAL SUFFERING
Luke 4:18 (c): “recovery of sight for the blind.”
Jesus took an interest in people’s physical suffering. We are not the God who heals,
PROBLEM 4: OPPRESSION
Luke 4:18 (d) “to set the oppressed free”
Many are oppressed, distressed, weighed down, and grieving.
Socially oppressed
Oppressed by sin and a destructive lifestyle
Oppressed by difficult life experiences
Oppressed by fear and worry
Do we live and preach freedom in Christ?
Do our neighbours, students, and brothers and sisters in Christ see us as free people?
Jesus was completely free and only he can give true freedom.
Jesus then completed his analysis by reminding his hearers of the Good News.
Good News: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour (Luke 4:19)
We believe that the time has come where God is manifesting his favour in a special way in many parts of the world. The church’s mission, and consequently our personal mission since we form part of the church, is to take the good news of the grace of Jesus Christ to this world full of needs, problems, and misfortunes. Like Jesus, we need the anointment with the Holy Spirit; otherwise, our ministry will be limited to just human power and human efforts.
Jesus was sent by his Father “to proclaim good news to the poor . . . freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour” (Luke 4:18–19). And he said, speaking to his Father, “As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).
At the end of Jesus’ life, He made the declaration in John 17:4 that He had completed all that the Father had given Him to do. Hopefully we can claim the same.
Our purpose is not a particular ministry position, is not a particular style of ministry, is not confined simply to a presented opportunity – it has to do with the whole of our life. As the life of Jesus is lived out through us, we will make eternal impact which will be recognized by Jesus when we stand before Him and prepare for His judgment for reward for our life well lived.
The Rabbi’s Gift
Prayer and ministry time
For reflection and discussion
1. How would you describe your purpose or mission in life? How does it align with God’s purpose or mission for your life?
2. What would you like others to say about you and your life at your funeral? Would God’s evaluation be different to what you would like others to say?
3. What would need to change in your life for you to align with God’s purposes and mission for your life?
4. When Jesus outlined His life’s purpose and mission given to Him by His heavenly Father, in Luke 4:18-19, He outlined 4 key areas of ministry in the world that He would address. How could you personally be engaged in Jesus’ mission? Spend time in prayer and your Bible for God’s divine leading.
Today’s Reading: Luke 4:14-21
14 Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. 15 He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him. 16 He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”