Luke 4:18, 19 - Lifes Great Liberator.
Luke 4:18, 19 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to
preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to
heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to
the captives, and recovering of sight to the
blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19
To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
INTRODUCTION
Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 61:1, 2.
Isaiah pictures the deliverance of Israel from
exile in Babylon as a Year of Jubilee when all
debts are cancelled, all slaves are freed, and all
property is returned to original owners (Leviticus
25). But the release from Babylonian exile had
not brought the fulfillment the people had
expected; they were still a conquered and oppressed
people. So Isaiah must have been referring to a
future Messianic age. Jesus boldly announced,
"Today this scripture is fulfilled in your
hearing." Jesus was proclaiming himself as the One who
would bring this good news to pass, but in a way
that the people would not yet be able to grasp.
[Life Application SB]
Christ stopped reading in the middle of
61:2, since at His first coming He preached only
the "favorable year of the Lord" (v. 19). The
"day of vengeance of our God" (Isa. 61:2b) was
reserved for His second coming. Long-suffering and
the cross are associated with His first coming;
judgment and a crown, with His second. [Ryrie SB]
COMMENTARY PEARL
From some peoples countenance, we
judge them to be happy. Smiles, makeup, and
stylish clothing can create an appearance of inner
peace. Internally, though, many are in bondage.
In todays passage, Jesus clarifies His
purpose: He has come to set free those in captivity.
Christ was referring to several types of bonds that
can imprison our souls.
First, Jesus breaks the chains of sin.
All people have broken Gods law and
consequently live apart from Him (Rom. 3:23). But
Christs death and resurrection free us when we
accept His gift of forgiveness and place our trust
in Him. Then we can have a relationship with
the Lord.
Secondly, He liberates us from persistent
sins like jealousy, bitterness, and gluttony. His
Spirit resides within each believer and provides
the power to overcome wrong choices that seemed
to own us. He enables us to do what He
desires - by bringing immediate healing or by giving
guidance and strength in the ongoing battle.
The Creator of mankind made us with a
void in our hearts for Jesus to fill. Everything
we put there - whether it seems like a good
thing at the time or an obvious bad choice - will
ultimately leave us empty. And we will remain in
bondage until God frees us and then provides the
only true satisfaction.
Are you one of those people who appear
happy and seem to have life figured out, and yet
inside feel uneasy and empty? Jesus Christ is the
only One who can redeem you, forgive your sins,
and fill the vacant place in your soul. Allow
Him to liberate you today. [In Touch Daily
Devotional by Charles Stanley at www.intouch.org]
COMMENTARY
This verse tells of the Messiah's ministry
of preaching and healing - to meet every human
need. [NIV SB]
As the maladies under which humanity groans
are here set forth under the names of poverty,
brokenheartedness, bondage, blindness, and bruisedness, so the
glorious healer of all these maladies, Jesus Christ,
announces himself in the act of reading this
Scripture. [Jamieson, Fausset, And Brown Commentary]
This is a wonderful description of Christ's
work. The Pharisees and Sadducees despised the
poor. The learned and rich neglected them, as
though their wealth and knowledge made them of more
value than those who were poor. But Jesus declared
that it was His work to give encouragement and
comfort and help where it was most
needed.--Manuscript 65b, 1898.
He went from house to house, healing the
sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the mourners,
soothing the afflicted, speaking peace to the
distressed.--Letter 117, 1903.
He spent most of his time not among the rich
and powerful in Jerusalem, but among the poor in
the cultural and economic backwater of Galilee.
He healed the sick and blind. He fed the
hungry. And he warned his followers in the
strongest possible words that those who do not feed
the hungry, clothe the naked, and visit the
prisoners will experience eternal damnation
(Mat.25:31-46). At the supreme moment of history when God
took on human flesh, the God of Israel was still
liberating the poor and oppressed and summoning his
people to do the same. [Ronald Sider; Time with
God devotional SB]
God calls not only for your benevolence but
for your cheerful countenance, your hopeful
words, the grasp of your hand. Relieve some of
God's afflicted ones. Some are sick, and hope has
departed. Bring back the sunlight to them. There are
souls who have lost their courage; speak to them,
pray for them. There are those who need the bread
of life. Read to them from the Word of God.
There is a soul sickness no balm can reach, no
medicine heal. Pray for these, and bring them to
Jesus Christ. And in all your work Christ will be
present to make impressions upon human
hearts.--Manuscript 105, 1898.
CLOSING THOUGHT
I tend to buck the rules. I have had this
tendency since I was a small child. Just ask my
parents. I caused them no end of consternation. I saw
rules as a barrier to my freedom. Rules shaped my
view of how I saw Jesus. He was all "don't dos"
and "can't haves" as far as I was concerned.
What fun is that? It wasn't until my college
years that I realized that, without Him, I would
destroy myself. I was all good intentions and bad
choices.
I slowly began to recognize that His ways
weren't a barrier to my freedom. They were the only
way to freedom. His laws weren't a blockade to
fun; they were my jumping-off place into the
safety and protection of His wide arms. Jesus's
intentions for me weren't a load of backbreaking rules.
His intentions were to liberate me from sin. To
set my feet on a path of freedom. To unleash a
new creation from the prison of bad habits and
self-destruction. He was beating back my soul-crushing desires
and selfish thinking so that I could live free
in Him.
I am still learning this as I lean in and
know Him more. Jesus is all about freedom.
Freedom from addiction. From pain. From suffering.
From heartache. From sin. From loneliness. From
fear. How can we not see that? How can we not
embrace it? His way of living is so beautiful and
life-giving. Let's hold on to Him with both hands and let
Him set us free. by Suzanne Foth Aughtmon
Faith Step: Go for a walk or a run. Open
your arms wide. Imagine yourself receiving all
the freedom that Jesus has for you. [Mornings
With Jesus 2018 Devotional by Guideposts and
Zondervan]
LINK FOR FURTHER STUDY ON THIS TOPIC
Isaiah 61:1-3 - Set Free and Beauty for
Ashes.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2019/20190607-1117.html
YOUR COMMENTS
If anyone has a paraphrase, commentary or
testimony on this passage of Scripture, either
personal or otherwise, I would be interested in
hearing from you. Thanks in advance and let's keep
uplifting Jesus that all might be drawn to Him. Fred
Gibbs
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
Most Important Decision in Life:
http://www.youtube.com/embed/WGnEuGwvXqU?rel=0
A Man without Equal by Bill Bright:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVa7UoruIo
Steps to Peace by Billy Graham:
https://stepstopeace.org/
Seeking God Made Real:
http://vimeo.com/31489782
Prayer Made Real:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc8VdMV26VE
LINKS FOR BIBLE STUDIES
Lifting Up Jesus Bible Studies:
http://www.liftingupjesus.net/
Amazing Facts Bible Studies:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/bible-study/bible-study-guides.aspx
Voice of Prophecy Discover Bible Study
Guides:
https://www.voiceofprophecy.com/study/discover
Glow Tract Video Bible Studies:
http://www.bibleresearch.info/
LINKS FOR BIBLE PROPHECY SEMINARS
Unlocking Bible Prophecies by Cami Oetman of
Adventist World Radio: https://www.awr.org/bible
Panorama of Prophecy with Pastor Doug
Batchelor: https://www.panoramaofprophecy.com/
Hope Awakens by John Bradshaw of IIW:
https://itiswritten.tv/programs/hope-awakens
Prophecies Decoded by Pastor Ron Clouzet:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1A435C5373550657
Islam and Christianity in Prophecy, The
Third and Final Conflict by Tim Roosenberg:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHSJB-fuHLU&list=PLWhQIHGTHlkaGg5Cwe3NDzWtFX8vNSpsE
