JESUS'
MISSION ON EARTH
Devotional
Reading: John 10:1-10 – Background Scripture:Leviticus 25:8-55 I
Isaiah
61; Luke 4:14-21
Rev.
Michael J. Hudgins
Sunday,
May 11, 2014
From
the teacher's handbook:
“Although
Jesus was born in Bethlehem and was from the tribe of Judah, He spent
most of His early life in Galilee. From the time His family returned
from Egypt, Nazareth was His home. And when he began His public
ministry, He spent most of His time in Galilee.
Galilee
was close to the Gentile world and influenced by it. Because of this
influence on them and because of their distance from Jerusalem,
Galileans were generally despised by the more orthodox Jews of the
south (John 7:52). Even their accent was considered peculiar (Matthew
26:73; Acts 2:6-8) The prevailing prejudice was reflected by
Nathanael's question when told of Jesus' home: “Can
there any good thing come out of Nazareth?
( John 1:46). Yet Jesus chose to spend most of His time with these
people who lacked the spiritual smugness of Judea and were more
inclined to recognize their need for salvation. In this week's lesson
we find Him in a synagogue of Nazareth, His hometown, expounding one
of the prophecies that He Himself fulfilled.”
John
1:45-47
King James Version (KJV)
45 Philip findeth
Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in
the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of
Joseph.
46 And Nathanael
said unto him, Can there
any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and
see.
47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and
saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!
Think not that I
am come to destroy the law,
or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
And Jesus said, For
judgment I am come
into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they
which see might be made blind.
The thief cometh not,
but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I
am come that they might
have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
I am come a light into
the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in
darkness.
Matthew
9:11-13
11 And when the
Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your
Master with publicans and sinners?
12 But
when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not
a physician, but they that are sick.
13 But
go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not
sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to
repentance.
And Jesus answering said unto them,
They that are whole need not a physician; but they that
are sick.
Prophecy
Commentary
on Isaiah 61:1-3
“The prophets had the Holy Spirit of God at times,
teaching them what to say, and causing them to say it; but Christ had
the Spirit always, without measure, to qualify him, as man, for the
work to which he was appointed.
The poor are commonly best disposed to receive the
gospel,
James
2:5; and it is only likely to profit us when
received with meekness. To such as are poor in spirit, Christ
preached good tidings when he said, Blessed are the meek. Christ's
satisfaction is accepted. By the dominion of sin in us, we are bound
under the power of Satan; but the Son is ready, by his Spirit, to
make us free; and then we shall be free indeed.
Sin and Satan were to be destroyed; and Christ
triumphed over them on his cross. But the children of men, who stand
out against these offers, shall be dealt with as enemies. Christ was
to be a Comforter, and so he is; he is sent to comfort all who mourn,
and who seek to him, and not to the world, for comfort. He will do
all this for his people, that they may abound in the fruits of
righteousness, as the branches of God's planting.
Neither the mercy of God, the atonement of Christ,
nor the gospel of grace, profit the self-sufficient and proud. They
must be humbled, and led to know their own character and wants, by
the Holy Spirit, that they may see and feel their need of the
sinner's Friend and Saviour. His doctrine contains glad tidings
indeed to those who are humbled before God.”
Isaiah
61:1-3 – The Book of Comfort; Book of Consolation
The
Good News of Salvation
King James Version (KJV)
1 The
Spirit of the Lord God
is upon me; because the Lord
hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
The Israelites have rejected
God's plan for them, replacing it with a worldly
system in which a king has great power over the people and land can
be redistributed according to royal whim. As a result, the jubilee
law seems to have been fully eclipsed.
Worship of the Lord as the one true God of Israel has
been compromised by worship of fictitious gods of other people.
1 Samuel 8:5-10
King James Version (KJV)
5 And said unto him,
Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us
a king to judge us like all the nations.
6 But the thing displeased Samuel, when they
said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto
he Lord.
7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto
the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have
not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign
over them.
8 According to all the
works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out
of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and
served other gods, so do they also unto thee.
9 Now therefore
hearken unto their voice: howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them, and
shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them.
10 And Samuel told all
the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a king.
“-quoted by Jesus as His credentials in preaching (
Luke
4:18-21 ). The Spirit
is upon Me in
preaching, because Jehovah
hath anointed Me from the womb (
Luke
1:35 ), and at baptism, with the Spirit
"without measure," and permanently "abiding" on
Me (
Isaiah
11:2 ,
John
1:32 ,
3:34
,
Psalms
45:7 ; with which compare
1
Kings 1:39 1
Kings 1:40 1 Kings
19:16 ,
Exodus
29:7 ). "Anointed" as
Messiah,
Prophet, Priest, and King.
good
tidings--as the word "gospel" means.
the
meek--rather,
"the poor," as
Luke
4:18 has it; that is, those afflicted with
calamity, poor in circumstances and in spirit (
Matthew
11:5 ).
proclaim
liberty--(
John
8:31-36 ). Language drawn from the deliverance
of the Babylonian captives, to describe the deliverance from sin and
death (
Hebrews
2:15 ); also from the "liberty proclaimed"
to all bond-servants in the year of jubilee (
Isaiah
61:2 ,
Leviticus
25:10 ,
Jeremiah
34:8 Jeremiah
34:9 ).
opening
of the prison--The
Hebrew rather is, "the
most complete opening,"
namely, of the
eyes to them that are bound, that is,
deliverance from
prison, for captives are as it were
blind
in the darkness of prison (
Isaiah
14:17 ,
35:5
,
42:7
) [EWALD]. So
Luke
4:18 and the
Septuagint interpret it;
Luke
4:18 , under inspiration, adds to this, for the
fuller explanation of the
single clause in the
Hebrew,
"to set at liberty them that are bruised"; thus expressing
the
double "opening" implied; namely, that of the
eyes (
John
9:39 ), and that of the prison (
Romans
6:18 ,
Romans
7:24 Romans
7:25 Hebrews
2:15 ). His miracles were
acted parables.”
2 To
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
In
Jubilee fashion, it means restoration of inheritance. The children of
Israel have mourned since the beginning of subjugation of the
northern tribes to the Assyrians. God plans to grant them their
requests by way of their cries out to Him. Be careful what you ask
for! You might just get it!
God's
deliverance also means vengeance on enemies. The fact that God
punishes Israel by means of the Assyrians does not mean that God
approves of the Assyrians unjust actions. (p 316 student text)
Dearly beloved, avenge not
yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written,
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
“
acceptable
year--the year of jubilee on which "liberty was
proclaimed to the captives" (
Isaiah
61:1
2 Corinthians
6:2 ).
day
of vengeance--The "acceptable time of grace"
is a "year"; the time of "vengeance" but "a
day" (so
Isaiah
34:8 ,
63:4
,
Malachi
4:1 ). Jesus (
Luke
4:20 Luke
4:21 ) "closed the book" before this
clause; for the interval from His first to His second coming is "the
acceptable year"; the day of vengeance" will not be till He
comes again (
2 Thessalonians
1:7-9 ).
our God--The saints call
Him "
our God"; for He cometh to "avenge"
them (
Revelation
6:10 ,
19:2
).
all that mourn--The
"all" seems to include the
spiritual Israelite
mourners, as well as the
literal, who are in
Isaiah
61:3 called "them that mourn
in Zion,"
and to whom
Isaiah
57:18 refers.”
3 To
appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the
spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of
righteousness, the planting of the Lord,
that he might be glorified.
God's
plan of liberation for the Israelites will mean both freedom from and
freedom for. As God frees the people from ashes, mourning, and
heaviness, He is also freeing them for beauty, joy and praise. He
will free them to be His own planting in this world so that He
himself might be glorified. (p. 316 student text)
“
To
appoint . . . to give--The double verb, with
the one and the same accusative, imparts glowing vehemence to the
style.
beauty for
ashes--There is a play on the sound and meaning of the
Hebrew words,
peer, epher, literally, "ornamental
headdress" or
tiara (
Ezekiel
24:17 ), worn in times of joy, instead of a
headdress of "ashes," cast on the head in mourning (
2 Samuel
13:19 ).
oil
of joy--Perfumed ointment was poured on the guests at
joyous feasts (
Psalms
23:5 ,
Psalms
45:7 Psalms
45:8 ,
Amos
6:6 ). On occasions of grief its use was laid
aside (
2 Samuel
14:2 ).
garment
of praise--bright-colored garments, indicative of
thankfulness, instead of those that indicate despondency, as
sackcloth (
John
16:20 ).
trees
of righteousness--
Hebrew,
terebinth trees; symbolical of men
strong in
righteousness, instead of being, as heretofore, bowed down as a reed
with sin and calamity (
Isaiah
1:29 Isaiah
1:30 ,
Isaiah
42:3 ,
1 Kings
14:15 ,
Psalms
1:3 ,
92:12-14
,
Jeremiah
17:8 ).
planting
of . . .
that he might be glorified--(
John
15:8 ).”
Prophecy
Fulfilled!
Lesson
now picks up after The Temptation of Jesus in the Judean Wilderness.
Jesus returns to the area where He had grown up and is about 30 years
of age.
The
beginning of Jesus' ministry–
Fulfillment of Prophecy
Luke
4:14-21
King James Version (KJV)
14 And
Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there
went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
“Jesus' ministry is Spirit-powered. Galilee,
the northernmost province of the Jewish people, has been at the
forefront of this Gospel from the beginning. Galilee is
significant because of its insignificance. Jesus did not grow
up in Jerusalem, the center of Jewish life and religious practice.
Instead, he grew up in Galilee, the hinterlands. He will carry
out the major portion of his ministry in Galilee. This is the first
of several reports of people being amazed by Jesus and his growing
fame “
15 And
he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.
“Jewish worship takes place at the Jerusalem temple
and at synagogues in each community. For most Jews, temple
worship is something that they experience, at best, a few times a
year. Local synagogues meet their need for regular worship. “
16 And
he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom
was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for
to read.
One might expect this to be a happy occasion, but
homecomings may be less than happy when children surpass their
parents and teachers. (p. 317 student text) Jealousy!!!
“Luke establishes Jesus' deep rootedness in Jewish
religious tradition and his faithfulness to the synagogue and Sabbath
observance.
as was
his custom is a phrase pregnant
with preaching possibilities. Luke has established that Mary
and Joseph were observant of Jewish religious traditions (2:21-24;
41-51). They surely raised Jesus from infancy in the synagogue,
shaping his faith.
Jesus' lifetime immersion in the synagogue has
already paid dividends. Earlier in this chapter, Jesus was
tempted in the wilderness. He responded to the tempter, "It
is written!" He had learned the scriptures in the
synagogue, and they became his sword and shield when confronted by
the devil.”
17 And
there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when
he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Jesus chooses his own reading. He was the Word made
flesh and therefore He knew where in the book, it was written and
spoke of Him by the prophet Isaiah!
This
takes place on the sabbath day and no doubt there are a lot of people
there!
18 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,
Jesus was anointed by
God's Spirit at his baptism
The Hebrew word Messiah and
the Greek word Christ both mean “anointed”. The anointing is,
among other things, to preach the gospel, meaning “good news”.
(p.317 student text)
Matthew 3:16-17
16 And Jesus, when he
was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the
heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove, and lighting upon him:
17 And lo a voice
from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.
"to preach good news to the poor"
Jesus is concerned for outsiders, people of low status,
vulnerable people –– whether their problems stem from economic
poverty or other causes. "By directing his good news to
these people, Jesus... (asserts) that even these 'outsiders' are the
objects of divine grace"
"to proclaim release to the captives"
Luke illustrates what this means by the first of Jesus' miracles in
this Gospel –– the cleansing of a man possessed by a demon.
Captives would also include people imprisoned for debt.
"recovering of sight to the blind"
In this Gospel, Jesus will restore the sight of blind people
(7:21-22; 18:35-43), and will also tell prideful people to "ask
the poor, the maimed, the lame, or the blind" to their banquet
table (14:13). Jesus' interest is not limited to physical
sight, but encompasses spiritual vision as well.
"to deliver those who are crushed" Is
it too much to say that only those who have experienced oppression
can fully appreciate what it means to be free?
19 To
preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
"and to proclaim the acceptable year of
the Lord" (v. 19). Isaiah wrote these words
originally as encouragement for Jewish people in exile. "The
Isaian description of a period of favor and deliverance for Zion is
now used to proclaim the Period of Jesus, and the new mode of
salvation that is to come in him"
"the acceptable year of the Lord"
(v. 19). This could refer to the Jubilee year. The Torah
requires Jewish people, every sabbath year, to let their land lie
fallow, to forgive debts, and to free slaves (Exodus 21:1-6;
23:10-11; Deuteronomy 15:1-18).
These Isaiah verses give Jesus his commission –– his
mission statement –– his guiding beacon. This is also the
church's commission. Jesus calls his church to love the
unlovely and to serve the undeserving. It is not a comfortable
discipleship.
TODAY, THIS
SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED
20 And
he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat
down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were
fastened on him.
21 And
he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in
your ears.
'All eyes of them in the synagogue are fastened upon
Jesus and rather than the people looking at the other teachers for
commentary on what was just read, they witnessed the Word of God,
read by the Word of God that became flesh! Powerful and indeed
awesome'
In one sentence, Jesus offers an answer to the
questions the people likely have swirling inside their heads: Does
Jesus think He is special? Does He see himself as a teacher or
prophet of Israel?
(p.318 student text)
Jesus' preaching begins with the word "Today."
•
Today the Spirit
of the Lord is upon me.
•
Today I bring good
news to the poor.
•
Today I proclaim
release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind.
•
Today I let the
oppressed go free to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
"Today this Scripture has been fulfilled
in your hearing." The people of Israel have waited for
centuries for the fulfillment of promises that God made throughout
their history, beginning with Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). Now
Jesus declares that the wait is over –– that the day has come ––
that the promises are fulfilled –– that salvation is nigh!
This is indeed good news (v. 43).
The fulfillment of this scripture began with
the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus but continues in the life
of the church today. All over the world, the church is bringing
good news to the poor, proclaiming release to the captives, helping
the blind to recover their sight, helping to free the oppressed, and
proclaiming the year of the Lord's favor
“Christ
taught in their synagogues, their places of public worship, where
they met to read, expound, and apply the word, to pray and praise.
All the gifts and graces of the Spirit were upon him and on him,
without measure.
By
Christ, sinners may be loosed from the bonds of guilt, and by his
Spirit and grace from the bondage of corruption. He came by the word
of his gospel, to bring light to those that sat in the dark, and by
the power of his grace, to give sight to those that were blind. And
he preached the acceptable year of the Lord.
