More than Forgiven

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long absence. The passage of the month (for October and November) is Luke 4:18-19. In the passage Jesus states, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

Generally, people understand that Jesus died on the cross for their sins so that they could go to heaven instead of hell. This truth, which is at the heart of the Bible, has been widely proclaimed (as it should be). However, the whole truth is that Jesus came to forgive sinners and change their lives. The message of Jesus Christ offers more than eternal life. It offers eternal hope to sinners, and immediate hope. Just consider the following truths that can be pulled from Luke 4:18-19 . . .

First, Jesus came to "heal the brokenhearted." It is important to note that Jesus words as recorded in Luke 4:18-19 are actually a direct quote from Isaiah 61:1-2. The text of Isaiah 61 proceeds to say that the Messiah (Jesus) will "comfort all who mourn . . . give them beauty for ashes and the oil of joy for mourning." In other words, the Messiah will heal the brokenhearted! I can not help but think of the sinful woman in Luke 7 who wiped Jesus' feet with her tears. There is no question that she was grieved because of her sins. Her heart was broken. Jesus spoke these words to her, "Your sins are forgiven . . . Your faith has saved you. Go in peace" (Luke 7:48,50). Thank God, that Jesus offers forgiveness and comfort to the brokenhearted.

Second, Jesus came to "proclaim liberty to the captives." The text also states that Jesus came "to set at liberty those who are oppressed." The text paints a picture of a slave being set free. How does this work in Christianity? Well, Jesus stated, "Whoever commits sin is a salve of sin" (John 8:34). He proceeded to say, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." The good news is that Jesus came to forgive sinners and free them from being slaves to sin! This is great news for anyone who is addicted to sin (that's pretty much every single unbeliever).

Third, Jesus came to give "sight to the blind." This certainly should be understood as the "eye opening" experience that one enjoys when he understands and believes the good news concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus. However, it does not have to be limited to that. 1 John 2:11 states, "He who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes." In reality, unbelievers are not able to see the error of their ways, or the "path of pleasantness and peace" (proverbs 3:13-18) that lies before them. Thus, they continue to stagger in the darkness. They continue to hate one another and sin against God. The good news is Jesus came to forgive them and "open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and form the power of Satan to God."

In conclusion, it is wonderful to truly understand all the benefits that come from knowing the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, I am forgiven and I enjoy the "abundant life" (John 10:10). Til next month, serve the King!

Pastor Ben