Lord’s Day, Vol. 13 No. 42
Christ’s Inaugural Message
Luke 4:14-22 (KJV) 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. 15 And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. 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. 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, 18The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel (1) to the poor; he hath sent me (2) to heal the brokenhearted, (3) to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, (4) to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 (5) To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 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. 22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?
Christ, “the Anointed One”, is anointed to preach (v18a) by the Spirit of the Lord, beginning His earthly ministry. Christ was baptised at the Jordan where the Spirit of God descended from heaven upon Him [Luke 3:22 (KJV) And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.] and God the Father affirming His Son whom Luke traced to be truly the son of Adam and the Son of God. It was from the lineage of Mary to whom Christ was traced to the kingly line of David through another son Nathan (Luke 3:31). This was followed by His victory over the devil who tempted Him in the wilderness at His weakest after being enhungered 40 days. For His people’s sake, Christ overcame the devil. Christ is able to bring deliverance and comfort to those tempted by the devil – Hebrews 2:18 (KJV) For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Having defeated the devil at the onset of His ministry, Christ will begin His triumphant ministry to save souls in total bondage to sin and the chain of the evil one! Christ’s primary emphasis of ministry was the preaching of the gospel (v18a). Christ would read the appointed text and give instruction that day inaugurating His ministry. The Apostle Paul attested to the primary focus of preaching the gospel to save souls when he testified in Romans 1:16 (KJV) For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
Christ preached in the synagogues of the Jews beginning in Nazareth where he had been brought up fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 61:1-2 (KJV) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me (1) to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me (2) to bind up the brokenhearted, (3) to proclaim liberty to the captives, and (4) the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 (5) To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn.
God will prepare the hearts of the hearers to receive His Word. These are described as “the poor” by Christ and “the meek” by Isaiah referring to those who realize their spiritual poverty and humbly respond to the preaching of the gospel, repenting of their sins and turning to Christ for salvation through the mighty working of the Holy Spirit. The “broken-hearted” literally means “crushed or smashed” alluding to mental and emotional states deprive of strength, break down, of persons bruised, mistreated, beaten severely. Christ came to console the broken hearted (Luke 2:25). “Captives” speaks of those in total bondage to sin and Satan, needing to be freed from their captivity and servitude! The word “bruised” literally means break in pieces, as pottery; figuratively and passive, of persons broken in spirit by oppression be downtrodden, be overwhelmed with trouble. This is a description of the world at large and those brought into the church. The “acceptable year of the Lord” is the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25), it is a time of restoration. The inauguration of Christ’s ministry is a time of restoration of God’s favour through Christ that continues with the church after His ascension to heaven culminating at His Second Coming (2 Cor. 6:2).
Yours lovingly,
Pastor Lek Aik Wee