“The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, because He has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19 (Isaiah 61:1-2)
This is a great text of hope from the LORD and in the Lord. After reading this text in a synagogue in His hometown of Nazareth He said, “Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). This passage immediately makes me think of the prophesy concerning the Messiah from Isaiah 11:2, “And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.” God reveals to us so much and looking back we know that God through Jesus did exactly what He said He would.
However, God doesn’t always reveal all the details of His plans. Like here, we see a broad stroke that only captures a fraction of what He did during His earthly ministry and all that has occurred even since His ascension. But in the past when He was about to change the course of history, He sent a herald to prepare for the event. Think the Prophets of old, John the Baptist, the Apostles…even John concerning the Revelation and with chapter 22:21 of Revelation ending with these words, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.” With these words the revelation of God’s redemptive plan is ended with all the information we need so that we can live our lives at Christmas and all year through glorifying our God.
But not just people heralded this coming Messiah: the angels, the heavenly host saying; “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”
Even our hymns at Christmas remind us of this truth:
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinner reconciled.”
The elect of every nation also join in to proclaim His birth and His kingdom. This is our calling …this is our mandate at Christmas and all year round.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise, join the triumph in the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim, “Christ is born in Bethlehem.”
These proclaim/herald His coming and His kingdom… but also Christ Himself. Jesus is a herald of God’s Kingdom in that He proclaimed the Good News of the Kingdom but at his birth he was also a sign that the Kingdom was at hand. Again our hymn puts this in understandable words for us to sing:
Light and life to all He brings, Risen with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory to the new born King.”
Since we are called to be heralds, representatives, ambassadors for Christ to the world…think this morning about people who fall into the categories in our text above…people of whom Christ was sent to give the hope of salvation no matter their circumstances…the poor, the captive, oppressed and the blind…either physically or spiritually (which is the dilemma for most in this culture). Then begin today to pray for them and an opportunity to share the liberty that can only come from our Lord Jesus Christ.
Our job, following in the footsteps of all those who have gone before is “…to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” Think about that and then do!
As you reflect/meditate on this passage listen to this old Christmas hymn, In the Bleak Midwinter, sung here by the Getty’s but originally written as a poem for Christmas by Christina Rossetti in 1872.
God bless y’all today!
In His Grip,
Pastor Mike
